Jenn VS Oprah

I love Oprah when I have time to watch. Her favorites of the season were on recently,

but I have to be realistic.

Oprah’s Favorites	Jenn Favorites
Samsung Progressive HD Camcorder SC-HMX10C Approximate value: $799.99 800-SAMSUNG; www.samsung.com Available at major retailers including Amazon.com, Circuit City, Sears, CompUSA	3.99 family photo coupons from JCPenney We usually forget to bring our cameras(digital/camcorder) and rarely download or make dvds. So why upgrade? For less than 800 bucks you can take your picture each week and convince your child's soccer team to sit for a photo at JCPenney's. Or for regular store coupons: http://www.jcpportraits.com/coupons/index.shtml www.jcpportraits.com/coupons/index.shtml Or for regular store coupons: http://www.jcpportraits.com/coupons/index.shtml
Perfect Endings Cupcakes from Williams-Sonoma Approximate value: $59 (Set of 9) 800-541-2233; www.williams-sonoma.com	Imperfect Cupcakes made from a Duncan Hines Cake mix Approximate value: $2 http://www.duncanhines.com/
CLARISONIC Skin Care System Approximate value: $195/system 888-5-CLARISonic (888-525-2747); www.clarisonic.com	Aveeno skin care products Clear complexion foaming cleanser --helps with those hormonal break-outs. ***A most have, especially if you barely have time to shower in the morning. Really nice on the skin. http://www.aveeno.com/
HDTV Refrigerator with Weather and Info Center from LG Electronics Model LSC27991 Approximate value: $3,799 www.LGUSA.com	…hmmm, I wouldn’t mind having this. Ok, that’s about 9-10 months of grocery money. You think my family will notice if I serve beans and rice everyday?
O’s Guide to Life Approximate value: $29.95 Available wherever books are sold or online at www.oxmoorhouse.com	The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Potty Training Problems (The Pocket Idiot's Guides) by Alison D. Schonwald and George G. Sheldon Approximate value: $10

However, here some more of my favorites:

1. My family

2. Wonder time Magazine (check out amazon.com for magazines deals)

3. G-diapers (now only if they had pull ups. I think I’ll write to them.)

4. Stokke high chair (we don’t own one yet, just love to check them out at friends’ houses)

5. Mega blocks – Little Bean can play for hours.

It might be too early to say....

I think Little Bean gets it. In the afternoon, yesterday, she was dry until bed time and made 2 deposits into her potty before and after dinner. What worked? I am not sure. I keep playing back the day.

The morning started off at play group. She did her usual, yelled, "diaper!" and continued to go before I can get her to a bathroom. Since, we were not home I didn't force the issue. After her nap, that was different. I put her in her cloth training pants and took her into the bathroom with me and asked her to listen while I used the bathroom (yeah,admit I did this). Later that afternoon, she would yell "Diaper change" (which is the same as diaper) and we would put her on the potty. After a couple of minutes, she got up and ran back to her toys, as she usually does. This time we let her play and run around without her diaper. Within 10 minutes she decided to sit down and go. Same thing happened after dinner. I think either: a) she wants the control; b) we are not giving her the attention while she is sitting on the potty; c) she can go with no one watching her; Or d) all the above.

24 hours later:
Today, was interesting. Nothing happened until dinner time (how does she hold it that long?) She decided to lay down (on her back) on the floor in front of her potty chair and pee. She looked like a cherub water fountain that was knocked down in the middle of our kitchen floor. She seemed more amused by the fact that she could make her pee go up into the air. I think she would of continued, but I quickly picked her up and put her on the potty where she finished. Later, while running around with her training pants off, she realized she better sit down a little too late. However, she did get most of her poo-poo into the potty. I am just thankful both accidents were easy clean-ups. Little Bean still scored 2 stickers as well. I decided to reward her for trying.

Just before bedtime she wet her training pants, trying to get Papa to help her. None of us understood what she was saying. It was almost like she was talking in code, hoping that only her Papa understood, to avoid having me rush her to the potty.
So, at this point, I think it is too early to say, "The secret of our success was..."

