Potty Training Attempt #1

It has been 5 days since we started potty training. Day one was great, Day two was horrible and day three, four, and five were a battle of the wills. I decided this morning that it is just not working. I know she is capable and has shown she has amazing bladder control, but she just doesn't want to do it. Since she is an independent little girl, I decided I would wait until it is not a battle. That may be in a few days, weeks, or months. Hopefully the next attempt will be less stressful on mommy and Riley. So for now I will choose to enjoy not having to run to the bathroom every 30 minutes. This picture shows the desperate measures I used to get her to use the potty. You can not see them, but she does have a plate of oranges on her lap. I should have stopped three days ago, but I think her mommy is just a stubborn as her.

The BIG Day

I can't believe that Quinn is now considered a "toddler" and Riley is a "preschooler". This year has just flown by. By God's strength, we made it through the year with minimal injuries and mental breakdowns. To all those strangers who looked at my pregnant belly and my baby girl last year only to tell me I needed depression medication and alcohol, I would like to respond by telling them that I made it through the first year with neither one. I would like to say that it is because we are amazing parents, but I would have to give most of the credit to God and friends and family who helped us out in so many different ways.

We celebrated the day by potty training and discontinuing bottles. Happy Birthday guys! However, we also made cupcakes, watched too many movies, consumed too much sugar, and ate dinner at McDonalds. Riley enjoyed her new doll with hair and boots. She called her "Martha" for a while, but now she is just "baby". "Baby" has boots, but Riley has to take them off in the house and set them next to our shoes. Quinn did not care about his gift, which makes me glad I only bought him crayons. I hope he is always that easy to please!

All in all, it was a wonderful day to celebrate the lives of our two little miracles born on the perfect day for a perfect purpose. Riley makes our lives full of joy, helps her parents learn patience, is an amazing big sister to her brother, and loves people with passion. Quinn constantly shows affection to us by giving kisses all day, brings joy by his laughter and huge smiles, and brings sweetness to our lives. I am so blessed by the both of them and I can't wait for another year with them!

Christmas and Stuff

We had a wonderful Christmas! We moved our Christmas tree on Christmas morning to the floor so the kids could actually touch it. They opened the simplest gifts and enjoyed each one of them. Riley's favorite was her M&M's and spin brush and Quinn's was his foam sword. I wish I would have discovered the spin brush sooner. Riley asks to brush her teeth all day! I made homemade cinnamon rolls for the first time and they were delicious! We spent the day with family and the kids enjoyed the gifts and, of course, the food.

One of Riley's gifts were Elmo and Dora underwear. We stared potty training yesterday. Overall, it was a pretty successful day. She went on her own 3 times and was very proud of herself! Today has been rough. She screams the second we walk in the bathroom and she has not gone on her own so far. I am trying to not make it a battle, so I am hoping she will eventually just get it. I am trying to be patient. I am sure she is ready, she just has to make the effort. Please pray for me!

Quinn is turning into a CRAZY little man. He is constantly climbing and falling. He has bruises everywhere and is always getting hurt. Last week we made a trip to Walmart. Quinn had a black eye, a bump on his head, and a shoe mark on his face. Yep, the stares were a little uncomfortable. He attacks Riley all day long. Good thing he is so cute and generally sweet.

Updates

Christmas is almost here and my two little ones have a big birthday coming up! I still have a hard time believing they were born on the same day just one year apart. God must have decided December 29th was an awesome day!

Quinn is suddenly acting like a toddler. He walks all the time and it seems as though crawling is a thing of the past. Many moms are sad when their babies start walking, but I don't think there is anything more adorable then a chubby almost 1-year-old walking around the house with a proud smile on his face. Quinn says "ball" all day long. He loves to throw the ball to anyone who is willing to play. He still has no interest in toys, but had a wonderful time with a paintbrush and empty oatmeal container I gave him today. He loves to wrestle his sister and kiss his mommy. He eats faster then any child I know. His smile and laugh are contagious.

Here is our super cute little man!

Riley is such a joy! She makes me laugh on a regular basis. Over the past few days, she has begun to repeat me word for word when I yell at her, and of course her facial expressions are just as dramatic as mine! It is so cute and naughty at the same time. Unfortunately, she also yells at Quinn all day long. He doesn't seem to mind though. He just smiles and tackles her. She soaks up everything I say or do. I guess its time to be on my best behavior! She has been reading a Snow White book, looks at the evil witch and says, "Mommy". Ouch! I don't get too offended though because she says Mark is Santa Clause and I am the Columbia Pictures statue. Riley has decided it is fun to wake up extremely early, run into our bedroom, jump on us, and yell, "morning!". It is sort of cute at 5:00am, but we want to break that habit as soon as possible.

I had left the room for a few minutes and found Riley here. She even turned the tv so she could see better. Yes, she got in trouble, but pretty impressive!

Riley played in the snow for the first time with Daddy. Hopefully that will continue to be daddy's job. I am not a fan of the snow.

This picture makes me laugh. I was trying to get a picture of them in their diapers. I now have two kids running from me when I try to take pictures!

Chocolate Water???

Last night was one of those nights. It was a night that I wish I could look on from an "outsider". My kids love to eat, almost to the point where it is a little ridiculous. Their dad is the same way except he never gains a pound doing it! Mark works most evenings so it is just the kids and I for dinner. Usually it feels like a race. How quickly can I prepare the food, eat it, and put the plates in the sink before any meltdowns occur? I seriously break a sweat sometimes. Last night I realized how funny it would be to watch us. I looked over at Quinn and he was snorting as he was finishing his food in literally a couple minutes. I then realized I had to eat as quickly as I could to beat the after dinner chaos. I had actually forgotten to eat lunch that afternoon, so I was hungry! As I was stuffing my face, I looked over at Riley. She had thrown her silverware on the ground and was eating with her face smack down on her plate. We all ate our dinner in a matter of minutes and no one said a word, besides the occasional snorting.

After dinner, Riley wanted chocolate milk. I told her she needed to drink water. So after her dramatic whine, she insisted she have chocolate water. So being the awesome mom that I am, I decided it would be funny to give her some. I mixed some chocolate into a nice, cold glass of water and stirred. I handed it to her and looked at me as though I was crazy. She said "yucky" and then proceeded to drink. She did not drink much, but watching her was so enjoyable! I don't think she will be asking for chocolate water any time soon.

Yep, that is what dinner is like in our house. I really should have adult company more often!