attitude? and potty story?

Gretchen has such a personality it makes us both laugh daily!! Yesterday our little sunshine was under the weather! It took all my energy to keep her happy and just do basic stuff----I started the laundry (never finished it) started cleaning out a closet (never finished) I did clean the kitchen and make dinner and vaccuum!!! She was acting fine until I decided at 8:30 am she would take a bath! G loves her baths and is always swimming for a minimum of 40 minutes to over an hour each time she gets in the tub!!! She downright refused to take a bath after she threw all her toys in and got undressed! I did not push the issue---but she said I am ready to take a bath now- twice----in the middle of playing or coloring and I would go pick her up and she would yell NO BATH *** NO BATH!!! I did put her in finally and she was crying I ran the bar of soap over her and dumped water over her head--never got the shampoo in---teehhee!! She usually loves to snuggle in her bath hooded towel and so she was lying on her bed she says I WANT JAMMIES ON!!

Where did my angel with her please and thank-yous go today??---It was 11 am by this time so I proceeded to put her Sheep Jammies on--oh was she very happy!!! She then asked to take a nap (11:15)--- We went down to get lunch and then she did take a nap BUT not until 1:30 pm--which was another control 2 yr old tactic! She slept until 3:30 pm --she was coughing so bad when she woke up so I made her a cute bed on the floor to watch her BABAR movie--(Have I mentioned I am so sick of this elephant movie) (I may need to tell her this one belongs to the library toooo which it does not?) She is always telling me the videos have to go back to library!

She snapped out of her coughing and I swear by the humidifier!!! As I made dinner she was fine but just needed my undivided attention every minute--and not waiting ---oh we had a couple learning/teaching lesson when mommy was busy she had to play by herself!! After dinner the little turkey wanted to take a bath!!! NO WAY!! How irritating --and then you look into those dark eyes and sweet smile!!! Daddy and G watched BABAR again! Then it was bed----I was so exausted--mind you I was not feeling 100 percent either but just trying to keep up with her! Her bedtime routine is she is in bed at 8 pm!! Twenty minutes later she gets up and goes to the bathroom--and then when I am washing out the pottychair and washing my hands she goes to see daddy down stairs!! She loves her daddy! But I had to train him to not to play with her ---so last night she is heading down to give him another hug and says to me before walking downstairs --No playing with toys or no books !! (haha) She repeats rules to me before I say them ( which she knows the routine) G knows when mommy comes back down she gives daddy a hug and says GOODNIGHT DADDY!! Grabs my hand--tooo cute!!! She was lying in bed and about ten min later she sits up and says....

G= Oh mommy I have to go poopie and peepie--

MOM=I said NO you just went!!

G=I promise mommy!

MOM=Gretchie --you are not telling mommy the truth---

G=Yes I have to go she continues---(WELL....she is usually right at bedtime but lately has been pulling this I have to go peepie and poopie in church and at my friend Lori's house and the Mexican restaraunt that night sooo ................

MOM=I try to distract her by saying roll over and close your eyes!

G=She says to me I need to go Thats it No more----promise! (OK OK--how can you not at least give her a try---so she sat there a good 5 to 6 min---

MOM=I was all business not believing her one bit and told her THIS IS SO RIDICULOUS and she would be in trouble if she was not telling me the truth!! ) THE STINKER WENT AGAIN and then turns to me and says

G=I TOLD YOU MOMMY!! The biggest smile ever!!

MOM= Good job Gretchie---(UGH---can't under estimate this girl!!)

Went to bed great!!!

DREAM.........& Sniffles

When Gretchen woke up from a two hour nap today ---she was sitting with daddy. He asked her if she slept good--she replied YES I DID! Then he asked her if she had a dream at naptime ---(not thinking she understood what a dream was) she replies I dreamed about Jesus............then she said Jesus loves God! God made my food! (Now this was from the lesson at church) Two year olds do listen!!! TOO CUTE!!!
Friday morning she had the sneezes---I decided to put the humidifier in her room and try to catch the sniffles early on! She woke up really runny nose--by evening she was miserable and kinda quiet! I gave her a bath and rubbed VICKS on and did give her tylenol to sleep--she slept all night FRI-and SAT ! Saturday she still had sneezes but was not so bad---Another bath to wash away all the germs and humidifier!! Today still stuffed up but her voice is sooo hoarse --acts fine!!! Don't ever say she has not been sick this winter yet?? ( I said this Thursday night ugh!!) The photo is her chilling out watching HEFFALUMP!!! (wonder how many times we have seen this movie????)

