100 laps

I remember posting when Madi got her first foot charm...

So now it is Cassi's turn.

Every 100 laps a kid walks during the walking club at school (recess time after lunch on Tuesday and Thursday) they get a foot charm.

4 laps equal a mile.

So it is no small task.

Cassi is very proud...and I am too!

I used to go and walk/run with them...I need to get back to doing that...it is fun to spend that time and talk with them.

Great job Cassi!

Hard worker

Never underestimate what little Elsie Rose can do.

She continually makes me proud with how hard she is willing to work at so many different things.

She is still working hard on holding her pencil when writing.

She does such a good job, even though it is obviously hard for her.

I just love watching her when she is proud of herself for what she is doing.

And that leads us to potty training!

She has done so good today!!!!

Nothing at school yet, but she went on the potty as soon as she got home...and several times through-out the day, including at the eye doctors office.

She is doing great.

I am proud of what an amazing little girl Elsie is.

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I am madly trying to get 2009 blogs put into a book...

It takes a long time when you blog EVERYDAY!!!

But I am loving going through it...and can't wait to get the hard copy!

Potty problem.

I am a little worried I may be causing more problems for Elsie.

She didn't go to the bathroom until 5:00 this evening.

She had kind of a harder day today and was really tired...and her muscles were tight.

She wanted to go...several times...but just couldn't let it go.

She walked around today bent over cause it hurt so bad.

Her tummy was all hard, can you imagine holding it all day long!

I am trying to get her to drink more....so she fills up quicker...so she goes sooner.

I don't know what I can do to make it easier for her.

I think we are past the point of going back to diapers...she WILL NOT pee in her underwear.

Anyway...just wish I could make things easier for her.

She is such a sweetheart...and is so proud when she goes on the potty.

What a big girl.

If she can survive her baby brother...than she will survive potty training, right?

Letters of love.

Grandma Ene is in the hospital...and has been for the last couple nights.

We know she HATES being in the hospital, and we wish we could do something to make things better for her.

We sat down tonight with the kids to write some notes to her.

I hope they brighten her day.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to the big boy of the house!!!

 Brent got home this morning from work.

We had a nice clean house for him...and everyone VERY happy to see him.

He opened his presents...

Then I made him some 'made from scratch' blueberry muffins.

He really loved them.

And after that, we let Dad go take much needed nap.

Then we all got ready and went to church.

After church I made Brent's favorite dinner, that I can make.

Sweet and sour chicken...yum.

After the cleanup...it was time for 'cake'.

Except Brent is not a big cake fan...so we always make him a cheesecake for his birthday....he is a HUGE cheesecake fan!

We sang him Happy Birthday with Cassi's accompaniment...which she did awesome at...

And Port thought that maybe Dad needed some help blowing that candle out.

I think it was a pretty good day...as good as having your birthday on a Sunday can get.
It didn't compare to last years fun...but at least we were together...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!

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AWESOME NEWS: Elsie went to primary...

I talked with her teacher Sister Roll about what we can do.

She suggested Elsie bring something to console her...and then Sister Roll will just hang onto her till she gets over her crying fit.
So we sent her baby blanket...not her Emmy blanket, cause that would probably be too big to take to church.

We got to primary today, and she wasn't happy for me to leave...

But Sister Roll happily took Elsie, and after a minute took her out in the hall.

Then Sister Roll started talking to her about seeing Strip...and what she got to do on her trip...

And she stopped crying.

And was perfect the rest of the time.

I am so thankful for Sister Roll and her willingness to help Elsie out.

AND

She rocked it on the potty again today.

She wore a pull-up to church, and had no accidents...

She is doing so good...again, having a little trouble letting it go when she needs to, but is very good at holding it.

I think I will send her to school in a pull-up, but send underwear too, and if they are willing, I would love for her to be in underwear...we will see how it goes!

Miss Jennie will be so excited for her!

They have been trying the potty thing with her for a while now.

Long day...

It was kind of a long day today.

But I guess it always is after I haven't been alone with the kids for almost 2 weeks.

But at least I got a work-out in...that always helps with a long day...

I did have a work-out buddy.

I ran on my treadmill in the garage...and Cassi stayed out there with me (on the hood of the car) and read her book.

Pretty much the rest of the day was consumed with potty training.

NOTHING happened until 3:00 this afternoon.

She kept catching herself, then couldn't go once we got on the potty.

Every time she sits on the potty, she tells me to 'make a funny face' or 'tickle me'...

Finally she went at 3:00...freaked out still, but a little less.

She also pooped 3 times today!

I call that very successful!

She is a PRO at holding it...I hardly worry at all about an accident.

BUT....I do worry about the side effects of  her not emptying her bladder, or holding it for too long...

But I guess all we can do is work on it.

