Wine in the Diaper Bag

Last night I attended an evening for moms called Dips and Drinks. As I left my car and walked to the building it dawned on me that I was carrying a bottle of wine in my diaper bag. This struck me as quite humorous. I guess I needed five extra minutes at home to switch to a proper purse, but after making lunches for Robbie and Olivia I was already 25 minutes late. I enjoyed a glass of red, had nice conversations, and returned to find Robbie asleep on our bed with an old glaucoma study guide on his chest. This brought back many memories from fellowship year in Oklahoma when he studied so much before board exams. His ophtho books were like sleeping pills for him. I watched my darling husband sleep, and I thought about how far we've come. Now he's about to write a test for the residents he will teach, and I'm so happy for him.

The baby woke up making all kinds of talking sounds. She was chattering away happily. She's been stringing Da and Ma, and I love this phase. She's such a happy baby girl. I love how plump she is, and I attack her underarms and cheeks with kisses. She squeals, and grabs my face. I love that her happiest faces are the ones she shows her mommy. What a treat.

Today Olivia returned from school with an art project made out of some kind of dough. Before any of us knew what was happening Henry grabbed part of her mountain and ate it. He then started spitting, and Olivia said, "He ate my art project. It had GLUE on it. He just ate glue!!" I laughed and caught the chewed up black dough. Only Henry could get into mischief that quickly.

In our van this morning he climbed to my area and got Chapstick. He smeared it all over his upper and lower lips, and THEN SOME. He looked like he had a clown mouth. When I told him I thought he had enough Chapstick, he put some on the tip of his nose. It was cherry, so he was tinted red. Silly boy.

He's so funny at dinner. When he makes the sign of the cross he moves his hand from shoulder to shoulder as fast as he can about six times in a row. He looks like some kind of baseball coach giving hand signs to a batter. I'm sure God smiles as Henry prays before meals.

After school drop off I met a friend at her house at 8 am for a walk in the brisk morning air. Vivian was strapped to my chest, and she kept looking up at the trees overhead. She was so cute. Her eyes got heavy, and she fell asleep against me. I'm so in love with her. Later, Emily and I enjoyed a gorgeous fall day at the helicopter park. We had it to ourselves for a good long while. The babies smiled at each other. We chatted and watched Evelyn, Henry, and Josie play well together. Evelyn decided to swing, and she pumped her legs and soared toward the sky. The sun was in her golden hair, and her face looked so happy. She was a picture perfect child on a swing. It was so special to share that time with our friends, and I'm so thankful to be home with my children and able to enjoy them like that.

Today we celebrated the anniversary of Olivia's baptism. We learned after a recent homework assignment last week that the date was approaching, and she requested a special dinner and dessert on the 28th. She's been asking me to have Kenna over for dinner for three weeks now, so we finally did it. We had a lovely evening. The kids played outside after dinner, then came in to play Wii Just Dance. They looked so cute with their moves.

Love Is the Most Important Thing

We have a routine in our family where the children share their school day high and low points once we reunite. I love listening to them share things about the time we spent apart. Sometimes Robbie and I share ours over the dinner meal, and the children enjoy listening. To prove that Henry listens to all that goes on in our house and vehicle, I have a story. We recently put Henry into Children's Church. This gives us time to go to mass while he interacts with other children his age, hears a bible story, and plays. We really, really like Children's Church. We're all about it! Now, the flip side this peace brings is that I must lead Children's Church as a parent volunteer several times a year. Sunday was my first day, and the other mom and I barely survived. We had 13 one and two-year-olds, and several cried....all at once, then stopped, then took turns for over an hour. It was AWESOME!!!!!! That's another story. My story today is about my first reunion with Henry after he was in that room recently. I said, "Did you have a wonderful morning?" He said, "I tell you my high point?!" Be still my heart. He wanted to be like his big sisters and share news about his day. However, he responded, "I not like Children's Church. I cry for my mommy." I told him that was his low point. He then said he got to play with cars, and we talked about how fun that must have been.

