Made Me Smile!

So I woke up this morning to see a wonderful email - one of my clients, Stacey, sent me pictures of her adorable daughter Emma in the jumper I made her this summer. I loved the dress on Penny, but it's easy for me to love things on Penny, because, well, she's mine! But, Emma looks like just a doll and I can't begin to tell you how much I love the fact that Emma LOVES to wear her dress! It just warms my heart. I thought I would share - thanks and have a great weekend!

Mountains Out of Mole-Hills

I am going to rant a bit here so if you aren't in the mood, I apologize, but I'm still going to go off a bit.

So a good friend and neighbor pops over yesterday to let me know (on the down low) that one of our neighbors kids tested positive for Type A influenza and for the H1N1 virus or more popularly called the Swine Flu. Why it is called the swine flu I will never know, but I do know for a fact it has nothing to do with pigs. I digress. So I decide to encourage Jon to wash his hands because I know seven year old boys are not typically concerned about hygiene in any sense. That's where I left it, because honestly, while this flu is not something I want or want my kids to have, I am not going to freak out. I repeat I am not going to freak out. It is amazing to me, however, how our delightful media can create such a frenzy.

I held book club at my house last night and one of my friends, whose daughter is in Jon's class was present. I told her about it, she is a nurse and while she also understands that this could potentially spread like wildfire, our healthy kids with no chronic illness or asthma, will mostly likely weather the storm unscathed. Book club ended and I received a call on my cell around 9:40 p.m. I don't get many calls in the evening, so I checked it out. My friend had done a quick errand after book club and drove past our school and saw cars and media vans parked outside. Are you freaking kidding me? Then I turned on the news to hear about it and then found it on the news websites as well. There in full color is our precious school on the screen like a most wanted FBI photo.

Okay so I get that we don't want to make light of this flu - I get that, but media vans, really. Parked outside the school at 9 o'clock at night like there is a hostage crisis going on? Really? Is there so little else going on in the world that THIS is the hot topic for the evening news? Really?

So I grabbed my cup of coffee and headed to the bus stop this morning to visit with the other mom's and asked how our little flu victim was doing. "Fantastic!" her mom says, she's bounced back wonderfully. I also found out that the H1N1 test, is only 69% accurate. Hello? This is the best they have at the moment, so all H1N1 cases are more "probable" than "definite". Again this is doing little for my confidence in the media and the hell it most likely causing our district PR rep and our principal.

I decided to make a proactive statement by buying Lysol wipes and a Purell squirterfor my son's class - his teacher was pleased as can be, because let's be honest here - most kids are dirty and while that doesn't bother me, it doesn't hurt to have them wipe down common areas to keep them healthy - I'm not just talking the swine flu. Knock on wood I have some pretty healthy kids, part of which I attribute to the fact that I allow them to be exposed to the elements, dirt and other such goodies. I don't constantly wipe them or me down with Purell, because honestly a little dirt does a body good. We're creating bubble children with little tolerance to anything and allergies to everything because they get exposed to NOTHING. While my actions may seem contrary to my beliefs, I do think that it is important to clean up after yourself - I mean I might let my kids play in dirt, but I still eventually give them a bath.

As I entered the school this afternoon I was able to have a bit of banter with our head custodian and joked about his long night, the district PR rep was there and she added that it was an early morning. From what I hear she never went to bed. Our principal was holed up in his office so my gift (albeit a bit of a gag) of Purell with a bow on it wasn't received in person. My statement to the office staff was - I wasn't sure if he had any sense of humor left, but I wanted to try. Then I explained that I was going to make a stance against the media and lick a few door knobs. That'll teach 'em!

I guess I have little point to this rambling other than the media pisses me off so much. I joked with my neighbor yesterday that I would love the media, just for one week to lie their pants off. The economy is great, job's are being created, a compromise on health care reform is made and everyone is happy, the Dow Jones, up, up, up! Crime is down, people are losing weight and we've found a cure for Cancer. I guarantee that we would see an upturn in our society. The strong hold our media has and their constant negative focus is one of the downfalls of our world. I want to be informed, but sometimes not so informed. I should have grown up in the 60's - I'm clearly happy with a little dose of ignorance is bliss.

