Morning fun and make shift beds

This morning we were goofing off around the house. I had been wanting to get Miranda a toy bed for her dolls, but when my friend Monika reminded me that a shoe box would work just as well, I fashioned not one, but two, from a diaper box. The girls were pretty much in heaven. First with the dolls going in and taking naps and then with themselves in the box. Parker was jealous, so I took the big box from the other day and made a bed for him. Then he was in heaven and stayed in that bed for at least 20 minutes. The girls were a bit frustrated when they tried to lie down in their boxes. They got over it when they got to lie down in the big box.














Speaking of lying down, Michael spent most of the morning on the couch trying to catch up on some sleep, but the girls put forth their best effort to keep that from happening.

More Elizabeth Stories

So yesterday Eli was a real pill. Falling to the ground and not moving, not following Parker and Miranda (and me), doing the thing with the wipes, etc. It's all very "dramatic" and somewhat staged, which makes it bug me even more.

After a walk around the block yesterday (where she did her falling and staying trick several times), she had a dry diaper and I knew she had to pee. I just knew it. So we went to the potty and I told her we were going to stay there until she peed. This, she did not like. I realize it doesn't sound like the best potty training strategy but I'm getting tired of her sitting on the potty and then peeing on the floor 5 minutes later. Like I said, I knew she had to go.

So she sat there, crying and screaming for mommy. Until daddy came come. Then she cried and screamed for daddy. But I insisted she stay there. She was not happy. I kept checking on her and telling her she could go play or see daddy after she went pee. She was still not happy. So I left her again. Michael asked how long I was going to leave her in there. I said, "until she pees." This went on for a bit longer and then I went to check on her and there was toilet paper all over the bathroom. I started to get pissed and then noticed a full potty of pee! She was trying to wipe herself and ripping the toilet paper off is still too hard for her. I praised her up and down and she got to go see daddy. She was a delightful child the rest of the day.

Today, she is 7 for 8 in the potty. 7 pees in, and one accident, which happened at Parker's preschool camp pick up when she was playing with Jenna. And which she pooped at the same time. Ah well.

I wonder if yesterday's experience has "taught" her anything so she is choosing to pee in the potty more. Who knows.

More Box

Boxes and Wipes

After naps today, the kids played with a box. Boxes seem to be endless fun for any age. They slid down it, put stuff down it and later in the day, climbed in it. Elizabeth got bored at some point (not quite endless, I suppose) and went to clean a baby, the bed, the table and other stuff.








Then Elizabeth took all the wipes that she had pulled out and dumped them on the floor. I asked her to put them in the garbage. She looked at me like, "You do it." I told her to put them in the garbage. She turned her nose to me. I told her that she couldn't play with anything else until she put the wipes in the garbage. She chose to sit there and not pick up the wipes. At one point Parker offered to throw them away and I told him to leave them there. Elizabeth walked over, picked them up and handed them to Parker. I told her "No, you need to throw them away." She put them back down and then started rolling around on the ground. This lasted a long time. So I asked who wanted to go on a walk. Everyone said Yes, so Parker and Miranda got their shoes on and then I told Elizabeth that she could come if she put the wipes in the garbage. She shook her head. I said, OK, bye! Parker and Miranda walked outside and I looked back to Elizabeth again. I asked her if she wanted to come. She said, Yes. I told her to put the wipes in the garbage. She shook her head. I said, ""Bye!" and walked out the front door. She started crying and saying Mommy. I came back in and said, "Did you want to come with us?" She said, "Yesh." I told her to put the wipes in the garbage and while she was crying, she scooted over on the floor, picked them up and put them in the garbage. The whole process was about 40 minutes. It was painful, but I was not going to give up since I knew she KNEW exactly what was going on.




Oh, and Parker and the girls got some new shoes. With the exception of one or two cheap pair of target shoes and some from the garage sale, I haven't really bought any shoes for the kids. They all love their shoes and wear them all the time.

