Michaela: who cares!!
Maeve: SEE BELOW!!
Alasdair: who cares!!
Okay everyone.
MAEVE.
POOPED.
IN.
THE.
POTTY.
All week long!! She hasn't had an incident in her pants since last Saturday! And we even still have 1 bribe gift left on the counter. :) So i'll pick up some candies to continue the bribery on a scaled down level.
But, by jove, I think she's got it!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
At least a little good news
Michaela: 1 accident recently
Maeve: See post
Alasdair: normal as ever
I've been going through some life-changing events this last couple of weeks, and not good ones, so my desire and ability to blog has been squashed for now. But I did feel it necessary to at least mention the one really great thing that has happened:
MAEVE POOPED IN THE POTTY.
Seriously. Saturday she did once, and Sunday TWICE!! I took her to the store and bought a bunch of bribery goodies. Hopefully we got enough of them so that she'll create a good habit before we run out.
So, yay!! And check back now and again. Someday I'll feel good enough to get back to regular blogging.
Maeve: See post
Alasdair: normal as ever
I've been going through some life-changing events this last couple of weeks, and not good ones, so my desire and ability to blog has been squashed for now. But I did feel it necessary to at least mention the one really great thing that has happened:
MAEVE POOPED IN THE POTTY.
Seriously. Saturday she did once, and Sunday TWICE!! I took her to the store and bought a bunch of bribery goodies. Hopefully we got enough of them so that she'll create a good habit before we run out.
So, yay!! And check back now and again. Someday I'll feel good enough to get back to regular blogging.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Dr. Phil, here we come!
Michaela: doing okay
Maeve: still pooping in her pants
Alasdair: normal poops, no rash
I'm terrible at blogging during the summer. I apologize for the huge lapse in between posts. Maybe once school is back in session and we're back on a normal routine I'll be able to sit down more regularly and vent.
Our struggle lately is still trying to get Maeve to poop in the potty. She goes into her closet in her bedroom and lays it down in there. I've started making her clean it up by having to remove her own pants and get the pooh out from her panties/pants and into the toilet. Then I help her clean up because she would never be able to get herself clean. But you know what? She HATES it. And God forbid she gets poop on her fingers or legs. She absolutely freaks out. So, while I see this as a step in the right direction, it still hasn't curbed the behavior. So now, we're tryin' it Dr. Phil's way. Next time she does it I'm going to make her sit in a chair IN her poop for a spell before I make her clean it up. I'm not sure she'll care all that much, but we'll see.
It's so frustrating. And you know, I'd even be happy if she wanted to go in a diaper, as long as she would just come and say, "Mom, I need a diaper to poop in." At least I wouldn't have to clean up the huge mess. But no. She's supposed to go off to preschool next month fully potty trained, but that's obviously not going to happen. I'm going to send her anyway. I mean, what are the odds that she'll crap her pants during the 6 hours of preschool she's in each week?
What's that, you say? 100%?
Yeah. I know.
*sigh*
Maeve: still pooping in her pants
Alasdair: normal poops, no rash
I'm terrible at blogging during the summer. I apologize for the huge lapse in between posts. Maybe once school is back in session and we're back on a normal routine I'll be able to sit down more regularly and vent.
Our struggle lately is still trying to get Maeve to poop in the potty. She goes into her closet in her bedroom and lays it down in there. I've started making her clean it up by having to remove her own pants and get the pooh out from her panties/pants and into the toilet. Then I help her clean up because she would never be able to get herself clean. But you know what? She HATES it. And God forbid she gets poop on her fingers or legs. She absolutely freaks out. So, while I see this as a step in the right direction, it still hasn't curbed the behavior. So now, we're tryin' it Dr. Phil's way. Next time she does it I'm going to make her sit in a chair IN her poop for a spell before I make her clean it up. I'm not sure she'll care all that much, but we'll see.
It's so frustrating. And you know, I'd even be happy if she wanted to go in a diaper, as long as she would just come and say, "Mom, I need a diaper to poop in." At least I wouldn't have to clean up the huge mess. But no. She's supposed to go off to preschool next month fully potty trained, but that's obviously not going to happen. I'm going to send her anyway. I mean, what are the odds that she'll crap her pants during the 6 hours of preschool she's in each week?
What's that, you say? 100%?
Yeah. I know.
