So I've always heard that second children pick up things sooner and faster, but I did NOT see this coming: Ethan has started potty training! And this is totally child-directed. For a couple of months, he's been going pee-pee in the potty right before he gets in the bath, but that was it. He even dropped a few 2's in the pot on random occasions, but it was more like he just happened to be sitting on the potty when the urge to go hit him (which isn't terribly surprising since he poops about five times a day). But about a week ago, he has started telling me when he has to go pee-pee. He is peeing in the potty 8-10 times a day, though still regularly wetting diapers as well. If he is naked, he will ALWAYS go in the potty, but if he is wearing a diaper, it is 50/50. I'm wondering if I should just put him in underwear at 22 months and see what happens, but the 12-month saga of potty-training Caleb is still too fresh in my memory for such ambition. I think I'll just keep helping him go when he wants to, and keep him in diapers for the time being. I could change my mind, but I'm not anxious to start all that frustration all over again if he's really not as ready as he's acting right now.
But for posterity, I have to share this: Ethan has a little blue Baby Bjorn potty seat in the bathroom, right next to "Bubba's big boy potty." This is what he uses all day long, and he LOVES to sit down, do his business, and then jump up to see how much he's produced. He quickly pronounces it "a LOT" or "a lil bit", and then proceeds to pick up the potty bowl, dump it in the toilet, flush the toilet, and even RINSE OUT THE POTTY BOWL HIMSELF. He puts it back in his potty chair and pronounces it "all clean". Sometimes, he enjoys this process so much that he sits back down, makes some more pee-pee, and does it all over again. Marcus and I think that cleaning out his own potty won't last more than a week, but I want to be sure to get it on video tape before he gets tired of it :)
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wagner Christmas in AL--Part 2
Since Marcus had to work Wednesday and Thursday while everyone was here, we decided to do our Christmas on Friday morning. Everyone was up by 9:00, so after breakfast, we all gathered in the living room for present time. The kids opened their gifts with gusto. Ethan took his time...playing with each toy after he opened it. Caleb was more eager to get everything unwrapped and then take each item out of the packages. Since we just did presents for the kids on this side of the family, as well, present time was much shorter than in previous years. And the traditional stocking hunt which usually precedes opening presents was done the next morning instead. This year, Mimi prepared two separate stocking hunts: one for Chase & Caleb and one for Kylie and Ethan. Chase and Caleb did pretty good with theirs, though Kylie preferred following the big boys to searching for her own clues, and Ethan was not quite old enough to stay focused on such a long task. Regardless, all the kids were caught up in the excitement of running around the house and looking for clues.
This was sort of the Christmas of Mike & Gigi renovating our entertainment world. They recently got a new TV, so they dragged the huge TV they had replaced all the way from Florida to give to us. They also gave me a Roku for my birthday, which is a super-cool little box that takes Netflix videos and transfers them from the computer to the TV. And to top it all off, Mike (and Al and Josh), helped Marcus go buy this beautiful entertainment armoir that I found on Craig's list (since we didn't have anywhere to put the new TV). Now our living room is so much more attractive! Our previous entertainment center was purchased for $20 from Craig's list, and we had to slide wood slivers under the right side to keep it standing up. This entertainment armoir the guys brought home for me was probably purchased originally for more than $1,000; it is still in perfect condition and it only cost us $120.
Everyone (except Wendi) headed out of town around 1:00 Saturday afternoon. That night, Wendi babysat for us so Marcus and I could go out and celebrate my 30th birthday with our best friends.
This was sort of the Christmas of Mike & Gigi renovating our entertainment world. They recently got a new TV, so they dragged the huge TV they had replaced all the way from Florida to give to us. They also gave me a Roku for my birthday, which is a super-cool little box that takes Netflix videos and transfers them from the computer to the TV. And to top it all off, Mike (and Al and Josh), helped Marcus go buy this beautiful entertainment armoir that I found on Craig's list (since we didn't have anywhere to put the new TV). Now our living room is so much more attractive! Our previous entertainment center was purchased for $20 from Craig's list, and we had to slide wood slivers under the right side to keep it standing up. This entertainment armoir the guys brought home for me was probably purchased originally for more than $1,000; it is still in perfect condition and it only cost us $120.