With that I leave you, please still come visit me in Noblesville -we don't have the plague.... yet!

Thanks!

blogging machine

Okay so are you tired of my personal blogs yet? No? Well then saddle up - here's another one.

So as you may know or not know, I do this blog (duh), a blog for the Indy Star and now I've added our PTO website and blog to my schedule. If you would have asked me just two years ago if I would be blogging to the extent that I am or for three different sources I would have told you, you were nuts and to go away. But here I am blogging away.

I enjoy it, I do - I see some of these "big" blogs - you know the ones who quit their job and then their spouse quits their job because they sell enough ads to earn their living. I find it so interesting that we as people are so interested in other people we don't know. I mean, I believe I know most of the people that read my blog. Some are more acquaintances than others, but I know them more or less. I might be wrong, if that's the case I would love for you to introduce yourself - I like knowing who's reading about me. It's a bit creepy otherwise don't you think?

I have to say as a blogger, I really don't read a lot of other blogs. Sure I've got my friends that I check when a message comes into my blog roll, but I don't really follow people I don't know. Plus I'm blogging so damn much, I can only neglect my kids for so long. I mean eventually the goldfish runs out and Max and Ruby are over.

My Indy Star blog is easy enough - I am amazed and pleased by the emails I get for potential articles. It make my job very easy - plus I'm getting into my groove of what to cover and such. There's been so much shake up at the Indy Star, I don't even know if they read what I write - but apparently there are people who do because I get some good comments and some good information on a almost daily basis. It's cool too, to be affiliated with a larger website, I mean it'd be awesome to just to whatever I want, but having perimeters does give me some comfort. I at least know what I can and can't do.

My personal blog is a bit trickier, I mean I do this primarily for my work. When work is low, I do personal stuff - the readers I have don't seem to mind too much. There are many things I'd like to talk about, but it would be fairly inappropriate to cover on a children's artwork blog - I just can't justify adding another blog to my personal roll. It seems to me the bigger blogs cover it all and then some and they step on toes while their at it. I just can't justify potentially alienating my friends, family and acquaintances with inappropriate banter as if I were a four year old with no verbal filter.

The school blog is the easiest yet, because, well, it is totally geared towards school and school related activities and events. Can't get much easier than that - it is though, yet another blog for me to write.

So I wonder when these bigger blogs get big, do they solicit advertisers? Or is it a "you build and they will come" sort of situation. I'm not sure. Maybe I just need to get on Oprah - she's got some good connections.

Okay - enough blabber - I'm off to do a quick post for the PTO and then scour my house before my book club comes over tonight. See the problem with doing projects (ours is finishing our Entertainment or TV room) is that the rest of the house suffers - I have two laundry baskets of laundry to put away - another in the dryer and one in the washer. The floors are foul, as is my bathrooms and kitchen - I have to move mountains today and babysit for my cousin. Think I can do it? I have six cups of coffee in the pot that tells me I can - we'll see.

Thanks again for stopping by - later!

lately

So I realized that I've been posting more personally than professionally lately. I suppose its that I have much going on right now that isn't Penny Pickles related. Sure there are tons of things on my website that I need to update. As I sit here I have beautiful fabric downstairs begging me to make a skirt for Penny and a top for Miss Merdi, Leslie's daughter. It isn't that I've lost my mojo, I am suffering from what I like to call Multiple Sports Per Season Disorder or MSPSD as I like to call it. Against my better judgement we are embarking on having the boys play two different sports and as of this moment, Jon may have an overlap of sports (which I swore up and down I would never do) of three weeks, if he does actually go through with trying out for the swim club next week. Because Drew is too young to play football, he is playing soccer, which is a whole different animal to be dealing with. I knew this day would come, if you encourage your children to do anything extra curricular and you have more than one child, it is bound to happen.

