Potty Training

Well, we finally took the leap and have started to potty train Caleb. We sent Aidan to grandma's (which was a HUGE help) and spent last Friday and Saturday being pretty intensive with the training. Unfortunately, Caleb caught a touch of his brother's cold and was not very attracted to liquids, despite all the salty food we gave him! He drank way less than normal, and only peed 4 times all day. 3 accidents and 1 success. It was kinda frustrating since we were taking him every 15 minutes or so all day. But he was a trooper, and had a good attitude regardless, other than a couple "I don't wanna use the potty" glitches. Saturday was a little better, only one accident, but still only a couple successes because he just didn't go! The nice thing though, we caught #2 in time and he did that on the potty that day! Hooray!
I stayed home from church Sunday to keep with it, plus the boys were too mucusy to send to the nursery anyway... And lo and behold, it seemed to click. We have not had an accident since then (as of now; Tue. night). The only thing is he hasn't told me yet when he needs to go, I just take him every hour or hour and a half and he makes himself go. (the couple of times he has told me he needs to go have been stalling tactics, get out of bed tactics, or visit a new public bathroom tactic, but basically false alarms). Although he did wake up crying at 12:45 AM last night, screaming, "I have to go potty!" And he did, quite a lot. Hmm... I am still putting him in Pull-ups for trips out in public, I'm just not ready for the hassle. About half the time he's stayed dry and clean in those though... And we use those for naps and at night.... Its a learning curve I guess. We'll see how the next few weeks go. I just refuse to have 4 kids in diapers! and I'm already thinking of the money we've saved just over the last 4 days! :)
We're so proud of our big boy! (and those little underwear look SO cute! We haven't graduated to the boxer briefs yet, but even so, very darling...)

Aidan loves Malachi

Aidan is infatuated with our cat, our evil cat, Malachi. So far, Malachi seems a little intrigued with the attention, and has behaved himself or, most often, just run away. Yesterday though, I caught the cutest scene. Aidan was playing down the hall, and I noticed it had gotten awfully quiet. I peeked down there to see the hallway closet door open (where the kitty litter/food is), and I could tell Aidan was sitting behind it. I also saw Malachi right there, and him actually tolerating little hand reaching out and petting (okay, kinda harshly petting) him. As I poked my head around the door, there was Aidan, with the dry cat food dish in his lap, cat food all over. He'd figured out how to get the kitty to accept him; with food! It was quiet a cute scene, even though I think Aidan had probably chomped a few pieces also...

Halloween 2006

Caleb LOVED Halloween this year! It made the night SO fun! When I brought the costume downstairs around 4:00pm, he was SO excited he HAD to put it on right then. (and a week ago I was afraid he'd be scared to wear it).
Once he had it on, he wanted to watch "Peter Pan". And as soon as Daddy got home, he was ready to go "trick or treating". I'd been explaining the concept to him for the past few days, but wasn't sure if he got it. Oh yeah, he understood. :) We went to a few houses (him practically running with glee between houses) and then to the church carnival. He LOVED playing the games there, and putting candy in his pumpkin, etch. He loved bouncing in the bounce house also. His enthusiasm was so precious. He and Aidan looked SO cute. Of course they were oohed and ahhed over by many adoring fans (esp. grandma) :) . It was a very fun night. One of those times when I was in tears with so much joy thinking about how these are the moments I have always looked forward to, and God has blessed me so incredibly.
My favorite part came when we got home, and I was being silly, talking to him with a bad english accent as if he were Peter Pan, and he answered, also in an attempted bad english accent, "thank you, Wendy". Playing along and improvising totally on his own! Very cute!