Table for Six..Dining out with the kids

When we dine out we like to find places that are kid friendly. Our children seem to have a tolerance level of about 45 minutes from start to stop. I think we only made it to about 29 minutes yesterday.

We went to Outback as we haven't been there in a long time. Annah has been doing great with potty training and hadn't had an accident in about a week. However while waiting for our food she had an accident. AJ took her to the bathroom to clean her and returned to the table with a half naked child. We wrapped one of Andi's blankets around her legs and he went out to the van to get a fresh change of clothes.

Shortly thereafter Andi needed a diaper change as well. I had been thinking about changing her diaper size for a week or so but we hadn't. Beautiful yellow poo up the side of her sweater onesie. AJ changed her and brought her back to the table NAKED! Another trip out to the van for fresh clothes.

By this time we had been served but the food was getting cold. The kids all ordered broccoli soup to which only Samuel ate. Ale wasn't interested and Annah does what Ale does so all they had in them was bread. Okay, whew!

Something then happened. What? I don't really remember but Annah started to cry which in turn made Andi cry (she does whenever her siblings do). Enough was enough. I gave AJ & Samuel to finish eating and he requested that the rest of the food be bagged for us while we waited for him in the van.

Mooooooommmm!

I never thought I'd hear my own child call out my name as I have heard so many other children do to their mothers. But MoooooommmM! Or Mooooooom, with a raise and lowering of the voice. The first time was last year when I sent Samuel to school with a dress hat on the wrong day. The kids were excited to learn about his sombrero, at least. And I did it to him again just last week.

Samuel bikes to school and we follow behind & accompany. The other day we met him at the park behind school so the kids could play on the equiptment. Andrea needed a diaper change and since I am not big on diaper bags or purses I used the front pocket of Samuel's backpack to store the soiled diaper (only #1, by the way). Samuel came home from school the next day telling me how he went to check his bag for an afternoon snack only to pull out a dirty diaper. Oops, don't know how that one missed me!

Two right feet

Ale likes to be barefoot; he always has. He has also always forgotten where he puts his shoes even after infinitive reminders to put his shoes in the closet. The newest rule in our house is that he cannot get into the van without his shoes on. Yet it is a bit difficult for us to manage and on several occasions we have arrived at a destination only to find Ale barefoot! Today was no different with the exception that I broke the rule and knowingly allowed him into the van without shoes as we were going somewhere that was "barefoot friendly".

After our visit we ended up going to the local five&dime. Ale gets out of the car and....NO SHOES! Samuel had a pair of his shoes in the van for some reason and we also managed to find one of Ale's shoes in there. Ale ended up wearing his shoe and one of Samuel's. He insisted that he should wear one with one of Samuel's; who am I to argue? Thankfully they were the same design. He looked like a duck waddling into the store with two right feet, one a couple of sizes bigger than the other one.

Multiple uses for a rolling pin!

Dear Diary,

Today I found yet another use for a rolling pin.

The set-up: We have been walking behind Samuel to school in the morning however today I rode my bike with him, leaving the three others at home with AJ. It was a lot quicker. Then I thought...I have been walking a lot and would like to start biking some more. It definitely felt more free biking now than when I went around the block with Samuel when he was starting to learn early this summer and I was almost 8 months pregnant. I decided to buy a bike trailer. I should have held onto the one my sister gave us just before Samuel turned one but there was no need. Anyhow, I found one on clearance and had to put it together.

The conviction: The trailer is supposed to be put together without tools but, of course, the pieces don't fit exactly how they need to and some pounding is necessary. I managed to get everything together with the exception to the 2nd handle. It just didn't line up right. So I go to find a "pounding tool". Too lazy to search downstairs. We do have a tool area but it isn't ontop of my organization list right now. Why not use a rolling pin? Good idea.

Pound, pound, pound. It is working! Okay, a couple of dents in the wood but that would give me a nice story when I'd use it some other day to make crumbs or roll out some dough. That handle sure is stubborn. Pound, pound, pound. Do I see the rolling pin falling apart? Yup! I had bought it at an estate sale shortly after getting married over 9 years ago. Fell apart? Yup!!! Oh, well. I guess I really didn't like that the rolling pin had handles on it anyway. It served it's purpose yet again and the trailer did get put together (in the kitchen, by the way). And now I have my "handle-less" rolling pin.

Potty Training 101 & the Three Day Rule

We have a method that works well when it comes to any kind of training or weaning. We call it "The Three Day Rule" which basically is to wait until there is a window of opportunity. There is no sense training/weaning when a child is not willing. You have to catch it just right. The first day always requires a lot of attention and perhaps distraction. The second day is a continuation with the understanding that there is no turning back. The third day reality sets in and it becomes much easier from that point. It just works.

At least I thought that. Maybe we just aren't catching Annah at the right time. She has never liked to poop. That is from birth! She does poop on the toilet, however. Now tinkles? We are still getting there. I am starting to wonder if her training is going to be more gradual. She has a strong personality and with Andrea only being 2 1/2 months may be using that and withholding. Granted she is just over 2 herself and there is plenty of time. I guess time will tell. We may have our first non-three-day-ruler....but probably just the timing isn't right yet.

(I need to mention here that she calls Winnie "Winnie the PooP". It makes me chuckle. And what parent cannot hold a conversation about tinkles and poopies?