This week was a taste of what's to come. I decided last minute to sign up the boys for one last swim lesson for the season. It was a perfect scenario - one week commitment, $50 per kid 5 or 5:30 each night. Jon decided that he wanted to try out for the swim club and although we've been playing in water all summer, I figured it wouldn't hurt to brush up on his skills right before the tryouts. Let's be honest here, learning to swim is a good thing. You would think though that Ryan and I could teach our own children because A. he was on the swim team, B. we were both lifeguards, C. I taught lessons at a private studio all throughout college and D. Ryan coached a swim club in the summers during college. But alas no, our children are less thrilled with learning the proper way to do each stroke with us, but more than happy to have us catch them as they launch themselves off the side. This seems to be a pretty common phenomenon, so I'm not taking it personally. So we do lessons, from strangers and it seems to work out quite nicely. I also figured that Jon might not be able to do the required 25 yards free and back. I must say it isn't terribly pretty, but he can in fact do it, so we'll see. One of the coaches is a woman whose daughter was in Jon's first grade class - I casually mention he's interested and that our goal with these lessons is to prepare him and after the first night she says - "oh, hell be fine." My secret wish that perhaps we can put this off for another year was squelched. No really, I think this will be awesome for him and when Jon is geared up about something I try to accomodate- I am sure I'll have fun too and Ryan just might be able to relive those glory days of swimming and coaching - it's just that its another time commitment and time is a precious commodity in this house. So we'll see what unfolds next week. Did I mention guitar lessons...

So back to Jon and football - it's all pretty standard, one practice a week and one game. He LOVES it and is pretty good - I don't expect him to win the Heisman trophy anytime soon, but he really, really has a fun time. Not to mention that we LOVE football in this house. Although Drew is the same size of most of Jon's team mates, he is still one year too young to play. Much to his chagrin. I can fully picture Drew in his late teen glory being 6'5" weighing 260 and working the line. He's just built for it, but I could be wrong and he could wind up playing the flute in the band. Only time will tell. So we'll see if football wins him over next year because this year he's playing soccer.

This is Jon with low blood sugar

Soccer isn't terribly foreign to me, I played a bit in high school, I preferred indoor to outdoor, not sure why, but I did. Jon has never been interested, but I think Drew, who knows nothing of the game is just excited to play "something." He had his first practice last night and yes he is the biggest kid on his team and yes he had his big Santa Claus grin on the WHOLE time. So excited to be doing something on his own, without the shadow of Jon. From that perspective it makes the chaos of after school and the shuttling all worth it. To know that he's happy that he's the one practicing and we're the ones watching him - well it's just priceless. A small price to pay I suppose.

This is Drew 99% of the time

Penny isn't involved in anything of late except making daring fashion choices for the above mentioned events - we dabble mostly in shoes, but sometimes she surprise us with a purse, fairy wings and maybe even a tutu. I think once things calm down we'll do gymnastics over the winter and then next spring she'll be joining her brothers at the ball field. I think she'll be rather happy to don a pink helmet and glove for t-ball. I'm thinking of having Ryan build a make-shift shanty for us to live in from April through June. Some people dream of vacation homes in Boca...

This is Penny, she's nuts

All the while I am still trying to get my TV room done - I have a bit more painting to do and some trim - we'll finally vacate the Colts room and put the TV and sofa back in its rightful place - it's just a lousy time of year to do anything that isn't school related. I mean sure we have sports, but as you other grade school parents know you have back to school meetings and socials. If you are lucky enough to serve on the board (did you see I said lucky!) then add a few more responsibilities onto that list.

As I explained to Ryan I feel like I have that post-baby fog, when you bring a newborn home after the hospital, that constant tired that no amount of caffeine can fix. Back to school seems a hell of a lot harder on me than it has been for the kids.

I expect to move mountains today - I have nothing other than "The Great Grocery Trip" to do, so I will be cleaning and doing laundry, working out and painting and trying not to be lured by the temptation of my unmade bed as I walk to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I must say though the pull is strong....

Have a great weekend and enjoy this beautiful weather. Thanks!

when I grow up...