Everyone (except Wendi) headed out of town around 1:00 Saturday afternoon. That night, Wendi babysat for us so Marcus and I could go out and celebrate my 30th birthday with our best friends.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wagner Christmas in AL--Part 1
Just like the other one, this Christmas post is coming a month late, but better late than never. This year we were blessed by the whole Wagner clan coming up from Florida to celebrate Christmas with us here in Birmingham. Mike's family and Mimi arrived on the 29th, which happened to be my 30th birthday. Mimi was kind enough to keep the four kiddos so Mike, Gigi, Marcus and I could go out to eat. I got to pick the restaurant, so we went to my favorite Thai/Sushi place, and then to see Avatar afterwards. (It had been at least a year, maybe two, since I'd seen a movie in the theater, so my perspective may have been a little skewed, but I thought the movie was GREAT.) The next day, Marcus had to go to work, so Mike, Gigi, Mimi and I took the four kids to the McWane Center. It was a good thing that we had a 1:1 adult/kid ratio because it was CROWDED that day. We all just each took a kid and followed him or her. We ran into one of our BFF's with his triplet 3-year-olds, and they joined us for lunch. At one point, because everyone else was up getting food, drinks, napkins, etc., it was just Gigi sitting at the table with seven preschoolers. People probably thought she was a preschool teacher on a field trip :) That evening, Traci and her family, along with Wendi and two of her friends, arrived. That topped us off at 15 people in our house at that point (five of them age 4 and under). Nevertheless, we all had a good time hanging out that evening. That's all the time I have right now, but look for more about our Wagner Christmas tomorrow.
Wagner Family: Josh, Traci & Maddie McGough; Marcus, Rachel, Caleb & Ethan; Michael, Gigi, Chase & Kylie; Mimi; Wendi
Wagner Girls: Gigi, Maddie, Susan, Wendi, Rachel, Traci, Kylie
Wagner Boys: Ethan, Marcus, Caleb, Josh, Chase, Michael
Wagner cousins: Ethan, Kylie, Maddie, Chase & Caleb
Ethan and Kylie in the new entertainment armoire.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Prayer Under Pressure
Caleb has never been a very big eater. He particularly dislikes dinner cuisine (probably because it is catered to our tastes rather than his own). Over the past couple of years, we have tried many things to encourage him to eat more. Sometime around Thanksgiving, we hit the jackpot of motivators: filial competition. One day, the boys were eating dinner (Daddy was still at work) and I commented about how well Ethan was eating. Caleb just kept sitting there staring at his plate, swinging his legs, and waiting for Ethan and I to finish so he could ask to be excused. I looked at him sideways and said, "Caleb, you know, if Ethan keeps eating so much and you keep eating nothing, Ethan is going to get bigger than you." CHA-CHING. Caleb looked at me incredulously. Then he looked at Ethan with alarm. Then, miracle of miracles, he picked up his fork and started to eat. Since that day, you would not believe how many plates he has cleaned due to a simple repitition of this line of thought.
Just last night at the dinner table, Caleb was resisting participating in our prayer time. He wiggled and writhed and refused to fold his hands and bow his head, as he knows he is expected to do. After two false starts and reminders, we completed the prayer and temporarily ignored his disrespect. After the three of us raised our heads, I removed Caleb's plate from in front of him and told him that he could eat after he was ready to say his own prayer respectfully. He grinned impishly, and I realized that my punishment was going to fall flat, since he didn't like what we were having anyway. Daddy decided to add a little heat to my flickering fire, so he started commenting on how much Ethan was eating, and how big Ethan was going to get. He laid it on thick, saying "Mommy, did Ethan just grow a little bit? I thought I just saw him get taller? Did you see that?" The more he talked, the angrier Caleb looked. Finally, he closed his eyes and burst out in a loud and frustrated voice, "THANK YOU GOD FOR OUR FOOD IN JESUS NAME AMEN!" Then he grabbed his plate and started shoving food into his mouth. It was all Marcus and I could do not to choke on our food.
Just last night at the dinner table, Caleb was resisting participating in our prayer time. He wiggled and writhed and refused to fold his hands and bow his head, as he knows he is expected to do. After two false starts and reminders, we completed the prayer and temporarily ignored his disrespect. After the three of us raised our heads, I removed Caleb's plate from in front of him and told him that he could eat after he was ready to say his own prayer respectfully. He grinned impishly, and I realized that my punishment was going to fall flat, since he didn't like what we were having anyway. Daddy decided to add a little heat to my flickering fire, so he started commenting on how much Ethan was eating, and how big Ethan was going to get. He laid it on thick, saying "Mommy, did Ethan just grow a little bit? I thought I just saw him get taller? Did you see that?" The more he talked, the angrier Caleb looked. Finally, he closed his eyes and burst out in a loud and frustrated voice, "THANK YOU GOD FOR OUR FOOD IN JESUS NAME AMEN!" Then he grabbed his plate and started shoving food into his mouth. It was all Marcus and I could do not to choke on our food.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Caleb (Monthly Update)
I missed Caleb's update last month, since it was while we were in Texas, so here is an overview of the past two months. Caleb is 3 years and 10 months old now...I really can't believe I'm going to have a 4-year-old in just two months.
