Painting

Charlotte's teachers always commented about how much she loved art. So, I have tried to keep that going now that she's at home. The other day I bought her some paints and I thought we could have some fun with that.

I put about 8 globs of paint in neat little circles on a paper plate and handed her a brush. She was super excited and got right to work. I showed her how to get just a little paint at a time on her brush and make nice neat strokes. She looked so cute dipping her brush and painting that I went to grab the camera.

This is what I found when I came back - literally 30 seconds later.



Notice the plate with the colors all mixed up and no use of a brush - just hands. She decided to get down and dirty.

I think I said something like, "Excuse me! what did you do???"



She said, "I paint with hands!"



"Seeeeee Mommmmmyyyyy!!"



"Yes, I see that. Why did you do that?"

"I don no"





"Do NOT touch your head again"



"Charlotte are you listening to me??? DO NOT TOUCH YOUR HEAD!!!"



And yes, of course I would much rather take pictures of her misbehaving than stopping her from doing it.

Under the Big Top

Judd, Charlotte, and I went to the Big Apple Circus today in Stone Mountain Park. One of my co-workers invited us to attend along with her crew that goes every year. We had fabulous seats - 3 rows back and smack dab in the middle of the ring.

Judd and I were a little nervous about taking Charlotte to sit still for 2 hours during nap time hours - also sans diapers. But she did awesome. We did have our first porta potty experience during potty training - and I can't even describe it - I'm trying to block it from my mind. Lets just say that I had to hold her up above the seat about 10 inches to stay away from the nastiness. Then doused her hands with a bottle of hand sanitizer.

She loved the circus - she sat mesmerized for a lot of it. She clapped, laughed, and even told the different performers, "Good Job!" Judd and I really enjoyed it as well. It was smaller than we expected, but was very entertaining. The performers are amazing!

Charlotte's hands down favorite part was the popcorn that Judd bought during intermission. The child would have eaten the entire bucket if we would have let her. She was still talking about it at dinner tonight.

(Excuse the pictures - lighting was horrible and no flash was allowed)

Home

Guess who just got home?! To say there are two very excited girls in this house tonight is an understatement!! (and not just because of the presents)

Phoney Friday

Judd bought an iPhone for me a month or so ago. I had been drooling over them for months and months - I think he was tired of me talking about it. It was a splurge - especially for someone that just quit work to stay at home - but I have really loved having it. I've even downloaded some toddler games and it keeps Char busy on the airplane, when we wait for stuff, etc.

One of the items that I have loved the most is the camera. It takes the pressure off. I don't have to worry about getting the settings correct, metering, focusing, etc. I can just concentrate on the subject/composition and take the picture - it is very freeing. I always have it with me too! It is a great tool to just capture the every day moments.

Each Friday I'm going to compile some pictures that were taken throughout the week and post them here. Just a little picture diary of what we have done throughout the week.

My Buddy

We are doing good despite missing the leading man in our lives terribly. Charlotte asks about him each morning when she sees he is missing from our bed. She talks about him and reminds me every day that he is going to bring her presents when he returns. She knows he is in "Australia" and lets everyone know that. I'm watching the DVR fill up with the shows that we watch together and I don't want to watch without him. I miss our time on the couch together each night.

Charlotte has been my little buddy lately, attached at my hip. I had a conversation with one of my oldest and dearest friends the other day about how much our little girls were going to become our buddies. We talked about how they already were. Today we were heading to dinner and as we pulled out of the driveway Charlotte said out of the blue, "Mommy's my friend." Yes, baby, I am your friend and hope that I always will be - but I know I'll always be your Mommy first.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Snuggled on the couch watching the same episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for what seems like he 100th time. She'll only sit like this for maybe 5 minutes, so I try to soak up every second.

Potty Training

queue horror music....



Please be warned - this post is not for those easily grossed out with potty talk.

About two weekends ago, Charlotte wanted to use her potty a lot. She was keeping her diapers pretty dry. So, I figured we could just roll with the momentum and get going on this potty training thing. Why not go ahead and do it? I was going to be in the house with her a lot more now.

So, I told her that when she used the potty she could have 2 M&M's for #1 and 4 M&M's for #2. She was reluctant to go #2 on the potty. After a couple of days - and bags of M&M's - I told her that we would make a special trip to the store and pick out big girl underwear if she would go #2 on the potty. After a couple more days of constant reminders about big girl underwear, she finally went #2 on the potty. I jumped up and down, kissed and hugged her, told her I was SO PROUD, and shelled out 4 whole M&M's into her little palm. Then we got in the car and drove to Kohl's to pick out big girl underwear. We were on our way to victory!

The next day she had 4 accidents - two of them #2. Potty training has it's highs and lows - and A LOT of laundry.

She knows how to work it to get more M&M's - it only took her about 2 hours to figure it out. Some days she goes #1 no less than 5 times in an hour just to get more M&M's. She will sit there and squeeze out a drop and proclaim, "I WANT A TREAT - I PEE PEED IN POTTY!" Not sure how we are going to phase out the treat situation, but I'm not worrying about it now. I have been able to trick her into just 3 M&M's for #2 instead of 4.

I didn't know how gross potty training was going to be. I knew there would be accidents - but when there is an accident with #2 involved and you stick your finger in it when pulling down her pants to clean it up - gagging ensues. It is NOTHING like changing a diaper. The whole wiping portion is pretty gross too - I'll be pretty happy when she can master that part of the process.

Then there is the whole public toilet dilemma. She won't let me hold her above the potty, she insists on propping herself up. I can actually see the nasty public toilet germs crawling all over her hands. I can't get her to the sink to wash her hands fast enough.

As gross as it is, the experience is pretty funny. Whenever she goes #2 she always has to point out a "big one" and a "wittle one". The other day after she was done going #2 and I wiped her, she looked in the potty and said, "ROOOOAAAARRRRR!" I asked her what she was doing and she replied, "I scaring it". Whatever that was about I don't know. Then today she went #2, I wiped her, she turned and looked at it and said, "It has chocolate in it!". At the rate she is eating M&M's, there may have been some undigested chocolate in it.

She tried to pull a fast one on me a couple of days ago. She sat on her potty and some gas came out. She exclaimed, "I POOTED! TREAT?" I said that there were no M&M's given out for pooting. If that were the case she'd go through a bag every couple of hours.

All in all she is doing pretty well and I'm really proud of her. We keep diapers on for naps and bedtime, but she is in underwear most of the day. She is still having some accidents - but they have been #1. She seems to actually prefer to go #2 in the potty now and not in her diaper. I'm trying to stop asking her if she needs to go, but letting her take the lead. I think we are on the right track and I feel like it is pretty successful so far - but for us it isn't going to be a 3 day training - I'm just taking it easy and not putting any pressure on her - it is her decision. I'm definitely accepting any advice from all you moms that have been through this!!