I think in my next life I'd like to have an organic farm. I mean not because it's trendy, but because I don't like to use chemicals. I'm not a big fan. I also have a survival of the fittest type of mentality, so I generally let mother nature tend to my crop - I've watered twice this year - and magically things are still doing well. I'm doing a post on the Indy Star about being neighborly - here I'd just like to talk about my crop and what I wish I could do. See I would love to have a few acres to have a more abundant supply. Of course I'd have more work to do, but I like that kind of work. I don't mind being sweaty and dirty, especially if my dirty hands are holding a basket full of fresh produce. I would also have to let a few things go - I can't exactly justify not cleaning my house at this point when I only have two raised garden beds. (although I try...) I have a girl I know that lives in Montana - she's living a wonderful dream - I'm sure she's laughing when I say this, I envy her garden, her local. Sometimes I tease Ryan and say that if I didn't love my family so much, I'd be willing to draw up the horses and wagon and move to a quiet desolate place. Of course there would have to be a school nearby because homeschooling mom, I am not.

I think about our lives and the time we have here on earth. I wonder if there is enough time to do everything we actually want to do. I think about the question: "What do you want to do when you grow up?" I mean do we really have to do one thing? When I was little I wanted to be a vet. Pretty common amongst animal loving children. Then I had to dissect a frog and just wasn't good at it - I didn't like that aspect of it, so I scrapped the vet plans. Later in life I took drafting and art and thought, I could be an architect. So I went to college for Architecture and opted to be an Urban Planner instead. While I enjoyed that a bit, it still wasn't my calling. I just never could get excited over Comprehensive Plans or Ordinances. I became a mom, (and last I checked I still am) and I do a decent enough job - I love little babies, once they get to 18 months things get a bit hairy and now with school aged through toddler, I am realizing I am really looking forward to the years ahead. I'm not sure why, but I love sitting and talking with Jon, now that we can carry a conversation on about things that are not related to toys or commercials. I look forward to seeing him and Drew and Penny grow. I look forward to their independence and in turn my own. During this time, while being a mom I've done odd jobs - does anyone remember that skit on In Living Color - the show back in the 80's? It was called "Hey, Mon!" and it was about this Jamaican family that had like 20 jobs each just to get by. It always made me laugh - sometimes I feel a bit like that skit. So now I paint and sew, which I enjoy immensely, but I'm not sure its what I'll do for the rest of my life. I've thought about going back to school for nursing or something of that nature, just because I enjoy the caregiver aspect -the potential gore doesn't bother me either. Birthing three kids, caring for my brother during a couple of surgeries and caring for my mother through her death has given me lessons in medical and pharmaceutical care that I never thought I would have. Then there was always the idea of a Lactation consultant. I'm a bit of a breastfeeding nazi, and I will never forget the women I worked with that helped me get it right. The funny thing is, it's almost harder to be come a LC than a nurse - crazy really. One of the things I love about being an adult is not having homework or tests - paper ones anyway, so I'm not sure if going back to school is right for me. In a nut shell, I don't know what I'll do when I grow up. The plan is for me to get a job or push Penny Pickles into a new dimension, when Penny is in school full time - I still have three years. Perhaps I'll start off slow - a lucrative career in substitute teaching perhaps? Perhaps I'll fall into a bunch of money and open that farm after all. We shall see...

Well this post certainly took a turn, eh? I suppose its a good thing I'm not doing the same thing all the time - I'm a bit of a restless soul that way. I think about my dad who did his job for 30 some years, and Ryan who desperately wants to find a job where he can hang his hat. I sort of just want to toss my hat in the corner and pick it up and move it from time to time. I am fortunate and blessed to have that opportunity. I am fortunate and blessed that my husband is cool with it all. Now don't get me wrong - I'm not a flitter. Each job I've had, has ended for a variety of valid reasons, birth, sickness, death, etc. you get the point. Each of those moments has led me to my next place. So I suppose it is all meant to be, I just try to stay open to the possibilities.

For now I paint and from time to time sew. I kind of like the idea of being that cool mom and later grandma that always has dirt under her nails from her garden and paint splatter on her hands, arms and clothes. Okay maybe that isn't your idea of cool - but its mine. Alright, I have a billion things to do today and my morning is slowly ticking away. Thanks for hanging in there while I blabber - maybe you didn't and you aren't reading this now, in any case, Thanks!

and the winner is...

So I went to random.com and used their true random number generator and I wanted to put it on this page, but had an awful time of it, so trust me the random number between 1 and 14 (representing the total comments) was 6. My 6th comment and winner is:

Farrah said...

