More pee pee in the potty

Potty training was basically abandoned as Mel was too scared to actually go and would get easily distracted with his sister being home all the time this summer. 

Tonight, however, he had a dry diaper before bathtime and had to go after getting into the bath. He hates to pee in the tub and had no choice, by his own decision, but to go in the potty. He was very nervous but he went while holding himself with his hand, trying to hold it back. But he went!

Proud. Hooray!

School starts next week and we'll start training anew then. 

Our favorite peanut butter balls

Originally posted April 2014

http://themessybakerblog.com/2014/01/16/peanut-butter-oat-balls

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup flax seed meal

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Add oats, flax seed meal, and mini chocolate chips to a large bowl. Stir to combine.

Add peanut butter, honey, and vanilla extract. Using a wooden soon or rubber spatula, stir until thoroughly combined. The mixture will be very thick.

Shape the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls. Transfer the balls to an airtight container, separating each layer with wax paper. Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

I recommend this recipe, it's easy and my son loves it. I only use 1 cup of oats instead of 1.5 cups, and I use an entire jar of Smucker's Natural peanut butter as well as 1/2 cup of honey (instead of 1/4 cup). I like the Smucker's Natural because the oil softens up the oats a little, which helps bind them so they're not so dry.

A horrible face was the reaction when I showed my preschooler the "cookie" I made with peanut butter and chocolate chips. Normally, she loves both these ingredients but apparently they must be kept separate.

"They're not cookies. Cookies are flat and crumbly."
Do you want some sprinkles?
"No! That'll make it worse!"

Sigh.

The beach and a family trip

We took the kids to the beach last week. They were well behaved and traveled the three hours in the car very well.

 I'm always pleasantly surprised how they can go so long with limited entertainment from us. Now, of course, Mel takes a nap but usually that's only about an hour and only while we're at full speed on the highway. If there's traffic and we have to stop or slow down, he's likely to wake up.

They stayed up until about 9pm each night and Mel was able to handle it best. My little Carolina is, as from day one, unable to adjust to disappointment while tired. 

She didn't nap at all this summer but clearly could use a nap. I didn't force her but tried at the beginning to encourage it. I gave up after a few days because there's no nap in kindergarten, so I didn't see the point in encouraging it over the summer. She is, however, always crying and whining when she doesn't get what she wants. She improved a small amount but she does drive me up a wall with it. I try to remember she needs a hug in those moments but it's taxing. 

They both felt very comfortable at the beach and had a lot of fun. The following weekend we went to Maryland to visit the family. The kids really liked playing with their cousins. It was good to see everyone. 

5 year check-up

Originally published May 2014

3' 4" /101.6cm (8%)

33lbs /15Kg (7%)

And healthy. Great vision and hearing. 

Two shots and blood work -- almost no crying!!!

Quote of the beach vacation

"Opeen da vindow!"

Funny things said today

At bathtime:

Mel: chupon!

Me: ok, let's empty the bath and get your chupon. 

Mel: no! Too busy!

Me: um, ok. *shrug*

At lunchtime:

C: I got syrup on my shirt. See?

Me: But I told you to be careful. 

C: I WAS careful, my pancakes weren't careful.