So Caleb has developed a bit of a competitive spirit in the past couple of weeks. To be honest, its a bit of a relief to me. Caleb has always been a little too willing to have things done for him and to stand on the sidelines. Completely opposite of most toddlers, he never went through a fiercely independent stage, and rarely demanded to do any tasks"by myself". I realized this imbalance in his temperament sometime after he turned two, and started encouraging him to do more things on his own. (Ethan's birth definitely facilitated that change.) Still, he preferred for me to do everything for him and resisted/fought my encouragements on a daily basis. He didn't want to get his own cup off the counter, take a spoon out of the drawer, put a toy away, take his clothes to the laundry basket, throw something away, etc. He always whined, "You do it, please, Mama!" We've been having these redundant conversations that ultimately end in him completing the task, but with a lot of unpleasantness in the middle, since he was two.
Now, more than a year a half later, he is finally starting to take pride in completing daily tasks independently. He buckles himself in his carseat, he picks out his clothes and gets dressed (though he still won't/can't do his shoes and socks alone), he loves to be the "leader" in any activity, and he is always trying to do things faster and be the "winner." (This is not a word we use, but he's picked it up on his own.) He is also very interested in being stronger and bigger than everyone he knows. He asks me regularly if he will be able to do this or that when he grows up. He still resists completing any parent-directed task, no matter how simple, but now, at least half the time, he will do what I ask with minimal complaint. I think going to preschool helped him develop this healthy motivation to do things on his own.
Caleb is still very into playing with his friends, just as he was a couple of months ago. Anytime I tell him we are going somewhere, his first question is "Who's going to be there?" or "What friends will I see?" (Is this a flashforward to teenage years?) His face falls and he protests if I tell him we aren't meeting anyone.
Caleb's not as into puzzles as he used to be, and new on the horizon are computer games on pbskids.org. I've picked out 4-5 number games that he can play, and he has really improved at counting lately. He can even do some very simple subtraction and addition in his head. The games I like are Bring It, Banana 411, Zoo-Mazing, Roly Poly Roundup, and Super Bouncy Blast Off. Another of Caleb's favorite pastimes these days is tumbling. I'm thinking about seeing if we can swing putting him in a gymnastics class this summer. He can do a very smooth somersault, and is working on doing a round-off. He loves to jump and to test his own coordination and balance, so I think gymnastics would be a good fit at this stage.
My favorite thing about the past couple of months in Caleb-land is watching him and Ethan become closer and closer. They are best buddies right now, and I am loving it!
So Caleb has developed a bit of a competitive spirit in the past couple of weeks. To be honest, its a bit of a relief to me. Caleb has always been a little too willing to have things done for him and to stand on the sidelines. Completely opposite of most toddlers, he never went through a fiercely independent stage, and rarely demanded to do any tasks"by myself". I realized this imbalance in his temperament sometime after he turned two, and started encouraging him to do more things on his own. (Ethan's birth definitely facilitated that change.) Still, he preferred for me to do everything for him and resisted/fought my encouragements on a daily basis. He didn't want to get his own cup off the counter, take a spoon out of the drawer, put a toy away, take his clothes to the laundry basket, throw something away, etc. He always whined, "You do it, please, Mama!" We've been having these redundant conversations that ultimately end in him completing the task, but with a lot of unpleasantness in the middle, since he was two.
Now, more than a year a half later, he is finally starting to take pride in completing daily tasks independently. He buckles himself in his carseat, he picks out his clothes and gets dressed (though he still won't/can't do his shoes and socks alone), he loves to be the "leader" in any activity, and he is always trying to do things faster and be the "winner." (This is not a word we use, but he's picked it up on his own.) He is also very interested in being stronger and bigger than everyone he knows. He asks me regularly if he will be able to do this or that when he grows up. He still resists completing any parent-directed task, no matter how simple, but now, at least half the time, he will do what I ask with minimal complaint. I think going to preschool helped him develop this healthy motivation to do things on his own.
Caleb is still very into playing with his friends, just as he was a couple of months ago. Anytime I tell him we are going somewhere, his first question is "Who's going to be there?" or "What friends will I see?" (Is this a flashforward to teenage years?) His face falls and he protests if I tell him we aren't meeting anyone.
Caleb's not as into puzzles as he used to be, and new on the horizon are computer games on pbskids.org. I've picked out 4-5 number games that he can play, and he has really improved at counting lately. He can even do some very simple subtraction and addition in his head. The games I like are Bring It, Banana 411, Zoo-Mazing, Roly Poly Roundup, and Super Bouncy Blast Off. Another of Caleb's favorite pastimes these days is tumbling. I'm thinking about seeing if we can swing putting him in a gymnastics class this summer. He can do a very smooth somersault, and is working on doing a round-off. He loves to jump and to test his own coordination and balance, so I think gymnastics would be a good fit at this stage.
My favorite thing about the past couple of months in Caleb-land is watching him and Ethan become closer and closer. They are best buddies right now, and I am loving it!
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