Logan's Top Five Toddler Moments of the Week

I worked as a nanny for several years and I always wondered why parents would let their kids make an absolute mess of somthing all the while knowing what the kid was doing. I finally get it. Sometimes with a toddler you just need a little break, a couple minutes of peace to recollect. And sometimes for that little break parents are willing to offer whatever it takes for two minutes of peace. For example, the other day I was in desperate need of such a break. Logan wanted a yogurt. Now, a toddler unattended with a yogurt usually does not end well. Knowing this, I also knew this "yogurt snack" would buy me a good 2 1/2 minutes. Weighing my options, I was thinking I would probably come back to a yogurt smeared child, dog, table, & floor. I decided it was more than worth it. I opened the yogurt and told Logan I was going to the computer room and I would be right back. I got a few minutes reprive and Logan got to practice his abstract artistic side on the table with his yogurt.

So, why would a parent make such a lopsided trade off? I would say it is mostly fueled by all the mischevious toddler moments. Here is a list of Logan's five ten mischevious moments of the week.

5. Logan learned how to climb up on the counters to get something he wants.

4. Dropped a golf ball in the toilet. (Thankfully he didn't flush. Next time when he does thankfully I also work for a plumbing/ac company.)

3. Used a cup to get a drink of the dog's water. Ick!

2. Locked Daddy outside, while Daddy was home alone with Logan. (Luckily the front door was unlocked)

Logan's top toddler moment of the week....

1. Flooded the bathroom after flushing nearly a whole roll of toilet paper.

Luckily he is so darn cute. So all is quickly forgotten.

Happy Birthday Logan!!

Today my sweet little baby turns two years old! It's hard to believe, it has gone by so quickly. We have had so much fun watching him grow and learn and develop his own little personality. He is truly a joy! I'm looking forward to what the next year will bring.

We celebrated his birthday yesterday. We went to eat at Alamo Cafe with Gammy and Grandad. The restaurant has a little stream that runs through it... he really likes that. Then we went to Inflatable Wonderland, where they have a bunch of bouncy castles, slides, and play areas. It took him a little while to warm up to the idea. There were a ton of kids there at first, just a little overwhelming. I had to climb up into a slide with him so he would see that it was ok. Then once he got going, he was right up there with the big kids. He climbed up this big slide all by himself, holding up traffic the whole way.

After the play land we went to walmart and Gammy let Logan pick out his birthday present. He got a little tykes basketball hoop, and Daddy and Grandad had just as much fun with it as Logan. Then, we went back to the house and had cake, ice cream, and opened the rest of his presents. It was a fun day! Logan definitely had fun!

Learning the Potty

On one of the blogs that I read Mckmama hosts a weekly blog carnival called Not Me Monday. Which basically entails brutally honest confessions of how we are all far from perfect. You can find more Not Me Monday postings at http://www.mycharmingkids.net/.

When my son had a BM in the toilet for the first time the other day, I most certainly did not do a little happy dance and send out a text to some of my friends declaring this accomplishment. I would never share something personal like that.

I didn't take Logan this weekend just to get a picture with Santa, knowing he would probably be terrified of the man, only so I could have a picture for his scrapbook. No, I would never do that. And if I did, we surely did not wait in line for an hour only to have Logan scream when put on Santa's lap. That would be ridiculous. Why not wait unit next year.

Finally an Update

I know it has been ages since I have posted anything. So what life change event has happened in the last 6 months to keep me away so long? Really not much of anything. I always mean well. I think of things I would like to post, but after working all day at the computer I can hardly get the motivation to do it some more. Well it's the weekend now, Logan is asleep and Adam is watching the Cowboys game with the guys. Now seems like a good time to post.

We are quickly approaching Logan's second birthday. I can hardly believe it, time really flies! Logan is growing by leaps and bounds. His personality is coming out a little more every day. He is making sure to assert this now too. Gone are the days when I can dress him as I like. He usually wants certain shoes and a certain jacket.

Sesame Street has become an obsession, Elmo in particular. He absolutely loves him! Gammy took him to see Sesame Street live last month. Which of course he adored. Reba got him a little stuffed Elmo from the show. Now he sleeps with his Elmo every night. Elmo has to be there for story time, sometimes he has to wear pajamas, and of course his Elmo must have a Binky too!

