Diapers no more!

John and I popped open a really nice bottle of wine the other night. We had something to celebrate.
We are done with diapers!!!!!!
Even as I write those words, I still can't believe its true.
Done
with
d i a p e r s. 

We disassembled the changing tables that crowded our family room and bedroom.
And we toasted.
 I never thought this day would come.

Now, just because we are done with diapers, doesn't mean we are done with dealing with poop. In fact, I'm convinced that it might even be easier to change three diapers than  supervise three potty training boys in a public restroom.
And it's definitely better than changing totally soiled underwear.
 Accidents do happen---a lot;  but,  I fully expect that.
 However, we are not going back.

 

After a particularly hard potty training day, John told me that he thought James wasn't ready yet.
"Nope," I declared, "we are done with diapers. We are never going back. He's going to have to figure it out."
Each day gets better. I'm just so glad we decided not to get the new carpet right after we moved into the house.

And, every person has an audience, whether they want one or not.   Each attempt on the potty includes at least two or three curious spectators, eagerly awaiting to see what was deposited in the pot.
The nightly potty ritual is brutal. Just when you think you are at the end of bedtime routine, someone has to use the potty, which suddenly reminds everyone that they too need to go. 😫😫😫

This is  another exhausting stage of growing up; but, we are trending in the right direction.

*********************************************************************************
Sometimes I get lost in the routine of everyday life. The drive to and from preschool is so programmed in me, I don't even know how I arrive sometimes.

One day passes into the next, and as I pull up to preschool to pick up Evie, I can hear the sounds of laughter from the children playing on the playground. There is always a cluster of giggling, pink clad girls nestled into the single tire swing.

One little girl is pushing with all her might, trying with every ounce of her little body to give everyone else a thrill ride. Heads tilted back, looking at the spinning sky without a care in the world, there is so much laughter I think sometimes they have trouble catching a breath.

There have been so many carefree days under the oak trees that line the preschool playground.
 If those trees could talk, they would tell of the drama and joy surrounding the tire swing each day.

Sometimes in the car ride home after school I hear of the tire swing drama. "Kailyn is the best pusher, but she spun it too fast."
 " Molly got sick"
"Sydney fell off"
 "Lucy and Mila bumped heads but they got an ice pack."
"The teacher said we were swinging too high"
"I wanted to go faster..."
 " We were spinning so fast we couldn't stop laughing..."

As I pulled up to school the other day and spied the girls under the blossoming oak tree, I suddenly felt a type of sadness in my heart.  This innocence, this childhood world of playing together as a preschooler is coming quickly to an end.
Her friends, all the kids in her class, will scatter to different places next year for kindergarten.

Evie is so happy, laughing with her friends. The playground, the world, is still a simple, happy place.
The cliques, bad words, the things they shouldn't know, they are still protected from all that. Elementary school is an introduction to that all. Little by little the real world will seep in.
 My heart sinks when I think about it.

I know it's a part of life, but I want to hang on to her innocence and simplicity forever.
I want her to love the tire swing.

We attended a kindergarten open house for  her school next year. It was filled with small samplings from every classroom: science, music, gym, the library...
Evie looked so big there. She looked like she belonged.

 A kindergartner, an elementary school student!!!!
The teacher leading the activity  asked each child what his/her favorite color was: "pink....purple, blue..pink...pink...pink...." 
When it was Evie's turn, she proclaimed without hesitation, "Gold and silver."

That pretty such sums up our Evie.


As we drove away from the kindergarten experience, I told Evie that she doesn't have to think about kindergarten anymore. I am going to tuck the cute school shirt she was given into a deep drawer until next year.
She's still a preschooler. I want her to bask in this season of being a preschooler because she will never, ever get to be a preschooler again.

Giggle with your preschool friends.
Nestle in that little tire swing as snug as you can be.
Spin fast.
Swing high.
Swing oh so high, Evie.

*********************************************************************************
Here are some photos of some April highlights.

April was filled with Easter events and a visit to the tulip festival.

