Monday, March 2, 2009

Potty training adventures with Gwyn

I know it has been AWHILE since I blogged.  Life with kids and ministry and a job and homeschooling.  Life.  That is it.  I would rather play with my kids...or read a book...or watch a great TV show...than stare at the computer.  Anyway, I just could not, not share this with my blog girls.  This one is for you Aly and Annie.  I miss being able to share these stories with you at the park...
We recently dedicated our sweet Gwyn which basically means we prayed over her life with close family and friends (pictured here Aaron and Emily-friends so dear they seem like family) and committed to raising her in the knowledge of Christ and pouring His love and ours into her.  She is the most precious, soft little soul and she has completed our little family.  We love her, but life with a 21 month old is always a crazy mix of pure joy and pure...hmm read on.

Gwyn is potty training, and doing well as a preface.  She usually only has about one pee accident a day and never poos in her pants anymore.  She is even dry at Disneyland or on drives to LA.  I am impressed.  But, she has a milk intolerance that makes her gassy and constipated.  We are usually so careful, but this week a bit of cheese slipped through and she ate it.  The next day she was upset at her bowels and trying to poop.  We let her roam with no pants to allow easy access while we were cooking dinner after a long day.  She was kinda whining and we were kinda not paying much attention.  Not a good thing cause next thing I know she is calling Poop! from her room.  I go in and she is squatting in front of her dollhouse dropping the biggest log ever.  I look at her red face and see defeat.  She is mad at herself, so I don't make a big deal, grap a wippee and lysol, pick it up and we take it to the potty, talk about how it should go in there and NOT on the ground and flush it bye-bye.  I go back to dinner prep without dressing her.  I figure the danger is gone and a little naked time is always fun.  She comes in the kitchen and "cooks" at her play kitchen.  THEN, after a few minutes I hear the Poop! call and look over to see her STANDING in her own poo.  She didn't just drop one...she stepped in it!  Ahh!  Adam and I were SOO excited to have choosen parenthood at that moment.  Aggie held the dog back (Peyton the dog is famous for eating the poo-good times), while I held Gwyn in mid-air.  He went and got the wipees.  We wiped her down.  Sprayed HER feet with lysol.  Picked up the poo.  Wiped up the smashed poo.  Lysoled the ground and mopped with antibacterial soap.  THEN, back to dinner prep.  Good times, hey?  Adam and I joke that maybe we should have waited even longer (we waited 5 years) to have kids.  It surely is an adventure.  Especially the poop part.  

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Tea with Gammy (and big girl Gwyneth)

We took my mom to her first tea house experience this last week for her Christmas present.  She loves tea, has a teacup collection from her mom, and has tea parties every time the girls go over for babysitting.  Our day at the tea house was a perfect day.  The weather was sunny and nice.  We weren't rushed.  The girls were all fancy and felt pretty.  We sat at a pretty table with pretty tea sets and yummy, girly food.  Agatha had impeccable etiquette and manners.  Gwyneth ate quietly and didn't break anything.  My mom got to enjoy her girls and a beautiful tea.  It was everything I dreamed.  I wish everyday of parenting was this shiny.  Today, on the other hand, was back to reality.  Homeschooling in PJs, messy house, tons of chores, busy outings with late arrivals, pee pee accidents, a minor burn on my 1 year old's hand, screaming for two and half hours afterward (yes, you read that right-she was inconsolable), late bedtimes and work on the couch late into the night instead of sleeping.  Each day brings its own color and my world is rainbow.
Side note:  Gwyn is not a baby anymore!  She does flips at her Little Gym class, goes pee and poo on the potty, communicates with ASL and verbal words, sleds down huge hills in the snow on her own inner-tube, makes valid jokes and knows she is funny, refuses high chairs and sits on a normal dining chairs and even has a preference toward purple everything (what to do with all the PINK hand-me-downs from her big sister-RIT dye here I come!).  I am excited for this next stage of toddler!  Gwyn is precious.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

A dear man and friend...

If you have not been following the Mark Lamberth story go here...  He was a great guy and friend.  I love his wife and my heart breaks for her as her husband has gone to be with Jesus tonight.  A rough story.  Read it and pray with us.