Week five Potty training

I like being able to track progress - not matter what it is, if I can attach a number to it or graph it - I will. 

Start of week five for Gideon's potty training. 
Yesterday (Sunday) was the first sunday he didn't have an accident at church!  He even went potty for them!  I was so excited.  Although he didn't want to nap and when I was about to put him back in bed for the upteenth time, he grabbed his bottom and told me "poop"  he went a little, but made a majority in the potty.

Monday - he had a "semi" poo accident this morning.  I was using the potty, and he was really quiet in his room.  When I went to check on him, he was holding his bottom.  He went poo a little, but than went the rest in the toliet.  I feel like we are digressing in the poo department.  The last four weeks he would tell us when he needed to go poo.   He stayed dry while we WALKED to the park! He's currently in nap.  =]  Me personally, my workout is done!  =]  

He had two nap pee accidents.  But had a ton to drink after the park.  

So working on him telling us. 

Tuesday - no accidents. Told us when he needed to potty a few times (including twice at the dollar movies).  We were thrilled. 

Wednesday - no accidents at home. Went to grandmas and had two accidents in five hours  :/

Thursday - two accidents. But we were in the car on our way to visit with family/vacation; and he told us - just didn't make it to a potty in time. 

Friday - one accident, didn't go at the park but on the way home with my mom. He loved the fireworks. 

Saturday - no accidents. Went to a plane museum and a cool pub restraunt.  It was busy and he went potty. We've also enjoyed the pool, golf, disc golf, and time with family. 

 

Sunday - we went to church with my great aunt sherry. Gideon asked and went potty.  What an improvement!!  So far no accidents :)  we will be going back home later today. 

I can't believe tomorrow is the start of July! GRAH  That means my summer is closer to being over than it is to starting.  I look forward to going back to teaching end the.  I look forward to not having such a short fuse with Gideon (being with him all day, sometimes his complaining gets to my nerve). 

God is so good.  I am so blessed for what summer I have enjoyed. 

Thank you

Thank you God.
I am relaxing this afternoon in your name.  Although I did not fast - from anything - I want to praise you for all of your glory. 
Thank you for being able to worship you without fearing death.
Thank you for giving us funds to contribute to missionary causes and a variety of ministries. 
Thank you for every breath I take - and how precious life is.
Thank you for an idependent, strong, activie, smart little boy.  Who is gentle, loving, and quick. 
Thank you for a husband who is willing to transform to be more like you - no matter the struggle.
Thank you for friends who stand at my side through my own transformation and care for me in the darkest.
Thank you for the love of a church to help others.
Thank you for your son, the king, to take our sins.
Thank you for forgiveness and give me more opportunities than I deserve.
Thank you for protection from the elements in a house that we can maybe bless our neighbors more.
Thank you for the chance to pray a loud with children - and may our voice grow stronger.
Thank you for a job that I can love on students and indirectly teach them about Jesus.
Thank you for family that is there and can talk me down in the heat of a moment. 
Thank you.
Thank you.

I will always be lacking in something.  Not prayerful enough, faithful enough, fasting enouch, giving enough, loving enough, listening enough, healthy enough.   But you are still my father, God, and you still love the flaws in me. 

thank you.

It's almost July!

Gideon and I have had a blessed summer. I am trying to remember to cherish it with him and pamper myself knowing that next summer it probably won't be as relaxing.   

Updates on potty training: 

Week four - 

Monday - only one accident at night. Was so excited during play. 

Tuesday - no accidents.  Asked to go pee and pooh by himself. Held his pee for four hours while at the mall.  So excited! 

Wednesday - only one accident - outside playing frisbee golf with daddy. 

Thursday - no accidents, even went potty at the library with momma!!  

Friday - an accident in the morning. As I was cleaning up, his " potty alarm" went off.   :(  but was dry when we went to the park and went potty at Aylas.  Currently in nap. Stayed the night at my parents and was accident free. 

Saturday - no accidents!   Picked Gideon up at mom/dads and then has brunch and went to a park.  Enjoyed reading in the cool summer, napped during a summer storm, read with Gideon and finished with making cookies for Jeremiah and going for a jog. 

I am so excited with his progress. Waking up dry both night and naps.  Very few poop accidents (he usually goes in the morning) and verbally tells us when he needs to go.  

