Christmas 2012
We had such a wonderful Christmas this year! One of the easiest, stress free, happiest Christmases we've had in years! We had planned to stay here at home, and just celebrate quietly here. My mom and dad planned to drive down during the night and surprise us at 6am on Christmas morning! It was so wonderful!! Everyone was so excited to see them! Nobody even cared that we didn't get hardly any sleep! Gabriel, Annalise, and I had gone to midnight Mass and didn't get home until 2am. We didn't get settled and in bed asleep until about 3am, then back up at 6am with our surprise visitors!! Like I said, nobody even cared about not getting any sleep! It was so nice!! We visited. We played games. We laughed. We watched movies. We danced. We ate. We relaxed. We had fun.
Pictures are posted on flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/animagusthree/
Click on the Christmas set to see them in order.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Pool Trouble
The house we live in, (are renting until we can buy), has an in-ground pool. I have ALWAYS wanted to have a pool of my very own. I was SO excited to move to Florida and FINALLY have my own pool!! The kids, of course, loved the pool too, at first. It seems familiarity breeds contempt as far as pools are concerned. I lost my love for the pool the first time there was a major problem. This pool is, as far as pools in Florida go, old. That means that bad things are constantly happening. Holes in the liner, pipes cracking, impellers breaking... and every time something happens, the water gets yucky. The last thing that broke was the impeller, which meant there was no water being sucked through he filtration system. The water got SUPER yucky in the time it took us to figure out what the problem was, and get around to fixing it. The entire pool was covered in green slime. It's amazing what happens to stagnant water. We finally fixed it this past weekend. There is nothing more satisfying than fixing a problem!! I was SOOOO happy when we turned the pump on, and it started to make the familiar noise of priming! And the first water that was sucked into the system made me do the happy dance all over the back yard! :-D
It took less time to replace the impeller than it did to get the green slime out of the pool, but it's all done now, and the pool is sparkly and clean, (and freezing cold, so it doesn't matter if it's clean or not, nobody will be in it until at least April). There's just one thing that concerns me. After the pump ran for a couple of hours, I turned it off to empty out the baskets before back washing the system, and there were live earth worms in the basket by the filter. I've noticed that the system is sucking a little air with the water, and there's a slow water leak. There are more air bubbles than normal coming out of the jets, and the water level goes down a little faster than normal evaporation. I have a sinking feeling that there is a crack in one of the underground pipes. *sigh* That means much expense, and digging. I'm not looking forward to that problem getting bad enough to need fixing. I'm not going to lie, I really do think that this pool is more trouble than it's worth.
Here's a picture of Nathan helping daddy fix the impeller.
It took less time to replace the impeller than it did to get the green slime out of the pool, but it's all done now, and the pool is sparkly and clean, (and freezing cold, so it doesn't matter if it's clean or not, nobody will be in it until at least April). There's just one thing that concerns me. After the pump ran for a couple of hours, I turned it off to empty out the baskets before back washing the system, and there were live earth worms in the basket by the filter. I've noticed that the system is sucking a little air with the water, and there's a slow water leak. There are more air bubbles than normal coming out of the jets, and the water level goes down a little faster than normal evaporation. I have a sinking feeling that there is a crack in one of the underground pipes. *sigh* That means much expense, and digging. I'm not looking forward to that problem getting bad enough to need fixing. I'm not going to lie, I really do think that this pool is more trouble than it's worth.
Here's a picture of Nathan helping daddy fix the impeller.
Long or Short??
We have always kept Gabriel's hair buzzed very short. He's attempted to grow it out, but never gets too far because he starts to look like he's wearing a hair helmet. I decided to let Nathan's hair grow out so we could see what it looks like to have a boy with hair, instead of a fuzzy buzz. The last time Nathan had his hair buzzed was in June. Finally, Steve and I couldn't stand it anymore. Steve buzzed Nathan's head last night. It probably wouldn't have been too bad long, except that it wouldn't do anything as far as holding any kind of style. It always looked like a hay stack!
You decide. Do you like it better long, or short?
Personally, I like his haystack better. Last night I thought his fuzzy head was super cute, but in the day light, he looks ill. Like a child who is in and out of the hospital all the time. Of course, he doesn't look terribly healthy with more hair either. Probably because of the dark circles under his eyes, and his tiny skinniness. Ah well, there isn't anything I can do about that, believe me, I've tried.
You decide. Do you like it better long, or short?
