Potty training is an interesting time of transition...

...for any child, and parent for that matter.  It is a time when a child learns how to do the most ickiest task all by themselves.

This morning, our youngest made her first tinkle in the potty...and her first poop in a chair.  Tonight she is approaching the potty with zeal.  Daddy told Penny to to take her daytime clothes off and put them in the dirty laundry.  Next thing he knows, there's a naked Penny warning him, "Daddy, icky!" And she hands him a very full pee-pee diaper, which is unwrapped and wide open.  As he's trying to throw it in the garbage and grab a new diaper for her, our oldest yells out: "Daddy! Penny is on the potty and she's wiping her bottom with her fingers!"  Oh boy, it is ALL downhill from here...literally snowballing down this hill the rest of the year.  In a way, I'm almost glad maternity leave ends in a couple of months and Mr. Mom has the responsibility of potty training our last two children. (Insert evil cackle here).

Penny and potty training

Potty training has commenced and Penny has performed her first tinkle song in the toilet!

I love my 8 year old...

...She's always trying to expand her vocabulary. Last year, she told me that Daddy took her on a nature walk where Daddy told her all about camel-flash. Even bugs have it, she told me. I explained to her that it was CAMOUFLAGE.

Well, we discovered that Xander has his first cold at his tender age of almost 5 weeks. Evy was very worried and told me that she hoped he wouldn't catch ammonia. I told her that I have that same fear changing his diaper and that I hope I don't catch ammonia when I do it. She had a good laugh at herself when she realized that ammonia can be found in urine. No, Evy, we'll be sure to not pee on Xander while he has a cold...lol

4 weeks into Atkins...

...and I weighed in today at the doctor. The results are...(insert drumroll here)...I lost 20 pounds!!! Yay!

A 20 pound loss is quite a feat, but at my size, 20 pounds is bittersweet. Yes, it's sweet that I lost so much and that I am feeling better over all. However, the bitter part is that I still fit the same clothes I was wearing before. Also, at my size, 20 pounds down is hardly noticeable. But, I must say that the clothes I am wearing fit much looser than they did and I guess that I will be a size smaller by the end of my next 4 weeks. So, I'm not griping - I'll take what I can get!!! Now onto the next 20 :)

My next weigh in should be around February 10th. I'll keep you posted on my progress in the meantime.

Announcing a new page: Seren-isms!

I have added the long-awaited new page of Serenisms. Please look for the link to the right. AND, if you haven't already, please feel free to "like"my page on Facebook. Also, if you think your friends would enjoy some Serenisms, you're welcome to recommend my page and blog to your friends. Thanks!

Today we have a Serenism AND a Penny Thought

Today's Serenism:

Mike points to the salsa Seren dripped onto the crotch of her pants and comments: "Uh-oh, we need to change her pants, Hon."  Seren says, "Why? I just gassed...It WASN'T a wet one..."

Today's Penny Thought:

Penny was treasure hunting in my purse and found a "sanitary napkin."  She unwrapped the "present", handed it to me, and said, "Here you go, sticker!!!"  I can envision giving these kids of stickers out as rewards and the kids sticking them all over the windows on my car just like they do the other fun stickers...

Today's Serenism...

...so far, at least, involves a bagel and cream cheese.  We have the privilege of having our niece over and I served pizza bagels with cream cheese for breakfast.

I hear my niece ask Seren: "How did you get cream cheese on your nose?"  Seren looked dumfounded at first, then she proceeded to lift up the bagel and wipe more cream cheese on her nose.  I'm sure my niece's intention was to motivate Seren to wipe it off her nose, not to wipe more on.  Well, she DID ask HOW it got on her nose.  It makes sense that Seren would give her a direct answer to that question :)