*sigh*
Thursday, July 16, 2009
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Michaela: having minor issues
Maeve: 1
Alasdair: .5
So, we're going camping this weekend. I spent the majority of the day trying to squeeze in work, cleaning up, packing and grocery shopping, plus keeping the kiddos happy. During my "lunch break" I ran out to get gas, get some produce, run by the bank and hit Costco. Usually our ritual for grocery shopping is Costco, followed immediately by Top Foods. And it's usually dinner time. So right after Costco when the kids are starting to whine and drive me insane, we get them berry smoothies from the food court at Costco. I shit you not, all three of my kids can down them in about 20 minutes flat. They don't stop to whine, fight, yell or even breathe! It's amazing. So that's what my kids had for "lunch" today. An apple in the car, a sucker from the bank teller, and a berry smoothie from Costco. I'm a great mom. :)
The rest of the plan was to finish out my work day, feed the kids then run back out to do the main grocery shopping. But it turned out that Mike was leaving for the evening later than I expected, so as they kids were eating dinner, I escaped to do the shopping on my own. (yay!!!) Upon my return I find out that Maeve had done her "doodie" for Mike today, but she wasn't wearing any panties under her dress and it fell right onto the living room carpet! HAHAHAHAHA!!! While I feel marginally bad for Mike having to clean it up, I'm more elated that it wasn't ME for once. :D
Off to Icicle Creek tomorrow for a relaxing weekend of mojitos, pina coladas, junk food, reading and river swimming. :D
Maeve: 1
Alasdair: .5
So, we're going camping this weekend. I spent the majority of the day trying to squeeze in work, cleaning up, packing and grocery shopping, plus keeping the kiddos happy. During my "lunch break" I ran out to get gas, get some produce, run by the bank and hit Costco. Usually our ritual for grocery shopping is Costco, followed immediately by Top Foods. And it's usually dinner time. So right after Costco when the kids are starting to whine and drive me insane, we get them berry smoothies from the food court at Costco. I shit you not, all three of my kids can down them in about 20 minutes flat. They don't stop to whine, fight, yell or even breathe! It's amazing. So that's what my kids had for "lunch" today. An apple in the car, a sucker from the bank teller, and a berry smoothie from Costco. I'm a great mom. :)
The rest of the plan was to finish out my work day, feed the kids then run back out to do the main grocery shopping. But it turned out that Mike was leaving for the evening later than I expected, so as they kids were eating dinner, I escaped to do the shopping on my own. (yay!!!) Upon my return I find out that Maeve had done her "doodie" for Mike today, but she wasn't wearing any panties under her dress and it fell right onto the living room carpet! HAHAHAHAHA!!! While I feel marginally bad for Mike having to clean it up, I'm more elated that it wasn't ME for once. :D
Off to Icicle Creek tomorrow for a relaxing weekend of mojitos, pina coladas, junk food, reading and river swimming. :D
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Poop: 1. Me: 0.
Michaela: no accidents
Maeve: 5 successful trips to the toilet for pee, four pairs of peed in panties, two pairs of wet shorts, one pair of pooped in panties
Alasdair: 2
Oh. My. Lord.
It was a day from hell today. Everyone keeps telling me to "not count" today, but it's hard to not count it when you're still living it. I took all three kids to the zoo today with my sister's family. We were there for over 5 hours. No naps. No extra money for bribery and sugary snacks. It was fun and it sucked all at the same time.
Frist off, Michaela was a trooper (as was my sister's family). It's not easy to go to a place like the zoo with a 3 1/2 year old who is potty training. It takes a long LONG time to get through places, and you end up seeing every single bathroom in the whole place more than once.
Here's a rundown to the best of my memory. I'm secretly trying to block it out to save my sanity.
Leave my house.
Get gas.
Stop by my mom's house to try to find something that my sister lost.
Feed the kids the lunch I packed for the zoo in the car at my mom's house.
Drive to the zoo.
Get in to the zoo.
See the giraffes and some ostriches.
Take Maeve to the bathroom.
See hippos and lions.
Take Maeve to the bathroom because she's digging at her butt.
See the tapir, elephants, orangutans, siamangs.
Take Maeve to the bathroom because she's digging at her butt again.
See the raptors, tigers, sloth bears, sun bear, penguins.
Take Maeve to the bathroom because she's digging for gold.
Maeve refuses to try to poop on the potty.
We get 20 feet from the bathroom door and she says she has to go potty.
I tell her too bad.
Eat a snack at the food court.
Maeve pees next to the table.
Clean up Maeve and change her panties and shorts.
Change Doodie's rancid fruit diaper.
Other adults and older kids go to the nocturnal house.
Maeve pees while squatting on the park bench outside.
Change Maeve's panties and shorts.
But I'm out of shorts and panties.
Put Maeve in Michaela's panties and tell her she's not allowed to get out of the wagon now because she's half naked.
See colobus monkeys and the gorillas.
Maeve tells me she has to pee.
I tell her too bad.
She pees in the wagon.
She has to sit in the pee until we leave.
I pick up Doodie and put him on my hip.
I feel the wet spot on his shorts.
I set him down and notice that his newest rancid fruit diaper has leaked all over his shorts.
And on my shirt.
Change Doodie's diaper and let him go bottomless for the rest of the afternoon.
See the flamingos, some other crappy birds and the lame ass petting zoo (complete with miniature cows that look like full grown cow bodies on pig legs).
Leave the zoo before I start crying like an idiot in front of a bunch of strangers.
Get home and feed the kids fruit snacks while dinner is cooking.
Maeve pees in the back yard.
Eat dinner.
Bath.
Jammies.
Maeve poops in her pants.
Clean up, story, bedtime.
Now I'm drinking a mojito and trying to forget to day ever happened. :)
I'll post some pics of the trip and the aftermath after I dig out my computer from under the laundry pile and attempt to get the photos off my camera's memory card.
