Monday, August 25, 2008

Rebel without a "do"




My lil' First Grader...




(didn't want her hair done even for the first day of school-at least she lets me comb out the tangles!)

Saturday, August 23, 2008

I've gone from diaper-changer to poop-scooper...

I wrote recently about how wonderful it is my son is finally potty-trained.
Well, he's definitely got the whole not peeing and pooping in his pants down, but he's dropping trou' in the back yard, the front yard, the side yard...
And pooping!

It's not a good habit to start and it's even harder to kick. I'm trying to explain to my son that he really should pee/poo in the potty- indoors. It's difficult to be convincing though-because his daddy marks his territory in the back yard and even the neighbor boys pee in the grass on occasion. My son is only copying what he sees. Or maybe my 3-year-old is Earth-conscience and is trying to conserve water...which ever the case, I'll be careful of where I step until this is resolved.

Friday, August 15, 2008

TAX FREE WEEKEND (Texas)

If you haven't finished back-to-school shopping...this is the weekend to do it...


Clothing Sales Tax Holiday
August 15-17, 2008

Texas shoppers get a break from state and local sales taxes on August 15, 16 and 17 - the state’s annual tax holiday. Lay-away plans can be used again this year to take advantage of the sales tax holiday.
The law exempts most clothing and footwear priced under $100 from sales and use taxes, which could save shoppers about $8 on every $100 they spend. Backpacks under $100 and used by elementary and secondary students are also exempt. A backpack is a pack with straps one wears on the back. The exemption during the sales tax holiday includes backpacks with wheels, provided they can also be worn on the back like a traditional backpack, and messenger bags. The exemption does not include items that are reasonably defined as luggage, briefcases, athletic/duffle/gym bags, computer bags, purses or framed backpacks. Ten or fewer backpacks can be purchased tax-free at one time without providing an exemption certificate to the seller.


List of Items and Their Exemption Status
TAX-FREE
Baby clothes
Backpacks for use by elementary and secondary students
Belts with attached buckles
Boots - cowboy, hiking
Caps/hats - baseball, fishing, golf, knitted
Coats and wraps
Diapers - adult and baby
Dresses
Gloves (generally)
Gym suits and uniforms
Hooded shirts and hooded sweatshirts
Hosiery
Jackets
Jeans
Jerseys - baseball and football
Jogging apparel
Neckwear and ties
Pajamas
Pants and trousers
Raincoats and ponchos
Robes
Shirts
Shoes - sandals, slippers, sneakers, tennis, walking
Socks (including athletic)
Shorts
Suits, slacks, and jackets
Sweatshirts
Sweat suits
Sweaters
Swimsuits
Underclothes
Work clothes and uniforms

Thursday, August 14, 2008


Grandparents.com - has great outing and activity ideas...

Sunday, August 10, 2008

The "Head" Cheerleader has done it again...

MY SON IS OFFICIALLY POTTY TRAINED!



Ah, what could be more joyous...other than not having to buy diapers anymore!!


I can't tell you any secret trick to how the potty training was accomplished. I used many different tips, methods and various advise of friends and family. I can share that

-I was diligent in taking my son to the potty every hour though.

-I never pressured him.

-If he had an accident, I took him straight to the bathroom and told him that was where he needed to potty.

-I didn't yell or belittle him for having an accident.

-I rewarded him for going to the potty with M&M's or Welch's fruit snacks (he still wants a treat every time he goes though-so be warned)

-I even put cheerios in the toilet for my son to "aim" at (I'd read about that somewhere)



If your in the midst of potty-training, don't get down on yourself if it's taking a while. I started with introducing my son to the training potty last Fall. But, once my son was ready-that's when he was started learning and then in no time he was trained. He's 3 1/2 now so that's fairly "normal" timing for a boy to learn to potty on his own. Girls usually learn potty-training much faster. My daughter was 18 months. You can read her potty training story here.


Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Dairy Queen Miracle Treat Day!


BUY A DQ BLIZZARD AUGUST 7th AND ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK!!!


Today, August 7, participating Dairy Queen® and DQ Grill & Chill® locations will celebrate the third-annual Miracle Treat Day (www.miracletreatday.com) and donate proceeds from every Blizzard sold that day to Children's Miracle Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children's hospitals.


Saturday, August 02, 2008

BIG Thank you!

This past week I went out-of-town for a work conference. My mother-in-law was kind enough to come stay with the kids. Like a good Mimi, she spoiled the kids and took them to Chuck E. Cheese and the Johnson Space Center. She said the kids were well-behaved and she enjoyed the visit.
Unfortunately, the visit also included vomit and diarrhea. Her role was expanded to washing bedding and scrubbing beige Berber carpet. Mimi is a good sport and I really appreciate her babysitting for me.

I tried to make it a bit easier for Mimi:
-I made sure to stock up on groceries so she wouldn't have to go to the store. (Next time I'll make sure to have some Gingerale or Sprite).
-I even made a list of suggestions the kids like for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
-I put out clothes for my son to wear for the week.
-In case it rained or it was too hot outside, I set out art supplies/projects to keep the kids occupied.
-I wrote instructions on how to operate the TV's and the satellite (I know I have trouble figuring out other people's remotes)

-Also, I left an extra health insurance card in case of a medical emergency and I left a signed letter giving her permission to treat my kids.