Making bunny cupcakes with grammie and grandpa

Easter Sunday!

Dressed in Easter best

Egg hunt!

 

Trying to capture a family moment at the tulip fields

Spring Break... and beyond!

As I write this, we are experiencing a very sunny afternoon, something we've haven't had in a very very long time. The camellia bushes and red bud tree are in full bloom in my backyard.

 Spring Break is over.
We are trending the right direction.

April 1 marked three years in this house that we've certainly made into a home. There's certainly been a lot of living and growing and memories.
Facebook always seems to "remind me" at just the right time just how far we've come.

Our most recent project on this house is the basement. John and I are celebrating 12 years of marriage on April 9.  I've learned that John needs to have a project brewing somewhere at all times.

The current project is our basement. John is building an entertainment area with a reclaimed wood wall and matching bar. (with taps, of course!) 
No doubt this will be a job well done if John has the vision for it.

Spring break was filled with a lot of hammering and a lot of sawing. ;)
We managed to keep ourselves busy though. I tried to think of unique and fun ideas to do with the kids, despite the over crowded "mom and kid places" we already frequent.

Spring Break: Everything cancelled; everything crowded. Let the fun begin!

Baking cookies turned more into eating cookie batter  and chocolate chips

Monday was probably our most interesting outing/activity; we baked cookies and delivered them to the Tualatin fire department and police station. (I know....you can take the mom out of teaching, but you can't take the teacher out of mom....)

It was pretty quiet around the station when we arrived, and the four firemen on site welcomed us in. They appreciated the cookies and gave us a full tour!

Such a neat experience for the kids (and me!) 

We climbed in engines. The firemen flashed the lights. They even gave us a fireman's hat and badge. They were truly the nicest, most genuine people.

Cards for the firemen and policemen

 

When we dropped the cookies off to the police,  Evie was very excited to jump into the patrol car. The policeman informed us that the back seat was for "time outs."

John and I actually braved the crowds the first Saturday of Spring Break and took the kids to the zoo! We parked a stop ahead and took the Max train in, an experience the kids enjoyed even more than the zoo!
John and I commented that this was the first zoo trip we did solo that we didn't hate. It was actually pretty fun.

And now we look ahead to spring!

And back to preschool, which adds a rhythm to our life and routine; it makes everyone happier.

It's hard for me to believe that this is the last little trimester before Evie is done with preschool and on to full time kindergarten next year.
She is so happy at preschool. She enthusiastically announced that it's her 100th day of school next week;  she just beams when she talks about the things she's learning. She adores her friends.


Even though she gets a little sad about leaving her preschool and her friends, she's so ready, and I know she is going to thrive at West Hills Christian school.
Recently, Evie has been teaching herself to read! In fact, to our amazement, she's piecing together sounds and letters, making sense of what things say around her. The girl just wants to be in "the know", so she's dedicated herself to figuring it all out.  (she's also picked up sign language... She knows the entire alphabet...)

Well, that was my proud mama paragraph..
Back to talking about Spring...

I frequently comment to the kids to look at the blossoming trees lining our street that have seemed to erupt over night.
The petals resemble snowflakes as they float gracefully to the ground. This is probably my favorite time in Oregon. Spring just keeps on going and going...I love every moment of it.
It also allows me to simply take the kids outside. On a lovely spring morning this week I took two of the boys walking in the woods behind our house.

Boys are so great. Give them mud and a stick and they are happy for hours. 

It put me in such a good mood...and really tired the boys out. In fact, we wandered so far, I had to text John to come pick us up! Luckily he had a break from work calls and was able to come out and rescue us. (Caleb simply collapsed and declared his knees hurt! 😮)
I find that walking in nature and exploring the surroundings is such great entertainment for kids (and adults!)
I get so absorbed into the busyness and routine of life that I forget about the slugs slowly creeping across the moss covered logs in the forest.
I forget about how beautiful the birds sound in the green canopy above; I forget about the simple things.
Kids have a way of bringing you back to what's important in life.