Signs you know your toddler is too old to be burped

1. After a few seconds of patting her back, she fakes a burp.
2. She burps all her toys including her recently constructed Lego tower
3. She says, "Mmm...tastes like potatoes"
4. At the grocery store, he asks the 80 year old woman to "show her burp."
5. He wins a burping contest at the county fair.

Hindi

I am going to learn Hindi. I have 3-4 Hindi books on the shelf , a CD and some websites to help in the process. However, I need to be honest. I have been on this mission to learn Hindi for the past 5 yrs and I can't say too much.

I can say in Hindi:
1. My name is ...
2. How are you
3. Namaste
4. Ok
5. Fine
6. No

Helpful Resources:
1. Learn Hindi from Bollywood Movies. Indian Style or Cutting Chai
Actually very educational as well as very funny
2. Learn Hindi (Simple phrases and words)
3. Baby Hindustani
DVD for small children, but it is working for me. Now I know my colors and can count to 10
4. For a bigger list of resources just click on the following:
Learning Hindi

Annoying Mother keeps talking about Potty Training

I promise to move on from the subject, since I have been doing other things in my life besides potty training. Like baking up a storm for Thanksgiving, making holiday gifts and sewing curtains and winter pajamas. However, I just have to give an update on Little Bean's progress.


Not going so well. I think we are back to square 1. Whenever she yells "Diaper!" (her indication that she has to go to the potty), she either runs away or refuses to let us put her on the potty. By the time we get her there she has already has gone. OR, she stands by her potty and says nothing for a few minutes and then blurts out "all done", and that is when I realize what just happened. It has been pretty hit or miss. It might be my fault for not being consistent with her or staying on top of her cues.

Yesterday, she dragged her Musical Potty chair out to the living room, turned it upside down and pressed the music button on the bottom. She has discovered how to make the reward music play, without even doing her part to get the reward. Sometimes, she sticks her foot in the bowl of the potty, to get the music to go. We are working hard to put a stop to that.

My next plan is to wait until Monday, when my husband and daughter are out of the house to focus on potty training. It is a lot easier when it is just me and her tackling this sport. Well we will see.

Pancake Recipe

I love making my own pancake mix. This recipe is eggless, but can be altered easy if you want to add the eggs (just leave out the egg replacer). Taste better than the store brand mixes.
Powder Egg Replacer can be found in most health food stores. Note: You will need large airtight container (3-4 quarts) for storage on your kitchen self.

Ultimate Pancake Recipe

Makes:	Makes about 2 1/2 lbs
Prep Time:	10 mins
Cook Time:	5 -15 mins
Ready In:	15 - 25 mi
Servings:

Ingredients

4 cups White Flour

1 cup Wheat Flour

1 cup Corn Meal/Flour

1 cup Oat Flour, Rye Flour (or ½ cup of each)

7 Tsp Baking powder

7 Tsp Sugar

5 Tsp Powdered Egg Replacer

4 tsp Salt

Directions

1. Mix well in the bowl or the storage container and store until use. To mix:

1. 1 – 1 ¼ cups Milk
2. 1 ½ cups Pancake Mix
3. 2 Tablespoons Oil or melted butter
4. Combine in a bowl; Fry on a lightly buttered or oiled skillet

Time to get ready for Christmas? -- Enough about Potty Training Already

Each year Christmas hits me like a deer in headlights. Thats because I ignore all the signs and commercials until after Thanksgiving. However, I always tell myself "Self, if you wanted to make a gift for each person in your life, you needed to start earlier" . I love Christmas and the meaning of Christmas. I don't enjoy, shopping after October 31, having my kids sit on Santa's lap (I refuse, I just don't trust those men in the Santa suits), cheesy-over-done Christmas songs, over spending, and daily emails from Toys-r-us. I do like to have fun with my family around Christmas, baking, doing crafts, putting up the tree, singing loudly, playing games and watching movies (A Christmas Story is our annual favorite). The last 10 years my oldest daughter and I like to spend time making some of the gifts. This year is no different and we can't wait to get started.
Here's a list of some of the things we made in the past and may do again this year:

1. Older daughter's art work (when she was 5) and put them on t-shirts and mugs.

2. Crocheted hats

3. Rice heating pads

4. Fleece blankets with person's initials

5. Gift baskets with various interesting things like Homemade Pancake mix and syrup or canned salsa, pickles and other goodies made from our garden.