Maeve: 5 successful trips to the toilet for pee, four pairs of peed in panties, two pairs of wet shorts, one pair of pooped in panties
Alasdair: 2
Oh. My. Lord.
It was a day from hell today. Everyone keeps telling me to "not count" today, but it's hard to not count it when you're still living it. I took all three kids to the zoo today with my sister's family. We were there for over 5 hours. No naps. No extra money for bribery and sugary snacks. It was fun and it sucked all at the same time.
Frist off, Michaela was a trooper (as was my sister's family). It's not easy to go to a place like the zoo with a 3 1/2 year old who is potty training. It takes a long LONG time to get through places, and you end up seeing every single bathroom in the whole place more than once.
Here's a rundown to the best of my memory. I'm secretly trying to block it out to save my sanity.
Leave my house.
Get gas.
Stop by my mom's house to try to find something that my sister lost.
Feed the kids the lunch I packed for the zoo in the car at my mom's house.
Drive to the zoo.
Get in to the zoo.
See the giraffes and some ostriches.
Take Maeve to the bathroom.
See hippos and lions.
Take Maeve to the bathroom because she's digging at her butt.
See the tapir, elephants, orangutans, siamangs.
Take Maeve to the bathroom because she's digging at her butt again.
See the raptors, tigers, sloth bears, sun bear, penguins.
Take Maeve to the bathroom because she's digging for gold.
Maeve refuses to try to poop on the potty.
We get 20 feet from the bathroom door and she says she has to go potty.
I tell her too bad.
Eat a snack at the food court.
Maeve pees next to the table.
Clean up Maeve and change her panties and shorts.
Change Doodie's rancid fruit diaper.
Other adults and older kids go to the nocturnal house.
Maeve pees while squatting on the park bench outside.
Change Maeve's panties and shorts.
But I'm out of shorts and panties.
Put Maeve in Michaela's panties and tell her she's not allowed to get out of the wagon now because she's half naked.
See colobus monkeys and the gorillas.
Maeve tells me she has to pee.
I tell her too bad.
She pees in the wagon.
She has to sit in the pee until we leave.
I pick up Doodie and put him on my hip.
I feel the wet spot on his shorts.
I set him down and notice that his newest rancid fruit diaper has leaked all over his shorts.
And on my shirt.
Change Doodie's diaper and let him go bottomless for the rest of the afternoon.
See the flamingos, some other crappy birds and the lame ass petting zoo (complete with miniature cows that look like full grown cow bodies on pig legs).
Leave the zoo before I start crying like an idiot in front of a bunch of strangers.
Get home and feed the kids fruit snacks while dinner is cooking.
Maeve pees in the back yard.
Eat dinner.
Bath.
Jammies.
Maeve poops in her pants.
Clean up, story, bedtime.
Now I'm drinking a mojito and trying to forget to day ever happened. :)
I'll post some pics of the trip and the aftermath after I dig out my computer from under the laundry pile and attempt to get the photos off my camera's memory card.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Kind of a Shitty Day
Michaela: 1 small accident
Maeve: 3 craps in her pants
Alasdair: 5
The day itself wasn't all that shitty. A little hectic here and there, but good lord! How much poop can one woman tolerate in 12 hours?? I've just totally had it with Maeve and her panty pooping. I have found her "place" though. She goes into the closet in her room and does it there. But this evening she did it at the library. So I wouldn't let her check out any books, I made her ride home (much to the dismay of my other kids) with her pants full, and then I made her go straight to bed an hour early after I cleaned her up. Honestly, I just don't know how to nip this one in the bud. She is supposed to be completely potty trained by the end of August so that she can go to preschool, but I just don't see that happening. Plus, I am just the kind of person who can't deal with this type of stubborn behavior. It's illogical and it drives me crazy. I know, I know. Why do I have three kids if i can't stand illogical people? I DON'T KNOW.
And Alasdair has been having a lot of movements too. So far the weepy rash hasn't come back, but it is red. So I've been slathering him in Desitin and keeping him comfortable at least.
One more day to go, and then it's my sitter's turn to change poopie diapers for a while. Hallelujah!!
Maeve: 3 craps in her pants
Alasdair: 5
The day itself wasn't all that shitty. A little hectic here and there, but good lord! How much poop can one woman tolerate in 12 hours?? I've just totally had it with Maeve and her panty pooping. I have found her "place" though. She goes into the closet in her room and does it there. But this evening she did it at the library. So I wouldn't let her check out any books, I made her ride home (much to the dismay of my other kids) with her pants full, and then I made her go straight to bed an hour early after I cleaned her up. Honestly, I just don't know how to nip this one in the bud. She is supposed to be completely potty trained by the end of August so that she can go to preschool, but I just don't see that happening. Plus, I am just the kind of person who can't deal with this type of stubborn behavior. It's illogical and it drives me crazy. I know, I know. Why do I have three kids if i can't stand illogical people? I DON'T KNOW.
And Alasdair has been having a lot of movements too. So far the weepy rash hasn't come back, but it is red. So I've been slathering him in Desitin and keeping him comfortable at least.
