Halloween 2009

Tinkerbell pushing a tired Hulk to bed.
The Wilsons cousins were in town and we had a blast! Betty really loved this Holiday, so much that she put her Tinkerbell dress on, 1st thing the next day. The weather was perfect and we had a great Halloween.

Spa Diva

I am a Spa Gal, by trade and hobby. Since age 16, I have worked in the "beauty" business in some aspect. It seems I have passed this trait genetically to Betty. Her toes were painted her first week of life, she has had baths in gourmet spa products, she's been lathered in luxurious body creams; but she had never had a real spa treatment. That is until last week. While her oldest Whitney girl cousin was in town to visit, Betty joined her for a afternoon at mommy's spa for kids. (I run 2 spa's; 1 for adults & 1 for kids 12 & younger)

Betty outside Scooops Kid Spa, age 2

Awaiting her Chocolate Covered Cherry Facial

She loves the mirror....hmmm she must see me admiring it a bit too often!

Covered with the Organic Chocolate maskHer cheeks smelled like chocolate for hours. Sweet & yummy, couldn't stop kissing them

Time for an Ice Cream pedicure

Her nails are painted hot pink with silver "Tinkerbell" sparkles

I long await the days when we leave dad and future brother on the golf course for a mom and Betty Spa Day.

Betty 2.5

Many times a day I but heads with my 2 and a 1/2 year old. She is head strong and stubborn. Her way or no way. At the end of the day, it always makes me smile, but in the thick of it I feel more like screaming. Tonight was a bad night to be Betty's mom. Before I forget her at age 2.5 I wanted to blog about it & have a laugh someday.

• She has to have her own Pilate's mat and do it with mom. (above)
• She hates to say "I'm sorry" so when we tell her to apologize she says "you say sorry".
• Everything is "me do it"; car seat buckles, shoes, socks, etc.
• She tells me "don't be that way"
• At Target I tried to buy her some brown boots but she wanted the pink ones. She wouldn't even let me put the brown boots in the cart.

• Lately she tells me I can't be Jill, I have to be mommy. Tonight she made me take my hair out of a ponytail because I needed to be mommy not Jill.
• If you tell her a plan (we are gonna go to the gym, then target, then Costco) she will hold you to that plan. Don't even try to deviate from it. Worst part is, she knows how to get to those places so if you don't drive the right way, she'll make sure to tell you.
• She negotiates. "1 more show" "Not done yet" and anything she can say to get a little bit more out of something.
• She has to have her own umbrella when it's raining.

• When I got home from work yesterday, she ran into the garage and began yelling at me because I did not pick her up from school (daddy did).
• She won't give up her binki and when I say she is a big girl & doesn't need it, she says "not a big girl". She has 2 binkis; pink & white. The white is her favorite and she tries to match things to it. She'll pick out a shirt with white in it and hold her binki up to it and say "Same".
  

Everyday there is more ways she amazes me & frustrates me. What can I say, she has learned from the best!!!

September

Betty started (or re-started) preschool. She goes each Wednesday at Creative Learning Center (same place we tried last year, but she got kicked out due to crying). This year has been a success. They take a nap after lunch and I think it is her favorite part. She is sometimes the last kid to wake up!

Easton & Betty.

Easton goes to the same school, same day, but he is the much older, much cooler, handsome 5 year old.

Friends.

Kaiya, Easton, Betty, Maura. All the girls are in the same class.

Labor Day 2009...Fort Worth Zoo

September was filled with playing with our friends...

Betty & Saylor

Saylor, Easton, Betty.

*What a busy month. My dad turns 62 tomorrow & it worked out that all his kids could be in Denver together on the 19th for a surprise party. Betty got to stay with her grandparents all week, while I attended a trade show in Las Vegas for work. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa and all our CO. cousins for taking such good care of Betty. She keeps saying she will go back tomorrow!!

Happy Birthday daddy, you are the best, I am so very lucky.

What I now understand...

After a few years of marriage and a child I now understand:

• What Ralphie from the Christmas Story meant by "My mom hadn't had a hot meal in 8 years" (or however many years).
  
• That reading 20 minutes of a picture book can sometimes feel like forever.


• That Dora the Explorer is actually not so bad (not as good as Backyardigans though).


• That taking 5 minutes at the end of the night to brush your teeth and wash your face, is not always worth it!


• Your current events becomes how many times did she pee or poop, when was her nap, and did you wash her hair?


• You can really block out your own name (or mommy) when it's being said repeatedly.


• You cannot live without Tivo to watch your shows when the kids are sleeping.


• That getting a 2 year old to sleep can be so exhausting.


• How handy wipes are for almost everything.


• How you can live, love, and see your husband all the time; but never "talk" to them. (i.e. you have plans with your girlfriends in a few hours & you've known about it for weeks, you just haven't told your spouse or someone in your family either had a baby over a week ago and you haven't talked about it or even told him).
• That driving in the car by yourself is fun & weird all at the same time.

Stepping in pee

We started potty training Betty last Saturday. I created a princess chart, wrapped four princess gifts and put them up high, but in sight. Let her pick out her big girl undies (some princess, some Diego boy undies). She got a sticker for each pee or poop; 4 stickers = gift.

Here how is went:

Day 1: 5 accidents/ 1 potty

Day 2: 1 accident / a few potty's/ 1 poop

Day 3: no accidents, public toilets, & a first of the morning "mom I have to potty"

Day 4: 1 accident / 1 3am wake up mom i have to pee/ 1 poop

Day 5 (today): no accidents/ 1st day at someone elses home/ wants no diaper at night.

She seems to really like it. She has to poop 2 more times to get her last princess gift. She tries to use going potty to get out of her room at night when she has to go to bed. She'll cry from her room "potty" or "poopy", we go get her, and nothing. That is until last night when I finally gave in to her 4th failed attempt at a "poopy" plea, to find little poop terds in my room! I learned my lesson, and will now just trust her when she cries at night to poop.

To top it all off, Dublin is on some medication that makes him urinate often. I have stepped in more pee this week than I care to think about. Luckily my house has mostly tile and we are getting new carpet next week! One of them (Betty or Dublin) peed in her room and since the new carpet is coming, neither Ben or I care to clean it. I am sorry if that grosses you out, just don't come over for a few weeks.
I have to go mop my pee infested tile and head for bed!

Utah visit

We spent 2 days at Daybreaks Lake Beach. The first day was cold and Betty was not sure if she liked it, the second day she was running and jumping off the pier (of course I didn't have my camera that day).

Betty & Hank (my friends Laurel's boy).

They are a good pair. She is all girl, he is a rough and tough cowboy. After swimming at the beach we stripped them down and hosed them off in the backyard. When they date at 16, we can embarrass them by saying they ran naked in the sprinklers together! (once again no camera)