Potty Treats

Good Day All!! (I say all as though there are thousands reading this). Well, as the title implies, it has been quite the week of potty-training. Yes, for Miss Lauren. My baby girl is a big girl, although when you ask her she says "I not big girl mommy!!" She is really on top of when she has to go pee and she has not once wet her underwear. This is in large part due to the fact that she is a candy addict who wants her "potty treat", a starburst. Of course, Walker wants one to so he has really upped his trips to the bathroom, but I do give him a treat because he is being really supportive and helpful with Lauren. For instance, when they go together he will say "Mom, look what my sister did!" I usually dread this phrase, but lately it has been good news. The only thing we still need to work on is pooping. She poops in her underwear. She'll get there!!

Today was a special day for Walker. He got to go to his cousin Ainsley's house all by himself. Aunt Vickie came to get him and brought him home (how nice!!). He was pretty enthused and helped make himself a lunch. The only hang-up I had was that Danny and Vickie just got a new dog. My kids are a bit skiddish with dogs, so I did my best to prep him. Vickie said he did okay. Lauren was absolutely heart-broken that she couldn't go (the dog's would have given her a heart attack and it was Walker's special day). She calmed down and enjoyed a quiet day with mom and Brady. On a side note, she will be the most popular girl in high school and college because she loves to strip down to her underwear! She is not a clothes girl. Lately she even takes off her pj's before she falls asleep. Oh well. Pick your battles, right?

Brady has been battling diarrhea and a cold. You would never know this by his demeanor. He is a busy boy and he just glides across the floor like it is nobody's business. He has quite the facination with the electrical outlets so we have to hurry up and dig out the covers for that. I just love how he is so attatched to his blankie (I may take that back later)!! He just pulls it up over his head and buries his head in it! It is so cute!

Well, I think I have brought everyone up to speed!

Lata!!

Another Week!

There went another week!! Notable notes: Walker- Walker has been doing awesome at going to bed lately. He has also become quite friendly with Lauren lately and they are playing together really well. He has been a little more clingy to me than he has been in a long time. Not sure what that is about. He also is afraid all of a sudden of swinging and riding his bike. He used to swing as high as possible, but now he won't let me let go of the swing. My instinct is that this comes from a traumatic fall he had on his bike a few weeks back on the way to the play area. He was not hurt, but it apparently has scared him pretty good. Even when driving, he'll tell me to slow down because "remember what happened to me on my bike? I don't want the car to tip over." We'll see where this goes.

Lauren Gracie girl. What a spirited little girl we have in her. Or, maybe its just the sugar. She is quite the candy addict. She will stop at nothing to get stuff shoved back on the counter. I literally have to hide candy from her. I thought I would use this to my benefit this week and use it as a potty training incentive. Well, it did not go as I had hoped, but she did stay dry the whole day in Walker's spiderman underwear. I told her not to wet his underwear and brother of the year said "it's ok mom if she pees in my underwear. She can keep them." I had to explain that it is not ok to pee in underwear, but sometimes accidents happen.

Brady-boy- He gets around!! He is just content to eat and play!! He is a cutie, but he is getting to be a big lug!! Carting him around in that stupid carrier is a work-out!!

Nothing else notable that I can think of at this second.

See Ya!

Same day, different . . .

You know how the saying goes. This week has been pretty regular so far. Brady is just cracking me up!! That boy gets around!! He just scoots around and plays with whatever he can get his little hands on. Right now he is drinking out of Lauren's water bottle. I am actually pretty impressed that he is doing it!! He'll just be playing and let out this big scream of laughter. You think he is hurt so you look over there and he is just laughing away!! He is a busy boy!!

