Yes, artichokes

Mia had artichokes for the first time this week. She loved it! It took a little coaxing to get her to bite a green leaf, but I dipped it in mayo/mustard (that she was trying to eat spoonfuls of plain!) and she scarfed down more than half an artichoke’s leaves herself. She was even saying “I like artichokes, mommy!” And giggling at her teeth marks, “I see my teef!”

Three to two: Adventures in Diaperland

The whole week before we went to Sandy, I had Mia running around the house with no bottoms on, because that was the only way she would use her toddler potty. The two times I let her wear underwear, she just wet through it. So buff she went. We put her back in diapers in Sandy. I wasn’t even worried she’d “regress” until my mom brought it up. I just kind of brushed it off, but the thought kind of lingered when we got home and I didn’t put a diaper on her again.

We left for the ice-skating rink at 4:40. Around 5:45, the Bevans had arrived. She was running around playing with Abby when she clamped her legs together and exclaimed “I gotta go peee!” I told her to just go in her diaper, (we hadn't left the house without one at this point) and she said “Noooo!” I had no clue where the bathroom was, and I wasn’t about to try to navigate it while we were both in ice-skates. I figured she’d just relieve herself when the urge came again. It came again while we were on the far end of the rink. By the time we got back to the entrance I asked if she had to go, and she said no. So we get home, I’m talking to Zach about what happened, how she skated, while she, unnoticed, is madly taking off boots, pants, tights, and diaper and racing to the toilet. I picked up the diaper. Dry as a bone. She went for two days in her toddler potty, used her Princess toilet topper for two days, and then started just sitting on the throne. Has ever since. Holy cow- she potty trained herself.

Under "Experience" can I put "Wild Animal Trainer?"

Today, Mia got put in time out.

So she’s in there and she’s right next to her toddler potty, and she says she’s poopy, which usually means she’s about to go potty. She then pees all over the floor and starts screaming bloody murder. This is just not going well. Everything that you don’t want to have happen when potty training, has now happened, short of me yelling at her- which I will never do, because the whole situation always strikes me as funny for some reason.

Throne-shy

Today is the twins’ unbirthday. Up til now, they’ve seemed to avoid looking directly at each other, but they really connected for the first time today. I had Anya sitting in my boppies and was holding Bree sitting facing her. Anya had a little rattle and dropped it and Bree just busted up laughing. She thought Anya was entertaining her like Mia has been doing lately. Anya just looked at her blankly while she kept bubbling over with little baby chuckles. Finally Anya thought Bree was pretty funny and she started to smile and coo at her. They like to play with each other’s hands now, too. It’s way sweet. They try to eat the other’s fingers, and neither one minds.

I was trying to quietly clean up during the babies' nap and I accidentally dropped a dish and made a ton of noise. I said “Dangit,” and Mia comes into the kitchen and says “What’s a mattew mommy? What’s a mattew?” I tried not to laugh and explained in as serious a tone as I could muster, “I made a big noise, and I’m trying to keep quiet so the babies don’t wake up.” She pauses and says “Maybe try again next time.”

She is always answering with “Maybe” lately: Do you want milk or juice? Maybe…milk. Want to clean up? Maybe… yes! So funny. She also says, after she’s done something cool, “Good Job! So proud of you!” He he. She’s starting to say please, too. No more trips to the toddler potty, though. I keep asking and she flat out says no. She doesn’t want a treat, she doesn’t want to be like Elmo or Mommy or Daddy. She even warns me right before she poops, and I go through all of that before she goes in her diaper two minutes later. So I know it’s not a matter of not being able to. I guess I screwed up, trying to teach her too soon. But I seriously don't know what I should have done- she was taking off her diapers with poop in them and running around bare-bottomed! She went by herself twice! I totally didn’t think I was forcing her. I think she just got embarrassed that she wet on the floor and doesn’t want it to happen again.