Two weekends ago I went on a Girl Scout overnight with Olivia. We slept in cabins, and there were 16 girls and about 9 moms. It was really fun. I loved watching my daughter interact with her peers, and I felt so proud of her for the way she conducted herself. Olivia is a good little girl. After dinner she ran up to me and whispered some outrageous news. "Mommy, the girls are lined up behind our cabin, and they are looking at a man take a shower....NAKED. They're using binoculars." I trotted right over there and found about 9 girls lined up for a turn at spying. We discussed the reason the activity was wrong...his privacy was being invaded, and the binoculars were put into safe keeping. They are seven and eight!!!!

Over the weekend Robbie watched a lot of football. At one point he called out, "Come on!! Are you kidding me?" Henry copied him and said, "Come on!! Are you kidding me, football guys?" We exchanged sweet smiles. Luckily, appropriate language abounds in our home.

Finally, this morning at 4 am Miss Vivian woke up hungry. She got off schedule with her nursing and solid food meal last night, and I knew that would happen. I rocked her and nursed her, and Henry stood up in his bed. He whimpered ever so softly, but he didn't say anything. He stood and stood and waited. After almost 20 minutes I finished feeding baby and carried her to Henry for a kiss. He kissed her silently, and I put her into her bed. I went back to Henry's crib, and he whispered, "I need to go to the potty." I took him to my dim bathroom, and I complimented him on how sweet he had been to baby Vivian by staying quiet and waiting patiently. I said, "You're such a nice little boy, thank you, Henry." He said so incredibly softly and sweetly, "You're welcome, Mommy." He pottied, and then he went right back to his bed, snuggled into position with Elmo and teddy, and went back to sleep. That was one of those amazing child-parent moments when you have the perfect interaction. What a treasure.

The girls and I are reading Abel's Island. It is a story of a mouse who gets swept away during a hurricane, and it has great vocabulary and beautiful descriptions. We're enjoying it. I love how we snuggle together in my bed as we read at night. However, last night the word defecate was used by the proper mouse, and this sent the girls into giggles. On our way to school I reinforced the fact that their teachers would not be impressed with their use of intelligent potty talk, since it was still potty talk. They giggled some more. I love taking the opportunity to stop while reading and say, "Do you know what that means?" However, never before has my answer been, "That is a fancy word for poop or bowel movement." That D word is not in Fancy Nancy's ABC book.

Finally, today I had the pleasure of hearing a great speaker, Debi Stack, at Mothers of Preschoolers. She seemed to have written her talk for me alone, and I really enjoyed it. Here are a few points to ponder...

- Every day is brand new with no mistakes in it.

- Love is the most important thing.

- This time in my life as a mother of young children is one in which I will have the highest expectations for myself, yet likely experience my lowest productivity.

-Don't rake up ways the children fell short. Avoid the tendency to overcorrect, and focus on positive affirmation of what they do right.

- If I want these things for my children...patience, respectfulness, compassion, faith, humor, joy, confidence, good health, generosity, happiness....then I need to have them. One can't give what one doesn't have.

Vivian just woke up. Her cries come first. More blog later...

Want What You've Got

"It's not having what you want. It's wanting what you've got."

Yesterday as I drove with the children, Sheryl Crow's fun song, "Soak Up the Sun" played on the radio. I cranked up the volume, sang loudly to the children, and reflected on the line above. I think God was winking at me. We have a very little house, but it is a cozy home to our family of six. I think we are going to be in it for more than a few years ahead. My closest friend and neighbor gave me a shock last week when she said they plan to move. I'm quite heartbroken. Our families have grown together. I've walked with my friend for too many miles to count over the last six years. We've shared eggs and cans of tomatoes and baby equipment. More importantly, we've listened with our hearts and provided validation about the challenges of mothering. I just can't imagine making my little house "work" with my four children without my dear friend across the yard. Big bummer.

What I love...

I love that my children bundled up on this crisp morning to play outside. I loved looking out the window and spying their three little tushes side-by-side on a wooden stool made by my father. They were eating bananas. They looked adorable.

I love the crazy scale difference between baby Vivian's chubby thighs and her extra small feet. Olivia commented on it lovingly just this week.

I love that my kind neighbor made four matching crocheted hats for us girls before our photography session last weekend.