Personally, I like his haystack better. Last night I thought his fuzzy head was super cute, but in the day light, he looks ill. Like a child who is in and out of the hospital all the time. Of course, he doesn't look terribly healthy with more hair either. Probably because of the dark circles under his eyes, and his tiny skinniness. Ah well, there isn't anything I can do about that, believe me, I've tried.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Gone To The Dogs
How many of you have pets? How did you go about obtaining those pets? Breeder? Pet store? Ad in the paper? Walmart parking lot? Shelter? There are so many ways for us to find our furry family members. Or for our furry family members to find us.
When Steve and I got together, more than 18 years ago, we quickly found that one of the things we had in common was our love of animals. I already had three cats, which I brought to the relationship. He had never had a cat in his life. I had never had a dog. Well, that's only partially true. When I was too young to remember, my parents had a basset hound named Claudia for a little while. When I was a little older, they had a German shepherd named King for a little while. Other than that, we had a couple of cats.
Steve and I decided that we were going to have pets instead of kids. We weren't terribly fond of kids, but we knew we wanted a lot of pets. (HA!! Three kids later...) We talked about our favorite breeds of dogs, and cats. We looked at pet store puppies and kitties. Our first dog, Chaz, didn't come from a pet store. He didn't come from a breeder. He didn't even come from a shelter, or the Walmart parking lot. He came from one of Steve's co-workers. This co-worker came to work one day and asked everyone if they wanted a five month old lab mix puppy. She had to find a new home for him, or take him to the pound, because her room mate was beating him.
I consider Chaz to be my first dog. He was a spaz, and had some sever psychological problems, but he was the sweetest dog in the world! When he died, six years ago, we were all devastated. He was Gabriel's first sibling. Gabriel still mourns him.
I could write story after story about Chaz. I could post a thousand pictures of him too. He was our first child. We got him before we got married. For all his anxiety, and spazziness, he was the best dog ever. (There are quite a few people who would beg to differ on that statement!)
About four months after Chaz died, Steve brought home a little 10 week old mixed breed puppy. A guy he worked with, and his girlfriend, had just rescued this baby from a guy who was keeping her locked in a crate in the basement, but they couldn't keep her. This co-worker asked around at work to see if anyone wanted her before he took her to the shelter. Steve brought her home the day before Valentines day. We named her Valentina, and called her Val. Apart from Steve and Gabriel, Val hates men. We had rescued two kittens about six months prior to Val coming to live with us. They were about nine months old when this 10 week old puppy entered their lives. They raised her as best they could, therefore, this dog thinks she's a 60 lb cat. She doesn't lick. She doesn't pant. She doesn't eat food off the floor, unless it's meat or cheese. She is a great dog, and we love her dearly. It goes without saying that she loves us right back!
Once again, I could write countless stories, and post countless pictures of this dog with our family. Gabriel and Annalise are her litter mates. We've had her in our lives a little less than six years, but it's hard to imagine life without her.
Two days ago, one of Steve's co-workers came in to work and asked if anyone wanted a two year old Australian shepherd. He and his wife split up, and when she left, she took the kids, but left him the dog. He loves the dog, but like all the guys at Steve's company, he's away from home half the year, two months at a time. That's not a good life for a dog, so he thought he'd ask around before he took her to the shelter. We now have two dogs. I've never had two dogs at the same time before. I've never had a long haired dog before. I've never had a full breed dog before. I've never had a dog who came from another family, a good situation. Chaz and Val had been abused, so they were very happy to be out of their old situations and with us. This poor dog is not happy to be with us. She wants her family back. She is very sad and nervous to be here.
This is Khalua. She is a beautiful girl. She is bunking with Gabriel until she gets used to being here with us, and she and Val figure out who's who in the pack. I know it will take some time for her to come to think of us as her family, but we are willing to love her even though she doesn't want us right now. She's only been here a day and a half, so it's still very, very early. She is a very good dog. For as nervous and sad as she is to be here, she's still very sweet. She has only growled at Val, and that's when Val was too close by when she was checking out the kids.
When Steve and I got together, more than 18 years ago, we quickly found that one of the things we had in common was our love of animals. I already had three cats, which I brought to the relationship. He had never had a cat in his life. I had never had a dog. Well, that's only partially true. When I was too young to remember, my parents had a basset hound named Claudia for a little while. When I was a little older, they had a German shepherd named King for a little while. Other than that, we had a couple of cats.
Steve and I decided that we were going to have pets instead of kids. We weren't terribly fond of kids, but we knew we wanted a lot of pets. (HA!! Three kids later...) We talked about our favorite breeds of dogs, and cats. We looked at pet store puppies and kitties. Our first dog, Chaz, didn't come from a pet store. He didn't come from a breeder. He didn't even come from a shelter, or the Walmart parking lot. He came from one of Steve's co-workers. This co-worker came to work one day and asked everyone if they wanted a five month old lab mix puppy. She had to find a new home for him, or take him to the pound, because her room mate was beating him.
