Potty Training!

I hadn't planned on starting quite yet, but since last week when Connor kept taking his diaper off, I thought "maybe I should just let him run around in the buff and bring the potty downstairs." Well, miraculously, it has been working like a charm! We started with the nakedness last Fri., and whenever we are at home, he runs to the potty to pee! I tried making him sit on it every hour or so, and of course he doesn't like that because he's not in control. But he can sense the urge to go and runs over on his own!

Sat. I took him to Target and let him pick out his own big boy underwear. He has been doing so well I think we will take him someplace special to celebrate.

We haven't mastered the pooping yet, but I am just thrilled at how it is going so far! The only thing I hate is when we start to go places and have to find a bathroom quick or have an accident.

Hayden has been a big helper. He's telling Connor to squeeze it out! He also had all the necessary precautions-plastic bags, Clorox wipes, diaper wipes, newspaper on the floor! It's like we're breaking in a puppy!

New blog address

I checked to make sure I could use this address, so I will change it in the next few days. http://partyoffivepa.blogspot.com/

Grammy Thomas

This is my Grammy (my mom's mom) who is now 77. She looks really good for her age and physically still pretty healthy. Unfortunetely she has Altzheimer's which has progressed rapidly since Christmas. Last week she was sent to the hospital for malnutrition. Up until that point she was living alone (her husband died about 10 years ago), but wasn't remembering to eat or take her medication. So after about a week in the hospital, she was transferred directly to a nursing home in the special wing for Altzheimer patients, where she will spend the rest of her life. Even though I knew this day would eventually arrive, it is still a shock. It has been especially hard on my mom. She has a brother and a sister, but she has done most of the work for Grammy. It's so sad what the disease takes away. She's already forgotten a lot of family which is heartbreaking. How do you live not knowing the person that you have become through a lifetime of experiences? I hope I don't ever have to find out.

I am grateful for the memories I have of Grammy and the family getting together. We continue to share with her as we visit her now in her new home.

Valentine's sleepover

Here is my little Valentine! Some friends of ours the Ashtons had a family tragedy and had to fly to Texas suddenly, so we had 2 of their three kids stay at our house last night. The boys were so excited to have their friends sleepover, especially on Valentine's. Abby and Tyler are such sweet kids we were happy to have them. This is Connor and Tyler, showing who they really are! Mike read each child a book before corraling them into bed. (We're glad we don't have 5 kids all around the same age! (John and Kate plus 8-no way!) The younger two slept in Connor's bottom bunk (we didn't trust them on the top!) Mike and I went down to the living room and watched a movie together and pretended we were on a Valentine's date!

All Smiles

Serena has really started to smile and laugh now and I was fortunate enough to catch her on camera. Here are some cute ones of my sweet 7 week old girl.

This next one is a close-up of her hair. (Notice she has Mike's hairline right now!) Her hair sticks straight up in the back, it's so cute! And when you hold her, her fuzzy hair tickles your chin.

Here's a close-up of her profile. I think it is very cute because of her round nose and chubby cheeks. You can also see her eyelashes growing. Long and curly like Mike's and the boys', that's what we want!

Connor failed!

Okay, I know that sounds bad, but I got your attention! Actually it is a good thing he failed-his speech evaluation, so now a therapist will be able to come over once or twice a week to get him to start talking. She tested him in 5 areas. The other 4 areas he tested beyond his age group, but speech he tested at about 18 month range. Which is funny because he still wears 18 months clothes-he must have liked that stage so much he got stuck there! I'm really not worried about his speech problem. I know those words are in there, I think he's just being stubborn. He has taken interest now in learning to dress himself. Of course it takes a while, and takes some patience from mom, but he gets so excited about being so independent. Maybe he'll realize his independence on the potty soon!

President Hinkley

This morning Mike told me and then I told the boys when they got up about President Hinkley's death. After it sunk in, Hayden said he was sad because he was hoping to meet President Hinkley this summer when we go out to Utah. Sad that Hayden will never get to meet him (in this life). Then when he said his prayers tonight, he said, "Thank you that President Hinkley can live with Jesus again and his wife, thank you that he was a good prophet, and please bless President Monson. " As I watched the video from YouTube about him, I was reminded that he has been the prophet through most of my years in the church. I will always adore him and remember what he has done for the growth of the church and how much he honored and cared for his wife and all women.