One more day to go, and then it's my sitter's turn to change poopie diapers for a while. Hallelujah!!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Debonair Doodie
Michaela: no accidents lately
Maeve: simply will NOT use the toilet for #2
Alasdair: lots of summer fruit = excess poops and diaper rash :(
I actually had to pull out the Ilex cream. We haven't had to do that in quite a while for Doodie. But he was just eating SO much fruit that his little bum couldn't take it. In just a few hours we went from sort of red to total skin breakdown. But the Ilex finally took care of it. Honestly, if anyone has a kid with Hirschsprung's and you haven't found Ilex yet, take my word for it. Use it. It's worth every penny you spend on it to make your kid's butt feel better. And I'm pretty sure unless your kid has HD you don't really know what a diaper rash is. :)
Anyway, we're still struggling with Maeve to get her to use the toilet for pooping in. She told me the other day that she was scared she would get flushed down, which is a load of crap, no pun intended. She pees without fail all the time on the toilet. So I decided to get down and dirty with her like I did with Michaela (see previous post). So far I've thrown out her Barbies, her Polly Pockets, and two of her favorite nighttime buddies. I've also made her stop playing with Michaela and the neighbor girl next door (which was a huge screaming fit) and I've made her go to bed early twice. I really don't want to have to get mean and take away her Elmo or her kickit (her favorite handmade baby blanket), but I might have to. Nothing seems to phase her long enough to get her to want it back. Ugh.
Here's a nice photo to end the day. My Dapper Doodie:
Maeve: simply will NOT use the toilet for #2
Alasdair: lots of summer fruit = excess poops and diaper rash :(
I actually had to pull out the Ilex cream. We haven't had to do that in quite a while for Doodie. But he was just eating SO much fruit that his little bum couldn't take it. In just a few hours we went from sort of red to total skin breakdown. But the Ilex finally took care of it. Honestly, if anyone has a kid with Hirschsprung's and you haven't found Ilex yet, take my word for it. Use it. It's worth every penny you spend on it to make your kid's butt feel better. And I'm pretty sure unless your kid has HD you don't really know what a diaper rash is. :)
Anyway, we're still struggling with Maeve to get her to use the toilet for pooping in. She told me the other day that she was scared she would get flushed down, which is a load of crap, no pun intended. She pees without fail all the time on the toilet. So I decided to get down and dirty with her like I did with Michaela (see previous post). So far I've thrown out her Barbies, her Polly Pockets, and two of her favorite nighttime buddies. I've also made her stop playing with Michaela and the neighbor girl next door (which was a huge screaming fit) and I've made her go to bed early twice. I really don't want to have to get mean and take away her Elmo or her kickit (her favorite handmade baby blanket), but I might have to. Nothing seems to phase her long enough to get her to want it back. Ugh.
Here's a nice photo to end the day. My Dapper Doodie:
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Happy Father's Day!!
Michaela: no accidents
Maeve: 1 HUUUUUGE crap in her panties
Alasdair: 3, plus a rash that's getting out of hand
So, I put Maeve in a diaper today. She actually said I should, and I was so angry at the huge dumper she took in her pants today that I actually did make her nap in a diaper. After she woke up I put her back in some underwear, but I told her that I was going to start "throwing away" her toys tomorrow every time she poops in her pants. It sounds extreme and nasty, but you know what? it worked for Michaela and she was younger than Maeve is now. It's turned into a power struggle. It's not about learning to use the toilet and learning about the feeling when you have to go. She knows damn well when she's got to go because she leaves the room, goes somewhere quiet and comes back poopy. When I did this with Michaela it took 1 weekend. Day 1 I put all her movies in a garbage sack and "threw them away" by putting them out of sight in our spare room. Day 2 I put all her books in a sack and did the same thing. Day 3 it was all her baby dolls. Day 4, did not poop in her pants again, unless it was a real honest to goodness accident. So, i'm gonna get tough with Maeve and see how it goes.
And Doodie has been eating too much fresh fruit I think. Now, any good parent might say, "HA! No such thing!" However, these would not be the parents of a child with Hirschsprung's Disease. His diapers are gross and just smell like recycled fruit, but they are also giving him The Rash. I went straight to the Ilex cream, it was that bad. But even the Ilex didn't do anything the first two times I put it on. Wha?? So, tomorrow I'm going to have to double up on the diaper changes and see if we can get the rash under control before it gets to the bleeding stage. Poor baby!!
Maeve: 1 HUUUUUGE crap in her panties
Alasdair: 3, plus a rash that's getting out of hand
So, I put Maeve in a diaper today. She actually said I should, and I was so angry at the huge dumper she took in her pants today that I actually did make her nap in a diaper. After she woke up I put her back in some underwear, but I told her that I was going to start "throwing away" her toys tomorrow every time she poops in her pants. It sounds extreme and nasty, but you know what? it worked for Michaela and she was younger than Maeve is now. It's turned into a power struggle. It's not about learning to use the toilet and learning about the feeling when you have to go. She knows damn well when she's got to go because she leaves the room, goes somewhere quiet and comes back poopy. When I did this with Michaela it took 1 weekend. Day 1 I put all her movies in a garbage sack and "threw them away" by putting them out of sight in our spare room. Day 2 I put all her books in a sack and did the same thing. Day 3 it was all her baby dolls. Day 4, did not poop in her pants again, unless it was a real honest to goodness accident. So, i'm gonna get tough with Maeve and see how it goes.