I consider Chaz to be my first dog. He was a spaz, and had some sever psychological problems, but he was the sweetest dog in the world! When he died, six years ago, we were all devastated. He was Gabriel's first sibling. Gabriel still mourns him.
I could write story after story about Chaz. I could post a thousand pictures of him too. He was our first child. We got him before we got married. For all his anxiety, and spazziness, he was the best dog ever. (There are quite a few people who would beg to differ on that statement!)
About four months after Chaz died, Steve brought home a little 10 week old mixed breed puppy. A guy he worked with, and his girlfriend, had just rescued this baby from a guy who was keeping her locked in a crate in the basement, but they couldn't keep her. This co-worker asked around at work to see if anyone wanted her before he took her to the shelter. Steve brought her home the day before Valentines day. We named her Valentina, and called her Val. Apart from Steve and Gabriel, Val hates men. We had rescued two kittens about six months prior to Val coming to live with us. They were about nine months old when this 10 week old puppy entered their lives. They raised her as best they could, therefore, this dog thinks she's a 60 lb cat. She doesn't lick. She doesn't pant. She doesn't eat food off the floor, unless it's meat or cheese. She is a great dog, and we love her dearly. It goes without saying that she loves us right back!
Once again, I could write countless stories, and post countless pictures of this dog with our family. Gabriel and Annalise are her litter mates. We've had her in our lives a little less than six years, but it's hard to imagine life without her.Two days ago, one of Steve's co-workers came in to work and asked if anyone wanted a two year old Australian shepherd. He and his wife split up, and when she left, she took the kids, but left him the dog. He loves the dog, but like all the guys at Steve's company, he's away from home half the year, two months at a time. That's not a good life for a dog, so he thought he'd ask around before he took her to the shelter. We now have two dogs. I've never had two dogs at the same time before. I've never had a long haired dog before. I've never had a full breed dog before. I've never had a dog who came from another family, a good situation. Chaz and Val had been abused, so they were very happy to be out of their old situations and with us. This poor dog is not happy to be with us. She wants her family back. She is very sad and nervous to be here.
This is Khalua. She is a beautiful girl. She is bunking with Gabriel until she gets used to being here with us, and she and Val figure out who's who in the pack. I know it will take some time for her to come to think of us as her family, but we are willing to love her even though she doesn't want us right now. She's only been here a day and a half, so it's still very, very early. She is a very good dog. For as nervous and sad as she is to be here, she's still very sweet. She has only growled at Val, and that's when Val was too close by when she was checking out the kids.Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Potty Training
For the past nine months, I have been attempting to get Nathan out of diapers. He is now three years and about three months old, and is still in diapers. I've done this potty training thing twice before. This is not my first rodeo, so to speak. Between my experiences with Gabriel and Annalise, and my experience with two years of preschool children, I've got quite an arsenal of techniques and tricks built up. The bottom line on potty training is this: It takes 20% skill, 80% will to be successfully trained. Obviously, going potty in the potty isn't a process that takes years of education and training. It's pretty straight forward. Five easy steps, really.
1. Sit on the potty
2. Put your potty in the potty
3. Wipe
4. Flush
5. Wash hands
There are some getting undressed and dressed issues that the adult in charge takes care of at first, but those are the "going potty in the potty" steps. That's why skill only gets 20% of the training allowance.
Nathan has four of the five steps down. He can do them with, or without prompting. He can do them by himself, or with an adult (or sibling) in charge. He can do them anytime, anywhere. He can even get out of the bathtub, dripping wet and covered in bubbles, and do them. He's a master! The one step that he has never accomplished is... you guessed it, step two.
Step two shouldn't even be part of the skill steps. Step two is all will. Will gets 80% of the training allowance because without the will, it doesn't matter how much you know, and master the skill. Nathan is living proof of this statement. He has not ever, not even once, pottied in the potty. Not even a drop!
All potty training experts, and just plain ol' moms, know that every potty training technique and trick speaks to the problem of the child's will, not learning the skill. Put cheerios, or fruit loops in the toilet so they can make a game out of aiming for, and hitting hitting them with the stream of urine, (obviously for boys only); give them rewards, (there are too many reward examples to list, and some of them are quite extravagant); put them in underpants so they know what it feels like, and how uncomfortable it is to be wet, or dirty; let them run around naked so they can see and feel what really happens when they potty. The list goes on and on.
