Bye-Bye Bottle

Right now I really have nothing new to share or post about. Since I can't seem to think of anything new and exciting I will share some good news that happened last month but I never found the time to post about it.

As you all remember my husband and I took our weekend trip to Nashville, TN.

(Side note: I still owe you all pictures for that but can't find my adapter to get the pictures out of my old camera. This is why I don't like to use that camera but we did so until I find the adapter they are stuck inside my camera.)

Anyway we took our trip and my parents watched my boys. My wonderful mother decided she was going to try and break my son of his bottle habit. This was one of those things that I needed to do but I was so afraid to do. His habit was strong and I wasn' t up for that all night fight, the crying and the saying no.

Well my mom took a bottle to her house but hid it and anytime Thomas asked she said it had gone bye-bye. He went for three days and had no bottle. I was so impressed and thrilled but I also new that he would push me harder for it when I came home.

Sunday night we return home and he instantly asks me for his ba-ba. I tell him it went bye-bye and we had a 45 minute melt down but I new I had to hold strong.

He still asks me almost every day for a ba-ba and I have to tell him it went bye-bye. He has come to accept this and the ba-ba is no long in the picture thanks to my mom. The best part was we actually broke him of the bottle before he turned two. I thought for sure I was going to have a two year old walking around with a bottle.

My biggest issue with taking it away is he will not drink milk from a cup for me. He still refused to drink milk for me in a cup. The good news is he will drink milk in a cup at the sitters and at grandma's houses.

Have you had a hard time breaking your kids of something?

Saying A Bad Word

Something I learned long ago is our little ones look up to us as role models and they do mimic the things we say and do.

I am not a person who uses curse words, well very little anyway. I don’t drop the “F” word ever, I don’t say “S#!@” but on occasion I do say “Damn it”. Funny thing is Luke has taught me to say “barnacles” because he says that often and it is a Sponge Bob phrase.

I should have learned years ago. When Luke was two I said “Damn it” often. Sure enough at the age of two Luke started saying “damn it” and he said it often. I felt very bad about teaching my child to use this word. From that point on I became very conscious about what I said and really made an effort not to say these things.

However I am human (not perfect) and it is one of those things that slip’s out when I get really frustrated. Typically occurs at times when my child has decided to dump the dog’s water bowl all over the floor for the third time. Yes, it is these times when the “Damn it” flies from my tong and it comes across in a very frustrated tone.

Wouldn’t you know it, at the age of two, Thomas dropped the word “damn it”. He was getting mad about something and sure enough in his moment of anger he yelled it out. I instantly corrected Thomas and this has only encouraged him to say it more. At that point I ignored him and he stopped saying it.

It is just funny to me (OK not funny) how both my boys have learned this word from me and at the very young age of two. My efforts are good but obviously not good enough and I must try harder.

I grew up in a house with parents who cursed all the time but we were not allowed to say those words. I always thought that was a double standard and I still to this day feel like it is a double standard. Because I feel this way, I need to set an example and not use this type of language in front of my kids. Good news is my parents have grown with age and also curb their words especially around the kids.

Have your kids ever picked up a behavior from you that you wished they had not?

Playing Soccer

Luke has played soccer since he was three years old.

We thought it would be something fun for him to do.
We quickly learned soccer wasn't really his thing.

OK, at 3 it isn't really any child's thing but they are learning.

At 4 he would sit down in the middle of the field or was off picking dandelions.

At the age of 5 we put him on a team with one of his friends.
Big mistake as these two would run around the field holding hands,
trying to do cart wheels and anything else but play soccer.

After that fall season we decided it was time to give soccer a rest.
Luke's dad coached a few times and his dad was really starting to lose his patients.

This fall Luke wanted to play again.
Of course what parent can say no when their child wants to play.
No really big hope for him playing but we signed him up anyway.

Well guess what?
At the age of 6 he has figured out that he can play soccer
and he does it very well.

My little all star played so well this year and we were so proud of him.

I guess this is why they say never give up.

Visit Angie at 7 Clown Circus for more great Wordful Wednesday post.

Happy Halloween 2009

Saturday was a big day with all the
Halloween activities taking place in our house.
We started our day off with a little pumpkin carving.
Notice my kitchen gloves on Luke.
He did not want to clean out the pumpkin unless he wore gloves.

I was a nervous wreck watching this child carve a pumpkin with a knife.
He is just growing up way to fast.

Thomas thinks he is carving on Luke's finished pumpkin.
He was funny!

On Mickey Mouse carved pumpkin. Thanks to me!
Oh and excuse this childs shirt and face.
I don't remember him being such a mess.

Luke's finished pumpkin he carved all by himself.

Our finished products all lit up.

Now it is time to go Trick-or-treating.

One Indiana Jones &

one little puppy.

His little puppy costume was almost two small.
Notice the feet?

And what event out wouldn't be complete
with out a full blown temper tantrum.
He did not take a nap today & is now tired.

If only you could hear him singing the Indiana theme song. Funny!

A couple outside shots before we drive into town.

Let's go!
Thomas was hooked once he new he was getting candy.

This was the first year we were having to keep up
with Luke instead of the other way around.

Remember that nap we missed?
It caught up to us.

Happy Halloween!
I hope you all had as much fun as we did.

Ladybug I am So Sorry

I am sitting here catching up on blogs and Thomas starts beating his train table with a toy hammer. He is beating it and beating it! Then he comes to me holding out his hand to give me something. My child has decided to beat an innocent little ladybug into a flat pancake.

So I ask him, did you smash the bug with your hammer. He just gives me this huge smile like, I took care of the problem.

I guess the ladybugs currently hanging out in my house need to take note that they are not allowed to crawl around on the train table.