And Doodie has been eating too much fresh fruit I think. Now, any good parent might say, "HA! No such thing!" However, these would not be the parents of a child with Hirschsprung's Disease. His diapers are gross and just smell like recycled fruit, but they are also giving him The Rash. I went straight to the Ilex cream, it was that bad. But even the Ilex didn't do anything the first two times I put it on. Wha?? So, tomorrow I'm going to have to double up on the diaper changes and see if we can get the rash under control before it gets to the bleeding stage. Poor baby!!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
My Cutie Patootie Doodie
Michaela: skids
Maeve: still won't poop in the toilet
Alasdair: normal as ever!
We think that Maeve is constipated because she doesn't want to poo on the potty yet, so she holds it until she can't anymore and then it starts to hurt. We're gonna sneak some Miralax into her drinks and see if that helps her go more often. I'm still not sure how to get her to go on the potty, but going is better than not going, regardless of where she does it. It makes me nervous though. Michaela was also very regular until she was potty training. Then she got constipated because she didn't want to go on the potty and she's pretty much been plugged up ever since. So I'm hoping to avoid any long-term issues with Maeve.
On a cuter note, Doodie got lots of attention from strangers today. This morning we went to the See Kai Run warehouse sale to get him some new shoes. He was wearing his current pair and was strapped into the stroller with his SKR balloon tied to it. When we got to the register they commented on his shoes and asked if they could take his picture, so I said yes. Then later in the day we hit Sorticulture up here at Legion Park. It's like a Garden Art fair. The kids got restless after like 2 minutes, so I gave them their "Yan-yan" snack. It took about 30.6 seconds for Doodie to be covered in chocolate, but enjoying himself thoroughly. We had one couple start giggling at him because he was adorable, then a few minutes later these 3 ladies caught sight of him and asked if they could take his picture. :) I love it when strangers think my kids are cute.
Maeve: still won't poop in the toilet
Alasdair: normal as ever!
We think that Maeve is constipated because she doesn't want to poo on the potty yet, so she holds it until she can't anymore and then it starts to hurt. We're gonna sneak some Miralax into her drinks and see if that helps her go more often. I'm still not sure how to get her to go on the potty, but going is better than not going, regardless of where she does it. It makes me nervous though. Michaela was also very regular until she was potty training. Then she got constipated because she didn't want to go on the potty and she's pretty much been plugged up ever since. So I'm hoping to avoid any long-term issues with Maeve.
On a cuter note, Doodie got lots of attention from strangers today. This morning we went to the See Kai Run warehouse sale to get him some new shoes. He was wearing his current pair and was strapped into the stroller with his SKR balloon tied to it. When we got to the register they commented on his shoes and asked if they could take his picture, so I said yes. Then later in the day we hit Sorticulture up here at Legion Park. It's like a Garden Art fair. The kids got restless after like 2 minutes, so I gave them their "Yan-yan" snack. It took about 30.6 seconds for Doodie to be covered in chocolate, but enjoying himself thoroughly. We had one couple start giggling at him because he was adorable, then a few minutes later these 3 ladies caught sight of him and asked if they could take his picture. :) I love it when strangers think my kids are cute.
**Updated to add some photos of the two youngest in all their chocolate glory:
Monday, June 8, 2009
I actually DID survive the husband's Leave of Absence
Michaela: smears and streaks, and she peed her pants
Maeve: every day she poops in her pannies
Alasdair: healthy as a Hirschsprung's Horse!
So, yeah, I didn't exactly finish my posts the week my husband was out of town, but I did survive. It was a strenuous and busy week though.
Lately we've been trying to figure out the enigma that is Michaela. We (I) took her to her doctor and we discussed her behavior. I found the whole appointment less than helpful. He basically just wrote her a prescription for Adderall and sent me on my way. We decided to hold off on it for right now. We're going to try some things at home this summer to get her to be able to concentrate more and follow through with things. Then, when school starts back up i'll speak with her new teacher, get weekly updates from her for 4-6 weeks, and then we'll see where things are at. We may want to try the medication then. It's a really hard step for me to take, partially because I feel like a bad parent and that her inability to focus and follow directions is my fault. I can't distinguish between this being HER problem or MY problem. Ugh.
But school is out in a day and a half and i'm ramping up a "schedule" for all 3 kids so that they aren't just running around like wild monkeys all day long for 2 1/2 months. And the weather has been unseasonably nice for Seattle and we've been taking full advantage of that. Maeve continues to crap in her pants with no resolution to that problem in sight. I'm not sure she'll actually be going to preschool in the fall because she's got to be able to go. I should probably have more faith in the girl, but I don't. She's too stubborn for her own good. :)
Alasdair is blooming in the language department. His few words up until now have really only been the first half of the word, with a few exceptions. But he's almost finishing some of the words now and picking up on some bigger ones. I also noticed that he copied Maeve's words in the car today. Maybe this summer he'll take some huge strides in that area.
