Fly me to the moon: Andy is potty trained!

It's been an adventure and despite the reassurances from nearly every person I know, I was pretty convinced that we'd never conquer this milestone. Like a stubborn mule, Andy "produced" when Andy was good and ready. God help me during the teenage years with this kid! I do think that the quadruple rocket launcher helped, but I also think that Grace deserves about 90% of the credit. She has read this child story after story and encouraged him and supported him and reassured him far more than I have (maybe I should edit this part before he can read). Andy's rocket launcher stayed on top of the cabinet until he made the golden deposit, and next to the rocket was a toy birthday cake for our sweet cheerleader.

This picture was taken from the potty alarm that Andy sounded at the butt crack (fitting) of dawn on Saturday. We were a sleeping house during that wee (couldn't resist) hour when Andy yelled out with his "need" at the top of his lungs. Scott and I were still trying to figure out how to speak when Grace replied, in the most cheerful voice you could ever imagine, "I'm coming Andrew! I'll get your favorite story!" She sat with him for nearly an hour.

"custom" John Glenn potty seat

The 5am alarm was a false one, but I am convinced that he woke up ready and has stayed ready ever since. Two days later, he now is a fine "producer" and is even sailing through the nights in the trusty "boxahs" that Sweetie sent.

And now the new challenges begin. Took Andy to the park today and he had to "go" but the toilet in the ladies room was nearly 4 feet off the ground and the men's room...lets just say that it was closed and spare the details. Fortunately, this tree was well maintained...and thanks to Andy, it is now fertilized.

Mental Health Weekend

The scheduling Gods shined down on us last week: we pulled together a last minute get together at Lake Tahoma. Pardon the pun, but it was just what the doctor ordered. Pictures tell the story far better than I could!

There is magic in that water.

For the record, this is exactly what I looked like when I was four months pregnant. Really.

Lake Tahoma Allergy Clinic. Fees paid in bass.

Carson and Grace...would love to know what this long conversation was about.

My highly edible Godson Bowen.

BT Ryan Mount driving the fancy boat.

"we weren't even thinking about opening this door."

The girls...

...were outnumbered by the boys.

How the novice fishing buddies managed to NOT hook each other is beyond me.

Team 6am (they are the undefeated champions)

Ward Junior

My Andy had just proposed to Carson...this is the engagement photo.

"It wasn't me."

My girl wore this smile in her sleep.

These two...

"...both hands on the wheel, two feet on the ground..."

Never underestimate the young fisherwoman in the smocked outfit.

Snuggling up with your best friend: probably not priceless when they're 16 and find out that I posted this picture.

Trying to knock out the baby teeth...

The please-dear-God-not-tomorrow-snow came. According to Grace's princess ruler, we got 5 inches. We dug the inflatable hazard out of the shed and spent the morning trying to find ways to get air in the thing faster...in the end, the leaf blower brought the thing to life. I should be shot for this. Think very big inner tube with handles. We live on a steep hill with a concrete storm drain at the bottom - a previous ender to snow fun (click here). I managed to convince Scott to stay home from work so that would employ the "one parent sled with child/one parent place body between sled and hazard" approach. I should take this moment to point out that Scott was raised in the south - the deep south - outside of the annual church ski trip, he has seen snow maybe six times. My efforts to keep him home were equal parts desire for family fun and need to keep him away from heavy machinery until the roads were clear.


We had a great time. The kids from up the street came down to take their turn at Mickey Mouse's newest attraction, SNOW MOUNTAIN. Grace wanted to run in and get props to theme up the queue but we managed to talk her out of it...but she did come up with theme music and tried to sing it to the kids as they waited for their turn.

(clearly daddy needed a snow day as much as the kids!)

Snow...the adventure begins!

Caught young Andrew outside twice today. We woke up to an inch of snow and at 8:05 am, Scott and I came into the family room with fresh slugs of coffee, glanced out the window and saw the young astronaut barefoot in his orange NASA re-entry suit licking Scott's car. Not the part that had snow. Just the car. We ordered him back in the house at once. It rained/snowed off and on all day. And then at 5pm, the sky turned white and the snow came pouring down. Grace jumped up and threw on her (Princess) snow boots and winter coat over her Belle gown (yes, the yellow Belle gown) and out she went declaring the change in events both "magical and magnificent" with every step...young Andrew ran upstairs to "get it ready" and came down in a swimsuit and asked for his black (Space) snow boots. We were too busy swallowing our laughter to tell the kid that he would freeze his kneecaps off...so boots on and out he went.