3 CHEERS FOR YOU!!

TODAY WE HAD A CELEBRATION PARTY!!! We were celebrating Gretchie being potty trained!!! YAHOOO!!It has been a good month since we have had no accidents----she is sooo proud of herself--as well as mommy and daddy!! We all went to Chuckie Cheese---funny because when I told her earlier this week she thought Chuckie Cheese was where you get hamburger and cheese. Ironically enough the bathroom was closed the first hour for maintenance! Gretchie specifically asked if cousin Cole and Aunt Sheila to come!! There were eleven family members there!!! Her face was so excited when we went inside. She loved the REAL GRAPES from the salad bar--in fact thats all she ate! We stayed and played until 2:30 pm!! Daddy got "G" a purple Chuckie Cheese balloon to finish up the fun afternoon!! Minutes after we were in the van "G" had taken the plastic plug out of the balloon. We did rescue the out of control balloon with little helium lost!! Block away we laid her in the cart at Circuit City and she was asleep very quickly!!! We were able to find a printer to replace ours. Costco and Pet Smart and Outdoor Sportsman then home!

***Toddler Tidbits ***

Here are some cute things that "G" has done lately...

1. I always put her in her carseat and then run back in the house to get my purse--on Wed. we were running late so I had no shoes on when I buckled her in--I said I will be right back! While I was backing up Gretchie says mommy do you have your shoes on? I said yes I do! She then asks did you get your purse---thanks Gretchie for taking care of your mommy!!

2. She is really into "skating" on the rug--Lee had taken her skating on the ice on the patio a month ago . Daddy had slipped and fallen and then Papa had slipped at work and cracked his ribs sooo she gets into this skating and falling and then saying OH I SLIPPED ON THE ICE!! She was really into this today at storytime.

3. Simple pleasures ...a can of chilli a can of spam and a roll of scotch tape one day were a favorite past time. The next day she took five bars of dial soap and was lining them up and smelling them all. I also had a small basket of hotel bar soaps she was playing with.

4. She is really into smelling her blanket, puppy or everyone's hair! She says mommy and daddy's smell like Ocean Mist and her hair like flowers. The other night she said mine smelled like tacos---ha ha--

5. The day we had G friend Angelica over --A. wanted to go outside and slide on G toy---I said you can come this summer and play in our pool and slide. Pretty soon I see Gretchie in the bathroom getting her swimsuit out. The ironic thing about this was the week before we were at Analese's house she had ran and put her swimsuit on----then just two days ago when we were playing with Holly she took all her clothes off and had her gymnastic outfit on---IS THIS A LITTLE GIRL THING????

6. She works the VCR like a pro--but always asks to see a video---

7.Fights and kicks to put a pull up onfor bed and nap---but is staying DRY during bed and nap.

8. When at Wmart Gretchie says I see a Cowboy! The cowboy is right there mommy? It was a Mexican man with a cowboy hat and boots. Gretchie's only experience with cowboys is from WIGGLES COWBOYS DVD!!!!

9 Always wants me to hold both her hands to go potty in the big potty chair--I was holding her hands to hold her on the big potty and now she wants me to hold her hands each and every time. she even reciporacates and wants to hold my hands when I use the bathroom. Whatever works--right??

10. Wants to answer the telphone and says I will get it for you mommy!!

11. The day we went to buy her red heart balloon at the Dollar Store I handed her two dollars to pay. She told daddy later she paid two dollars but we bought her new sparkle stickas tooo!!

12. She hears everything----SHE NOW SAYS I AM TWO!! She has heard Lee and I talking that was sooo two??

Valentines Day!

YES...............we have another addition to Gretchen's elephant family!! Daddy bought G another small stuffed elephant--which made a big smile across her face and a huge hug!!! She named this one ARTHUR (tan one) from Babar movie Valentines Day in our house this year ended up very special-

We went to WalMart in the morning to buy daddy a few small gifts and then some apple pie and whip cream! We then went to Papa Murpheys to buy a heart shape pizza and dollar store for a RED BALLOON!! I played with my balloon all day---Gretchie told daddy later I paid two dollars for it--She did pay the lady but we bought new stickas tooo!! So two dollars total!!

Mommy decorated the dining room with HEARTS everywhere!!! I was so excited--I kept telling mommy let's go see if daddy is home!! (He was late!) I got a present--Winnie the Pooh Book, Paints, and my elephant from WMart a couple days before was all in the sack! Daddy bought mommy two pair of soxs and a heart box (I still dont know choc. is inside) My daddy even bought me another elephant--YAHOOO!!!!

The evening went quickly before it was bedtime!! Daddy and I read my new book while mommy cleaned the kitchen and took a shower! I love my family!!!

-

Mailing Valentines .....(see how I grew)

Hearts full of LOVE for our Sweetie!