Our biggest thing we need to work on is asking mom and daddy to go. That will be next months "challenges". 

We have also started using pull ups when we go out more.   He knows what it's like to have accidents but it is so much nicer on everyone - when we don't smell like pee.   We still take him potty, but it releases stress on my part.  

Also. "Bonus" to accidents is that it gives us a reason to clean.  Clean our floors. The couch. The kitchen chairs, almost all of them.  The bed. The rocking chair.  The toilet.  Haha. It's very clean in our home now ;) 

Family related. 

We are starting to support a family going on a mission to North Africa.  We pray that our small contribution will bless them and that the serving Jesus in those difficult areas will also be blessed.  

We still sponsor melkamu - our compassion child who is living in Ethiopia. 

Jeremiah received a blessing that he will no longer be serving with the 4-6th graders on Sundays but will be leading worship Thursday nights for a group for addicts going through recovery. I  excited to see how this mission will go.  

I personally have been feeling overwhelmingly blessed.  There is a peace in my heart about my identity in Jesus.  I am so loved and continue to feel his love through several people.  It is true - the more you sow the more you reap.  It's not about me, and what I get out of a relationship - but what I can give to others.  It had taken so much time learning this - buts blessing for sure. I am trying to be humble and continue to do kingdom work.   I am a work in progress - but his arms around me are so tight.  

I look forward to some family time over the holiday that is coming up.  It will be a nice get away for sure.     

God is so amazing.  I am just so in love with life right now.   Just have a lot of people to pray for - always.   

Back to reading, laundry, relaxing. :) 

Some pictures from the past week: 

Feeding animals at the zoo. 

Picking blueberries! We have gone twice.  Not to forget the blackberries I have picked in our backyard! 

On our way home from the library.  I got maze runner - never read it. 

He made an airplane train.  So smart. 

With love and blessings. 

Potty training!!

We are in the middle of the fourth week of training - and it's going well. 

Week one - we started out with bottomless days. Had several accidents but slowly became more successful.   

Week two - we removed his potty chair to get use to the potty ring on the big boy toilet.  We also started going to grandmas in the am while I went to vbs.  went three days without accidents!!! 

Week three - had one to two accidents a day.  Luckily in three weeks we have only had about five pooppy accidents (two were with Gma).   Most naps and mornings waking up dry. :) 

Week four - 

Monday - only one accident at night. Was so excited during play. 

Tuesday - no accidents.  Asked to go pee and pooh by himself. Held his pee for four hours while at the mall.  So excited! 

Wednesday - so far dry.  Asleep at nap. 

Tips: 

1) I am lucky that we started on my summer vacation so I had a lot of time to pay attention. 

2) our son has never been clingy.  He loves challenges, solving problems, and being independent. 

3) he has watched us potty for his whole life. 

4) we started with the three day naked.  It was a great start. 

5) first week we watched Daniel tiger episode about princess Wednesday going potty. He likes and even watched it today.  Great theme song that I've heard him sing in bed.  :) 

6) we rewarded with stickers, m&ms, fist bumps, hugs, dances, kisses, and flushing the toilet.  

7) we wear pull-ups at night (can be reused if dry). We sometimes where them out in places that don't have good potties. Or easy place to change. 

8) bought a foldable potty to carry with us and it works great. We also have disinfect wipes to wipe it off before going back in the bag. 

9) breathe!  

10) pray and praise. 

11) when getting frustrated leave.  My husband has rescued me two times where I was having a bad mommy day.  He would take over and I would remove myself from the situation. 

12) apologize for being an upset mommy - even if they don't know - it makes them feel grown up.  Tell them you'll do better tomorrow. 

13) talk about it to everyone when they go!  

14) talk about underwear.  Gx likes them because they are like "daddies"

15) pray 

16) remind them they are in control. They get to decide that they are big kids. 

17) track their progress. I found a free potty app that would set reminders and track how they are doing.  It helps remind everyone when they need to go. 

18) pray. 

19) love on them no matter what! 

20) remember this takes time. 

A little bit of everything.

Good afternoon!  At least it is in our home. 
I am sorry for not being able to post as frequently as I would like.  When I do post I have to use my work's laptop and I usually don't have that out at will.   I am not for sure why I have a need to tell you this - who are you anyhow?  Who's really reading this... haha.