I always love a good contest...I think it's a great and ingenious method of advertising!! You gotta love word of mouth marketing!!! Ok so I would use it for cat toys!!! Hope I win....

August 13, 2009 9:27 PM

Well Farrah, you did! Thanks to everyone who dropped by and left a comment. Farrah - email me (ann@pennypickles.net) with your address and telephone number and the color bin you would like - I will forward it on to wayfair.com. Thanks again and have a great weekend!

Give away and Review....a must read!

I always find it interesting when I look at my statistics each month for who comes and goes on my website and blog. I really don't understand most of it, I'm a bit of a web-doofus when it comes to things like that - but I occasionally get hits from sites that baffle me. That brings me to today's post. I received an email a few days ago from a company, CSN Office Furniture. CSN Office Furniture sells everything from home office furniture to office accessories, storage options, shelving, craft desks, craft kits and so much more. When I got the initial email the contact person said browse our website, so I did. For hours. Then days. It was crazy - of course it was like an organizers fantasy with all the storage options (some women dream about hot men, I dream about storage solutions). They contacted me because they like my blog content - hilarious. I mean I have friends who read this, and a few strangers I am sure, but companies - ridiculous. I still think it might be part of a prank, but I love a good prank, so I'll nibble.

So I chose a product that a. I would use, and b. I would like to give away. I could have picked out something more expensive for myself to review -but I'm a giver by nature, so what would be the fun in that? I chose a collapsible bin from Skip Hop, I own a diaper bag from this company and knew their quality was top notch! It comes in a variety of colors and its uses, well I could come up with at least a hundred. For my short attention span friends, I will only include a few - I may have already lost you at this point. The obvious first use is for baby things - that is one of the pictures they show in the description on their website. For me, I have no little baby things anymore (yahoo!) so I immediately thought this could corral hair thingys for Penny. (You've all seen her hair so you know what I'm talking about.) Then I thought I could use this by putting crayons, pencils, pens and paper and take it with us to dinner, football practice, soccer practice, football games, soccer games, PTO meetings, in the car, at boring play dates (oops did I say that?), you get the point. We are B-U-S-Y and having something handy to grab and take with us to entertain the two kids not participating at the event we're attending would be great. Not to mention keeping my car from becoming a total and complete dump. (can you tell I cleaned the car out recently and am appalled at the nastiness also known as my backseat?) As a mom in the car a lot more than I would like and having a great van with a crappy center console, I can also use this to put my things, like my phone, to do list, snacks, directions, and the things I need to do, but ultimately forget to do because my kids are fighting and I am looking for the nearest cliff to drive off. I also see myself using this for around the house. My kids are in a serious love affair with legos. The have been banished to their bedroom in an effort to keep them contained. However legos have a tendency to "walk" and have known to be found in other rooms of our house. The kids blame it on gnomes, I'm not so convinced. So having a go-to bin to house "to be put away later" items is priceless. That and my phone - some how it too has developed legs and at least once a day I have to hit the find button to retrieve it from closets and bathrooms. It can stay in my bin, now if my coffee mug only had a find button...

On to my contest. Because I love you all so much, I chose this bin so that I can not only review it, but give one away to you! So here's what you do - you have to leave a comment today and tomorrow - you actually have to say something, not just hit "comment." If you don't have a blogger account, then just leave a comment anonymously, but please put your name in the comment box. You can comment as many times as you want. I will leave this open until tomorrow - Friday, August 14th at 2pm eastern standard. I will do a random drawing from all the comments. (I'll figure out some complex sorting system, or einy, meny, miney, moe) The winner will chose their color bin and I will submit their shipping information to CSN to ship directly. See win, win!

And just like that you can be a winner...

Thanks and happy commenting!

I smell school...

Annual back to school picture on the porch...

Kindergarten

First Grade

Second Grade

I used this in my Noblesville blog post - my grandfather always would say, "I smell school..." I'm not sure why, maybe his school smelled back in the day, I can't imagine really, he only went until 8th grade and then had to stop and work for the family. Amazing in less than two generations how that would be an appalling idea in our society. I digress...