Logan started potty training about 3 weeks ago. He pretty much decided to start on his own. I bought him a potty seat several months ago, just to get him familiarized with it. Sometimes he would go in the mornings, but other than that he would just sit on it on occasion. Now all of the sudden he is telling me when he needs to go potty and wearing underwear at home for a couple hours at a time and staying dry. He is also doing a great job with it at daycare usually only wetting two diapers a day there. We are very proud of him! Although, I must say it is a lot of work. We make frequent trips to the bathroom, but the thought of no more diapers is very motivating!

Don't you just love Mondays

Today has kind of shaped up to be a shitty day (literally). It started going a little sour when I called Logan's doctor for a prescription for pink eye. Yeah, we both have it. My baby loves to share like that. Anyhow, moving right along. I spoke to one of the nurses in the office and she proceeds to tell me that Logan is no longer a patient there. What!? Yeah apparently if you see another doctor they transfer you. Jeez I didn't know we took vows. The only reason I took him to another doctor was because our pediatrician was closed when Logan needed to get in. Actually, it turned out ok. They pulled Logan's chart from the archives and cleared it all up. They just told me from now on he is not allowed to see another doctor during normal office hours. Doctor politics who would have known....not me.

The rest of the day went fairly smoothly until we got home. I walk into the kitchen to find our dog had let go of all of her bowels. Now Shelby never goes in the house. I will spare you the details but there's no way she could have held this in. It was horrible!! I'm just thankful it wasn't on any rugs. Normally I would have made Adam clean that up since it's really his dog...but sadly he wasn't home and wouldn't be for quite a while. I think he should be on diaper duty for the next three months for that one. Poor Shelby though, I hope it was just something she ate.

So after I finally got that cleaned up. I was having a battle of wills with Logan. We have a big 50 gallon salt water fish tank. It sits on top of a cabinet built to hold the tank, the pump is housed below. We have locks on the doors so Logan can't get in. But it is open on the back side against the wall. Well Logan kept trying to peek around the back of the cabinet, and I was worried he would pull out something he wasn't supposed to. I tried to redirect without avail, so we tried timeout. He played nicely for a little while after. Then, he snuck back there again and I saw that he had my cell phone in hand. I yelled "NO LOGAN!" Kurplunk! I ran over and got the phone out, finding many other treasures in there as well. I ripped out the battery in hopes of saving it, and scolded Logan and sent him back to timeout. He was only in timeout about a minute and half. You would have thought it was an eternity. He was upset for the rest of the night pretty much. Good grief he doesn't even know what a spanking is. I guess I hurt his feelings...but maybe he won't do it again. Ha ha right.

Unfortunately, I don't think my phone will make it. This is the second drowning. The first time it fell in the toilet. I would like to blame Logan for that one, but sadly I can't. I mean really how many lives can a phone have.

Dreaded Dinner time

Dinner time is a stressful time at our house. By the time Logan and I get home it is almost 6:00. He is hungry and fussy...as am I. I try to keep my meal plans to 30 minutes or less, because Logan's tummy and patience do not give me much time. Otherwise, he is at my feet begging to be held. Or I have to try to hold him while chopping vegetables or doing something dangerous of the sort. So this is how he deals...he wrecks havoc on my kitchen.

My Simple Money Saving Tricks

This weeks edition of Works-For-Me-Wednesday is themed the Frugal Edition. I opted to go for a list of my simple money saving tricks, seeing as we are still trying to work on that area.

*I try to always plan our meals for the week. It saves us an average of $25/week in groceries not to mention the headache of coming up with something at the last minute.

*Craigslist is my best friend for furniture or baby equipment, usually I can find lightly used items for a fraction of the price.

*When a doctor's visit is needed outside our pediatricians hours I try to take Logan to a clinic with late hours rather than the urgent care. It saves us money on our co-pay.

*Having prepared frozen meals on hand for when I don't feel like cooking. We don't end up spending money eating out and we eat healthier.

*And our best money saving benefit...Grandparents, They save us a ton of money on babysitting. :o) And we feel comfortable leaving Logan overnight.

Visit www.wearethatfamily.com for more frugal ideas.