Oh--Life is never dull or boring at our house with an energetic two year old!!! Tuesday I went to put my shoes on to take our printer in to get fixed and came back and my little elephant (G) was sound asleep on the couch at 11am!!! I decided to take the "great opportunity" to clip her fingers and toes!!! YEAH! I let her sleep on the couch for a nap today --she slept two hours!!! We then ran to take the printer in and BiMart to get paper towels--Tuesday night dinner she "tested the limits" by yelling for icecream right after we prayed!!! After sitting and crying it out---she then was sitting on my lap and was pinching /twisting my arm--not mean but was saying tickle tickle--after I said that hurts and this is the way you tickle--she took her fist and hit me!! She got in trouble--cried again--came over and kissed it ( not immediately) She was then sitting on the floor "reading the newspaper" and Lee asked her to hand him part of the paper-SHE YELLS NO!! She then got in trouble again-----one thing lead to another and she was on a naughty streak--played good after dinner --mommy took a shower and then she fought to get her jammies on---BAD!

After they were on it was 7:45 pm --I went to make it hot (bottle) and she threw herself down on the kitchen floor----I went to pick her up and she ran in the front room----WHOA--I carried her upstairs and she took her pillow off the bed put it in the corner behind her rocking chair and yelled MY PILLOW IS STUCK MOM--HELP PLEASE!! OVERTIRED OR TWO?? She had a two hour nap?? Just testing limits big time!!! I write all this just to say she is learning everything and God has placed us as the parents in charge of helping to mold her. It can be frustrating and challenging but what an AWESOME privelege to be a Parent!!!!! (yes even in times like this--which I pray are not many more)

On a happy note---we see where her little heart is so tender and sweet and she is always asking if we are ok after we cough sneeze or even sigh!! Yesterday G and mommy drove to Walla Walla to Lori Sweets house for a party with Marilyn ,Debbie and Sandy! These are my teacher friends whom I taught with ten years ago at Liberty Christian School in WW. I took Gretchie to Boogie at ten and then we left at 11--she fell asleep on the way there so at noon I called Lee and met him at the park ---she slept and daddy ate his lunch in our van!!! Ten years ago ...on Feb 13th we were engaged---(I love this story and will post it soon) I sat along the road after Lee left at 12:30 and let G sleep until 1 pm---I drove past our first house (memory lane and took a couple pic as I drove by--ha) as Lee did propose to me in the attic of that house!!! Got to Lori's house at 1:10 Gretchie was still asleep when I pulled in---took her awhile to warm up when we went in---The dog was jumping and Lori has a four year old that was excited Gretchen was there!!! Gretchen actually asked three times to go to the bathroom in the first ten min we were there!!! She was not quite sure what to think of mommy's friends, dog and 4 year old! We sat at the table and had icecream and pineapple cake--yummy! I had two pieces--Gretchen did not even eat the icecream~~~~ We were there from 1 to 4:15 --It took her until 2:30 to finally decide to get off my lap and play inches from me---go figure! She did take Holly's hand and go downstairs and play with Holly's toys and watch Winnie the Pooh!! You could hear them playing--it was cute!! Until Holly decided Gretchie could not come upstairs and I hear G crying I want to see mommy! Gretchie told me later Holly said NO NO you cant go upstairs!! hA!! They did come up and then Lori had went to get her 9 year old twins at school----The twins had let G play with a puffy balloon with a light up ball inside they got at school and Holly got mad Gretchen was playing with it! Gretchen held her own and then Holly and Gretchen both started yelling MINE! I told G ==lets go clean up she grabbed my hand and said lets go clean mommy and we picked up the toys---Holly and G gave each other a hug when we left---but oh my! I did have a headache after that but it was fun to see my friends again!!! We went to Nanas by 4:30 and daddy met us there after work---Gretchie was way excited to see her daddy tonight----My daddy My daddy --look Nana its my daddy as she hugged him over and over!!! ahhh!! We went out for fish and chips as our experience last week --why do we try to go out but we did-----She walked into the restraunt and said YUMMY it smells soooo Good!!! She barely ate dinner and so we had to feed her a hotdog when we got back to Nanas. She then had to "see the bathroom" 3 times----She was just full of energy and not able to sit very good! As we got to Nanas house Nana could not get out the side door on our van (it was locked) G says COULD YOU PLEASE HELP NANA GET OUT! Lee and I were laughing later about her sweet personality and concern for others!!! She played with Nana's red ball and fell asleep on the way home------Lee and I both had a headache --so I was not on the computer all day or even Tuesday night---whoa!!

My heart melts (daddy's heart tooo) as we look at her cute little heart shaped face and are so thankful to be her mommy and daddy----she always said I U--meaning I love you!! In the last two months she says LOVE---ahhhh its the best three words I hear all day and will never grow tired of hearing it a million times a day--or when she gets done using the potty she runs full speed yelling I U mommy!!! Or when she is walking upstairs to go to bed I U daddy!!!

***The photos tured out BIG I forgot to make them smaller---