Gametes In Love

S2: Mommy where’s my breakfast?
Me: Well what would you like for breakfast?
S2: Nothing!!!
Me: Then HERE it is (pointing to an empty place-mat)!

S2: Mommy, wanna hear a joke?
Me: Sure!
S2: Goo-goo-ha-blah-doodoo [laughs]
Me: Hmn… so why is that funny?
S2: Because there’s a laugh at the end

Aaaand that was when I genuinely laughed.

Ok, fine! Might be lost on you, but I thought it was funny.

We’ve successfully bribed both of our children with a big reward upon successful completion of potty training. Successful completion = 5 days accident free. G got a big, yellow Bruder crane. S2? He got legos. He asked for Buzz Lightyear and Woody Legos. Luckily for me these things exist. UNluckily for me, at $12 each, they are the most expensive Lego “men” he’s received. These suckers better not get lost ;p Although I will say that even combines, he’s still a cheaper date than G’s crane.

My parents came up to visit last week-end. It was nice to have them. My mom has been in Bulgaria for so long, this is the first time she’s been up since last Easter. I went out with them and the boys just to take some photos. S2 got sick. My mom and I prepped the garden and planted our first veggies. We made mekisti — something I haven’t eaten in years. They were delicious!

Quiet time (with the pads)

Tantrum, featuring S2

Bath time!

S2: Kitties stay awake at night, right?
Me: Yes, they are nocturnal.
S2: I’m nocturnal too!
S: Really? What do you do at night?
S2: Sleep!

S2 has joined the ranks of the toilet trained peoples. We spent this past week-end rewarding via Apple Jacks, Fruit Loops and Lego mystery pack pieces successful contributions to the human waste sludge of our local municipality.

I will say that doing this with S2 was much easier than with G. I knew he was much more ready. He’d actually gone through daycare on several occasions, and one of his teachers has been urging me to get on it. But I’ve been waiting for a 3-day week-end when there wasn’t a whole lot of activity already planned. This was it. Valentine’s day was a stay-at-home day for him, since his school had in-teacher training. Plus President’s Day — it gave us 4 days to do this.

Total accident count? 3.5. The first 2 were on the first day, as expected, but he got it. Super fast. By the end of the first day, no joke, he was running to the bathroom on his own. The second day I was worried, because he seemed to be able to go when urged, but he wasn’t initiating going on his own. I don’t want to do the reminder approach — I want him to recognize when he has an urge. Day 3, yesterday was awesome — I let him do his thing and he did great. Today, same thing. So, I guess he’s ready.
Meanwhile, I’m “ready” with extra outfits in the car and a piddle pad on his car-seat.

We even managed to leave the house a couple of times, and he did great. Even survived a movie today… which as a side-note also marks a first — a first movie he’s been able to sit through IN a movie theater. I put a pull-up over his undies, just in case we couldn’t make it to a bathroom in time, but he was dry.

Yey, S2!

And… since I was subjected to staring at a naked tush for the past few days, I’m subjecting you to the same. I mean, what kind of mother would I be without embarrassment material for his teen years?

Chapter I. Marriage
Kissing. That’s why people get married. So they can kiss all the time.

Chapter II. Human anatomy
Does everyone carry scissors in their butt? You know… so they can cut the poop when they’re done?

(Stay tuned. Undoubtedly there will be more)

We are blessed to have not one two backseat drivers in our home (of the wee-high variety). On a family drive today we heard some of these goodies:

Backseat driver #1:
– is this how fast you’re supposed to be driving?

Backseat driver #2:
– are you buckled up?
– use both hands when you drive!

We issued my dad a backseat drivers license a decade or so back. I may have to issue our two drivers their own.

Unconditional love as a parent…

…. is listening to Alvin & the Chipmunks and Gummibär while in traffic on the way to school