I love that Olivia, Evelyn, and their friend Grace call a male biker who we see on our way to school most mornings, "School Handsome." He is kind of handsome. He wears a postal service uniform, and he pedals really fast. We laugh each time we see him.

I love that I'm finished with my major Mothers of Young Children enrollment and directory project, and that I have my darling husband to thank for his contribution to improving the way it was made. He took over care of our children and dinner prep two weekends ago while I slaved away on the computer for hours on end all weekend long. He took part of his Friday afternoon off to print and copy my master set of directory pages so that they'd be ready for me to turn into a booklet in the church office. He's amazing, and he's the biggest blessing in my life. From our love we have our children, another incredible blessing of joy. I recently read Loving Frank about Mamah Cheney's relationship with Frank Lloyd Wright. She was married and left her children in order to seek her heart's true love. As I read I kept thinking that I was so fortunate to have married a man as good as Robbie. I want nothing to do with the trials Mamah experienced on her journey for love and happiness. That story ended horribly!

I love that Henry has pooped the last five consecutive times he has sat on the potty. I even love that this morning when he pooped his "baseball panties", stepped in the mess with his sock, fell over and rubbed his poop butt on my arm, then stepped on the rug, that I could laugh!!

I love that my family and friends supported the girls' magazine sale at school so that Ev could win a motion detector alarm that blares with a siren. A man's voice says, "Warning! Warning! Security Alert. You are entering a restricted area. Repeat. You are entering a restricted area. Touch nothing. Turn around and walk out. Please leave now. Repeat. Leave NOW! All your moves are being watched. The authorities have been notified." The best part is that Henry and Evelyn thought the guy was saying, "Good morning! Good morning!" Olivia and I laughed so hard about their misunderstanding. We could have used the alarm recently...

The other day as I made dinner I heard Robbie's voice go up as he said, "Henry, What are you doing!" Henry is obsessed with "Yaya's cleats". They are size 13, and he's 2 years old, so you can imagine the clown shoes look he sports when he clops around in them. Robbie found Henry with Olivia's top bunk bed ladder. He had moved it across the room, leaned it into the closet, and he had climbed to the top rung. He was reaching toward the top shelf to get the Nike box with the much coveted cleats. Robbie said the ladder was suspended by one hanger. God help Henry. He was on the top step. He is too busy.

The other night my son called to me seconds after I'd tucked him into his bed and said he had to go poopy. Mind you, he'd taken a potty break right before bedtime, and he only peed. We'd been through this the night before, and he did it at naptime too. Stalling. That's exactly what my smart son was doing. After I told him he'd already had his chance to potty, he began screaming. I complained to Olivia, and she said, "Well, Mommy. You know why he's doing that, don't you? You let him get out of bed once to try to poopy again, so now he thinks you'll do it again." Smarty pants. He also learned that M&Ms are the reward for potty success. However, now that he has mastered control in the pee pee area I have changed the reward for #2 alone. This made him mad. He called to me around 5 am last week. In the darkness he said, "I need to go pee pee." I took him. He then said, "I want MM." Naturally, I explained that M&Ms are only for poopy. He started screaming, "I want MM! I want MM!! I want MM!!!" I hope my consistency works in my favor when I don't yield to screaming youngsters making demands for chocolate in the wee hours of the morning.

I love that Evelyn made a book and wrote a story for her friend. The title was Anna Who Let Out the Peanut. The witching hour has become quite challenging, as if it weren't before. The baby was crying. Henry was into the cupboard pantry. Evelyn was calling out, "How do you spell Anna?" "How do you spell peanut?" "What does a p look like?"...and on and on for a whole book. I was trying to cook dinner, and Olivia was asking about her math homework. That was one of those top of the curve moments when I want to pull out my hair or take a mommy time out. Thank goodness life cycles, and we have plenty of lovely moments.

I love reading to my children curled up in our favorite chair. Their hair smells fresh and wonderful from bathtime, and I could just smother them with kisses. Henry will say to me, "You want to read with me?" Of course!

I think it is time for mama to get some fresh air and enjoy a long walk. Hopefully, Emily can join me.

