Tuesday, October 27, 2009

We've been busy!

I know I have been lacking on updating my blog for the past few months, but I have good reasons! I swear! First off, I've super busy with school. Lots and lots of homework. LOTS. And then I've had my craft shows on top of that. I have one down, one to go! Then add in finding a new daycare provider and potty training my two year old. YIKES.

The potty training started a week ago when I started my new daycare. First off, I love my new daycare place! A wonderful lady with an in-home daycare on Elmendorf AFB is watching my little angel. I actually found her onCraigslist and immediately thought that she would be a good fit for our family. She is licensed through the base so that was pro number 1. Then I went to meet her and instantly fell in love with her curriculum and set-up. She keeps her numbers low so she can devote more personal attention to each of the children. Right now she has Brooke, one other part timer and her own. Brooke started potty training the day she started there and it has been a journey! The FCC onElmendorf says that any child over the age of 2 1/2 has to be in underwear. I was little apprehensive because I had planned on working with Brooke when this semester ended. I wanted to wait till then because then I would be able to focus 100% on her and potty training and not have to worry about anything else, like school. But, the world doesn't always work that way so here we are. I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised on how well Brooke is doing. It has been a week now and she is down to one or two accidents per day. And it's getting better everyday! When she's here at home with me she usually doesn't have any, and that's just because I can devote my attention on her potty training. When she's at daycare she waits until the last minute, and sometimes it's too late. This morning she only had one accident, and that was while she was pulling down her pants. I took her to the grocery store yesterday and she didn't soil her pull-up at all. Can I tell you how wonderful it is not to change poopy diapers anymore? I love it! But now we have all these pull-ups to use. And I think I'll use them when I take her out in public. She knows that she shouldn't pee in her pants and she has been doing very well not doing that when we go out in public, even if she has a pull-up on. We went to a Halloween party this past weekend and I had put a pull-up on her. The whole time we were there I would take her to potty, but nothing. But she stayed dry. And then when we got home three hours later she went on the potty! Amazing. I've been using some suggestions from fellow friends/moms. Some of them are working very well! My friend Megan told me that when she potty trained her daughter she bought her some underpants with different characters on them, and then told her to keep those characters dry or they would be sad. I tried that with Brooke and she told me that they would be "gwumpy" if they got wet. Well, apparently she had an accident at daycare and fell to pieces because she made the monkeys "gwumpy." I thought it was cute. And then there are my additions to this process. I'm very nervous about Brooke having accidents on the carpet in our house because they black light our carpets when we move out. If there are stains, we pay for the carpets, and that is not something I want to do. My friend Jenn laughed at me when I went out and bought puppy pads to keep the cloth/absorbent surfaces in my house safe. But come on! How genius is that! Set one under the child if they sit on the couch, and my personal favorite, in the car seat! Car seats don't come with several different covers and who wants to wash them every time there's an accident?! Anyways, I thought I was being smart, but I got laughed at. Oh well. You win some you lose some. So in conclusion, the potty training experience is going well, but my husband totally owes me when he gets home. :)

Brooke is thoroughly enjoying her new daycare. She loves Miss Dee and has already made a new friend. She loves the structure and I do too! She comes home daily telling me what she has learned and what she did at school that day. Brooke thrives off a schedule and I can see that this is going to be very good for her. Miss Dee has lesson plans for each week and themes that she works from. I feel confident leaving Brooke in her care everyday and Brooke adjusted perfectly! The first day there she all but pushed me out the door! There are so many learning tools and I love how learning is integrated into their day.
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I've opened up a new Etsy store. I have a new found passion for making pacifier clips and now I've opened up an Etsy shop that carries only pacifier clips. They are too cute for words and I am thoroughly enjoying buying different printed ribbon. Here are some examples of what I have made so far, but never fear! I have just ordered more printed ribbon!






Make sure you check out my shop and heart it to keep up with all of the new prints I am getting in! These are perfect shower gifts, stocking stuffers, "whatever" gifts, etc. I have also priced them low enough so you can splurge and get more than one! But don't let the affordable price fool you, they are very well made and durable! They can also be turned into toy clips or bib clips! Make sure to pass the word on!


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