Potty Training

I had the crazy idea to try to potty train Ryan last week. I have never potty trained in the summer time because it's a terrible time to potty train. Ha. However he was showing lots of signs of readiness and I had a two week window between swim lessons and summer vacations. So this last week has been about snacks, drinks, and laundry. I do the three day potty training method but I really didn't do it as suggested this time. I recently tried to potty train Ryan a few months ago and he kind of learned from that already. This time I just didn't worry about being by his side every second for days on end because IT"S EXHAUSTING! Plus Ryan is pretty stubborn and I don't think he appreciated me being so involved last time. I just kind of didn't worry about it as much and tried to see what would happen. He has the peeing part down now. He will tell me when he needs to pee and he can pee on demand if needed (like before an errand). He has woken up dry two times in the morning so hopefully that will continue. He has pooped once in the toilet. That is a big deal. Piper held in her poop for days and wouldn't even poop in her underwear. Potty training Piper WAS THE WORST! Anyway but he pooped in his underwear today. Pooping always takes a little longer since they don't have nearly as many chances to get it in the toilet. I HOPE he can get it down this next week. My hope is that he will figure out the pooping and I can get rid of the kiddie potty this week as well. But who knows what will happen. WISH US LUCK!

That was the majority of our week and will probably be our focus next week too. Good thing 4th of July is coming up I am feeling like a holiday/vacation and so are my kids. 

Ryan quotes from the week.

He would be sitting on the toilet and say, "it's not working." Ha

He would also sit on the toilet and in the cutest voice say, "I'm doing it." 

For some reason when he dumps his pee in the toilet he says, "Happy Birthday again."

Cute Bubba.

A selfie I sent to Scott because I was trying to read a book and these two had to sit on my lap. Not much reading got done. 

Happy Father's Day

The kids finished up swim lessons last week. Corbin moved up to advanced (although he has informed me that he is DONE with swim lessons) and Gabby and Piper moved up to intermediate beginning. Swim lessons took up the majority of our activities last week. We went to lunch in the park a few times and to Burger King one day. I spent any down time painting my $10 yard sale desk last week and I finished. It's going to look good I think. I have to let it dry for a few weeks before I put the drawers back in and really see how it turned out. I'm pretty excited about it. I may have to squeeze a home for it somewhere...

I also got invited to a Bunco night from a girl in my ward. She moved from Kuna and her Kuna ward has played Bunco every month for at least the last 3 years. The Kuna peeps came out to Boise to play at Megan's house and it was intense! I've never played before and it moved so fast! It's pretty much speed and luck. I didn't have either on my side BUT I did win a prize for having the worst score so you know all was not lost. Ha.

And a shout out to all those dads out there. Keep up the good work! It's not easy. To my own dad who's the hardest worker I know, to my father in law who's the best Papa around, and to Scott the daddy monster. Ryan likes to wrestle with daddy. Piper likes that dad makes her favorite spaghetti, Gabby likes her dad because he loves her, and Corbin loves dad's stir fry and playing video games with him. Dad's are the best! 

I love how they huddle like seals to do their kicks. Hilarious to me.

Corbin and Gabby helped Ryan so he could play in the big kid equipment. I love it when they help each other and play well together. Precious few moments. Ha.

Pipes just wanted to hang out by me with her teddy bear.

I'm lucky I got a semi decent picture of Ryan because THIS is what I was working with!

Gabby fairy drawing,

Movie and popcorn

You can often find Piper on the hunt for raspberries.

Summer Vay Cay

Last week was our first official week of summer vacation. All of the kids had swim lessons last week and again this week (except for Ryan much to his chagrin). He insisted on putting on his swim suit when the girls did and then cried very sad crocodile tears when he was not allowed to get in the pool also. He got on his swimming suit everyday for swim lessons. I bought a blow up pool at Costco. The bottom ring is already flat (I guess they do better on tarps, that makes sense). Next year! That's fine it's better than last year our pool's top ring lost air and then all the water would come out. With the bottom ring the pool just isn't as tall. It's not that big of a deal.

We had some super hot temperatures last week but the last three days have been much cooler. I have loved the cooler temperatures! I love to sit outside but in Boise its almost too hot to sit outside most of the summer so I have loved these last couple of days.

