Potty Training Methods

Alright dear friends, you've asked what I did with Drake:

I pulled out our little potty and had it visible and ready to be used. It sat in common places, and on occasion we would ask Drake if he needed to go potty, or sit him on it and encourage him to use it. Really, we were just testing the water and seeing how receptive he was to the process. When he seemed ready (more interested, in the potty, less resistant to sitting on it, we stripped him from the waist down. As long as he was naked, there were no accidents. He seemed to recognize, there was nothing to catch the mess and he had to go in the potty. We would try to take him potty every half hour or more. We only had one accident and it was the second day when I put underwear on him which confused him, and he peed in them. After a couple more days of baring it all, we tried pull-ups. He stayed dry, and then we moved on to underwear. Of course there were treats, incentives, celebrations, etc. Really, I don't presume to know much about potty training, I'm just thrilled I don't have to change Drake anymore :)

Do YOU know what a missionary does?

Dave: "Carson, do you know what missionaries do?
Carson: "They go on missions."
Dave: "Well what do they do on their missions?
Carson: "They eat dinner."

--No one can accuse me of not feeding the missionaries :)

Steak Patricks Day

Friday afternoon Dave pointed out that the boys and I were all (by chance) wearing green.
"Looks like you guys are ready for Saint Patrick's Day" he exclaimed.
Immediately Carson's interest was piqued. After all, he is the holiday chair at our house. "What is that?" he asked.
After a brief explanation, Carson was fixated. His last words as he went to bed that night were, "I am so excited for Steak Patrick's Day tomorrow."
With no other choice but to enjoy the day with my enthused little leprechauns, we celebrated as best we could:

First off, some nasty little leprechaun took a most unflattering picture of each of us.

Then we had a breakfast of:
Green Eggs
Green pancakes
and Green Applesauce

Lunch was:
Ants on a log
Green Grapes
Broccoli

Dinner was:
Split Pea Soup
Roasted Asparagus
Kiwi
I thought we got a picture of it, but it turns out I was wrong - bless my dear little brain for remembering to snap two out of the three meals!

I am a good person

I have come to the conclusion that I am a good person. Like most people, I am my own worst critic and can be harder on myself than I should be. Lately though, I have come to realize that I am surrounded by incredible people which means, I can't be all that bad.
My Husband:
My husband is the best person I know - seriously. So while I might have fooled him a bit, and he got the short end of the stick, we are still VERY happily married which means something. If I was a total troll, there is no way we would be this ooey gooey head-over-heels- one of a kind in love and utterly happy.
My Friends:
I have the kind of friends that are always helping other people out. Kind to everyone. Committed to the church, their families, and good causes. They are truly wonderful people. I have a few really close friends, and while I don't live by all of them anymore, they still affect me. I couldn't dream up better friends. I want to be around my friends because I am drawn to their goodness. Bad people don't want to hang out with good people and vice versa - right?
My kids:
My three boys are really special little spirits. It's a testament Heavenly Father must really love me.
My parents:
You will never meet two people who try harder to be superb parents. I grew up in a wonderful home full of the spirit. My parents undoubtedly loved me, each other, and most importantly, the Lord. They taught me well. Through their example, and parenting they instilled goodness in me.

As big and bad as I like to say I am - it's hard to question the quality of people I am surrounded by. Thank you, dear friends and family.

Drake is potty trained!

And these are his first official "big boy underwear".

A walk down memory lane

A couple of weekends back, a good friend and former teammate of mine came into town to coach her team in a big volleyball tournament. Jillian and I played together for quite a few seasons. Walking into the convention center to see hundreds upon hundreds of teams playing the sport I love and DEARLY miss flooded me with a wide variety of deep emotions. Maybe someday I will write in detail about my knee. Some of you know what I am talking about others don't. Suffice it to say, it has shaped who I am as much as any other event in my life; marriage and kids included. 'Nuff about that.
I stole this picture from Jillians blog - I am so glad she snapped a picture!
Besides getting to hang out with Jills, one of the highlights of the tournament was the woman that took a liking to Drake during one of the matches we (me and my little men) were watching. Drake and Carson were wild little animals by this point and despite the lunch I packed decided the food from the floor, random duffel bags, and complete strangers was preferable.
"You want some?" I hear a voice say. And before I know it, I snap my head around to find a gruff, yet friendly woman feeding my child Philly Cheese Steak from her very own fork, glistening with animal fat. I was immediately freaked out but it was too late, the germy exchange had already been made. The match went on as well as the feeding frenzy at the zoo.
"What a great little guy he is; can I take him home with me?" she joked at the end of the match.
"You bet!" Was my response, and at that point - I was mostly serious.
"Oh good!" she exclaimed turning to Drake, "my wife would just LOVE you!"
At that point, I decided to take him home with me :).
*I wanted to share this funny story, but don't want to risk sounding judgmental or self-righteous. The woman was truly a kind, kind soul and really helped me out in a couple of tight spots while I was trying to feed the baby and the boys were going crazy. She was a delight to talk to and was very thoughtful. I just know the importance of a mother and a father :).

Mana from Heaven?

Today, I was standing at our back door talking to Carson, who was a few feet away on the deck. We were having a great father and son moment. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a pizza crust slams onto the deck right in between Carson and I. Befuddled, Carson picks it up and we both look around for the source. "Where did it come from?" I ask. Carson shrugs his shoulders, "I don't know, maybe one of the birds dropped it." I look up to see three seagulls flying away. "Here," Carson says, handing me the crust, "that's gross."