Walker thinks he is pretty hot stuff. He makes me laugh at bedtime. He will lay down and you think he is ready to settle in for the night and he says "I forgot to give you a hug and a kiss!! I am so funny!! I forget that every night!" Coincidence, I think not!! Meanwhile there is Lauren in her room shouting "Mommy, I love you!!" "Goodnight Walka!" Poor Lauren, she gets one goodnight from Walker. He will not say it again once he has said it. Speaking if the she-devil, she is in this screaming to get what she wants phase. It drives me bonkers. I go to take her to her room and she is doing the full-on hysterical girl heaving cry "I sorry Mommy!" with her big watery blue eyes! How can you punish that face? That and her poor little brother will probably always be to her "Baby boy". She'll say "Where is Baby Boy, Mommy?" Don't forget, he's her baby, I just work here.

Well, enough time wasting! Back to life as I know it!

What a Weekend!

Yeah!! The weather is finally nice!! It was quite the busy weekend. Friday was my day with out the big ones. Their wonderful aunt Denise took them and Ainsley to her house for a little play date for Catie's b-day. Vickie, myself and the babies took full advantage and went shopping at none other than the GoodWill and out to lunch at Jason's Deli (yum!). Then Denise brought the kids back to us around 1pm. Guess who's kids were wining that they wanted to go home before lunch? That would be mine!! So the kids took a little nap then when Doug came home we went to Burger King with a play area. Then, as Friday nights tend to be, it was slumber party night (that means we all sleep downstairs, oh joy). Hannah Montana had her new video premier and we could NOT miss that.

Saturday we went to Ben's b-day party at the Coopers. As Doug stated, any kids party with beer is a great party!! I saw the man drink one, but seven beers later, I was packing up the kids and driving home (he blames the pizza, not sure what that is). Walker and Lauren were pretty shy when we got there and the fact that they have a dog (a little dachsund sp?) was a hurdle for Lauren. After the cake and ice cream, Walker got pretty crazy. He was dancing all around singing songs from the Disney channel. This got him some attention which only made him ham it up even more. I also got questioned on whether or not he has had his first hair cut and sadly, the answer is still no. Lauren played off by herself for the most part and had quite a time with the bucket of ice. She eventually warmed up to the dog too.

Sunday we went to Lincoln with the other Goebels to visit Grandpa Goebel. He was quite surprised as he did not know we were coming. We picnicked at a park and the kids played and played and played. Doug, Walker and Lauren all got some sun. We ended the night at Runza and then came home. Brady explored the leaves and took a nap in the shade. He was a good sport!!

Well, Brady is getting into his diapers (hint for me?) and the older ones are watching Zack and Cody so I better get something done while I can!!

Bye!

Another Day In Paradise!

Well, I guess that was the trick!! Ask for advise and the problem clears up!! Walker has been going to bed with little resistance and actually wanted to sleep in his bed (instead of the hallway) last night. According to Doug, he stayed in his bed all night. This is such a relief and makes are evenings that much nicer.

My newest Walker issue is the Booger thing. The kid picks his nose like crazy and puts boogers everywhere except a kleenex! I keep getting after him, but I still catch him digging away!!

Lauren is trying to deal with life without a binky. She has thrown a couple of fits over it, but for the most part is handling it pretty well. She is playing with her baby (as usual). She is so cute when she talks about Brady. She'll say "Where's Brady-boy??" It just cracks me up!!

Brady, well I think I should have named him Frank. The way his hair is growing over his ears, he looks like Frank from Everyone Loves Raymond. Hopefully his hair will even out!

Well, got to go look at Hannah on the Disney site!!

When It's Good, It's Good

Ahh. Everyone just took a nice nap (which means I got some good rest). This has been one to those days that makes you glad to be where you are. Walker has been in a good mood and actually laid with me on the couch while I rested. Brady is a little under the weather, I think, but he took two good naps for me and has been in a generally good mood. Lauren is finding her way to the bottom of the Pringles can and has been pretty sweet today. She is so cute with her out of the blue declarations "I love you Mommy!!" Even when Doug says he loves her, she says "I love Mommy!" That's my girl!. Walker is watching his Disney DVD AGAIN!! I think he is trying to memorize it (I know I have!).