Linda Beach Preschool Camp

Parker is at Preschool Camp this week. This time, it's at the school he will be attending in September. Since it was the first day yesterday, Susan watched the girls so I could go alone with him. I got there early and stayed for a bit. I introduced him to the teacher (Mrs. Nelson) and then left, hoping for the best. When I returned to pick him up, he was sitting alone in the room eating his snack. I said, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I thought pick up was at noon?!" Mrs. Nelson said, "It is, you are early." Apparently, in the middle of play time outside, Parker got hungry and asked for his snack. They made hats yesterday and Parker loved his. The Director, who let him move from the 3 year old group to the 4 year old group once she saw how mature/smart/whatever he was said he did great and it seemed like he had been there forever.




Today, I took the girls to drop him off and pick him up. I'll have to figure out the best way to do that, but having 2 loose toddlers running around isn't the way. I might have to use a stroller, something I rarely do anymore. After school, I put the girls down for their nap and then Parker announced he was not tired today. (I give him the choice on most days whether he wants to nap or not.) But since I had already seen him yawning, I insisted. He then asked if he could sleep on the couch. I knew he could sleep through my computer clicking and clacking and any other noises I made, so I said sure. It took him about 7 minutes to be out like a light.

Potty Training Update

After two trips where we used diapers sometimes and underwear other times, we are back in the swing of things potty training Eli. She's doing pretty well and definitely understands the process. Most mornings, she pees in the potty, does it again before baths and usually one or two more times during the day. The other day, she woke up from Nap dry and went pee in the potty immediately. Today, I took her to music class in underwear, warned the teacher she might pee on her drums, and hoped for the best. She did great and peed in the potty I keep in my car just after class.

She still hasn't pooped in the potty and doesn't like sitting on the big toilets (making visits to the bathroom difficult at parks and other outings.) She does like wearing the "pretty" (stripes or butterflies or something) underwear which is scary at best.

Miranda is still clueless.

More Tea Parties

Since I put water in the little tea pot, the girls want to have tea parties every day. They kinda suck at pouring the "tea" into the cups, but since it's just water, what the hell do I care if they end up all wet?

Trip (pics from Marcus camera)

Turns out I guilted my sister into uploading some of the photos, so here they are in no particular order.


That splash is me jumping off the log with Eran watching me. And for someone scared of lakes (due to the piranas), I was very glad that I Eran went with me.



The Marcus Martin clan.


The scary staircase again.


Oliver being wacky at the creek.


On the first day when we were trying to stay cool and entertain the kids, I showed them how to drop ice through this hole in the deck. Dropping ice turned into throwing ice at trees.


The horses that were magical to Miranda. I actually took her to the stable on Saturday. She and Elizabeth just stood there looking at these huge animals. Elizabeth then started pointing to the them exclaiming "HORSE! HORSE!" But I think it did the ticket because Miranda didn't talk about them (much) afterwards.



Everyone (but me) at the lake.


Eli and Miranda sunning.


Peter being the only brave one to go in the deep creek water.


Until Oliver joined him...but just that far.


Parker had to go pee at one point so I told him to go in the bushes. About 10 minutes later, he drops his undies and does it again. Too funny.


Amy and Julia enjoying a rock.


After we had been at the creek about 30 minutes and it seemed like it might be time to head back, Eran says, Should I go get the sand toys. We hemmed and hawed and then he got them. And then we stayed there another hour or so.


When Eran was getting the sand toys, I got this great shot of everyone else.


Peter having a snack.


In the cave.


Enjoying the creek.


The longs with super cool Miranda.


Oliver wanted a picture of himself upside down.


Eli looking sweet.


More sand toys.


At one point Peter got sad when we were all teasing him a bit.


Ah, snack time!


More Eli.


More Longs.

Studio Grow

In between our trip to LA and our trip to Sequoia we went to Studio Grow. Ebba took some cute pics of the kids.