Gettin' the Handle of "Things"

So we are still working on using the potty.  We are doing a great job, don't get me wrong!  Rusty Bones has managed to tell us when he needs to go and even takes it upon himself to find his way to the bathroom, remove his underpants (or diaper in the morning), and begin his business.  He has made a habit to always grab a book to help him relax in his moment.  It is here we usually hear him say soon after, "It's a big, BIG POOOP!".  He is very proud about this.

Another turn (for the better) in this whole potty training experience, is the decrease in episodes that include urine outside of the potty. Instead of one of us having to make sure things are pointed in the correct direction, Rusty Bones has now begun taking on that responsibility.  He takes his one little finger and makes sure to point his business in the downward direction while sitting down.  Seriously, it is so darn cute to see.  Just picture it --  "No mommy!  I do it.... (with one finger pointing at me, then on his wee)."

C-Y-R-U-S

So Rusty Bones has gotten really good at spelling his name.  I've caught him a couple times trying to write it!  Not REALLY write it, but say the letters and actively try to "write something".  He will stand at his easel with a marker and say "Ceeeeeee" and make some "marks".

Stevie has made some jokes about teaching Rusty Bones how to write his name in the snow.  Well, we don't have snow anymore; however, I want to say he's practicing:

It's Snowing!

Snow  Fun - FAIL

Day 1 - Snow Fall 

A couple weeks ago, Virginia saw a significant amount of snow.  After about 2 1/2 days of snow and sleet, some parts of the city saw 24+ inches.   It was also very windy, so some of the snow drifts were deeper than that.  In Virginia, things get crazy when they hear snow.  Being a Maina', I took the necessary precautions about 5 days out, missing the last minute shoppers in "panic mode".   I made sure we has gas and propane for the generator, filled the tub with water to flush the toilets.... stocked up on junk for and booze.  OH, and I ordered a sled for Rusty Bones.

As the snow accumulated after the first 24 hours, I tried to convince Rusty Bones to go outside and check it out!  The last time he saw this much snow was when we was maybe 8 months old??  I just put him down in a pile and let him touch it with his hands.  Not but maybe a 20 second experience.  This time around I bundled him right up!  Well, he didn't want to go outside (mind you, only the first 8 inches fell at this time).  I got myself out there and tried to groom a sledding trail for the sled that I ordered... on Tuesday... on 2-day shipping... that did not come...and now it's Friday.

Day 3

"No, Mommy!  This is fun!"

The next day came around and it continued to snow.... snow... and snow... Day 2 we measured about 8 inches off of our porch.  By the next morning, we had about 18 inches, even after the sleet. I decided it was time.  I needed to do some shoveling.  GeeGee worked nights and he was going to need to shovel himself out to make it to work! I began by shoveling the porch while Rusty Bones watched intently from inside.  I then realized, it was time to try again!  I dressed him up for the outside, but this time, with the sun shining, I decided to go light on the layers.  No jacket.  Just some tucking in of clothes, rain boots, hat and mittens. Needless to say, it was a success!  We were outside for about 45 minutes!!  He seemed to really enjoy it, especially when we showed him how to throw snowballs!!

We ended up receiving the sled, but only after all the snow had melted (it was gone by Day 4).  However, Rusty Bones found a way to make some good use out of the sled anyway...

Day 4

Rusty Bones, You Puzzle Me!

To say our big guy has a mind of his own, may be a slight understatement.  He certainly gets set in his ways (but, so does his mom and dad). One consistent thing Rusty Bones seems to do is obsess about things....I say things, because these things changes.  Sometimes over a course of a couple days, sometimes a couple months...or longer.  For instance, one of his first obsessions was TV.   More specifically, he would only want to watch certain shows.  It went from Baby TV (Color Crew!), to Curious George, to Tumble Leaf.... or even more currently - movies.  In the past 6 months we have had obsessions with Home, Aladdin, Inside Out, Frosty the Snowman, and Big Hero 6.   He sings the songs and has memorized even certain scene scripts and reenacts them during the scenes (like when Joy drags Saddness around "long term memory").  He's got quite a memory!

One obsession that has stayed fairly consistent is his love for puzzles (no, he doesn't watch TV and movies all day).  We actually put all his wooden puzzles away back in November, except for his personalized name puzzle, ABC's, and numbers (0-9).  He began working on a Thomas the Train puzzle that was 12 big pieces.  Although he still needed to work on his skills, he was getting better and better at it.  In a matter of maybe 2 weeks, he had mastered it on his own.  We knew that this needed to be an item on the holiday list!

He added approximately 15 puzzles to his collection over the holidays.  Twelve piece puzzles (seen in picture), to 24 piece puzzles.  He can do the majority of them on his own (mind, we are less than a month after Christmas).  He loves his puzzles!!  The puzzle we are working on now is one that we got to challenge him for a while.  It's a wooden chameleon  puzzle that connects by putting numeric pieces in order (1-15).  In addition, the puzzle flips over to do the same thing but in English/Spanish number words.  It may take some time, but he doesn't get frustrated with it!  He counts to fifteen, and I give him the pieces for now.  I don't think his number recognition in too far away... he already knows some of his letters. Rusty Bones, You Puzzle Me!

