Love Hate Relationship

Three in diapers.  

No doubt have the STINKIEST garbage can on the block!  

We are READY for Owen & Eli to be potty-trained.  We have started working on it a little bit now that things have "settled down" back into somewhat of a normal routine here at Casa de Hines (post birthday & visitor month of Feb/early March).  The boys sit on the potty in the morning and at night.  They get one M&M just for sitting and two M&M's if they actually pee in the potty.  We're not even thinking about #2 at this point.  They are very motivated by M&M's and have actually peed a couple of times each.  Definitely not every time, but on occasion.  Right now we're just exposing them to the whole concept as much as possible.  I'm not a believer in pushing the whole potty-training thing.  I think kids will be ready when they're ready.  That was our experience with Chloë and the whole potty training experience was easy-peasy with her.  VERY few accidents ever.  She was just ready when she was ready.  I expect things will be a bit more challenging with the boys.  I hear that boys are ready a bit later than girls.  Also, the boys are just now becoming more verbal and speaking a lot more.  They are starting to be opinionated about their clothes (just a little bit and only sometimes..bug ugh!), they are starting to dress themselves a LITTLE bit...more Owen than Eli.  They are showing signs of readiness.  I don't even bother locking the door, let alone shutting it when I go to the bathroom anymore (TMI??).  Eli HAS to come in and wait for me to finish so he can throw in a sheet of toilet paper and be the flusher.  He also likes to say "No touch it!!" and point into the potty.  He is very into that.  When I change one of his stinky diapers he yells, "No touch it!" and the other day yelled "Don't eat it!" and pointed to his diaper.  I about lost it...WHAT?  What made him ever think I might eat it??  Hilarious.  

A trip to Target today.  

We get a lot of comments so I usually avoid eye contact with others.  Blinders on.  Must get shopping done.  This is not a leisurely affair.

...and sometimes people just look annoyed that this big cart is in their way.

SO sorry.  

Let me talk about Crocs just for a moment.  I've blogged about it before.  I do not LOVE Crocs.  

I definitely at one point swore that I would never let my children wear Crocs.  Then one day a friend gave Chloë a pair.  She loved them.  Then her best buddy had a pair and she wanted one, too.  So I let her get one.  They were SO EASY!  She could put them on herself.  No socks needed....= less laundry.  Stay on the feet.  You can run in them.  They work as a shoe for everyday.  A shoe for the beach.  A shoe for a rainy day.   A shoe for the water park.  Very versatile.  I can't believe I'm even saying that.  However, Chloë LOVED her Crocs so much she would NEVER wear any other shoe.  It was a fight.  Even in our formal family photo shoot she is wearing a cute sundress and CROCS.  NOT CUTE.  Anyways, a couple weeks ago I noticed that Chloë's latest pair of Crocs were ripping on the side.  Now, she did wear them day in and day out for months on end...so it was time for them to rip.  Then, a couple days later, she came home from preschool with no shoes on.  Myke followed her carrying the Crocs.  Apparently, she had spilled Jello INSIDE the Crocs during a cooking project in class that day.  "Toss them!", I happily commanded.  And Myke happily did.  A bit later Chloë wanted to go outside and asked where her shoes were.  I told her they went in the trash.  TEARS.  Sobbing.  She was devastated.  

Conversation:

Me: Chloë, they were ripped.  

C:    But I want to keep them.  

Me: No, we need to get you new shoes.

C:  But I want to keep them in my room to be houses for my small stuffed animals. (Gross!)

Me; No, they had Jello in them now and are all sticky.  Your animals will get yucky.  And ants will come into your room to eat the Jello.

C: (still crying) But I want to keep them outside then!!  I want to make ant houses out of them. And have pet ants.

Uhhhh.  No.  Not happening.  Anyways, she got over it.  We went to the outlet mall a couple days later.  I took all the kids.  The plan was to find Chloë some new shoes.  With her being into the scooter, skateboarding and riding her bike lately, I wanted to get her a decent pair of shoes that would protect her feet.  I don't think Crocs are the best for that.  She has really banged up her ankles on the skateboard when wearing Crocs.  So we found some very nice shoes in the Vans shoe store.  They are tie shoes.  They are ankle-high, which is great for skating.  And, most importantly, she LIKES them!  I thought I was finally out of the Crocs world.  I was wrong.  I'll just end it with this:  We left that mall not only with Chloë''s new skate shoes, but also with 2 brand new pairs of Crocs.  For Owen & Eli.  How did I let that happen?!  

The good thing is...it makes getting out the door so much faster!  No running back upstairs for socks for the boys.  They can put the shoes on themselves.  They can get them wet.  They can run in them.  We're back to where we started.  I guess I just have a love-hate relationship with these shoes.  Whatcha gunna do? :)  

I do draw the line with adults, however.

They should NOT wear these thing. 

Ever.

Some pics:

They're getting a bit big to stuff into this tub for much longer.

Took the girls to Knott's Berry Farm for the afternoon on Monday.

First time on a carousel. Loved it.