And some other good news: Maeve learned how to pedal on her "big girl bike" and Michaela can now ride her bike without training wheels! Yay!
Maeve: every day she poops in her pannies
Alasdair: healthy as a Hirschsprung's Horse!
So, yeah, I didn't exactly finish my posts the week my husband was out of town, but I did survive. It was a strenuous and busy week though.
Lately we've been trying to figure out the enigma that is Michaela. We (I) took her to her doctor and we discussed her behavior. I found the whole appointment less than helpful. He basically just wrote her a prescription for Adderall and sent me on my way. We decided to hold off on it for right now. We're going to try some things at home this summer to get her to be able to concentrate more and follow through with things. Then, when school starts back up i'll speak with her new teacher, get weekly updates from her for 4-6 weeks, and then we'll see where things are at. We may want to try the medication then. It's a really hard step for me to take, partially because I feel like a bad parent and that her inability to focus and follow directions is my fault. I can't distinguish between this being HER problem or MY problem. Ugh.
But school is out in a day and a half and i'm ramping up a "schedule" for all 3 kids so that they aren't just running around like wild monkeys all day long for 2 1/2 months. And the weather has been unseasonably nice for Seattle and we've been taking full advantage of that. Maeve continues to crap in her pants with no resolution to that problem in sight. I'm not sure she'll actually be going to preschool in the fall because she's got to be able to go. I should probably have more faith in the girl, but I don't. She's too stubborn for her own good. :)
Alasdair is blooming in the language department. His few words up until now have really only been the first half of the word, with a few exceptions. But he's almost finishing some of the words now and picking up on some bigger ones. I also noticed that he copied Maeve's words in the car today. Maybe this summer he'll take some huge strides in that area.
And some other good news: Maeve learned how to pedal on her "big girl bike" and Michaela can now ride her bike without training wheels! Yay!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Survival - Day 3
Michaela: 1 accident
Maeve: 3 poops in her pannies
Alasdair: 1
I am convinced that children have some sort of internal alarm telling them when the worst possible time to crap in your pants is. I mean, really there is never a good time to crap your pants, but some times are definitely worse than others. Like when your mom is getting ready to herd you all out the door to swim class. Or when she's late picking your big sister up from school. Or she's going to miss her bus for work. Or right after she's given you a bath and hasn't had time to diaper you yet.
Today it was swim class. I was running a little late and herded the kids from the back yard into the house so I could get Maeve in her "jump-soup" (that's Maeve-ese for swimsuit) and head out to her lessons. But the minute I pick up Doodie i can smell him. So I wrestle him to the ground and pin him down so I can change the grossness and I asked Michaela to help get Maeve's jump-soup on her. As soon as Maeve's panties are down Michaela's all "Eeeew! She pooped!" Well, of course she did! We're late, she's not dressed and Doodie's got the shits from hell! Yay! Anyway, i cleaned her up and we ended up making it to swim class on time.
Then to end my marvelous day, the kids were playing in the back yard after dinner while I was trying to clean up the kitchen (which has a clogged drain and is FULL of gross standing water, ugh) when I hear something plastic on the slide outside. Now the kids decided that getting in our old cooler and shutting the lid is "fun". So they take turns getting in, the others shut the lid, then open it and you get out. Next kid goes. Rinse, repeat. Before you all call CPS on me, it's not a refrigerator type cooler, it's like an igloo cooler. And it's a cheap one at that. It doesn't fully close and it's not airtight, so it isn't a safety hazard. Except that when I'm hearing this plastic sound on the slide. My kids figured out how to turn it into one. My 7 year old crammed the 2 year old inside it and was dragging it UP the slide so she could let it go and watch it slide down. OMG. So I yelled at her and put her in a time out, which apparently was her most oppertune time to crap her pants.
I hope my husband isn't reading this from Springfield. He might not come home. :)
Maeve: 3 poops in her pannies
Alasdair: 1
I am convinced that children have some sort of internal alarm telling them when the worst possible time to crap in your pants is. I mean, really there is never a good time to crap your pants, but some times are definitely worse than others. Like when your mom is getting ready to herd you all out the door to swim class. Or when she's late picking your big sister up from school. Or she's going to miss her bus for work. Or right after she's given you a bath and hasn't had time to diaper you yet.
Today it was swim class. I was running a little late and herded the kids from the back yard into the house so I could get Maeve in her "jump-soup" (that's Maeve-ese for swimsuit) and head out to her lessons. But the minute I pick up Doodie i can smell him. So I wrestle him to the ground and pin him down so I can change the grossness and I asked Michaela to help get Maeve's jump-soup on her. As soon as Maeve's panties are down Michaela's all "Eeeew! She pooped!" Well, of course she did! We're late, she's not dressed and Doodie's got the shits from hell! Yay! Anyway, i cleaned her up and we ended up making it to swim class on time.