When I tell you that Nathan doesn't care about ANY reward, I mean it very literally. I believe that the only thing he would care about as a reward would be oxygen, and if I deprived him of that until he went potty in the potty, well, we wouldn't have to worry about potty training anymore because he'd be dead. I've let him run naked. Worst idea ever! He thought it was the best thing in the world to "mark his territory" all over the place. I've let him run around in just underpants. Again, he thought it was great fun to see how many places in the house he could produce a puddle of pee. He doesn't care about getting his underpants with his favorite characters on them wet or dirty. He doesn't even care about staying in clothing that is soaking wet, or dirty. He just doesn't care.
Last week, I started a fresh attack. One morning, I put him in Lightening McQueen underpants right after he got up, and put a diaper over them. (I thought it would cut down on the amount of laundry, and floor clean up I would have, but still give him an idea of how uncomfortable wet and dirty underpants are.) I told him several times, very sternly NOT to poop or pee in his underpants! I told him that if he had to poop or pee, to tell me and I would sit him on the potty. "Ok, mommy." My plan was to give him a half hour, then put him on the potty. In that half hour, he had breakfast. When you are trying to housebreak puppies, you take them outside 15 minutes or so after they eat, so I applied the same strategy here. When I took him in to sit on the potty, he started resiting, and saying no, no, no.
"Did you pee in your underpants already?" I asked.
"No! Brown!" He cried.
"Brown? Do you have poops in your underpants?" I asked, dismayed.
"Brown!" He said louder.
I laid him on his bed and took off his pants and diaper, leaving just the underpants on. Yep, they were wet AND dirty! What the heck???
(Keep in mind, as you read this, that I've been trying to get this boy to use the potty for nine months already. This is not new material here!)
I proceeded to take off the nasty underpants, and clean him up. As I was doing this, he and I had a conversation.
"Why did you poop and pee in your underpants?!" I said in a not very pleasant tone.
"I want dinosaur story!" He yelled. I don't even know what that means! We don't have a book about dinosaurs. I said, "Look at my face. Does my face look happy?" He had a big smile on his face and nodded yes.
"NO!" I nearly yelled, "My face does not look happy! I am not happy! You have poops and pee in your underpants, and that makes me very unhappy!"
"I want dinosaur story!" He yelled again.
I gave him a pair of underpants with Mater on them.
"DO NOT!! DO NOT!! DO NOT get Mater dirty! Do not poop in Mater! Do not pee in Mater! Tell me if you have to go potty, and I will take you to the potty! Do you understand??" I ordered.
"No poops in Mater." He repeated.
In half an hour, I took him to the potty. He was dry and clean! YAY!!!! He had had an extra cup of milk at he beginning of this second half hour, so I was afraid he'd be wet again. I sat him on the potty. A lot of people read to their kids, or let them look at books while they sit on the potty. We did that with Gabriel and Annalise. Nathan doesn't want books in the bathroom. Instead, he played Leesie's Nintendo DS while he sat there. He sat there for a full 30 minutes before I gave up and got him down. I put his Mater underpants back on him with the same strict orders as before. Within 10 minutes, Mater was wet and dirty. I was FURIOUS!!! I let him stew in his grossness for 45 minutes while I picked up and vacuumed the house. He didn't care. He never once came to me and asked to be changed. When I finished vacuuming, and had calmed down a bit, I took him in to change him. He was oblivious to the fact that he was wearing soaking wet and dirty underpants, and that his skin was wet and dirty and cold. If he doesn't care that he's wet and dirty, there is no incentive to go potty on the potty. I don't know what else to do.
I feel I have been bested. His is truly the iron will. I am no match. He can stay in diapers until he can start changing them himself. I am finished.
1. Sit on the potty
2. Put your potty in the potty
3. Wipe
4. Flush
5. Wash hands
There are some getting undressed and dressed issues that the adult in charge takes care of at first, but those are the "going potty in the potty" steps. That's why skill only gets 20% of the training allowance.
Nathan has four of the five steps down. He can do them with, or without prompting. He can do them by himself, or with an adult (or sibling) in charge. He can do them anytime, anywhere. He can even get out of the bathtub, dripping wet and covered in bubbles, and do them. He's a master! The one step that he has never accomplished is... you guessed it, step two.
Step two shouldn't even be part of the skill steps. Step two is all will. Will gets 80% of the training allowance because without the will, it doesn't matter how much you know, and master the skill. Nathan is living proof of this statement. He has not ever, not even once, pottied in the potty. Not even a drop!