Roadtrip

What do a green grass skirt, soccer shin guards, a baseball cap, and soccer cleats 5 years too large (on the wrong feet) all have in common? Henry. He's a mess with his outfits. This morning I decided to let him try to wear his baseball undies instead of a diaper. Just as Robbie announced that our wonderful breakfast was ready, Henry said, "I poopied." I looked down, and it was even on his socks. Honestly, that was the most outrageous poopy pants disaster that I have ever experienced in my seven years of parenting. He's not even 2 1/2. Maybe we need to wait a good long while before we try real undies again.

Robbie was so helpful today. I'm up to my ears in paperwork for Mothers of Young Children enrollment. Our group is over 100 women strong, and I have a big job going on right now. Robbie took over with our children to allow me to work on it the entire day. God bless him. He said that Henry stood outside our back door yelling, "Mommmy!!!" When Robbie opened the door Henry was without a diaper. I put him straight into shorts and a belt to solve that problem when he did it again later in the living room.

New tricks...Olivia is reading with beautiful fluency. She had her first soccer game today. Evelyn's printing is better than Uncle Anthony's, and it is small for a 4-year-old. She said, "I don't know why they (her classmates) write so HUGE!" Today she used little letter magnets to try to spell words independently. Vivian can roll, roll, roll. She also only wants me. Not even Daddy will do. She wants me. Henry is very in tune with all of my mothering roles. Sometimes he'll ask me, "Did you nurse her on that side?" as he points to one breast. The two share a room, and he is happy when I nurse the baby in the glider while he talks to me nonstop about Lightning McQueen and Sally. He's a verbal little guy.

We stayed in the Hotel Bothwell recently, and all four children shared a room of the family suite. Henry talked and talked to his big sisters when he was supposed to be falling asleep. The next morning as I French braided Olivia's hair he jumped off the bed head first and backwards. I caught him upside down by the ankle. Later, I loaded Vivian into the sling and put all of our luggage on a cart. Robbie was at work, so the girls pushed the cart while I held onto Henry. We had to go through the hotel, down an elevator, outside, down the sidewalk, and up into a parking lot toward the van. We got stuck. I couldn't manage it all, so I was thrilled when a woman appeared and answered my call for help. Our trip to Illinois went well. The first leg was tough because Henry stated over and over and OVER and OVER that he wanted to see cows and horses. He did this for 90 straight minutes, and I almost couldn't stand it. Leg two was better. All of the children fell asleep, and Robbie and I got to enjoy grown up conversation. The purpose of our trip was my father's Vintage Times Street Rod Club car show at Lincoln Park in Springfield, IL. He put my children in the back of his 1937 Studebaker coupe. Henry sat on his cousin's pink potty chair, because my little brother posed for a similar picture in the early 80s. Anthony actually surprised all of us by flying in from Dallas the night before the car show unexpectedly. My trustworthy husband knew, and he didn't tell. Dad and I were thrilled to see Anthony, and my children attacked him with running hugs.

Vivian and Henry slept in the room with my brother's turtle. Anthony won it when he was 2 years old. Tommy is still kicking. Anthony will soon turn 30. The turtle knocks around in his aquarium, and Henry would say, "I don't want to see the turtle's eyes!!!" We often heard through the monitor, "Ka-CHOW!!" That is what the main car says in the movie Cars. Henry always makes us laugh.

Princess Henry

Quote of the day: Henry was convinced by his sister Evelyn to put on a pink ballet skirt. He told me numerous times, "I a princess." He wore it for quite a while and kept it on during his nap. When he awoke, I entered his room and said, "What are you doing? Boys don't wear skirts." He smiled and said, "Yes, Henry does." Robbie got home early and found Henry in his princess attire. He promptly took him for a haircut, and Henry wore shorts to the barber shop.

Henry has been really trying to work it with me when he gets into trouble. After I scold him, he'll say, "Oh, Mommy. You are SOOO pretty. You are not so mean. You pretty!" He even cocks his head to the side in an attempt to look extra adorable. He's easy to love.

Robbie is easy to love too. Last week he announced plans to use Grandma Gloria's recipes for homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs. He spent all of Friday afternoon cooking. Saturday he got up and began baking Uncle Lee's recipe for homemade bread. We had a feast that night, and he saved dough for Sunday's homemade pizza with fresh mozzarella. I felt like I'd won the husband lottery all over again! His food was wonderful, and I got a break. I'm one lucky woman.

