thankful

I decided to post again today. To make up for my neglect of the blog over the past couple weeks.

I feel like thanksgiving was yesterday so he's my thankful list.

I'm thankful for...

#1 My talented sis in law Rhonda who takes BEAUTIFUL pictures, that I can't wait to see! And she was the one who jazzed up my title thing. She's a bit of a computer whiz and "taught" me how, but my eyes glazed over pretty quick. My fault not hers.

#2. My bright idea to switch babysitting with our neighbors once a month. They have 2 little kids just like us. Taylor is 3 and baby Hannah is a month younger than James. Now Derek and I can go out once a month guilt free and no paying a babysitter either! Plus Taylor and Alli play pretty cute together.




#3. My family. I love them all! My mom was up after Sadie was born with Susie, and was here for my birthday. So she babysat while I went to the gym, we went shopping, she cooked a yummy supper, and Alli helped her make me a cake! I made a last minute decision to go to Raymond with her and we had a fantastic time as usual.




#4 That we are all safe. We were in a little car accident on our way home on Monday night. We were about 20 min from Edmonton and there was lots of traffic. We had to slow down suddenly, but the car behind us did not. So we go hit from behind with enough force to push us into the car in front of us. I'm stiff and sore and so is Derek but we are all ok. Our car is probably not fixable. I'm going to be annoyed, i can see it now.

#5 James slept! James cried and cried until we got home on Monday night. And then he slept, and he slept and slept. I was totally being a worry mom because he slept through the night and and most of the day. Which is not like him at all! But really I was so happy that he did, because I was a little stressed all day Tuesday, and it was nice not to have him fussing and squirming. Don't worry, he was back to his lively personality at 5 am today!



#6 Surprises! I love surprises. But for some reason I usually ruin them for myself somehow. My brother Pete came home for the weekend from Vancouver. That was a fun surprise, (and so was the lady friend he brought along!) and minus my middle of the night rant to him (sorry i was out of it) we had a great time. Alli once again cried around him. So weird, she never acts the way she does around Peter, and she was the same at Christmas. She must get the vibe of the torture he put me through as a child and wants nothing to do with him! She did let him feed her cake, and that was about the only time she wasn't running for me whenever Peter looked at her.



# 7 ANOTHER little nephew! Derek's sister Mindy had a little boy Kade on Sunday. Everything went well. They live in California so I'd love to meet the little guy soon, but....well, they live in California.

#8 This is an unthankful. Sorry to ruin the mood of all the positive and grateful, but my week has been crazy and I just need to vent this one.
Alli likes to sit on the toilet lately, and she is refusing her diaper at times. So she is ready to potty train right? I seriously have to hold her down kicking and screaming and fight the diaper on when she is in the no diaper mood. Today in the early evening she did a large #2 in the diaper and was in the no diaper mood. Well, I have no car so I have no big girl undies for her yet. I thought, ok, lets give the old no diaper will remind the child she has to go right?

Everyone reading this is wondering if I'm going to go there, and yes I am, you know where this is going next.

I was asking Alli often if she had to go potty and she kept saying no. About an hour and a half after the diaper had been off she took me up on the offer. She sat on the toilet, did the usual, sit and make a few pretend noises ( they are hilarius, she pretends to push) and then "All done!" grabs the toilet paper and pretends some more with that and flushes. She actually did that twice, but nothing real. WELL, the diaper had been off for about 2 hours now. I had just got my sweet little James down for a little nap, but he woke up and was crying so i was in trying to settle him without picking him up. I was bent over him when I hear Alli "Oh no mommy, oh no." I turn around to the disater before me. And maybe if I wasn't already a bit irritated by James crying, I would have responded better. I see the mess, and it is a MESS! I yelled NOOOOOOO ALLI NOOOOOOO!!! I grab her and run her to the toilet, but it is too late, the job is done....on my bedroom floor and one of my t-shirts (which did not make it to the wash, straight to the trash). She is crying a bit because I scared her with the yell. So I get her in the tub and give her the scrub down while James is wailing at this point. After I settle James and get Alli dried off, the diaper is on within seconds, I think Alli actually helped me a little in putting it on.

All the while Derek is at mutual painting pinatas.

So am i now doomed with the whole potty training? I think I scared her into never wanting to poop again. When I was pregnant with Alli i was totally nervous for 2 things about kids. Labor (which I got to skip with Alli and had just a taste of it with James) and Potty Training. The dreaded day is here. My laundry costs $4 a load, do I really want to do this? I'm taking advice. Where do I start? And don't tell me the nakedness worked for you, I don't want to hear it!

I'm off to do a final scrub of the carpet.