Category Archives: Proud Mama

February 17, 2012 · 1:27 am

Day One

I did something both crazy and brave today.  Riley woke up with pinkeye.  That wasn’t the crazy or brave thing.  That was the gross thing that ruined my plans for the day.

Since he had to stay home from school, that meant there were five school-free days ahead of us (pinkeye day + teacher work day tomorrow + the weekend + President’s Day on Monday).  Somehow, I decided to potty train him.  Today.  As we speak write.  That’s the crazy and brave thing.

Crazy because potty training is just that – crazy.  And brave because, well, the same thing.  Doing something crazy is brave.  Plus it’s hard to know if he’s ready.  I think he is, but I’m not sure, and false starts suck.  I swear, if people knew what potty training was really like, and if they knew that it’s actually a long, exhausting process that takes months if not years, they’d never have kids.

I’m too exhausted to give you all of the gory details of theday (and there were some), but I think it’s fair to deem Day One a success.  Riley went through about ten pairs of underwear, and I’ll definitely be calling Stanley Steemer next week to get the family room carpet cleaned, but HE POOPED IN THE POTTY!  Poop.  In the toilet. On day one!  I’m one Proud (and sort of Gloating) Mama right now.  And kind of tipsy, too, because a little bit lot of wine was necessary to temper the emotional and physical exhaustion of the day.

I didn’t take a lot of pictures during the day, mostly because that would’ve been kind of weird, but this one, taken after Riley was asleep in a bedtime Pullup (thank god for bedtime and bedtime Pullups!) pretty much sums up the day.

I better sign off now and get some much needed rest before Day Two begins (today’s parenting started at about 4:00 a.m.).  You know that app that let’s you tell friends on Facebook that you’re running three or twelve miles and that they can leave you comments that you’ll hear through your iPod?  Well, I don’t have an iPod anymore because I accidentally washed and dried it (oops), but I sure could use a cheering section right about now.  Consider the comments section on the blog my app and drop me a line.  I’d love to hear from you.

1 Comment

Filed under Gloating Mama, potty training, Proud Mama

January 7, 2012 · 1:14 pm

My Favorite Part of the Day

I started a family dinner ritual a little while ago in the hope of getting the boys to eat new food.  We haven’t had much any success yet, but we’ve developed a nice habit of talking about our day when we sit together.  The questions are always the same: What was your favorite part of the day?  What was your least favorite part of the day?

In the beginning, Dylan didn’t understand what “least favorite” meant.  He would say his favorite part of the day was playing with his friends and then he would say his least favorite part of the day was the same thing.  Riley didn’t get what any of it meant and would either repeat what Dylan said or smile and say, “Poopy pants.”

Eventually, Dylan understood that “least favorite” was different than “favorite.”  Then his answer would be something like: “My favorite part of the day was eating popsicles at school.  My least favorite part of the day was nothing.”  Nothing?  I guess life is good when you’re five.

Earlier this week, we had to runan errand in the afternoon that kept us in the car for a while, so that’s when we took turns talking about our day. Riley responded with his usual gobbledegook.  Dylan said his favorite part of the day was playing with his friends at school.  No surprise there.  Then, he said his least favorite part of the day was leaving school early.  It was the first time he expressed what “least favorite” really meant.

I haven’t written much about Dylan’ssensory processing issues lately.  For a while, it consumed me in a “least favorite” kind ofway.  Writing about it helped me and, I think, a few other readers out there, but I’m not sure it did much for Dylan.  This blog is an honest look at my life, but I want to make sure my kids’ privacy doesn’t become collateral damage (now or later) because of my desire to write about motherhood.  In the end, I decided to try to focus mywriting on other topics (there are so many!), like owls, holidays and peeing on trees.

But back to leaving school early…

Twice a week, I pick up Dylan from school an hour early to go to occupational therapy (OT) to work on his sensory issues.    There’s a waiting list for the coveted after school appointments, so until a later time slot opens up, I have to pull him from school.  Although he loves OT – it’s like having private playtime with the coolest toys on the planet – he doesn’t like leaving school. I don’t like having to do it either, but when I think about the positive changes we’ve seen in such a short period of time, I know we’re doing the right thing.

His listening skills have improved dramatically (except when he’s playing Lego Star Wars on the Xbox).  He’s more adventurous.  You should see him climb to the top of playground equipment and slide down (previously scary) tunnel slides with abandon.  He’s more confident and independent – “I can cross the street myself because I’m five!”  And here’s my favorite… He wears pants, long-sleeved shirts (with“Cars” or “Star Wars” graphics) and, if necessary, a jacket when it’s cold.  Look at what he wore to school one day this week…with a smile on his face!

We still have work to do (Operation Chicken 2012!) and I wish Dylan’s least favorite part of the day could always be “nothing,” but each time I witness him conquer a fear or try something new, I know exactly what I’m going to say at family dinner when it’s my turn to talk about my favorite part of the day.

Leave a comment

Filed under family dinner, Proud Mama, sensory processing disorder