Henry still sits on the potty and takes care of business from time to time. The girls are very interested in his successes since they often receive M&Ms when Henry produces. The other night Henry lifted his unmentionable, and Evelyn got a good look at the little hole down there. She said, "Is that where his pee comes out...and his poop?" Olivia and I almost died laughing.

Speaking of laughter, I just heard an outburst, and now Vivian is screaming. She's been asleep for over an hour. Poor little baby girl. I'm off...

Cicada Terror!!!!!!!!!!

I have been awake since 3:56 am when Henry screamed bloody murder from his crib. I ran in there, hoping he wouldn't wake the whole house, and I still don't know what was wrong. I changed his diaper and held him as I patted his back. He went right back down, but I am AWAKE.

It has been a long and hard couple of days with the Overlease children, and I haven't been able to find time to write. My "to do" list has been too long to allow for writing. I went to bed at 11 pm with clean laundry all over the living room...unfolded and folded. I stayed up late to work on a "Julie shirt" (as the Finlason girls call my creations) for the little Lucy who started this blog. Rather, Evelyn chopping off Lucy's long locks while playing salon back in May started this blog. At any rate I really like Lucy and her mother, and I decided to make her a cute little shirt for her birthday party today. I think they'll like it. Ev gets to attend a princess party.

Okay, so a couple of days ago I decided to spend the morning playing Academy de Julia, aka Mommy School, with my kids. The blueberries were a steal at the store, my kids' favorite, so the math/science cooking lesson involved making Lemon-Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Glaze. This is the recipe which the girls used to win 3rd place in the Holy Smokes Kids Bake-Off this summer. They are goooood muffins. Right from the start the girls absolutely would not stop fighting. They argued about who was going to do each and every task to "help" me. "I want to crack that egg." "It is my turn to dump the measuring cup." "Move, you're crowding me!" "Let me hold the mixer," and on and on and on it went until Henry entered the picture. We put an Elmo library DVD on for Henry, and he entertained himself by crawling on the couch cushions and pushing cars around the floor for a spell. However, it took him all of about 10 seconds to climb up onto the chairs with his sisters and wield the longest and most ominous looking knife from the knife block. Olivia screamed. I looked up from my recipe and about died. Evelyn tried to get away, and Henry pointed the knife away from himself with his arm straight out in front of him. Seriously?! Olivia yelled, "Henry almost killed me!" I took the knife and explained, "NO, NO, NO!! Knives can hurt Henry." We all survived, including Vivian. She was being held in my Hotsling during all of this. She sucks her thumb, plays with her toes, and takes in all of the entertainment. There is a lot of entertainment around here. If you're bored, then have four small children. That will cure you.

The muffins were super yummy (See Henry as proof.), and we followed our baking with reading time. Evelyn had gotten into a string of trouble. I removed her from her time-out spot and put her on my lap on the couch with the other children for a story. We're getting ready for preschool, so I pointed to the first letter of the title to indicate that I wished for her to state the letter. She was mad and pouty, an unfortunate and common theme as of late. She protested. I persisted. Finally, she started loudly naming off the letters in a story entitled, "Mama Loves You." How ironic. Her voice was cranky, and she shot each letter at me. God help me.

Gym, as Olivia calls P.E., was the most fun. We turned on the iPod and rocked out to songs from the Lambda Chi Alpha party songs playlist that Robbie made for us. Henry got to do his back and forth shoulder dance to YMCA. We jumped and jumped and jumped to Jump Around. The girls each said, "I'm getting sweaty." Olivia asked me why my boobs bounce when I jump. Oh, gosh. What's a nursing mom to say? We burned some steam, laughed a lot, and had fun. While I showered, Vivian napped, and Henry got his sometimes daily dose of Barney ABCs, the girls played Store. They shopped for fake food and DVDs, placed the items in a miniature and real metal shopping cart, itemized and priced them on a list, and used a cash register to ring the total. This activity brought with it a fair amount of screaming on Evelyn's part, but they had to work it out themselves. They played tag at recess and ate a picnic outside for lunch. The relief of naptime is always welcome in our house. Olivia and I snuggled up on the couch and each read our respective chapter books together. I loved it. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton is really, really fun to read. I recommend it, and I hope to complete it today.

