Just when you thought I didn’t have any more photos… I decided to start another post on the exact same topic. I just can’t take enough photos of the kids playing and exploring their much warmer environment.
We made a special trip to the zoo just to see the tulips in bloom. It is one of our favorite times of year to visit.
And, here are silly pictures of Abby being Abby…
Our little climber was cracking people up with her skirt, matching sunglasses and “catch me if you can” attitude. Benjamin was nowhere to be found in any of these photos, because he is too busy playing with friends these days than to pause for me to snap a picture. In fact, I had a very difficult time keeping up with him once he figured out how he could go fast on his bike!
Abby discovered her shadow the other day, and she kept shouting “Abby!” So here she had pinwheels, and as the light reflected and refracted, she shouted, “Shadow! Shadow!”
This is such a fun age! I also need to note on here that Abby has been potty training the past few weeks. It started out with her refusing to wear diapers anymore. I had read about a three day all-or-nothing approach to training, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. So, we tried a few methods for several weeks while using pull-ups. Finally, a few days ago -- after I cleaned up poop and pee for an entire day (soaking and soiling eight pairs of underwear) -- the following day she started using the potty with absolutely no accidents! I was shocked, but very hopeful. The next day, she repeated her progress with only one accident during a play date. Today, we went to Kings Island, and while she wore a pull-up there, as soon as we got home, she went back to using the potty again. I am not sure how we will transition to using the potty in public restrooms, but for now, I am THRILLED that she is in underwear all day long at home. (You all might remember potty training “hell” with Benjamin not too long ago…) So anyone who tells you they have a full-proof potty training method, and are super great at it, they are very misguided. I am a firm believer now that it is completely the child and how motivated he or she is to actually be trained. Abby is super motivated to do this, and she also is motivated by the treats she gets. She now pees and immediately shouts, “Mommy! Potty! Treat!”
Benjamin also is motivated by this new progress. He now begs for treats too, and so I am leveraging that. He gets treats for doing reading lessons. We are working through a book, “How to teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons,” and he is on lesson 55. It is AMAZING to see how it has been clicking for him. We started the book, and stopped, three times before he was really ready to launch into it. Yes, he is squirmy, and doesn’t like to sit through the whole lesson. But, as soon as I mention a treat, he is back to being focused. I am so proud of the progress he is making, and I am so hopeful he will grow to love reading books as much as I do. Until then, I treasure the reading time we have together, where he and Abby jostle for space in my lap, both sitting there until my legs start to fall asleep.
The moral of the story is… my children are now addicted to sugar, and may spend the rest of their lives demanding treats for any progress they make. But, I suppose we will deal with that later…
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