What I learned from potty training

1. It is no fun. It really isn't. I felt like I was prepared, but I was not ready to clean pee and poop every 30 minutes. Yuck!
2. It may take more then one attempt. Our first attempt was rough and stressful. It wasn't worth it. Two weeks later it went much better.
3. It will make your carpets disgusting. I don't think I need to go into detail on this one.
4. There is no "correct" way to do it. We did everything different then what the books suggested. Riley has taught us that she is not "typical" and we are ok with that.
5. Potty training with a 1-year-old boy is tough. Quinn enjoys playing in toilets and anything that is wet and dirty.
6. It is hilarious to see my husband's reaction to poop on the floor, walls, and clothes. It just is. I usually just laugh inside then proceed to take care of the mess.
7. It is so worth it. I can not believe how nice it is to only have one child in diapers. The second attempt took about 5 days. She has only had a few accidents over the past week. My little girl is growing up!

Please don't remind me that I will be doing this again in a year.

early morning. ear infection. coffee. cuddling. vomiting. fighting. hair pulling. children falling off couches. two minute shower. crying. hugs. potty training. head stuck in pitcher. children falling in toilets. children drinking from toilets. laundry. food thrown across the kitchen. spices being dumped on the floor. laughing. vanilla extract shaken all over the house. more crying. cold dinner. choking. runny noses. biting. messes. mommy crying. story time. bedtime prayers. rest.
Thank you Lord for allowing me to be a mother today.

Catching Up

I know, I know... I haven't been doing very well with updating blogs lately. The Richard house had seemed a tad bit crazy since their birthday. All I can say is that there has been a lot of chaos. I feel completely exhausted at the end of the day. Don't get me wrong, I am truly thankful for both my little blessings, but they sure do make their mommy stay on her toes from before sunrise to after sunset. I am so grateful that no matter how tough our day is, we all get rest at night and are usually refreshed in the morning.

Riley is a big two-year-old and has decided to make potty training a bit smoother the second time around. We decided to take a couple of weeks off and have been starting again over the past week. She is having less accidents and has not been throwing herself on the floor when it is time to use the potty. Even though it has been a lot of work, it sure is nice to only have 1 in diapers. She even does great when we leave the house because she loves public restrooms. Strange, but that is Riley for you! She unfortunately had a stomach bug last week. All I can say is potty training+ stomach bug= disgusting! Poor girl.

Quinn is getting bigger by the day! Tonight at dinner I realized that he has liked every single piece of food given to him since starting solids at 5 months old. It is amazing and wonderful. I know I can count on him to enjoy every new recipe I try. He has been in a "fussy funk". I don't know what else to call it. Since he has turned 1, he has been fussy most of the day. I think he is just frustrated that can't do everything he wants. I know it is just a phase, but it is a little tiring for mommy and daddy to say the least. He now has his two top teeth. So cute!

Here are some pictures from the past few weeks:

How cute are they?!

Notice the wedgie and high heels.

Quinn likes to steal Riley's dolls while she is playing. He takes them from the windows and front door of the doll house.

Our good friend Karen made the towels. They love them!

Quinn reading the Bible

Chasing each other around the house.

Riley being adorable.

Waiting for their cake at their party. Just realized I didn't blog about it. Booo!

Just to let everyone know, we will be debuting in our first television commercial tomorrow. For those in Ft. Wayne, look for us in the McMahon Tire commercial. For anyone interested in our talent, I can give you our agents number.

Doctor Visit

Last week Riley and Quinn had their two and one year appointments. Occasionally I make their appointment at the same time if I am feeling brave. With both of them running everywhere I knew it could be challenging. Thankfully, my mom was in town and was excited to join us. With the help of snacks and grandma it went fairly smoothly. Riley only peed on the floor once and I was amazing at speed cleaning before the doctor came in the room. I am so thankful my kids are healthy. They are growing like weeds. Riley is 29lbs(70%) and 35in(70%). Quinn is 24lbs(70%) and 31in(85%).

Developmentally, they are growing too. Riley has started to randomly hug me and say, "Mommy, I love you!". It makes my day! She plays with her doll house and has a very impressive imagination. She pretends mommy and daddy fall down the stairs and take baths together. She calls Quinn "brother kinkin". She has recently been making up songs and performing them to us (sounds like what her uncle Troy use to do).

Quinn is possibly more active then Riley. How does that happen? He runs all day. He can now climb on the couch and attempts to lunge himself off the arm. I am surprised there has been no broken bones thus far. It was easy to discontinue his bottles since he loves food so much. He continues to have the cutest laugh I know.

I have discovered the website moneysavingmom.com. I am in love. The site tells how to get the best deals at certain stores. It also has organizational tools, recipes, and money saving suggestions. I made the Starbucks scones that were posted yesterday and they are AMAZING (and cheap). Check it out if you haven't already!

Here are some picture we had taken with the Jester cousins. It was actually a pretty enjoyable experience!