Counting

Still doing great with toilet training.. and learnign to count quite well:

Potty Training-Day Six

Jacqueline is doing great! I'm so proud of her. I should not have dreaded this stage as I have. She has already transitioned from needing a tangible reward every time to accepting the praise as her reward most of the time. We occasionally give her a treat, but usually she is just so proud of herself she doesn't need anything else. We've also transitioned from peeing in the potty in the middle of the living room floor to potty in the bathroom and even peeing in the toilet a few times. She even got out of the tub twice this week (of her own accord) just to pee in the toilet! She's slowly figuring out the poop thing. She still can't understand the "urge" and what that is. It is so different from the "pee urge" so she goes partly in her panties and partly in the potty. For one week I'll say I'm impressed!

Where Were You?

I was teaching fifth grade at Gilmore Lane Elementary. When I heard about the first plane I was on a break while my students were at PE. We curiously turned the news on. It was after the second crash but before the first building fell. I don't remember exactly the moment that I realized that this was no accident, but when I did, my instinct was to turn off the television because I wasn't sure how the children would handle it. I turned it off, we talked about it a little and I went on with instruction. Before we broke for lunch I thought it would be important for the kids to know what was going on, in case they heard rumors and misinformation while at lunch and recess. By that time both buildings had fallen, the other two planes had crashed, and I I knew that I would always remember that day for the rest of my life. Ironically Jeanna and I had signed the contract for our first cell phones the day before, and I never wish I had one so much. I also remember reading the news on the internet for the first time ever that day. I guess those fifth graders would be juniors in high school at this point. I wonder how many of them had to write in a journal today stating where they were that September day. I think Alan Jackson does a wonderful job on this song. I would really like to hear, for posterity and my own curiosity, your stories of where you were that day and what you were doing. May God bless you, and may God bless our country.

Potty Training-Day Two

Zero accidents today. Many snacks and prizes awarded. If you are in town drop by and give her a high five for doing such a good job.

Potty Training-Day One

I bought the potty, treats, salty snacks, juice/koolaid, and toys Sunday night. I dropped them off and went to church. Jeremy set up the potty and Jacqueline was already stripped and ready. She was chomping at the bit to use it. Jeremy told me after church that she had pooped in it already and peed 3 times!!!! So, we backed up this morning and I taught about dry pants and did the whole dollie thing. It was very cute. She was totally into it. Then we did her dry pants talk and potty time right away. She loves the potty. She wants to sit on it constantly. I am worn out from talking and praising so very much. Jacqueline has got to have diarrhea tomorrow from all the junk I pumped her full of. She's had pringles, cheese puffs, m&m's, candy corn and bacon and cheddar "fries" (like the hot fries from when we were kids) I did buy her the V-8 infusion drinks instead of regular stuff. It at least boasts of a full serving of veggies and fruits. I bought the blueberry pomegrante. Not bad. I gave her 3 sippy cups full and then worried about her bowels and switched to sugar free grape kool-aid. She has had so much to drink!!!! She went about 10-12 times today in the potty. She also had about 4-5 accidents. I'm hoping those dramatically decrease. I am finding it very very difficult with Jeremiah. I feel like he's just shuffled from thing to thing. I've had no real time with him and I'm not sure how long he's eating because I'm too preoccupied with encouraging Jacqueline to do the right thing. One time she was in the middle of peeing in the dining room chair during her "reward" play time for peeing in the potty while I was nursing!!! I thought it would be a good time because she had just gone. Nope! Then, when the kids came home from school things really got complicated. I had to talk to them and look over their work. I always ask what their favorite thing and worst thing of the day was. Then had to correct Jillian for waking Jacqueline from her nap. Dinner/cleaning up, then soccer practice with a camping chair, potty chair, blanket, diaper bag, lunch bag with strawberry milk and other snacks for rewards, a bag of 2-3 toys and panties, a sippy cup, Jillian's soccer ball and a partridge in a pear tree!!!!!!!! I looked like a bag lady. Jeremy met me at the soccer field and boy was I glad to have a helper. I really enjoyed being outside this evening, though. It was beautiful! Well, wish me luck for tomorrw!!!