Potty Dance!

I realize that I'm about to write an entire post about urine and feces, but I just can't help myself. I also realize that this qualifies me as one of "those moms." You know the ones. Their life has become so boring that they always revert back to their child's bowel happenings. But try to believe me when I tell you, I am not cursed with such a boring life, I am the opposite: blessed with such an amazing opportunity as potty training. And therefore my entire day has been an ongoing obsession with the toilet.

Ah, crud. Who am I kidding? I guess I am one of those moms. No matter how I try to make it sound. That's fine though. On a day like today, I'll gladly accept that.

I never have a problem falling asleep at night, but last night was horrible. I laid awake forever stressing over the fact that I needed to try potty training my little girl again. So I awoke this morning completely determined. We've tried this whole business before with absolute zero success. She basically laughed at our efforts. So it always got put on hold for a day when I had more patience/energy/resolve.....whatever you want to call it. She could have cared less about our previous attempts. She thought it was fun to sit on the toilet and flush, but that's as far as she would go.

This morning, it clicked.

We sang potty songs, talked about chocolate chips, and *splash.* Pee! In the toilet!   I was so excited that I scared the poor girl. "YES! OH MY GOSH, YOU ARE DOING IT!" She jumped, and the stream stopped. Crap. Um, don't stop, you are doing so good! Do you have more pee? "OK!" came the adorable reply, and immediately the magical sound of the stream started to flow again. Phew. I had to bite my tongue and stop myself from jumping up and down shouting praise until she was finished. I gave her a lot of chocolate chips, really really hoping they would be a helpful incentive.

They were. Five times worth. Five pees on the potty, and one included a poop! (imagine my surprised and ecstatic face here.) With only a couple accidents during awake time, and a couple during nap time (though she never actually slept. Just played for two hours), I would definitely call today a success. On to tomorrow!

On to Sentences

The other day as I sat with my girl watching Strawberry Shortcake, I realized that maybe my life isn't quite as exciting to other people. Will Lemon Merengue ever be able to find a business to open that will help her feel needed and useful? Poor Lemon. She is so sad! No, Lemon, no! Don't move from Berry Bitty Town. The other girls need you. Er. *ahem* Okay, okay. So maybe I get a little involved in her little shows. And maybe spending all day long hanging out with a toddler and a baby has....reverted me a bit. But that doesn't mean I can't find exciting things in my life each day. Exciting to me, anyway.

Jean has started to speak in sentences more and more. They may all be fragments still, but cute, nonetheless. "Oh my. Gosh!" happens to be one of my favorites. "Doing, Mom?" I hear this one about 75 times a day. "I can't....find it." "I can't.....WAIT!" "Oh no! Bruhba, coming!" This one is especially funny, because she will run with her stuff and get to higher ground so her brother can't reach it/take it away. "I LIKE (fill in the blank)!" She likes everything. The kitchen. Toys. Walks. Clothes. Frogs. Daddy. Paper. Pillows. Whatever we happen to be doing at the moment - minus naps and bedtime - she will usually "like." Similar to Facebook.

There are at least a dozen other regular phrases, and they are being added upon each day. For me as her mother, this is highly entertaining and doubly exciting. I love watching her grow and learn -it really is neverendIng! However, she has no concept of quiet. Notice almost all of those phrases are followed by an exclamation point? Everything that comes from that girl's mouth is shouted. I blame Dora. That dang Explorer is always yelling everything. But. I still love my deodorant licking loudmouth. More and more every single day. 

I Hate Tantrums

This being a mom thing? It's tough sometimes. Here are two reasons why:

Option #1 - I stay in with the kids all day. She's driving me crazy! I know she's just bored, but she won't stop climbing on everything, getting into everything, and is screaming her head off about absolutely everything else.

Option #2 - I take them out to do something (ie. the park, a walk, sidewalk chalk, the library) and we have a great time. But the moment I have the nerve to end the outing, I am in for the tantrum of all tantrums. It's bad. And always feels far worse in public....?

For instance, yesterday we all went to the mall and stopped in at the toy store for some fun before we went home. Jean went nuts, making sure to touch and see every possible toy in there. She laughed and giggled like she had never, ever, ever had as much fun as she currently was in that exact moment. As we were finishing up with the rounds and said it was time to go, I could feel my body tensing up, getting ready for the imminent explosion. Sure enough, as soon as she realized we were headed out the door, BOOM!

"AHHHHHH!!! NO, NO, NO!!" *sob, sob, sob*  And don't forget the kicks and back arching, and flailing in poor Daddy's arms.

And this happens every single time we venture out to do anything. Ugh. I want my kids to have fun and experience life but sometimes it's easy to wonder, "Is it worth it?"

*sigh*  Yes. Dang it.

Jaded

You know what it's like when your mind can't settle on any one thing? You are dying to plan or think things through, but as soon as an image or thought makes its way to the front of your mind, it disappears - forgotten - and you are on to the next in line. That's me. All day long. 