So Jon reluctantly got up today and got ready for school. I don't know who it was harder for me or him. Not because I am sad for him to go, but that it is REALLY hard for me to get up in the morning. I am so NOT the morning person. Ryan always stays home in the morning to see the kids off to school. It's a tradition, he's pretty ridiculous, he takes pictures, sings to the kids on the bus stop, he exudes way more energy than someone should at 8 am. My neighbor just looked at Ryan and then me and laughed because my eyes were still slits, still in my pajamas (yes I am THAT mom in her jammies on the bus stop) with a mug of coffee, wishing I were still toes up in bed. I think she either thinks we're nuts or I'm a lucky gal - I'll go with the second choice. Yes, God has a sense of humor because Ryan and I are opposites when it comes to AM energy.

At 6:40 Ryan says, "aren't you going to get up to get Jon up?" my reply is that Jon doesn't get up until 7 and I pass his room to the kitchen so I'll get up at 7 and wake him up on my way down the hall. It doesn't seem unreasonable to me! I got up and we got Jon up and he and I just looked at each other with empathy, at this point he and I don't need to share words, we just know- "I feel your pain brother" is the look on our faces. I explain that when he can drink coffee, the mornings will get better. We made cinnamon rolls as a treat, hot breakfasts are a novelty during the week around here, unless your talking about a warmed up pop tart. I am a sucky, sucky mom in the morning.

We got dressed, decided to opt out of the vintage Spiderman shirt that we "had to have" because perhaps it isn't cool to wear characters in 2nd grade, we certainly don't want to step off on the wrong fashion foot today. We could hear the kids migrating to the bus stop, there are a ton of them, which is really nice and we all congregated and waited for the bus. The kids were all shiny and new, excited for their first day. I imagine that excitement will wear off as the year go on, but elementary school still has such magic, which is pretty cool in my opinion. We took pictures, yes Ryan sang, Penny was standing third in line, and I swear she would have gotten on the bus and gone to school. She'd probably find a class to go to or hang out with our principal all day. A leg clinger she is not. Both she and Drew are very excited about school starting, as am I! The bus pulled up, Carl our bus driver, who probably has been driving since before I was born, was happy to see the kids (or at least he fakes it well). The kids cheered, seriously, and us mom's well we cheered too! They all waved from the windows and off to a new school year we go!

So I am home, keeping my two littlest chickens busy and trying to see what I am going to do for the day. I am seriously contemplating going back to bed, but I already made it in an effort to foil those plans. But I can still lay on the top...

For the record, I am really excited about this school year. Jon has two teachers - two adorable young woman who have little kids who are job sharing. I think it is going to be a good year, I hope anyway. All I wanted this year is a younger teacher that was organized, it's like Christmas because we got two! Plus Jon has some of his very good friends in the class, and they are the "good example" friends that typically bring the best out in Jon. I pray that is the case! I am also involved in the PTO board and I have a great bunch of ladies that I am working with. I saw some of my mom's family this weekend and they all said, "just like your mom!" which I take as a compliment because my mom was ALWAYS involved on the board at my school and in the PTA (that's what we called it anyway). So its going to be a good, good year!

Here are a few pictures to share, I hope everyone has a great day!

C and J

The gaggle

Trying to be inconspicuous

and we're off!

Thanks! oh and btw, if you are curious - Penny is in fact completely potty trained - yes it took five days total and she is making it through the night too. I take zero credit for this accomplishment, I am merely a spectator. Please do not send your un-potty trained kids my way, Penny however is pulling together her own "how-to" video that will be available in early fall. She is also available for speaking engagements.

It's potty time!

My kids know that I have this little song that I made up way back when Jon potty trained, it goes: Potty, potty, potty, It's potty time, whoop, whoop, (pause) whoop, whoop. Okay, so you need the ghetto attitude, head bop and rhythm, but I swear, my kids love it - okay maybe they don't, but I do and it makes me laugh. So when I had just Jon, I was ready to go at 18 months, because as a new mom you hear and read stories, "My child was potty trained by 18 months!" Hell my own grandmother swears her kids were trained at 18 months because she usually had another one just about to pop out. Imagine my chagrin, when Jon wasn't as ready as I was - oh the theatrics! At the time the Kandoo potty frog from Pampers had JUST come out - so my mom, in her infinite wisdom (I mean that sincerely) took Jon to Build-a-Bear and made a frog - called the potty frog. We had stickers, the potty frog (aka yia yia) would call everyday after work to check on our progress and cheer our successes. Sometimes we had to call the potty frog - and tell him our good news. After months of trying - remarkably when Jon was ready - he potty trained, in a short time and through the night.