Yesterday the fighting began again, and I couldn't take it. The thought actually went through my head, "I am going to go nuts. Robbie has to come home right now! Wait, Robbie is in Sedalia. I'm stuck alone with them. Ahhhhhhh!" I think that crossed my mind around 8 am. My solution was to kick everybody out of the house. I told Olivia and Evelyn to put on their running shoes. I packed water for all. I strapped Vivian to my chest, and we went outside for a walk. Our walks always refresh our bodies and MY mind. The girls were both on foot, which was a first. I told them how I carried Olivia every morning of her first summer in Milwaukee seven years ago. Now she's a walking and talking school girl, and I welcome the walking company and companionship. So special. I often imagine the days ahead when I walk with my daughters and listen to their thoughts on life and love. They aren't far away.

The morning was beautiful...lovely sky, gentle breeze, and a slight break from the heat of summer. However, the cicadas were humming. They are humming now, and I can hear them while I'm writing in my basement at 5:20 am. All was well until the girls noticed them about a mile from home. Our route is 3+ miles, mind you. I explained how the cicadas leave behind a shell. Olivia related it to snakes shedding skin. We talked about molting. This was fine until we saw a live one. Then we heard it vibrate its wings. Then we came upon a handful of shells in a single sidewalk square. Evelyn froze and ended up 10 feet behind us. She threw her body onto her toes with her arms in the air Michael Jackson style, and began to whimper. I went to her, held her hand, and helped her navigate through the cicada shell laden path. Olivia then began to notice that the shells her EV-ER-Y-WHERE...no joke. She flipped out. She cried. She screamed. She asked me to carrry her. She really did. Her face showed utter terror, and I couldn't rationalize with her. "The shells are empty. Nothing will hurt you. I'll hold your hand. Please stop screaming. You're scaring Vivian." She freaked out for the duration of the three longest blocks of my life, and there were cicada shells everywhere. It was so gross and thick in some places that it was hard to step without crunching one, and my stroller wheels could not always avoid them. A passerby on foot stared at us, and I simply smiled and responded, "Cicada terror. What can I say?" Evelyn was pretty good through all of this. She was nervous, but she rose to the occasion. I was impressed. I never liked those locust shells as a kid either, but I don't recall going stark raving mad over them like Olivia did. I was so grateful when my attempt at distraction worked, and we played I Spy the rest of the way home. What a journey.

Henry is doing really well on the potty. Don't be fooled by the photos. I promise he wears shorts when we leave the house. His current obsession is Cars shoes. My friend threw them in a bag of hand me down dresses that she was loaning for Vivian, and Henry found them. He loves them. However, he complains they they are too tight. They are larger than his current size and can't be loosened, so this creates drama. He woke up from his nap while I was out of the house with Olivia yesterday, and Robbie said Henry said, "I want my car shoes," over and over and over ad nauseam until I returned and located them. I tell him that he has to wear his shoe store shoes when we leave the house. He asked to hold his Cars Shoes in his carseat and later in the stroller in the optical store. Henry removed both nose pieces from my frames, bent them, and the man broke the hinge off the temple while adjusting it Thursday. That's another sorrow. Anyway, back to potty training, Henry drinks enough during the day that he can practically pee at will for M&Ms. I'm running with it. Robbie will just be happier once his son stops calling his underwear "baseball panties." Oh, the joy of two older sisters. Poor Henry.

And...Vivian calls.

Shake What Your Mama Gave You!

As evidence that 2-year-old Henry indeed takes in all that he hears I will share a story from this morning. I was sweating to death in front of the t.v. doing a hard circuits workout. The instructor explained that even in winter one can accomplish a great workout indoors without fancy equipment by using our own body weight. She told the other girl on the screen, "Just shake what your mama gave you." Henry said, "I shake what mama gave me?"

Yesterday I used the Exercise TV feature of our digital cable and completed several short workouts to sample things. The final one had the word Bootylicious in the title. I know. That is so embarrassing that I shouldn't even admit to it. The neighbor girls were over, and they were playing Play Doh at the kitchen table. Naturally, when the program began the girls turned their heads as the title was announced. The six-year-old said, "Bootylicious? That's funny." They all erupted in giggles.