So, for some updates: 
POTTY TRAINING - GX is almost done with week two of potty training!  I honestly wanted to give up on the first day - I didn't think I WAS READY.... GX was for sure ready - totally.    But we stuck with it and it seems to be going well.  I am such a "researcher" and "data driven" type of person that it's hard for me to do something new without details before hand.   How often should he go?  How much should he go?  When should he go?  Where should he go? This and that?  and Whom and What and When and WHHHYYY is he peeing in the kitchen - again!?!   =]  But seriously.
I need to look at the small achievements he has made in the last two weeks.
He has not had a wet nap - wakes up from his 3 hour nap coma dry.
The last four nights he has woken up dry.
I've only had to change three or four poopy accidents - the rest our successess.
We can tell when he has to go now - he holds his peepee. 
This morning he asked to go potty when he woke up!

We are getting there!    He's just so big.  Although I get frustrated - he never stops amazing me.  His creativity, his quickness, and his compassion is amazing.   I pray that God does something great with him. 

FAMILY UPDATES - Jacob graduated high school.  That is my brother in law who has been living with us the last year and a half to finish high school.  We are so happy and proud of him.  He's becoming an adult!   Jeremiah is enjoying his job for the most part.  It's great to have a little extra income over the summer (yeah new kitchen table that can sit three times as many as our small one)!!    Matthew, our summer college student, has also been a joy in our household - he is working and keeping busy but enjoys grilling with the family. 

VBS - yes.  Vacation Bible School.  Growing up I had loving parents who took me to a small country missionary baptist church.  But it wasn't until about two years ago that my husband and I started going to a larger christian church.   It's truly changed me, and in a good way.  I am always transforming and trying to become better. Although I never grew up going to camps, Wednesday nigh programs, VBS - these past two summers serving has been wonderful.  I do wish I had those opportunities as a kid, but it's good to know that I am getting to help others learn more about Jesus and what our mission is on earth.    Know the MASTER, know the MISSION.  
Mission 1 - be loyal to our KING
Mission 2 - be humble and serve others
Mission 3 - perserve and don't give up
Mission 4 - recruit others and spread the good news. 

MY PERSONAL SPIRTUAL GROWTH - I struggled, a lot last night, about the kitchen.  YES, the kitchen.  DISHES - GAH... DISHES!!    Now that there is another adult in the house dishes are more apparent.  Are there any other adults who feel like they are they only ones doing something in the house?  The laundry, the sweeping, the mopping, the vaccumming, the dish (un)loading, the dishes by hand, the cooking, the buy food, the cleaning table, the... the...  the "the's" never end!  I felt so bad about myself that I eneded up hurting my husband - never my intentions - just frustrated with potty training and living with four boys in general.    But while at VBS we are learning to be humble, serve others and that we are to do things for those in need.    So my question is - is it wrong for me to be upset that I feel so alone serving those in our house instead of others in need?
 
A few girls and I are working on a few books this summer.  The meetings HAVE BEEN wonderful.   I have never been as into my bible as I have had this summer.  I hope to create a loving office habit with Jesus that by the time crazy school starts I will CRAVE having time with the word and Jesus.  Our church, as mentioned before is a larger christian church, does a wonderful job helping us learn what it means to live and love like Jesus.    Through VBS, serving in Jr. High sunday school classes, or having women meet - it's been awesome!   I look at my husband, and our house, and just can't imagaine us living without God in our lives.  Even our rules for Gideon are based around the bible. 


OUR FAMILY RULES:
1) Listen and Obey (do as you should)
2) Be Gentle (with our words and hands)
3) Have a good attitude (no whinning/complaining/throwing fits/be content)
I personally love them - they cover everyhing!  Our 27 month old knows to even say "yes, ma'am!"  YUEAH!!   

More updates:

HEALTH - I am trying so hard to lose weight this summer.  I need to stay focus (part of our girls group is discussing our issues with food).    I just want to be fit!  Do things!  MOVE MORE.    with that we are trying to eat out less and cook more vegetbales.  Jeremiah got a new grill for father's day and so that's been an awesome treat.   

So, that's us.