FANTASTIC!

Our morning started off great.......got a little rough around 10:00, gave up and decided the boys and I needed to leave the house since we have been stuck here since Sunday evening dealing with potty training. We needed to see sunlight. We didn't do anything extravagant, just drove through Chick-Fil-A....but I needed it! After lunch it was nap time and when Jackson got up from his nap we sat down together and made a potty chart to hang up in the bathroom. This was around 3:30 and from this point on he had ZERO accidents and earned SEVEN stickers. I was shocked! He wore ONE pair of big boy underwear from 3:30 to 7:15, which was when he got in the bath.

This picture is him with his chart (before the stickers) and all of his big boy underwear. He loves them, which is a good thing. He doesn't want me to put them away in his drawer, so as of right now he has them in the little basket on the back of his tricycle. He gets very mad at Garrett when Garrett decides to have a underwear party and throw them all around the room.

One thing I did differently today was I didn't fill him up on fluids. I was giving him all the water, juice, and milk that he wanted so that he would need to use the restroom more. However, more opportunities to use the restroom means more opportunities to have an accident. Tonight was more scheduled and I think the feeling of needing to go came on slower, which allowed him to notice it more. He was good about just going on his own. I am not a fan of TV, but I had his favorite shows on in the background so he was more calm and aware of when he needed to go.

Here is Jackson counting his stickers. This was during dinner (which explains the food on his face). When he gets to the top of this column, he gets to go outside to play. I knew tomorrow was supposed to be a nice day, but I had predicted that he would reach the top around noon tomorrow. Well.....he only has to earn one more sticker before reaching the top. So...I hope it isn't too cold tomorrow morning. YIKES!

In the middle of all this, I didn't remember until around 4:00 that Garrett turned 10 months today!!!! Garrett has a new interest in "breaking it down," so here is a video (turn up the volume) of Garrett and Jackson dancing to Britney Spears. (Gosh....TV for Jackson, forgetting my child turned 10 months today, AND Britney Spears....what kind of parent am I?!?! It WASN'T the music video, just the song if that helps at all! Hey, we were excited about the potty!)

I also have to mention Garrett's expanding vocabulary. I am listing them in the order in which they came, so pay close attention to number one! (it wasn't this way for Jackson...Daddy was first....and ball....and doggie.....way later came Bobby, which later turned to Mom)

1. MaMa (this is his most used word and has been for awhile :) When he is mad he just crawls around saying Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma. He also says it at happy times. He basically says it all day. It reminds me of when I was teaching and heard "Mrs. Jordan" all day long. MaMa is much better though. ;)

2. /D/ while quickly making his chin hit his chest (hard to explain) means Dog. Perhaps he is trying to bark with the whole chin thing. ???

3. /D/ without the chin to chest means Daddy

4. Bay-Bay for baby! He said this last night for the first time. He has been interested in our gallery of baby pictures around our house.

He also knows sign language for milk if that counts as vocabulary! (That's the only sign I taught him....)