Fast forward to Drew - who is, unbelievably more stubborn than Jon. So at the time I was juggling both Jon and Drew, I was pregnant, Ryan working out of town, a new house and dog and of course helping my mom up north during her chemo treatments. Potty training was the LAST thing on my agenda. One day in the spring I believe, he was almost 2 1/2, after a particularly disgusting diaper, I finally said, "thats it Drew, I'm not changing another poopy diaper - you're going on the potty!" With that he did - I really don't remember much about potty training with Drew because it was so quick and easy. He stayed dry through naps and through the night right off the bat. I was, in the midst of chaos, very, very blessed.

Here we are again my familar friend, potty training. Miss Penny, if it is possible is more stubborn than the two boys combined. If she doesn't want to do something then it isn't happening, period. Now as a seasoned mother, there are things that I realize are ACTUALLY important, versus what I WANT to be important. Wearing seatbelts, important; wearing matching clothes and wearing shoes on the wrong feet, not important. So while I don't cave on the important things, I certainly don't sweat the ones that don't matter. Potty training falls into the things that don't matter to me category. I hate constantly asking, "do you want to go sit on the potty?" Who the hell are we training here, me or her? So I took the approach, when she's ready we'll try. I have always been confident that my children would be potty trained by kindergarden. (see if you keep your standards low, you are very seldom disappointed!)

Lately Penny would come to us and say, "I poopied!" This could go either way, but the bottom line is it was bothering her - so much so we stopped retrieving diapers and wipes and told her if she wanted to be changed go and get the diaper and wipes for us. Well I know my daughter is capable of following directions because she would not only go and get the supplies, but would lay down, pull off her pants, undo the diaper and be ready for the change. Hmmm - maybe I should capitalize on this and the fact that it is summer. So Saturday marked the beginning for us. We put her in panties and we ran errands - she went to the bathroom in not one, but two public bathrooms and made it accident free. We only had one accident the whole day and it was right when we got home (go figure). Yesterday we made it the whole day with only one accident in the morning, #2 - I remember some of my friends of girls saying this part would be a bit tricky - so we told her no, showed her where it goes and she didn't have any more issues. She even made it through her nap without a drop!

Last night we wore a light cloth diaper and it was minimally soiled, we got up and she went to the potty - so far, so good. Not to jinx myself, but I think we're on the right track. Now I just need to stock up on panties - four pairs aren't cutting it. So my baby girl is getting to "big girl" status in our house and we are reaching the end of an era. I can't say that I mind - after having Penny all those baby urges died away and I feel so complete with my three chickens. I didn't think I'd be melancholy, and truthfully I'm not. This weekend of course we are going away to Chicago to visit family, we'll see how it all goes. We also have another big trip planned in September, so hopefully by then we're done.

So I mentioned not sweating the unimportant things - when we're home (during this training period - she sounds like an olympian, no?) Penny is mostly naked or barely dressed. Couple that with Penny's undeniable flair and you have the ensemble she presented us with yesterday. Add poor Cyd on a leash being walked around the house and backyard and you have something that has to be preserved for a few reasons, 1. it's adorable, 2. when she's a teen I will look at them and remember my sweet angel, 3. it will mortify her for a time until she's a parent and then she will cherish them (we're all about mortification in this house - as I tell my kids, it is retribution for all the public temper-tantrums that embarrassed me over the years (and years to come)).

Enjoy!

Winter hat, check; Handmade scarf from Jill, check; butterfly tanktop, check; dora panties, check; dog on a leash, check and check. Yep, we're ready to start our day, now where are my red cowboy boots?

bitter after Drew splashed us in the face and ruined our ensemble

miss pickles

happy after a change of clothes, er or something like that

Thanks!