On Tuesday night I went with a group of friends to the movie Me before You. It was good and sad. The girl on the movie has crazy town style and I have a friend who dresses even crazier than the girl in that movie. So funny. She's a classic.

On Friday night Scott and I went on a little date. We went to North end Boise and had dinner at Hawkins Drive In and then we went to Camel back park and did the short hike to look over the city. It was fun! Then we came home and watched the movie Joy.

I bought a desk at a yard sale for $10. I'm really excited for how I think the makeover is going to turn out. I worked on that for several hours yesterday. I don't really have room for it so I will probably just sell it when I'm done.

Last night my friend Haley competed in a Mrs. Idaho contest. A group of us went and watched her compete. That was an experience. I do not understand pageantry but I must admit that it takes guts to get on the stage and strut your stuff in a swimming suit no less. Plus I would crash burn and die during the interview section. CANNOT IMAGINE! Haley won the interview portion. The audience LOVED her answer. Her question was if she would like to see a woman president, she said she didn't think the position should be based on gender but on qualifications of the candidates (to great out roar from the audience) she then said, that being said she would love to see a qualified woman president. Ha. Good thing she's in conservative Idaho with a response like that! It was long (3 hours I called it), but certainly a memorable experience. She got second runner up!

Kid quotes:
Corbin talking about summer time, "I don't think I'll be outside that much, I'm more of an inside person." He's killing me!

Corbin: "Ryan is 60% beast and 40% cute." Ha! So true!

Gabby: Scott talking to Spot about his jobs (our gecko) she said, "ya but his number one job is being adorable" Ha!

Piper: "Mom I wish you could put warm water in the pool and not cold water. The cold water will freeze our butts!" Ha. Beloved potty talk.

Summer, summer, summer!

The kids have been building forts all week.

So much potential...

Haley in the beautiful blue dress.

She won second runner up! (She should have won for real!)

More Gabby art

Gabby made me this heart with glitter. I don't know why I ever give permission to use glitter, better yet I don't know why I've ever bought glitter. I had to take a picture and throw it away. Glitter is SUCH a nightmare.

Gabby traced this picture (good pencil control)

Crafty Gabby

Last Week of School

Last week was a busy one. The kids had their last week of school. We didn't do anything for Memorial Day. We had company all weekend and we were pretty excited to have an extra day to do nothing. On Tuesday I went to school and helped out with field day. I didn't really do anything so it was kind of hot and boring but that's okay. The kids had fun. Most of the stations were pretty fun, some were pretty lame. On Wednesday I made cupcakes for Gabby's kindergarten graduation. They were good. Thursday was Gabby's kindergarten graduation. It was very cute. I wasn't as emotional about it as I was with Corbin. He's kind of lucky to be the oldest in that way. He will be my first to hit all the milestones and that will always be more emotional for me I think. That night we went to the school's cardboard challenge. They have the kids build arcade games out of recycled materials. It's really cool.

On Friday we went to the school and had a picnic for the last day of school. The firetruck showed up to hose down the kids. That night was the father and sons camp out and Scott took Corbin and Ryan. I was so excited to have a night with my girls. Piper kept saying, "I can't believe it's girls night." We went to the Golden Wheel (definitely a dive and kind of expensive but good food). We got dinner and ice cream. It was great! Then we went to the cheap theaters and saw Zootopia. The girls had already seen it but we went again anyway. It was really good, I liked it a lot. Afterwards we set up the sleeper bed and I forced myself to watch a complete episode of Sophia the first (completely paying attention) while cuddled up with the girls. In the morning they went with me to Hidden Springs to their yearly neighborhood yard sales. I LOVE Hidden Springs (It's a secluded section of town that's technically Boise but oh so fabulous). I found an awesome bike for Piper. She is so little on it although she can ride it pretty well (with training wheels).

Ryan made himself quite at home with a couch and then a bed. My plants are totally flat now.

Field Day. Dry,  dry, wet.

Yum!

Kindergarten Graduation

Gabby's teacher Mrs. Lyon. She is the BEST!

So cute.

Carboard Challenge. Check out the Darth Vador game. Pretty cool.

Corbin's game. It was a claw game where you try to get a prize.

This was the game Gabby's group made.

Ryan did great camping!