I bought some pull-ups to use for church tomorrow...hopefully it goes okay.

I am very excited for her!!!

She is very excited too...she keeps telling us "I'm a BIG girl".

And it is totally cute in her sweet little voice!

Potty prize!!!

WARNING: potty talk ahead

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Elsie has been ROCKING it today on the potty!

This is the stroller she is earning.

She really wants it bad, and every time we go in the bathroom, she says "We got to get that stroller!"

But it is way cuter in her little voice.

We started this morning by putting on some underwear.

We made sure she always had a drink.

Then we took a trip to the bathroom every 15 min.

Nothing.

She just kept holding it.

She loved to sit on the potty, and was good about it, but nothing was happening.

Then about 11:00 she was upstairs and slid down the stairs...something she always does and thinks is so funny.

Well, she was laughing pretty hard...and guess what?

Yep...she peed.

She was NOT a happy girl.

We talked her through it...no big deal.

We kept doing what we were doing.

She had another accident.

Again, NOT happy, actually kinda traumatized about it.

But we worked through it again.

But after that, it was like a switch went off in her head.

We had a couple times when she started to go, then stopped and started to cry to me telling me she needed to go.

She did that several times without any accidents, but not going on the potty either.

I knew her bladder was filling up.

The thing about Elsie is, I know she can hold it.

But we aren't sure if she is able to release it on her own.

You know...it all being muscle related.

Anyway...

But guess what automatically releases those muscles?

Laughing, of course.

So I started to make her laugh...and she peed.

She cried...it kinda freaked her out like pooping freaked her out yesterday.

But she got over it, and that is how the rest of the day went.

I guess she just needs to figure out what muscles to let loose.

I teased with Brent saying that I am gonna end up giving her some kind of trained response complex when she is grown up, and she is gonna end up peeing every time she laughs!

That won't be good.

I am so proud of her, and confident she will get it.

No pooping today, hopefully tomorrow.

Warmer weather

It is a little bit warmer here than it was in Evanston and Utah.

We had lots of fun in the snow....but it is nice to be back.

But I would love it to warm up even more.

I am so done with the cold weather.

The kids played outside for a while today and I am sure they will go to bed good and exhausted!!!

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Something exciting happened.

BEWARE: potty talk ahead.

We have been trying to get Elsie to go potty.

While we were at Grandma Enes house, we printed out a picture of a doll stroller for her to earn by going potty.

All day today she has been good about sitting on the potty.

Nothing happening, but she was willing to sit, which was good.

Well, the last few times, you could tell she needed to poop.

Well, she would try and than want to get off.

The last time, I sat her on the potty, gave her a book and left the room for a minute.

Next thing I know I hear a blood curdling scream come from the bathroom.

Elsie pooped.

Elsie was a LITTLE overwhelmed by emotion.

She seemed to be terrified at what happened.

But also excited about the stroller.

It took me a LONG time to calm her down.

I hope she wasn't too spooked to get on the potty again tomorrow!

Lets keep our fingers crossed!



Home at last

We headed for home this afternoon.

It is always a drive we don't really look forward too, cause it seems to take forever.

But thank goodness for DVD players...how in the world did our parents ever travel without these things???

We had such a great trip.

It is always so much fun to be with our families.

But it sure is great to be home.

Work and play

What a great day.

Even though it is so COLD here!

We had a lot of fun today...working with Gramps and playing with Grandma and of course playing with STRIP!

The day started with Porter and Dad going to work with Gramps in the store.

The girls stayed at the house to entertain/exhaust Grandma.

Later on Brent made a run to town with Porter and Cassi.

Madi wanted to stay at the store with Grandpa, where she had a really good time just sitting and talking with him.

I think that is something they are always gonna remember.

Gramps sure had a fun time talking with her.

Then the goats needed to be fed.

Madi was a big helper with that too, and so was Porter.

And then there was a lot of playing in the snow.

The cold cold snow!

Then it was time to play with Strip.

We took her an apple, Elsie will tell you how much Strip loves apples.

I need to video tape when Elsie and Strip get together.

Strip is such a good horse...but he sure knows Elsie.

She will snuggle her nose up to her, and Elsie just loves on her.

It is so sweet.

Strip loves Elsie as much as Elsie loves Strip.

Kisses for Strip.

Feeding the goats

The goat feeding helpers

Crazy Cass on four-wheeler duty

Feeding Strip her apple

Elsie petting her Strip

Porter ate the other half of Strips apple.

Funny story...Brent broke the apple in half for Strip.

Strip ate the one half and Porter wouldn't give up the other.

Then Brent picked Porter up and put him on Strip.

When he took them off Strip, Strip kept trying to get that apple form Porter.

Porter did not like that...AT ALL.

And he wasn't about to give up that apple.

So we put him on the other side of the fence so he could eat in peace.