Then to end my marvelous day, the kids were playing in the back yard after dinner while I was trying to clean up the kitchen (which has a clogged drain and is FULL of gross standing water, ugh) when I hear something plastic on the slide outside. Now the kids decided that getting in our old cooler and shutting the lid is "fun". So they take turns getting in, the others shut the lid, then open it and you get out. Next kid goes. Rinse, repeat. Before you all call CPS on me, it's not a refrigerator type cooler, it's like an igloo cooler. And it's a cheap one at that. It doesn't fully close and it's not airtight, so it isn't a safety hazard. Except that when I'm hearing this plastic sound on the slide. My kids figured out how to turn it into one. My 7 year old crammed the 2 year old inside it and was dragging it UP the slide so she could let it go and watch it slide down. OMG. So I yelled at her and put her in a time out, which apparently was her most oppertune time to crap her pants.
I hope my husband isn't reading this from Springfield. He might not come home. :)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Survival - Day 2
Michaela: no accidents
Maeve: 1 poo in her pannies
Alasdair: 1
My day went something like this:
Get up
Get ready for school
Take M to school
Work
Lunch
Naps for kids
Work
Pick M up from school
Coach M on her "to do" lists while trying to
Work
Snack
Work
Ballet class (while keeping the two little ones entertained for 45 minutes in my car)
Work
Dinner
Dishes
Baths
Jammies
Doodie grabs a dirty plate and messes up the floor
Garbage to curb
Maeve Poops in her pannies
Laundry
Brush teeth
Read stories
Bed for the Girls
Get Doodie his "milk cocktail"
Book for Doodie
D to bed
Bake Brownies
Work
Blog
EAT BROWNIES.
Time for that last step now. I'm surviving w/o Mike here, but I could use a small break. Hum.
Maeve: 1 poo in her pannies
Alasdair: 1
My day went something like this:
Get up
Get ready for school
Take M to school
Work
Lunch
Naps for kids
Work
Pick M up from school
Coach M on her "to do" lists while trying to
Work
Snack
Work
Ballet class (while keeping the two little ones entertained for 45 minutes in my car)
Work
Dinner
Dishes
Baths
Jammies
Doodie grabs a dirty plate and messes up the floor
Garbage to curb
Maeve Poops in her pannies
Laundry
Brush teeth
Read stories
Bed for the Girls
Get Doodie his "milk cocktail"
Book for Doodie
D to bed
Bake Brownies
Work
Blog
EAT BROWNIES.
Time for that last step now. I'm surviving w/o Mike here, but I could use a small break. Hum.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Survival - Day 1
Michaela: no accidents
Maeve: 1 pooh in her pannies
Alasdair: 2
So, the hubby is out of town on business (which doesn't happen very often so I'm very much not used to it) and honestly, this is probably one of the worst times ever for that to happen. I'm way too emotionally fragile with the kids right now and having to handle the three of them, plus work, plus swimming and ballet, plus the gym, well, let's just say we're walking a thin line of sanity.
BUT, I made it through day 1 with no major meltdowns, the kids got fed, bathed, homeworked, dishes are done, my chores are done (even the laundry!), the house is clean enough to not totally stress me out, and i just finished up my last bit of work for the day. I finally got a shower about a half hour ago and i'm ready to slip into my clean sheets!
I'd say other than Maeve's pooh incident, things went pretty well today. 4 more to go!
Maeve: 1 pooh in her pannies
Alasdair: 2
So, the hubby is out of town on business (which doesn't happen very often so I'm very much not used to it) and honestly, this is probably one of the worst times ever for that to happen. I'm way too emotionally fragile with the kids right now and having to handle the three of them, plus work, plus swimming and ballet, plus the gym, well, let's just say we're walking a thin line of sanity.
BUT, I made it through day 1 with no major meltdowns, the kids got fed, bathed, homeworked, dishes are done, my chores are done (even the laundry!), the house is clean enough to not totally stress me out, and i just finished up my last bit of work for the day. I finally got a shower about a half hour ago and i'm ready to slip into my clean sheets!
I'd say other than Maeve's pooh incident, things went pretty well today. 4 more to go!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Blogging Standstill
Michaela: skid marks aplenty
Maeve: pees great in the potty and poops in her underwear
Alasdair: 2 good poohs
I think i'm losing my mind, seriously. I can't keep up with punishing my kids every 5 minutes, so I definitely haven't had time to blog. Things are pretty normal though. Michaela's totally ADD, which i'm slowly coming to terms with, and still crapping her pants constantly. Maeve is now a professional at going in the potty, as long as it's not solid. We haven't mastered that yet. And Doodie is pooping right along, no diaper rash and nothing too funky.