6. Mug with a bag of homemade hot chocolate, and candy dipped spoons. Along with homemade cookies and candy.

This year, like last, we are doing "Made in Maine" stuff including our own handmade and baked goods. This works out great with family and friends who don't live in the same state. In our case, all our family live in different states.
Last year, a friend sent us a package of items made in Iowa and I loved it. It was a small taste of home, so it very special to me.


Potty training update - Not going so well. It has been hit or miss lately. I think she does better when it is just me and her during the day. Right now she says "Potty" or "Diaper" when she wants our attention. When we start to take her she says "no-no-no", but most of the time we continue to just set her on the potty.

Hurray!

Little Bean peed in the potty 2x today!!!! She had a very successful afternoon after a very trying morning. She had 3 accidents with one ending up on the floor, since all we had left clean was her cotton (no plastic cover) training pants. I was actually glad for the teachable moment. Since she was sick for a few days, we took 2 steps backwards with potty training. However, not with pooping, she is still on top of that technique. I read in my handy dandy potty training book a technique for 21 month and older and modified for Little Bean. The technique in the book seemed kind of harsh for her. In brief, you leave the child in their wet clothing and stand at the accident spot and say "You're suppose to pee in the potty! You need more practice," take them to the potty and practice. Have the child pull down their pants and sit on the potty for a few seconds. Repeat 5-6 times. Ok, I cleaned Little Bean up and the spot with her help before I took her to the spot and said, "Your pee needs to go in the potty not on the floor" and I took her to the potty and had her sit there fully clothed and said, "This is where you are suppose to pee". We went back and forth about 3-4 times, Little Bean smiling and repeating some of the words I was saying. That was her last accident of the day. Conscience? Or maybe it is her new potty chair that plays music when she pees. I don't know, I am just happy that she peed on the potty today.

Sick Baby

Little Bean is sick today. However, she continues to poop on the potty. Still working on peeing and making it in time to the potty. Today, we purchased another potty chair for the main floor (1st floor), in hopes it will make it easier when she is feeling better.

Calories burned running to the Potty?

Day 4

hmmm..... a lot

To Pee or Not to Pee

Yesterday ended better than the previous 2 days. Little Bean pooped in the potty after standing and demanding her diaper be put back at least a dozen times. Eventually, she settled down with a book and after 2 minutes (30 minutes total), she stood-up and said "All done". Leaving a nice package in the potty. This morning, she told me she had to go and pooped in the potty within seconds, it was small, but it was quick with no drama. I like that.

I think she is getting the hang of it, with one exception, peeing into the potty. Yesterday, she held her pee until nap time, when I put on a diaper. Than she peed again in her diaper when we went out for an errand and again in her training pants after dinner when we forgot to take her to the potty. This morning still struggling with the peeing. She announced "diaper!" we ran up the stairs, I pulled off a wet training pant and she finished peeing a few drops into the toilet.

Why we don't keep the potty chair in the living room you ask? I don't know. I think there is just too much for her to get into while trying to get her to focus on going to the potty. We have a bathroom on the main floor, but it is too small. Kitchen might be a good option, but I rather buy a 2ND potty chair so we are not transferring it back and forth. Oh.... I just visualized my head strong, determined, Little Bean carrying her potty bowl from the kitchen to the bathroom. Not a pretty sight. I think we will stick with running upstairs for now.

Reward has been 1 Elmo sticker and it is working. She is understanding that 1 sticker is enough, along with a lot of hugs, kisses and Yippee(s). The chocolate, I will eat for my reward.

BTW - I think Little Bean inherited the drama from her Grandmother (my mother).

Today is Another Day

DAY 3

Day 2 was much better than day 1. Yesterday, Little Bean only had 1 accident and peed and pooped on the potty. We went out for dinner, so potty training was put on hold. She did announce while we were eating "Diaper!" and sure enough was wet when we got home. Her last words before she fell asleep last night was "Pooootteeee".