Potty Talk

Sooo, we have been pretty chill about potty training.  Rusty Bones first used the potty at his school about, ohhhhhh, almost a year ago?  They bring the kiddos to the potty, although most are in diapers.  Some of the girls of course, are already in undies (18m - 2yo room).
After about 6 month (2yo), he moved classrooms again (2yo-2 1/2yo) and he began to stay more dry!  Still wearing a diaper, but using the potty at least 2 times a day (at school) and maybe once at home.  We even had a couple surprise BMs on the potty! This week he started his NEWest classroom (2 1/2yo - 3yo).  I almost couldn't believe they wanted me to send him in undies (NO diapers!!) and plenty of changes of clothes.  It was official.  We were REALLY potty training. . . .

Monday:  Rusty Bones went to school.  I picked him up with THREE bags of clothes to wash (3 accidents).  It was a big new day with new teachers, friends, and classroom toys, so I didn't think too much of it until we got home.  It was bath night, so we went upstairs after dinner.  Well, part of our routine is using the potty before we get into the bathtub.  He was already unclothed so he ran over to the potty.  He looked around, but didn't turn around.. and then I had my explanation.  He began marking his target, which was apparently moving. . . .across the back of the training toilet. He was sooo excited about his target practicing (which I had never seen before, from him anyway) and removed his potty to pour out the pee, flush, and wash hands.... except he excitedly flung it, spilling pee from the floor to the toilet and wall.  So this wasn't the end.  He finished his bath as I began to clean up the mess and pile up the laundry from the target practicing. He then let me know he needed to go again.  I hurriedly lifted him out and placed him on the potty.  This time he sat.  When he exclaimed, "All done!" He continued to elaborate by standing up and telling me, "Mommy, looks like a hot dog!  Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum....".

Tuesday:  Now that the three changes of clothes were explained from Day 1 (he had been watching the "big boys" stand) as a Jumping Juniper, I was much more optimistic about Day 2 in undies. I picked Rusty Bones up in the same clothes I dropped him off in.  SUCCESS! Feeling a little confident in my son's new skills, we met a friend out for dinner from school... in undies.

As soon as we got to the restaurant, I started asking if he wanted to go potty.  We even started a couple songs to sing as we head in the direction of the bathroom.  Well, he didn't want to budge because he was on this crack pad (aka iPad).  Later after dinner, I smelled something I didn't want to smell.  Yep.  It was what I thought.  Whooosh!!  There we were of to the potty.  No diaper bag.  No wipes. No change of clothes. (and obviously my extra set of balls!). 

Rusty Bones:  Mommy, yucky.
Me: (pulling down his pants while it's smearing down his leg and trying to get in up on the BIG toilet).  I know, buddy.  
Rusty Bones:  (holding on for his dear life).
Me:  (finally removed shoes, pants, and the underwear contents)  Good job, buddy. You're doing a good job.
Rusty Bones:  Mommy, yucky Minions, yucky Minions!  Take them off!!  (his undies were Minions)

I finally get the underwear off, and the poor boy relaxes only to urinate and finish his other business.  Well, I quickly realized he needed a little pointing help as my pants got the brunt of the stream.  Oh, well.  At least he made the pot!

After wrapping the dirty undies and trying to explain to my son, free balling, we finished our evening. Wow.  This is fun!  More laundry.....


Wednesday:  100% success (with diapers at night still, of course).

Thursday: One accident at school (still working on number 2s!) - Not counting the couple aims at the wrong target (mommy) while sitting at home (the laundry machine iiiissss stiiiiilllll running).

Friday: 100% success, with even a bath time potty time of #1 and #2!

Now, it'll be interesting to see how the weekend goes!!

WOW - That was 30 MONTHS ago?

Wow.  To think I thought I would have time to blog once I had a child.....It has been over 2 1/2 years since I started this blog with the intentions of documenting everything I could about our bundle of joy, Rusty Bones.  Since then, reality kicked in.  Then 2016 kicked in and motivated me to document as much as I could about our loving and kind child (Note: I will not always document these two traits, I'm sure). As a cop out excuse, I am going to post a current video to catch you up for now:

General Info:

Rusty Bone’s at 2 ½ years old (31 months, 4 days)
Height	32 inches
Weight	~ 25 pounds
General Disposition	Tantrums – yes (he’s two!), Loving (although he’s getting stingy on his kisses!), likes to Create and use imagination, Obsesses (will want to watch a movie 500 times, eat “specific”go to food, wants to play with play dough/stickers), very Talkative (3-7 word sentences -- endless number of songs!) -- always saying the last words in a high pitch voice:  Watch Bubble GUPPIES?
Favorite Saying (s)	Nooo!  Stop it mommy/daddy! What you doing mommy/daddy? No Kisses! I wanna play with stickers. . .I vovee you mommy/daddy/Mikey. I wanna go to Henry’s house!
Appetite	A very great eater, although he has begun to get picky.  Some of this favorites include: Chicken Parmesan, grapes, broccoli, raspberries, green beans, peas, tuna fish, cantaloupe, cheddar bunnies
Favorite Things To Do	puzzles, read books, play with trains, watch Minions, sing/dance, go to the store (ANY store - Sam's, grocery)
Special Tricks	counting to 15 (fairly consistent) - but trying for 20, lots of songs (ABCs are a breeze now), learning to use the potty (almost there!),  using imagination
Favorite Comfort "Object	Mikey (the monkey)
Habits	staying up late, sleeping with mommy/daddy (we know, we know...), using manners, washing hands after using the potty, helping with chores (vacuuming, laundry), throwing cards (of any game) all over the place, singing, playing with his "weekend" friends (Henry and Brady)