Rent? In which town? Dental school! Four more long, long years. Can I last? I'll never see my husband. Like a single mother who gets to kiss a hot guy before bed each night. Four years in one place; imagine! I'm really thirsty. Don't hop on the couch! Oh shoot, forgot the laundry. We'll definitely need three bedrooms. I get my couches back. I should paint pictures for the kids' walls. Yeah right...with what time? Gotta look up moving trucks and compare the price. Can we find a house that will let us keep our dog? I need to get our health insurance sorted out for when we get there. Crap. forgot to get the car payment in the mail today. Okay, okay, I'll get your juice,I'm sorry. It's nice out today. I should go on a walk with the kids...nevermind. It's almost nap time. I want a nap. But I should do dishes. And laundry. And vacuum. No, Jean, no more tv.Ok. Where should we live? Oh, money. How are we supposed to afford everything? Dang. Poopy diaper. Gross! Ok, what was I just thinking about? 

I'm exhausted. Goodnight.

We're In!

Nothing to talk about??  Pssshhh.

We're going to dental school!!!

Okay, wait. Let me back up. In introducing us yesterday I failed to mention that for the last 7 years or so, Bryan has had an enormous dream of going to dental school and becoming a dentist. The more time passed, the more stumbling blocks appeared. You know, the whole "take 2 steps forward, 1 step back."  Lots of personal issues. Lots of money issues. Lots of timing issues. Lots and lots of issues.

Last year was huge, with what seemed like a ton of progress, Bryan graduated (magna cum laude) with his bachelors, took the Dental Admissions Exam (did phenomenal), and applied to 9 dental schools across the country (money, money, money! aka: our 2010 tax return). And then we moved in with my in-laws hoping to find a job until we heard about dental school. Then we waited. Applied to millions of jobs. Waited some more. Dreamed of life as grad students. Applied to more jobs. Waited. Dreamed. Tried not to get angry. Waited. Waited. Oh, and prayed. A lot. No jobs. No school interviews. Just rejection after rejection. Oh, I guess I lied. He did have one temporary job for a few weeks way back at the beginning almost (What a nightmare. Don't remind me).  That gave us some money for the next few months. Then Uncle Sam provided another return which has lasted us until now. And Bryan just got his new job at the pharmaceutical company a couple of weeks ago.

But June - March brought seven rejection letters, from his nine schools. Ouch.

The big "interview invitation email" from one of those two remaining schools made us all turn into a bunch of excited, blabbering idiots. We were ecstatic! And then another within the same week! It was the best week of our entire year.

He had first interview and fell in love with the school. We were all rolling on a high. But, then after a couple weeks of no news, that faded. Then it faded some more. And we were back at playing the waiting game that we've apparently gotten so good at. Bah! "What is the reason?? Why? Why? Why? WHAT exactly am I supposed to be praying FOR?" (<---this is what most of my prayers have sounded like for the last, oh....many many months now). I mean, really. Here we are, almost 30. Two children. Living with our parents (again), no job, no money, and not one single clue as to where our future road is leading. Discouragement abounds.

Until today.

"We have an open position available here at our school. Would you be able to fill it?"

We are in!

Blank Slate....Still Blank

Everyday for the last long while, I write blog posts in my head about different things that happen in our life. Right. Geeky, I know. But, it's who I am and what I do. "I could totally write something clever about this. Or that. Ou! Or this!" Then I remember I haven't made a blog that I wanted to write in yet. But now I have! Just yesterday. But guess what.

I am sitting here ready to type, baby napping, and little girl watching her morning shows, and I can't think of one thing to say.  *sigh*  I'll try back later.

For starters...

Hello world. Though not new to blogging, I am most definitely new to the public blogging scene. So. I'll just dive in head first and introduce myself and my amazing family.

Meet my husband, Bryan (and me, of couse, Kay).

He is the absolute love of my life, my Mr. Jones. I would do anything for this man. We have been inseparable from the day we met. No, seriously. Even on days we've been apart, we cannot quit texting or skyping. We even text on trips to the grocery store, or during every break at work. We can't handle being without contact in one form or another. At first I chalked it up to young love. Then, "We're newlyweds."  But now it's neither. And we haven't changed. Maybe there is something wrong with us? Maybe we're just more in love than any other couple has ever been? (Ha.) Maybe. But whatever the reason, I wouldn't change a thing.



At the moment, he works full time at a pharmaceutical company and I stay at home with our two beautiful children, Jean and Alex. 

Jean is two and a half. Loves dresses ("tutus"), jewelry, learning, walks, chocolate milk, and Dora the Explorer. Hates potty training, eating, timeouts, bedtime, holding still, and ending any activity that she is doing at the moment.

Alex is seven months. Loves crawling to get what his sister is playing with, standing up on stuff, clapping, being tickled, and cuddling. Hates when I leave the room, teething, and getting dressed.

I know. I know! I am blessed. This is us, and I love my life.