NEEDY

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, Bennett language is increasing tenfold each day. He is very good at describing what his needs are and communicating with us all the time. Now we just need to teach him the difference between a need and a want. Bennett thinks that everything is a NEED. And by need, I mean... I NEED IT RIGHT.NOW!!!!! Everything from candy to gum, going potty to a treat, playing baseball to going outside. Yep, all NEEDS! Especially the treat part. Sometimes it is hard to hold back the laughs when he is expressing his needs!

Angie

Tonight, I stumbled onto a family friend on facebook. Josh & Angie Mogren were friends since when I was a little girl. Our parents went way back and I have so many great memories of time spent with Josh and Angie. And lots of sad ones as well. Angie passed away in December 1993. It is hard to believe that she has been gone for 17 years. Josh' blog can be found here. He is a great writer and has lots of amazing (and funny stories) to tell. What a life he has had but he is such an upbeat and fun guy! Back in February I participated in my first Climb for the Cure... 50 stories to the top of the IDS tower which is a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis. Great event supporting an even better cause.

Bumper Sticker

I have a collection of quotes that I keep adding to. I just jot down things that I read or stick out in my mind. The really important ones make it to the fridge or my desk at work.

Tonight, driving to dinner we saw a great one:

"Get involved - The world is run by those who show up."

How true is that!! So many times I get frustrated hearing people complain about things, but then never do anything about it. What a better place this world would be!

SOV

Tonight we had to usher at church. Shepherd of the Valley. The church that Travis & I joined before getting married. We were married there about a year later, Bennett was baptized there as well. It is a great church with an amazing pastor. Pastor Steve just has a way to make a connection with everyone around him. He always has great stories and messages. He makes sure that you get the message, but with out making it feel to "preachy." I had a great upbringing at church - starting at St. John's in the tiny church parish hall with Sunday school... I could count all of the kids on one hand. Then in middle school we switched church's and moved to Trinity Lutheran in Hudson. It was great because so many of my friends were involved and our youth director was Sonja Dixon! Sonja was incredible - she just had this way about her. Not to mention the awesome things that we did. Workcamp, camp Omega, Moonlight Madness, the list goes on and on.

I am so excited for Bennett to have a similar experience at Shepherd. Tonight reading the bulliten it really sunk in as they were posting about Sunday School starting next week for the 3 year olds. Oh.my.gosh... Bennett will be enrolling next year. I hope that his experience is even better then mine was. I know that it is already off to a great start!!

Tips & Tricks of the Potty

Not that I want this blog to turn into potty training 101, but I do want to be able to look back years from know and remember what this journey was like. We started with training Bennett last Thursday (8.26). Today is 9.3 and I feel as though we have come a LONG ways in just 8 days. We started on Thursday morning when Bennett woke up. I dressed him in his undies and pants - no diaper, training pants or pull ups. Pretty much all accidents ALL.DAY.LONG! Poor Heather. Came home to more accidents. Friday rolled around and I was home some of the day with B and my mom was here the other part. Again, lots of accidents and only one successful trip to the potty. Same thing continued Saturday and Sunday.

By Monday morning I was so frustrated and feeling like after 4 days we have made ZERO progress. I talked to Heather in the am and she said that she thought we should stick with it. He was showing all of the signs of being ready. The report Monday afternoon 3 accidents and 2 successes. Monday evening was an accident and a success! Tuesday was 2 accidents and 2 successes. Similar in the evening. Then came Wednesday - only one accident! And Thursday, oh Thursday! A totally dry day :) WAHOO!! We are finally getting somewhere. And the same for Friday. So here we sit on Friday nigh looking back on the past 8 days and enjoying all of Bennett's accomplishments.

All of the training is happening by wearing his undies and telling him that "potty goes in the potty." No rewards and only gentle reminders throughout the day. When we tried a couple of weeks ago we were all about the rewards, setting the timer to remind him to go... the whole routine. That did NOT work! This is :) I firmly believe that for Bennett he works well when we just dive in and do it. For all of the major steps in life so far, that is how we handled it. On Thursday night we got rid of all of the pacifiers. Never looked back and he adjusted like a champ. I think that timing and dedication is everything.

So keep your fingers crossed that potty continues to go in the potty - for everyone's sake!

Gi' me a break!

Tonight we have another break as Bennett is at grandma Kay's house. While having a free night is always a welcome event with potty training happening it seems as though we want to be calling every 5 minutes to find out how things are going. I swear, potty training could be one of the hardest and most suspense that we have had in our lives. When is he going to go? When will he have an accident? How many accidents at Heathers? The whole process is physically and emotionally tiring.

Just this morning we arrived at Heather's house. I was writing out the check and gathering his things to go into Heather's. He said - I need go potty! That means I ripped him out of the carseat, sprinted (in heels) to Heather's door, rang the doorbell and prayed that he did NOT pee all over me while we waited. She opened the door and I burst in pulled Bennett's pants down and on the potty he went. TO WAIT. AND WAIT. AND WAIT!!!

Like I said, physically and mentally exhausting. I don't think that I have ever run that fast in my life. While we were out to dinner this week with Bret and Kay, Bret asked how long we have once B says that he has to go potty - Oh, about 10 seconds... give or take a second or two! So can you imagine my run now?!?

Sweet Success!

As I have mentioned previously, we are working on potty training with Bennett. Each day is getting better then the previous. Thursday - Sunday were the most difficult. I kept questioning whether Bennett was really ready for the potty or if we were pushing him too soon. Then Monday came and something clicked with Heather. Bennett had two successful times on the potty and three accidents. Tuesday was the same, only better. 3 successes and only two accidents. Wednesday, only one accident! It is so exciting to have him picking up such a difficult thing. I know that we still have a long ways to go, but he is "getting it" which is the most.important.thing. I don't care if he has an accident, as long as he tells me before he goes... we are on the right track. We are going to stick with it and hopefully next week at this time we will be so much closer to full training! At night, pull ups are a necessity - of course. I think that potty training teaches us so much about each other and about patience. Oh, and laundry. The baskets are all overflowing... I better get going!