Well, I am going to enjoy this while it lasts!!

The Aliens are Here!

No, it is not the end of the world, nor is Omaha the new Roswell. Walker has just reported that the aliens are back in the bathroom (clear as mud, right?). For some reason, he calls ants aliens and apparently he spotted one in the bathroom. Hopefully this alien doesn't invite all his friends here!!

While no day is dull around here, we have settled back into our "normal" routine after having Doug out on spring break last week. Walker seemed a little out of sorts today and was naughtier than usual when Ainsley came over to play. Lauren has a pretty crusty nose, but her mood is happy as usual. Brady is just enjoying the show and scootching where ever he can!! He has a pretty good attachment to his blankie, which I think is pretty cute. He is the only one of mine that is attached to anything other than the binky.

Well, I am going to swallow my pride and ask for it. ADVICE!!! We are still having a pretty hard time with Walker and bedtime. We are putting him down when Lauren goes down, but he refused to sleep in his room and after he falls asleep, about an hour and a half later, he wakes up crying, crabby and irrational. I almost think he might still be half asleep because you can't reason with him at all in this state. The two nights I get to sleep are spent trying to get him to go to bed half way decent. Doug has to deal with him when I am working. Any advice??

As miserable as he is at night, he is trying on his swim trunks right now, yes, over his pants. He can be cute too!!

Be honest, but gentle with me!!

Peae Out!

Easter Day

Well, so far, it has been a pretty good Easter. The Easter bunny was good to the kids. He brought Walker the Hannah Montana DVD (which we have all watched now twice, strangely at Doug's request, hmm, closet Hannah fan??). Lauren got a Barney DVD which she got to watch before church. Surprisingly, they did well at church and were pretty pumped to blow bubbles and do sidewalk chalk (Easter Bunny loves his Walgreens dollar isle!!), but Lauren fell asleep (bless her heart) and it was a little too cold for Walker. Brady got some binkys, he took it in stride.

Lauren is melting down due to the fact that she ate all her chocolate this morning. Where does she get that from??

Anywho, its off to Debbies for another Goebel Easter!!

See you in about 5 pounds!!

Scrapbooker I ain't!!

Well, I have decided in this digital age that I have neither the time nor the money to create scrapbooks for my kids to look back on and use to tell the story of their childhoods. I thought this might be the best way to personally track all the ups and downs of motherhood as well as hopefully capture realistic and memorable aspects of my kids as they grow and their personalities develop. It will also serve as a tool for those who don't have the pleasure (and I use that term loosely) of seeing us daily to keep up on our lives (albeit generally unexciting).

With that said, here we will start with what is up with the kiddos.

WALKER-My oldest, 3 going on 13. He is a disneychannel-a-holic (hey, it buys me a nap in the afternoon). He is pretty geared up for Easter and is hoping the Easter bunny will bring him "That's So Sweet Life of Hannah Montana" (don't ask). His favorite song other than Hannah Montana songs is "Waiting for the World to Change" by John Mayer. I'm not sure if this is the early buddings of a little political activist, but my guess is he likes that the chorus repeats words he can understand.

LAUREN- The middle child- two going on trouble. She is sweet and sneaky. She loves Barney and her brothers. She is the mommy to her baby brother (I am just the underpaid nanny apparently). She plays with him, feeds him (pretend food), and always makes sure he has a stuffed animal near buy. She is going through the first of many difficult adjustments as we try to break her of her "mimi" (no not a person, but a binky).

BRADY- Number three- seven months- This baby has seen it all!! He is scootching now. He loves to play in his exersaucer. He jumps like he is trying to reach the moon. The look on his face cracks me up because it is so nonchalant, like "yup, this is what I do, I jump." Cutie pie!!

So that is the news in a nutshell for now. Hopefully this is the first of many fruitful posts!!