Could this be it...

We have really been working hard at getting Sophia completely potty trained. She has been partially potty trained since November (with #2) and has had a little trouble sensing when she needs to go tinkle. Well, lately I have been putting her in cloth underwear when we are at home and a pull up when we are out and about. I ask her quite frequently if she needs to go potty and even if she says no, I still have her try. She is getting better and better about telling us that she needs to go potty and making it to the toilet before she goes in her pants. The last few nights around bed time, Jeff would rock her, put her in her bed and she would fall asleep. Then after about a half hour she would stand at the top of the stairs saying, "potty mommy". So we would run to the toilet and she would go! Then she would go to bed and again she would say she needed to go potty, so I would pick her up and put her on the toilet. And again, she would go. I wasn't sure if she was just going a little each time to stall or if she was becoming so sensitive to the feeling of needing to go, that she would want to go every time! After three times of doing this, I would rock her once again and she would finally fall asleep for the night. On Friday morning after she woke up, I told her before we played or ate breakfast, she needed to try to go potty and we needed to change her wet pull up. Well to my surprise, her pull up was completely dry! She had gone through the entire night without going potty in her pants! I couldn't believe it and was so extremely proud of her! She grinned from ear to ear when I told her how proud I was of her and I took her to the store to get big girl underwear. She picked out her very own big girl undies and has been wearing them since. I'm sure she will still have accidents every once in a while until her body and mind get the timing down completely. But I am really hoping that when we go camping in July, I will only be taking one set of diapers for little Peyton. I can't believe what a BIG, independent girl Sophia is becoming and I am so proud of her!!!

Letting Go...

So from the sound of things, it looks like we will be saying good bye to our dear old man, Shakespeare, as he adopts a new family in need of "man's best friend". Shaky has been with Jeff and I since we first got married and has been our baby up until we had our two girls. But now because of hectic schedules and the girls needing our attention, Shakespeare's needs have been put on the back burner and that isn't exactly fair to him.

Rhonda, who is the woman that contacted me about having a potential family for Shakespeare, came by on Tuesday. She wanted to see him in person and get a chance to experience his disposition and personality. She took some more pictures of him to email to the family (still in Africa until June), and played with him a bit. She thought he was really sweet and would be a great fit for this family.

The next morning she sent me an email letting me know that the family is 99% sure they want to adopt Shakespeare. They just want to do a trial run when they arrive back in Oregon to see how he adjusts to his new surroundings and new family. My initial reaction was a little regret, just because he is a part of our family and we may be saying good bye to him for good! But after I thought about it more, I realized he would give this family the love they needed, and they would do the same for him in return. They seem like a very sweet family and if they can give him the attention he deserves, then it's best if they adopt him.

We will know the final outcome the middle of June when they return home. For now we are enjoying every minute with Shaky and giving him as much love and attention as we possibly can, something we haven't done the last few months. It's true how that saying goes, "you don't realize how much you miss something until it's gone."

A Bit of Inspiration...

I am always looking for new lunch and dinner ideas for Sophia that are both healthy and appealing to the eye. I saw this recipe on "The Today Show" and thought I'd try it! It's extremely easy and tastes delicious! Sophia loved it too! It's a healthy alternative for the popular PB&J.

Ingredients:

-honey wheat flat bread wraps (found at Fred Meyers)
-fresh organic strawberries (sliced)
-creamy peanut butter

Directions:

Spread the peanut butter on the flat bread wrap, then layer on the sliced strawberries, then roll up like a burrito and cut into fourths. It's that easy and trust me your kiddos will love it! It's healthier because the flat bread wrap is high in fiber and has more nutritional value than white bread and the fresh strawberries have less sugar than jam or jelly. Enjoy!

New Home?

We have been contemplating finding a new home for our oldest pug Shakespeare. He is a sweet, 8 year old, fawn pug and was our very first "baby" so to speak. Now that we have two kids, our lives are quite busy and it's hard to give Shaky (we call him), the attention he deserves. Though he is quite content laying around the house throughout the day, it would be nice to be able to take him on daily walks and get him some much needed exercise. After he almost choked to death after swallowing part of a raw hide bone, I was convinced that we no longer would be looking for another home for him. However, my father in law told a customer at his paint store about Shakespeare and she said she might know a family that would adopt him. She contacted me via email and told me a little bit about this family. This is what she wrote:

"Theresa Cumpston my friend (and landlady), has one more month teaching at the Harare International School in Zimbabwe, then comes home with her two darling children, Mary (12) and Bryce (10) Their father, Jeff, our beloved band instructor at West Linn High School, died in August; struck by a motorcyclist while bicycling. They have to leave their dear African doggie, Shadow, behind. Could be that Shakespeare will be just the "therapy dog" their family needs."


After reading this, it just seemed meant to be. The kids are the perfect age for Shaky and it sounds like he would be dearly loved by this family. Rhonda, the women I have been emailing back and fourth, wants to meet Shakespeare for the family and let them know what he is like, before they return home in a month. Could this family be Shakespeare's new family? I guess we will find out in a few weeks.? I'll keep you all posted!