Potty training 101

Okay, I know that I have 4 children and I have certainly faced this challenge before. But I need help! Sierra will be 3 within the next several weeks, is still not potty trained, and has absolutely no interest in it. I know that she will probably train herself when SHE is ready, but how do I spark some interest? I have bought the panties, rewarded little successes and talked until I am blue in the face about how she is not a baby and that diapers are yucky-- yada, yada, yada! She sees everyone else using the bathroom (trust me, I NEVER go alone!) and I think she really does understand the concept. Any ideas on how to get her interested?

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

I can't believe how long it has been since I have logged on and gotten caught up! We have been so VERY busy the last couple of weeks. I am happy to announce the end of the basketball season for Lauren's Middle School team! She has had a good time and has played well, but it has kept us hopping. This week alone she has had 4 games. She is playing in a tournament tonight and will be finished with the season if they lose. If they win, they will play again tomorrow. My little ones are so tired of sitting on bleachers, so for tonight's game I have hired a babysitter! Once you have one old enough to babysit, it's harder to pay someone to help you out. It will be a treat for my little girls--and me! I enjoy taking them to basketball games just about as much as they enjoy going. They have been good sports about it, but enough is enough!
Last weekend we had a visit from my sister and my best friend from High School. I picked them up at the airport Thursday evening and we went to a hockey game. Friday Mark took the day off to spend with my little girls so that Gretchen, Jennifer, and I could act like teenagers for a while. (Thanks honey, I love you!) We had a great time being carefree and not being controlled by a child's schedule. It was fun walking into a store and actually being able to look around rather than running in, snapping up what you went in for, and running out. We did spend some of the weekend watching indoor soccer and church basketball games, but that's fun too. Monday we went up to Nashville for a little sight seeing and then they had to go home on Tuesday. I hope we can do it again. I feel like I had a vacation, and I didn't go anywhere! I'll have to look into tickets home for my 20th High School Reunion this summer.
Yesterday was a hard day for me. I guess it's a good thing that I was busy, because I didn't allow myself time to dwell. I can't believe that it has been 6 years since I held my little boy! Somedays it just seems like forever, and others it feels like yesterday. I did take time to go out to the cemetery and to look at some pictures that I don't pull out very often. I try not to think about him too much, but it's good to remember too. Thank goodness I have my girls to love on when I'm missing Austin so much! I know that I have been blessed, even through the hardest of times.

Tornadoes

Yesterday was an amazing day as far as weather goes. Unseasonably warm and sunny. The kind of day that makes you look forward to spring. The day ended with tornado warnings and during the night 30-40 tornadoes touched down in the south. We were awakened in the wee morning hours by high winds and rain. We were lucky. Most of the storms dodged us, but 30 people were killed in Tennessee and the stories are heartbreaking. Just wanted to let you all know that we are okay and that we didn't suffer any of the damage that many did.

The joy of a quiet afternoon

There is nothing quite so peaceful as napping children in the afternoon! It doesn't happen very often, but today I have 2 little girls sleeping peacefully at the same time. The older 2 are at school and it's just me and the dog. I can actually hear the clock ticking! I'm sure there are a million things that I need to be doing but I have earned a little break as well. Yesterday was a "snow day" and the girls were home from school. I'm quite sure that a "snow day" in Tennessee doesn't mean the same thing as it does in Utah or anywhere else accustomed to the white stuff. We don't actually have any snow. School was cancelled because of the chance of snow and freezing rain. The weather was fine until late afternoon when the kids would have been home anyway. Even then we just had some high winds and rain. Go figure! Don't get me wrong, we had a fun day. But it was chaotic and loud! I had offered to help a friend with her kids while she went to a doctor's appointment and then, of course, the older girls had to be entertained with friends. For a good part of the day I had 6 extra kids that I had not planned on having. We had a good time and it was all fine. I even used Lauren and her friend to babysit while I went out to lunch with my friend for an hour and our afternoon was cleared up with the cancellation of Lauren's Middle School basketball game. Everything has a silver lining!
I don't know if the "Hannah Montana" craze has hit your kids, but several of mine love her and we were able to see her 3D concert at the movie theater last night. What fun! 3D has come a long way and I found myself singing along. Even Sierra was out of her seat jumping and dancing and getting in a few of the lyrics! Very fun! Part of the attraction for my girls is that Destiny Hope Cyrus and her family used to live here in Thompsons Station and attend our schools. We have even played with Hannah Montana at the city park and seen Billy Ray at the school with his guitar. Our claim to fame! But that was obviously years ago.
Which brings me to my next thought. How do our kids grow up so fast!!? We just celebrated another birthday for Lauren this month which means that I now have a teenager!! How can that be? I'm not old enough and probably not ready for it. She is a good, sweet girl and I hope we will be okay through it. It just doesn't seem possible. We had a slumber party for her birthday and there were 8 extra girls running around the house. Wow! Did you know that they can go all night without sleep! And the noise! She has good friends and it was a lot of fun. I don't think we will be doing another party though for quite a while. I must be getting old because it took days for me to catch up on my sleep!