All potty training experts, and just plain ol' moms, know that every potty training technique and trick speaks to the problem of the child's will, not learning the skill. Put cheerios, or fruit loops in the toilet so they can make a game out of aiming for, and hitting hitting them with the stream of urine, (obviously for boys only); give them rewards, (there are too many reward examples to list, and some of them are quite extravagant); put them in underpants so they know what it feels like, and how uncomfortable it is to be wet, or dirty; let them run around naked so they can see and feel what really happens when they potty. The list goes on and on.
When I tell you that Nathan doesn't care about ANY reward, I mean it very literally. I believe that the only thing he would care about as a reward would be oxygen, and if I deprived him of that until he went potty in the potty, well, we wouldn't have to worry about potty training anymore because he'd be dead. I've let him run naked. Worst idea ever! He thought it was the best thing in the world to "mark his territory" all over the place. I've let him run around in just underpants. Again, he thought it was great fun to see how many places in the house he could produce a puddle of pee. He doesn't care about getting his underpants with his favorite characters on them wet or dirty. He doesn't even care about staying in clothing that is soaking wet, or dirty. He just doesn't care.
Last week, I started a fresh attack. One morning, I put him in Lightening McQueen underpants right after he got up, and put a diaper over them. (I thought it would cut down on the amount of laundry, and floor clean up I would have, but still give him an idea of how uncomfortable wet and dirty underpants are.) I told him several times, very sternly NOT to poop or pee in his underpants! I told him that if he had to poop or pee, to tell me and I would sit him on the potty. "Ok, mommy." My plan was to give him a half hour, then put him on the potty. In that half hour, he had breakfast. When you are trying to housebreak puppies, you take them outside 15 minutes or so after they eat, so I applied the same strategy here. When I took him in to sit on the potty, he started resiting, and saying no, no, no.
"Did you pee in your underpants already?" I asked.
"No! Brown!" He cried.
"Brown? Do you have poops in your underpants?" I asked, dismayed.
"Brown!" He said louder.
I laid him on his bed and took off his pants and diaper, leaving just the underpants on. Yep, they were wet AND dirty! What the heck???
(Keep in mind, as you read this, that I've been trying to get this boy to use the potty for nine months already. This is not new material here!)
I proceeded to take off the nasty underpants, and clean him up. As I was doing this, he and I had a conversation.
"Why did you poop and pee in your underpants?!" I said in a not very pleasant tone.
"I want dinosaur story!" He yelled. I don't even know what that means! We don't have a book about dinosaurs. I said, "Look at my face. Does my face look happy?" He had a big smile on his face and nodded yes.
"NO!" I nearly yelled, "My face does not look happy! I am not happy! You have poops and pee in your underpants, and that makes me very unhappy!"
"I want dinosaur story!" He yelled again.
I gave him a pair of underpants with Mater on them.
"DO NOT!! DO NOT!! DO NOT get Mater dirty! Do not poop in Mater! Do not pee in Mater! Tell me if you have to go potty, and I will take you to the potty! Do you understand??" I ordered.
"No poops in Mater." He repeated.
In half an hour, I took him to the potty. He was dry and clean! YAY!!!! He had had an extra cup of milk at he beginning of this second half hour, so I was afraid he'd be wet again. I sat him on the potty. A lot of people read to their kids, or let them look at books while they sit on the potty. We did that with Gabriel and Annalise. Nathan doesn't want books in the bathroom. Instead, he played Leesie's Nintendo DS while he sat there. He sat there for a full 30 minutes before I gave up and got him down. I put his Mater underpants back on him with the same strict orders as before. Within 10 minutes, Mater was wet and dirty. I was FURIOUS!!! I let him stew in his grossness for 45 minutes while I picked up and vacuumed the house. He didn't care. He never once came to me and asked to be changed. When I finished vacuuming, and had calmed down a bit, I took him in to change him. He was oblivious to the fact that he was wearing soaking wet and dirty underpants, and that his skin was wet and dirty and cold. If he doesn't care that he's wet and dirty, there is no incentive to go potty on the potty. I don't know what else to do.
I feel I have been bested. His is truly the iron will. I am no match. He can stay in diapers until he can start changing them himself. I am finished.
Putting Insanity To Rest
I haven't written for a few weeks because of my sister visiting, and Thanksgiving, and a general disgust of what I had to report. As you can guess from the title, Steve and I have discontinued our Insanity competition. He did really well in his second week. I still only managed one work out. He was out of town for week three, and my sister was visiting. He didn't do any work outs while he was gone. I did one. Week four was the week of Thanksgiving. Steve was back that week, but neither one of us did any work outs. We haven't even discussed Insanity, or the competition since then. It's over. Insanity won. Steve and I both lost. Ah well, there's always the new year's resolution in a few weeks!
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