Potty Training - phew!

We decided to make Oliver a "toidy chart" to motivate him to use the potty... the idea was, he'd get a sticker for every pee and poo, and at each railroad tracks, he'd get a special prize. He also got a prize for just STARTING the chart, which is witnessed in this first photo -- Oliver with his new Wonder Pets Viewmaster! After two very small pee pees. That was October 10th... then it wasn't until the day before Halloween that he decided to go again on the potty... and that was the day he decided that the potty was the way to go!! We were in Maine, and he announced that he wanted to pee before we got in the car to drive home -- ok, I said! Then, when we stopped at a rest stop, he said it again! Couldn't believe it, as normally a lot of kids are anxious about public restrooms for a long time. Not Oliver!!! After we got home, he started using the potty regularly, and a few days later, had his first poo!!! He went from nothing to everything in a matter of days, all on his own; I didn't have to do anything except hand out the stickers!! He's definitely not motivated by the prizes anymore, as his new favorite thing is to stick the stickers anywhere on the board, not in the top section - here's a look at his chart as of today. He's even going out around town for hours at a time with his big boy underwear on, no problems... he thinks it's really fun to pee in the woods (though he usually gets some on his pants!) Such a big boy - I'm so proud of him!

A new friend

We have had a fantastic time in Maine for the two weeks before Halloween... we missed daddy a LOT, but got to hang out a lot with Grandma , Granddaddy, and Greenie, as well as Uncle Ian and Aunt Suzanne, and even cousin Eli a bit! In our last week up there, we had a visit from my old college friend, Amy Robbins (now Amy Robbins Wilson) and her little boy, Clayton, and we all had sooooo much fun. First we played at home, then we went to the lighthouse and spent ages on the rocks, both boys just loving exploring the tide pools, tossing stones into the water, etc. It was THE most gorgeous day, a day when all you can do is smile. We went to the port after that, had a little lunch, then drove around for a while until both boys fell asleep!! It was so fantastic catching up with Amy - she's such good fun - I can't wait until our next visit.

Logs!!

We got a cord of wood delivered here at the house in Maine yesterday, and today Oliver and I set out to get it stacked... Andy's in England right now, and I missed him, especially when trying to maneuver this really old wheelbarrow with a big tire in the front that is completely flat. We even have an air pump here but the tire is so old that its little air valve is shot. SO not fun when trying to move big, heavy loads of wood from one part of the yard to another. Anyway, the weather was gorgeous - sunny and crisp - and when I wasn't swearing at the wheelbarrow, I really enjoyed myself! I stacked almost the entire cord today, and got such a sense of achievement from it. It made me think of how I miss that feeling, of a "job well done," since my full time job now (mothering) is a "squishy" one -- a job where it's really hard to see your progress or achievements.

I thought it would be hard to stack the wood while managing O and M, but I just did it while Maddie napped, and Oliver had a great time helping me and generally running around the yard and being silly. He'd check inside the house from time to time to make sure Maddie wasn't crying. Quite a team! I only have a tiny bit left to stack now, and I'm actually sad it's nearly done... ALMOST makes me think I might like gardening one day, but I'm not holding my breath. We'll see!!

October in Maine

“Which way I go, Mommy? That way? O-tay!” I’m watching Oliver zoom around his grandparents circular driveway on his cool bike, taking corners like a pro, not daunted by the slight declines that make him speed up. He is SO his father’s son! It is a stunningly gorgeous day, October 20, sun shining, not a cloud in the sky, slight breeze – just feeling very lucky to be here in Maine. Our favorite thing to do in the morning is to walk to the Tenants Harbor General Store down the road, get some hot coffee (I love hazelnut, Andy likes regular) and a croissant or muffin, then walk down to the harbor in front of the East Wind and take in the beautiful views. Oliver loves to watch the boats coming and going; this morning we saw a man loading stacks of crates onto his dinghy , with a small crane-like gadget, then motor out to a little dock in the middle of the harbor and unload them there. Maddie was in the bjorn, enjoying tiny little nibbles of our cream cheese danish.

Later we made our way to Granddaddy and Grandma’s house, and got some chicken going in the slow cooker with some great local barbecue sauce on it – should be yummy! Poor Andy had to head back to NJ on Monday afternoon, to work a few days and then head to England and Germany (England for a long weekend at home with family and friends, Germany for work). Even though daddy’s away, we’re enjoying our time here so much, making the most of it. I get a bit freaked out by the noises in the house at night, but I’m getting used to them, so that should get easier soon. Maddie is loving her walks in the stroller now, sitting up like a big girl (not in the car seat carrier), looking out at anything and everything. Yesterday we took a walk to the playground at the nearby grammar school, and finally met our neighbors on the way – they have 4 kids, including a 3 month old boy, and a 5 year old boy, Liam, who joined us in our trek to the playground and made it a whole lot more fun for Oliver to play there! Tomorrow we’re meeting mom in town for some errands, then a nice lunch with Carole Esley at my new favorite place, Farmer’s Fare in Rockport – can’t wait!

So every time Oliver zooms by, he stops in front of me and says, “Which way I go, Mommy?” I point one way, then the other, saying “This way? That way!” He bikes off, saying, “Thank you, Mommy!” Such a silly boy!!

Wow!

Ok, I just realized there IS a website that will let me print a blog, photos and all, into a soft or hardcover book (it's called blog2print.com) - I'm really excited about it! That means that all of this drivel I spend so much time writing can be archived here at home in a much more accessible way... and it gives me a lot of incentive to write more in the blog!! I've gotten sidetracked with facebook... must get back to basics. :-)

I think our only news right now is our upcoming trip to Maine - we leave a week from tomorrow. Andy will be up for a long weekend (working part of the time), and I'll be up with the kids for 2 full weeks!! Which means I have to do some planning NOW for Oliver's 3rd birthday party, as it will come up *quick* when we get home! Not to mention Halloween... that will be 2 days after we get back. Oliver is going to be a dragon again, 3rd year in a row, same costume -- too big the first year, just right last year, a bit snug this year, but VERY CUTE!!! I think Maddie is going to be a lobster. Photos to come, of course!!

Lately, Oliver has been getting major road miles in on his new bike, on the bike path at Horseshoe Lake. He's a pro already!! We've been twice already this week - I'm sure we'll be going nearly every day that the weather is nice, as he loves it so much! On Monday he biked nearly 3 miles without stopping except for an ocassional investigation of a train track or a falling leaf. Maddie has been enjoying the walks as well, and is very patient with her brother's long rides and then his running around the playground. She's such a good sport. She's still nursing, and also loves "banana pudding" (mashed banana with rice powder and formula), and nearly everything else I offer her - she's very curious.

Happy birthday, Maddie!!

Can't believe Maddie is 6 months old today!!