Random Pictures

Exhausted from potty training:

The pumpkin plant that took over our stairs:

15 Months

P2 had her 15 month check-up today. Here are her stats:

Height: 32 in (90th percentile)

Weight: 22 lb 5 oz (66th percentile)

She is our sweet little monkey. She has a very independent nature and a strong will. Thankfully her tantrums are short-lived. She loves to "play" with her brother, which of course involves stealing his toys and making him chase her. She still loves to make faces at us, especially during dinner time. When I tell her to stop doing something, she will glare at me and then hide her face behind her hands. All in all, she is sweet and adorable, and makes life so much more enjoyable.

Sleeping in the truck. P2 still takes 2 naps, and sleeps well at night.

Dancing at the shoe store: 

She loves her sloth, and loves to join us in the bathroom for P1's potty training.

She enjoyed the toys at the doctor's office. She did very well for the doctor, and she took her shots like a champ!

Chilean Day

We had another very successful Chilean Day celebration this year! It's always so good to see our college friends. Life gets busy, but we're glad people keep coming each year so that we can stay in touch. We missed our friends that have moved out of state, or out of the country!

We made beef and cheese empanadas. This year we baked some of the beef empanadas and they turned out well. We had completos and mote. And for dessert we had jello with sweetened condensed milk. We had 13 adults and 7 kids (ages 1-6).

I bought 3 bags of hot dog buns (6 ct), because once again I didn't think 2 would be enough. But once again, we had 2 bags leftover. We cooked 2 lbs of beef, and that was perfect!

Next year I need to buy some avocados the day before, so that we have some to eat with our leftovers!

I always forget to take pictures of the food, until most of it is already gone!

We had lots of little girls running around. The 2 boys were definitely out-numbered. P2 made friends with one of my college roommates. P2 went right up to her and let her hold her and everything.

Thanks to everyone who came! Hopefully we'll see you next year too!

Addiction

I heard this month is National Addiction month. That, and a few other things, have reminded me of this article that I read a while back. I found it fascinating, and I think there is truth to it. I really recommend reading it if you have the time. Here is my favorite part:

"We should stop talking about 'addiction' altogether, and instead call it 'bonding.' A heroin addict has bonded with heroin because she couldn't bond as fully with anything else. 

So the opposite of addiction is not sobriety. It is human connection." 

Human beings are bonding animals. We need to connect and love... But we have created an environment and a culture that cut us off from connection, or offer only the parody of it offered by the Internet. The rise of addiction is a symptom of a deeper sickness in the way we live -- constantly directing our gaze towards the next shiny object we should buy, rather than the human beings all around us."

I saw a post from a mom who says her kids will come home sad or crying because their friends spend all their time on their phones and hardly acknowledge each other. I think that's really sad, and a little scary. If these young kids never learn to connect and bond with people, where are they going to turn for bonding? Are we creating a huge new wave of future addicts?

A while ago, we watched the first couple episodes of "The Last Man on Earth". The show wasn't really that great, but the idea of being the last person on earth really made me think. I kept wondering what would I do with all that time to myself? And the more I pondered it, the more I realized that our relationships are truly the only things that matter. I could keep busy for a while, catch up on all my hobbies, learn new things, but it would all be meaningless. Things don't matter, people do.

The Book of Mormon teaches us that all things will fail, except for charity which is the pure love of Christ. All things will fail, except for the love we develop for those around us.

Moroni 7:46-47:
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

I think we all have addictions to one degree or another. We turn to things to find comfort, satisfaction, or fulfillment. Whether it is drugs, pornography, and gambling; or ice cream, shopping, and Facebook. Cookies have always been a favorite of mine when I'm having a hard day. I bought a huge box of Oreos when P2 was born, so that I could have something to get me through the sleepless nights. When I had to cut out sugar for health reasons, I turned to shopping on Amazon. Getting packages always made me feel better. But it was always fleeting, which I think makes it addicting. It doesn't last, so you go back to eat or buy more.

All things will fail. Except for charity. Nothing else will bring us the happiness and satisfaction we crave in this life. So when we seek for something to help us feel better, don't turn to things. Turn to people. Create real, meaningful relationships with those around you. Look people in the eye. Turn off your phone. Be with people, not just around people.

Potty TRAINing

Our second attempt at potty training was over Labor Day weekend. And we have learned a lot. I have learned that while I am capable of many things, potty training my child is not one of them.

Well, that's not quite true. The truth is that I was already spent from a VERY long Thursday, and I did not have the energy needed for an intensive potty training weekend. I had already spent all my spoons when I really needed to be saving up some spoons for potty training (see Spoon Theory if that doesn't make sense to you).

I tried the 3-day potty training thing where you are supposed to constantly be at their side and just have them in underwear. We made it about 1/2 a day before I gave up on that method. I resorted to pull-ups. And yes, they are a crutch, but some people actually need crutches to walk.

