Burrr...!!

Bode was so excited to see the snow on Friday that he insisted that he went out to play. I am not one to really play in the snow especially on a freezing day like that day. so Bode thought "I will do it myself!" And that he did, he did it himself. This is all he wanted to wear and he put it all on himself, and off he went to play in the snow. (I did try to put on clothes, but he would not allow it. The first thing he does when he gets home from preschool is go potty and then strip down to his undies or pull-up, everyday!

So here Bode is, soaking up the fun of the snow and probably FREEZING! I know I am a good mom to let him go out this way, but he will learn that it is pretty cold outside without any clothes on. I actually thought he learned that when he sneaked out of the house a couple days before in nothing but his pull-up and socks. When I realized he was gone I went out and he was down the street on his way home showing me his freezing sign. He was cold!

Love ya Bode!

Cub Scouts!

Turning eight brought a lot of new and fun things for Cooper. Besides being baptized, Cooper really looked forward to being a scout. He loves it! A couple of months ago he earned his Bobcat (I guess that if the first thing you earn...??? I so don't know what I am doing with this scouting thing). Last night we had the Blue and Gold banquet, which my amazing talented friend Kristen put on. She did a great job! Coop earned his basketball belt loop, that was his first belt loop, we really need to get going on those and maybe get him a belt as well. :)

I am so glad that Coop is loving scouts, he has great leaders that help him and I am grateful for the things he is learning and looks forward to do.

I heart basketball

I think Cooper has found his new sport, too bad the season is over. :( He has loved playing Jr. Jazz! Collin and Coop spend a little bit each night playing a basketball game on the Playstation and he has really learned from it, sad to say that the Playstation is teaching him about basketball, but it worked! He has picked up on the rules, what you do and even all the players names. Now he needs to work on the aggressiveness of the sport. He is such a sweet kid that the aggressiveness doesn't come easy to him. I am sure I can help him with that...;)

Here are a few shots of him handling the ball...sorry about the fuzziness, my camera doesn't zoom in too well.

Go Cooper! Your awesome!

Goin' Buggy!

Cooper had his 2nd grade program last week and it was pretty cute. I managed to make it with both kids with the help of my mom. Thank goodness the program was only about 30 minutes because they wouldn't have lasted longer.

The theme of the program was called "Goin' Buggy" there were cute bugs everywhere! Cooper was a little bee. They sang songs about all the buggy things and did a great job. I really can't believe Coop is in the 2nd grade, it is crazy. He loves it, loves his teacher and he loves all the friends that he has made.

I was able to catch a few shots with the kids actually looking at the camera, smiling, not going to happen.

Cooper and Bode

Bode sure does love his older brother and right back at him, Coop loves him!

Good job Coop! We loved it!

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day has come and gone, and I must say I am kind of happy about it, it only means that we are that much closer to spring, and how I love spring!

This year we did things a little low key for Valentine's, it has been a little crazy at our house and I really haven't wanted to put in the extra work that I usually do at Valentine's day.

For the kids Valentine's this year, I thought I would make them custom for each child. I think they turned out pretty cute. I was pretty inexpensive too. I just printed them out on 5x7 prints, cut them and ta-da, there you have it, personalized Valentine's Day cards!

Peiton's had Rockstar Cards, because yes she is the Princess Rockstar!

Bode is a Super Stud so he had the Super Cool cards.

And Cooper has been way into basketball lately so he wanted basketball ones. He also made a sweet basketball Valentine's box that I am to lazy to take a picture of and post it.

For Valentine's I usually do a huge Valentine's dinner, yummy food, candlelight, I work on it for hours. The family stays upstairs and anxiously awaits until they can come downstairs for dinner. ;) Well this year it was a little different, I did do candlelight, but the food was pretty basic. I wasn't even going to do it, but I thought it is tradition, so I toughed up and made it and it turned out pretty good.

Here is little Pei looking all beautiful (I don't think her hair was done that day and Collin dressed her, so there you go, beautiful Pei) coming down for the dinner.

That is all the pictures I took of 2010 Valentine's Day, hopefully next year I will get a little more and get a little more into it.

As far as the love goes on Valentines, I must say I do LOVE my family!

Oh boy...

The last week and a half I have been spending my days trying to potty train Bode...and yes we have been trying, we have not yet succeeded! I thought it was about time, he is 5 and I am honestly pretty sick of changing his adult size poops and buying diapers for him. My sister Hollie was kind enough to take off ALL of her week last week and come to my house and we could conquer this together! Well if it wasn't for Hollie, nothing would have been conquered. I would have given up on the first day...so thanks Haws!

So we started out on Monday, I started by putting him in training pants (the cloth ones with a little more absorbency than usual undies). Well it wasn't working, we would put him on the toilet like every 10 minutes and he wouldn't do anything and then he would just get off an pee his pants. So we thought we just need him to pee on the toilet so he can figure that is what you do. Well we didn't think it would take that long...literally, it took forever. Bode spent 3 hours on the toilet on Monday, yes 3 hours...his little bum had the red mark from the little seat he was sitting on. He would NOT go! Finally I was like whatever, I can't sit in this bathroom anymore, he is not getting it (we did take turns sitting in the bathroom so it was somewhat bearable). After the 3 hours I had it, I left and low and behold Bode gets off and pees his pants, he had to go so bad that Hollie and I both heard it from downstairs, it was loud and forceful. :) I was done for the day...hello diaper!

The next day we thought well let's do the same thing, except half way through the process (1 1/2) hours later, Haws thought well we know he will go if he is just standing up so why don't we let him get up and down from the toilet and if he starts going we will hurry and move him to the toilet so he can get the concept. Well another 1 1/2 later I can just see him doing the pee dance, he holds himself every now and again, I am continuing to push on his bladder...somewhere underneath that little belly of his and nothing...he is STUBBORN! Then finally he starts peeing, I jump up and pretty much scare him and he stops, then I put him to the toilet (standing up now) and he is hesitate but then he starts going! Yipee! Party thrown! Bode went potty in the toilet, somewhat! We were done for the day. :)

Next day we did the same thing, same time on the toilet maybe a little longer though, he starts going and I hurry and move him to the toilet...yeah day two he went again with the help from us moving him we he starts to weee. Done for the day! That is all we can take.

Well that night he came up to me and started patting his diaper, I asked if he needed to go potty, he starts taking off his diaper and we go to the toilet and he GOES! On his own he goes! Yes, that is the one and only time he has gone on his own. I was so excited, another party thrown for Bode! He was pretty happy too. Well 30 minutes later I asked him if he needed to go again..we went to the toilet he went. We were on a roll, improvement!

The next day we were excited to get started. He wouldn't go in the morning, but about 11 we got him to go again and we did it about every 30 minutes through out the day, he was doing great. Well that leaves us to today, I am still putting him on the toilet every 30 minutes and he will usually always go, but he will go in between too, so we still have wet pants and there is no Bode coming to tell me he has to go potty...how long do I have to do this until he realizes that he can do it on his own or hold it...I know he can hold it! He won't figure out the pooping on the toilet, he will still go in his pants and then he thinks it is fun to play in it and make mommy clean it up and clean him up...I had it yesterday!

So is this going to get better? Because I have done it for a week in a half now and I don't see ANY improvements. What am I doing wrong?? Help! Mommy is going a little insane (more insane than I already am, that is pretty scary). Any suggestions on how to close the deal on potty training a child with Down Syndrome would be fabulous. Thanks ya'll and sorry for the long post.