That evening Emily called from next door to offer my family some extra chips and salsa. Now I love, love, love salsa. I could not say, "No." After we devoured it the big girls were playing walkie talkies from inside our neighboring houses. (Doesn't that sound amazingly fun? I got so excited when Olivia came up with the notion, and then it actually worked!) I told Olivia to tell Emily that her chips and salsa ruined my bootylicious workout results. The dad in the house told his daughter to tell me that the Mexican food ruined his P90X. All of us were laughing.

I have BIG news, grandparents! Henry started to pee on my bathroom mat today after his shower, and I quickly put him on the potty. He succeeded!! I gave him M&Ms (just 2), and he was very motivated. Right after lunch and before his nap he asked for more candy. I explained the incentive. He sat on the potty and produced #1 and #2. This blog is about to get much funnier. My potty training days with the girls were hilarious. Henry actually reached behind his behind and got poop on his hand as he pottied. Olivia and Evelyn laughed and laughed, and I thought, "Well, here we go."

We went to Emily's sister's wedding Saturday night, and the reception was a blast. Our big girls' best friends were in the wedding, so they were thrilled to attend the party. Robbie and I danced with the girls until well after midnight. I absolutely love watching him shake what his mama gave him on the dance floor. That's where it all began for us back in 1994...on the dance floor of his fraternity at TU. Evelyn lost steam around 11 pm (which is when I handed over the camera, and let Ev take pictures of us on the dance floor), but Olivia didn't even act tired. She never sat down once the dancing started. The reception began at 5:30 pm with a cocktail hour. We ate dinner around 7 pm, and then we danced the night away. Robbie and Mike found it very strange, but Emily and I had a pumping party around 9 pm. The seams of our dresses wouldn't have lasted much longer without taking action. I turned out the lights in the hotel at 1 am. The terrible news is that after nursing Vivian around 4 pm between the wedding and the reception, she refused all means of food until I returned and nursed her again at 10 am Sunday. My mom tried to give her baby food for the first time, and she shoved it out of her mouth with a protruding tongue. She didn't care that there was breastmilk in the bottles. She wouldn't drink it. My poor baby cried a lot, and I fear we're losing overnight grandparent babysitters one by one. However, she is sleeping through the night. Robbie booked a hotel on Michigan Avenue for a conference in Chicago in October. We have two flights booked. I won't get to go if she won't start taking a bottle soon. Honestly, she went 18 hours without eating. I ALWAYS maintained that a hungry baby would eat. I hadn't met Vivian when I made that comment.

Finally, we recently attended an outdoor picnic for KU attendings and residents. Robbie is going to begin seeing patients in their glaucoma clinic, and we were invited to meet everyone. The outdoor area was lovely, but dangerous for Henry. They had drainage issues at one point, so they landscaped a hilly paved walkway with running water down one side of it. There was a clearing below, followed by a large footbridge. Enormous rocks lined the canal. If Henry even began to walk quickly the slope propelled him into a run on the paved path. I really didn't think we'd escape the picnic without leaving some blood hehind. We have to watch him every minute. At one point I turned from a conversation to discover him climbing stone blocks that had been built to form a narrow stairstep up to a cactus. I got to him just as he grabbed the shaft of the sharp thing, yelled, "Ouch," and fell backwards from the jolt of yanking his hand away from the plant. I caught him before he fell, and I had Vivian in my arms. My word. We got lucky. Again, no blood.

The guests were all down to earth, and we enjoyed our time socializing with them. Vivian's big blue eyes and precious baby smiles charmed women and men alike. Our cuties even got us an offer for free babysitting from a sweet older couple. The funniest part of the evening was when one of the younger doctors asked me if I have help. I told him that we don't have any family in town. He then practically insisted that Robbie must get me a nanny to help with our four little children. "You don't have a nanny? You're crazy." I laughed, then I told him, "This is my work. I love it." I should have told him that with a husband who is as involved a father as Robbie, I don't need a nanny. Robbie rocks. And he can dance. I'm so lucky.