PE was the one that finally got the ball rolling. After a lot of time, water, and stories in the bathroom, we finally had a success! Things went a lot better after breaking that barrier.

We tried treats as rewards, and that sort of worked. I ended up getting some Thomas trains as prizes, and that has really motivated him! Sometimes I think it has motivated him too much, because he keeps trying to use the bathroom so he can get more trains!

P1 is doing a great job, and I am super proud of him! He is really good at telling me when he needs to go now. The only things left to figure out are how to use public restrooms, and how to keep him dry during the night. He hates public restrooms, and will not use them. And really, the toilets are ginormous! How is a little toddler supposed to sit on one without falling in?

Duck Pond, State Fair, and Parks

We went and fed the ducks again, this time with some friends. I would hand P1 a slice of bread and let him break it up and throw it to the ducks. I finally noticed that he still had his hands full of bread, but it was just the crusts! I guess he didn't think the ducks would like the crust since he doesn't like it. What a silly kid!

 

We went to the State Fair on Saturday. We had a fun time. P2 liked seeing and petting the animals. The little goats were probably the cutest. P1 saw the Alligator booth where you have to pay $1 to go see a huge alligator. He really wanted to go see it, so PE took him. P1 was crying when they finally came out, so I asked if it was scary. But no, he was crying because he didn't want to leave!

The kids had a lot of fun swinging on this chain. Maybe that was their favorite part of the fair!

Another park adventure! The kids really like these bouncy toys.

 

The Chair Store

For Labor Day, we went to the Chair Store (IKEA). The kids had a lot of fun running around and playing on the different furniture.

 

P1 really liked the play kitchen they have. It was at the end of the showroom, and we were hungry and wanted to go eat lunch. I finally persuaded him to put the toys down so we could go eat. We walked around the corner, and there were 2 more toy kitchens which he immediately ran to and started pretend cooking. We eventually made it to the the cafeteria for lunch.

Coloring, Pig-tails, and Faces

P2 really loves to color!

I attempted to pull P2's hair up, and let me tell you, it was quite the fight. She may not look it, but she can be quite the little stinker. We'll have to try again another time...

 

 

And she loves to put food in her hair. Especially peanut butter and maple syrup! I feel like I have to give her a bath after every meal!

 

P2 is quite the character. Lately, she has been practicing her sad/pouty faces at the dinner table. It is hilarious! She will just sit quietly and pull several different faces. She will glare at you, stick out her bottom lip, or scrunch up her face and crinkle her nose. Also, I know better understand the phrase "spitting mad." When P2 doesn't get her way, she will get really mad and spit. Such a silly girl!

Zoorassic Park

We decided to go to the zoo on Saturday. We thought it would be best to go in the morning and come home for lunch and afternoon naps. So of course, P1 decided to have an epic meltdown over breakfast. I made waffles because he asked for them, but then he wouldn't eat a single bite. He kept getting up, so we strapped him in the highchair. And we told him he couldn't go to the zoo if he didn't eat his breakfast. (Don't you just hate having to follow through as a parent?) I want him to go to the zoo and have fun, and all he has to do is eat a tiny waffle! Why is it so hard?! And then I think, what does Heavenly Father think about us? He has all these wonderful blessings waiting for us and has made all these preparations for us, and all He asks us to do is to keep His commandments. Anyway, I digress, back to the zoo...

So P1 refused to eat his waffle until we were all ready to go. I was just going to take P2 somewhere fun, but P1 finally realized we were serious and he quickly ate his waffle (after sitting there for over an hour).

We finally made it to the zoo. We thought P1 would enjoy the dinosaur animatronics throughout the zoo, but turns out he was terrified of them. So every time we got close to one he would start crying and refuse to walk. Which is basically everywhere in the zoo. P2 liked the dinosaurs at first, until we got to the one that sprays water. She didn't even get wet, but it scared her, and after that she would also start crying whenever we got close to the dinosaurs or heard water spraying.

 

The dinosaurs that sprayed water:

The "Mommy Dinosaur" according to P1.

P2's favorite animal was the cavy. She got really excited when she saw it!

 

P1 was even scared of the lion drinking fountain, and refused to drink out of it. And he asked to have his picture taken with him sitting on the elephant's trunk. He got really scared when it started spraying water.

I'm not sure what animal was P1's favorite, but at the gift shop he chose a toy giraffe. And when we got home, all he would talk about was how the giraffe was telling the mommy dinosaur (T-rex) to stop roaring. P1 is really funny. He is scared of things like the dinosaurs, or the Days of '47 parade floats, but once he gets home then he can't stop talking about them.

P2 was adorable in the gift shop. She would keep grabbing stuffed animals and give them the biggest hugs. I fear a room full of stuffed animals is in her future. Just like her mom and aunt. We couldn't help but buy her a little stuffed sloth. She already has us wrapped around her little finger. And the sloth is her favorite toy now.