But my 7 year old, OMG. I'm ready to wring her neck. Here's her list of "issues" currently:
Can't follow directions
Doesn't pay attention in school
Doesn't finish her school work
Talks and interrupts
Can't remember to put anything away
Can't remember that my floor is not a trash can
Can't remember to do her homework
Can't remember to do chores
Poops her pants
Can't answer any question unless the answer is "i don't know"
Can't sit still to save her life
Can't stop screaming at her sister and brother
Has no volume control whatsoever
Can't get herself ready for school in the morning
there's more, but there's probably a character limit on blogspot. I'm so torn. I can't decide if she's just 7 and maybe immature or if she might need a trip to the doc and a diagnosis of ADD. It's not something I'm taking lightly, but i'm at my wits end with her. I don't know how to parent her successfully and it's not good for anyone in our house. I didn't just decide she's a pain in the @$$ and chalk it up to ADD, but every day I'm more and more convinced that her behavior isn't normal.
Anyway, I shouldn't be the only person in our house medicating themselves to stay sane, should I? Misery loves company!!
Maeve: pees great in the potty and poops in her underwear
Alasdair: 2 good poohs
I think i'm losing my mind, seriously. I can't keep up with punishing my kids every 5 minutes, so I definitely haven't had time to blog. Things are pretty normal though. Michaela's totally ADD, which i'm slowly coming to terms with, and still crapping her pants constantly. Maeve is now a professional at going in the potty, as long as it's not solid. We haven't mastered that yet. And Doodie is pooping right along, no diaper rash and nothing too funky.
But my 7 year old, OMG. I'm ready to wring her neck. Here's her list of "issues" currently:
Can't follow directions
Doesn't pay attention in school
Doesn't finish her school work
Talks and interrupts
Can't remember to put anything away
Can't remember that my floor is not a trash can
Can't remember to do her homework
Can't remember to do chores
Poops her pants
Can't answer any question unless the answer is "i don't know"
Can't sit still to save her life
Can't stop screaming at her sister and brother
Has no volume control whatsoever
Can't get herself ready for school in the morning
there's more, but there's probably a character limit on blogspot. I'm so torn. I can't decide if she's just 7 and maybe immature or if she might need a trip to the doc and a diagnosis of ADD. It's not something I'm taking lightly, but i'm at my wits end with her. I don't know how to parent her successfully and it's not good for anyone in our house. I didn't just decide she's a pain in the @$$ and chalk it up to ADD, but every day I'm more and more convinced that her behavior isn't normal.
Anyway, I shouldn't be the only person in our house medicating themselves to stay sane, should I? Misery loves company!!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Worst Day EVAR
Michaela: no accidents, but some skid marky undies
Maeve: 1 pooh in the potty, 2 in her pannies
Alasdair: 3, and one was a DOOZIE
Let's begin with 1 poopy Doodie diaper and 2 pantie poops from Maeve.
Then there's the flat tire. I walked out to my car with the little ones to go to the gym and had to drive straight to Les Schwab. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200.
After I got that fixed we drove to the Y. There was no parking. Not one spot. Nada.
After 15 minutes I found a spot and got inside, but the Child Watch for Doodie was full. So I checked Maeve in and put D on the waiting list. For 45 minutes.
Finally I got in to the gym and slammed out my workout in 30 minutes, grabbed the kids and fled home.
Poop.
Lunch.
Nap.
Poop.
Work.
Collect M from school.
Work.
Poop explosion from Doodie.
Swim lessons for Maeve.
Work.
Oh, and in between all this was the incessant bickering, fighting, screaming, jumping, running, crying and downright unruly-ness from my kids.
I was at the end of my rope. Seriously, I'm at a loss. I'm not sure where I lost control of my kids, but it has happened and I don't know how to get it back. My 7 year old is literally out of control, and the 3 year old just copies everything she does. Then the 2 year old picks up on all the finer points from the bigger two. Between picking up all their messes and breaking up fights and trying to ignore the screaming I can't seem to hold on to my sanity these days.
I think it's time to chant my mantra for a few hours: This, too, shall pass.
Tomorrow will be a better day.
Maeve: 1 pooh in the potty, 2 in her pannies
Alasdair: 3, and one was a DOOZIE
Let's begin with 1 poopy Doodie diaper and 2 pantie poops from Maeve.
Then there's the flat tire. I walked out to my car with the little ones to go to the gym and had to drive straight to Les Schwab. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200.
After I got that fixed we drove to the Y. There was no parking. Not one spot. Nada.
After 15 minutes I found a spot and got inside, but the Child Watch for Doodie was full. So I checked Maeve in and put D on the waiting list. For 45 minutes.
Finally I got in to the gym and slammed out my workout in 30 minutes, grabbed the kids and fled home.
Poop.
Lunch.
Nap.
Poop.
Work.
Collect M from school.
Work.
Poop explosion from Doodie.
Swim lessons for Maeve.
Work.
Oh, and in between all this was the incessant bickering, fighting, screaming, jumping, running, crying and downright unruly-ness from my kids.
I was at the end of my rope. Seriously, I'm at a loss. I'm not sure where I lost control of my kids, but it has happened and I don't know how to get it back. My 7 year old is literally out of control, and the 3 year old just copies everything she does. Then the 2 year old picks up on all the finer points from the bigger two. Between picking up all their messes and breaking up fights and trying to ignore the screaming I can't seem to hold on to my sanity these days.
I think it's time to chant my mantra for a few hours: This, too, shall pass.
Tomorrow will be a better day.
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