Today I think I am going to relax a little with the potty training. I will continue to take her, but I think after each meal and her nap is enough. I think I am putting too much stress on Little Bean and myself. The last two days my head was pounding by bed time and Little Bean was an easy sell on going "Night-Night".

On the bright side, I think she is starting to understand the expectation. Even though, she has yet to go to the bathroom today(yikes!), she is sitting better and when she gets up she looks for "water" or "poop" to dump in the big toilet. We will see how the rest of the day pans out.

She Likes to Potty All the Time

Yesterday afternoon was a challenge. Now that we have training pants and a new potty chair, Little Bean, asked to go to the potty every 5 minutes. and I took her. I would climb the stairs, enter the bathroom, help her take off her training pants and she would sit on the potty. 2 seconds later she would say, "All done" and stand up and run out of the bathroom naked. My husband was no help, he didn't understand the madness and if it was up to him, he would put back on her diapers.

After climbing the stairs while holding Little Bean the 20th time, I decided, maybe she should climb the stairs herself. How smart am I? I know, a little slow. So, after climbing the stairs twice to just sit on the potty for a few minutes, the novelty of "going to the potty" was gone.

At this point I decided to just set a timer every 90 minutes and take her after dinner. Well, it almost worked. The first time she jump off the potty chair and ran into our bedroom and peed by the bed while yelling "DIAPER!". The second time she peed in front of the potty chair, and again yelling "Diaper!".

I think we are making progress.

Well, at least I know when she has go to the bathroom.
So, yesterday, she peed through 3 pairs of training pants within 5 minutes of her bathroom visit.

So far today she has only peed through 1 training pant and pooped in the toilet. The pooping was after she was demanding her pants or a diaper be put back on, while her face was turning red and her eyes were bugging out during our latest bathroom session. Once she quieted down and relaxed, I sat her on the potty again and she pooped. YEAH! She called her Papa into the bathroom to show her lovely deposit into the potty. After he left, she demanded her diaper be put back on again.

What I learned yesterday and so far today:
1. Make sure the bathroom door is closed
2. Have her stay in the bathroom and encourage her to stay on the potty.
3. I need some better awards or a lot of stickers for her successes. I have stickers and she loves stickers, but she expects a whole sticker page (her father's fault). I bet I could get away with giving her just 1 m&m.
4. Somehow, I am going to have to train my husband to potty train our Little Bean.

Ahhh... where do I begin?

Last night was tough for me. I was really tired and welcomed sleep at 9:30 pm. However, I wanted to skim through a book I just picked up from the library. "Early -Start Potty Training" by Linda Sonna, PhD. After reading the Forward and Preface, I was up for another hour feeling anxious and disturbed.

Previously, I had informally started potty training my little bean at 18 months after some prodding from my Mother. (Side note: In the area of potty training I have to admit my Mother is very wise). I went out and bought her a toilet seat and had her sit on it before her bath each evening to avoid her daily peeing in the tub. Sometimes it worked for us and sometimes it didn't. No big deal... she is only 18 months. I keep reading to wait to toilet train around 2 1/2-3 yrs old because it is easier and less traumatic for the child.

Now after reading a few pages of "Early-Start Potty Training", I feel like an idiot. The first story in the book talks about a Chinese woman who has a potty trained 4-month old! (Hmm... you think that baby was traumatized?) Then I read how thinking about potty training has changed over the years in the western world. Back in the 1900 women started potty training their 2-3 month olds due to lack of washing machines and the convenience of disposable diapers. (I wonder if our grandparents had post-traumatic syndrome from potty training) Then disposables came along in the 60's and convinced people that for the mental health of the child, keep them in diapers longer. This is the point were I was feeling a little sick. On top of that the Author has about 13 pages of endnotes/references to back her book up on how research contradicts the popular way we potty train our children today.

So, today, I went to Target, purchased a potty chair and some training pants. Little Bean already tells us when she has to go potty, she just goes before we reach the toilet. I am hoping the potty chair will make a quicker transition and the training pants will decrease the number of accidents.

Now all I have to do is start... Well maybe get some stickers as rewards and read a little more on the subject of potty training.