Potty Training

Benjamin has had a renewed interest in potty training (we tried when he was 2 1/2 but not much real success). This time things are going alot better. He goes poopy in the potty all the time! He wore big boy underwear for 5 days in a row (don't worry he had a new pair on everyday) and he kept them dry. He still needs to wear nap time and night time underwear but we will take these huge steps! We are so proud of him!! He will tell us when he has to go potty and he gets so proud of himself when he does it. When he was 2 1/2 we tried a motivation chart to get him to go potty and that just didn't work. This time he wanted to go potty (like a school kid--he really wants to go to preschool in the fall) and we didn't have to use any real motivation. When he wore his big boy underwear to Dani's house (daycare) he was so happy and proud of himself. We can't get over how grown-up he is getting!!

Hey Diddle Diddle

Benjamin is such a sweet big brother. Every night he will help say Ada's prayers and then he tells Ada the "Hey Diddle Diddle" riddle. Both kids have always liked this riddle and this riddle is/was the only thing that would help settle them down. It is so sweet to watch Benjamin say Ada's prayers and to listen to him say her riddle.

Little Craig

Ada has always looked like my brother Craig (he denies it and does not see it) while everybody else comments how they think she looks like him. If he doesn't see the resemblance in this picture than I have no hope that he ever will. I can't believe how much she looks like him and how much she looks like me, too. Whenever I look into her little face I see me! She is such a beautiful little girl and she makes me proud everyday. Benjamin says Ada looks like a little boy in this picture. Her hair is coming in dark and thick but slowly growing long. One day she can wear a real headband or a hair tie just not anytime soon.

A Few Things About Me Both Interesting and Not

I am trying to catch up on some old post assignments/activities and this is one that I have not done yet so here goes.
Here's how it works: All the ones that are 'bolded' are things I've done or seen or whatever because I just KNOW you wanted to know all this about me. I'm tagging Carrie and Amanda (if you want to do it) and anyone else who wants to play along.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (flute)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
7. Been to Disneyland/world (both actually)
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train (while in Europe)
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill (the kids were sick)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (those of you who know me, know the story)
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (studied German in high school & college so I didn't actually teach myself the language but I practiced it)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (a replicated statute in Europe)
41. Sung Karaoke (not very well I might add)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant (I didn't purchase the whole thing just provided the additional money that they needed)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (for a disaster exercise)
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (several - as long as my mom hasn't thrown them away)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (it was actually at crawling speed but it felt like speeding to me)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (my masters thesis)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car (on a way to a friend's wedding)
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House (seen the outside of it--was never inside)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (choking incident)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit (the anti-tipping mechanism on our oven--from Sears)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

I learned that while I have thought that I have done alot with my 30 years there is still so much that I want to do! My list is pretty boring if you ask me!

Little Momma

Ada is quite the little momma to her babies and dollies. She can be so sensitive and caring with them and then turn on a dime. When she has had enough baby time she will throw them down (not very gently I might add) and say "NO". She is sitting here looking so proud wearing and playing with some of her Christmas gifts--a new pair of pj's from Grandma & Grandpa, shoes from uncle Matt & aunt Carrie, and her baby doll from Grandma & Grandpa. As you can see her babies are quite an armful! She is very protective of them and will not go to sleep unless she has them in her crib with her. And she will not go to sleep until she get them arranged just the way she wants them! She is a good little momma to her babies and she even breast feeds her babies!! Unfortunately, we have not been able to capture that on film. I can't wait till she really gets into playing dolls!!

Little Artists...

Benjamin and Ada received an art easel for Christmas from their uncle Craig and aunt Stephanie. The art easel has a chalk board, dry erase board, and two clips to hang paper on for decorating. Benjamin and Ada have been busy being little artists. They have been drawing on the chalkboard and painting (we don't have any dry erase markers so they don't use that board yet) with the finger paint set that Ada got from uncle Colin. They surprisingly have not made much of a mess! They both seem to enjoy painting (Benjamin loves doing art projects so doing just about any sort of project makes him happy). When they are both painting at the same time it gets to be quite the work out! They each want the brushes (we have 3) and to use the easel at the same time. We have it worked out that they rotate easel time, etc. For their paint palate we cut apart an egg carton that they use to put/hold their paint in. It works great! Now, if we could just find some nice painting paper we would be in business!!

Capture (take a picture of) Us If You Can..

I just thought I would share how incredibly hard it is to take a picture of these together when I want too!! These were the best Christmas pictures we could come up with. I vowed to leave the Christmas tree up till we could get a decent picture but I called "uncle" and decided that these would have to do! Maybe I can get my dream photo next year!! Does anyone else have a similar story/situation?