The Hair Cut Continues

Remember a few posts ago when Helen and I went to get our hair cut?  Remember how I mentioned I thought she should have bangs because her hair is always in her eyes?

Well, I was giving Brian a hair cut the other night (after he made me watch a 2:40 youtube video on how to do it) and asked Helen if she wanted another hair cut.  I did a nice job on Brian's hair (no, I really did!), I thought I could handle Helen's hair.

So I sat her in the chair and told her to hold still, that I was going to cut bangs.

Well, she didn't hold still and she wouldn't look up.  Which means, uneven and very short hair in the front. 

I think she looks cute, but Brian said she looks like Lloyd Christmas.

I'll let you decided.

Pee-Pee and Pink Bubble Gum

Potty training..... *sigh*

Everyone else is doing it.  Toddlers younger than Helen are already wearing big kid undies and my daughter (age 2 years and 7 months) is still wearing diapers.  I have accepted I am going to be buying adult diapers for her for the rest of her life, because she is never going to use the bathroom.

I've tried everything.  I've asked other mothers how they did it, and the answer is always the same:  "It wasn't hard, one day he just did it."  I loath hearing that.  I really do. 

Helen is notorious for making her 'poop face'.  Even if you are seeing her for the very first time in your entire life, when she makes that face, you know exactly what she is doing.  When I would see her doing it, I would grab her and run to the bathroom to get her on her potty seat, all the while she is screaming, "No! No! No! Change my diaper!!"  I even bought her pretty princess big girl undies.  Nothing.  It was a constant and tiresome fight. 

I bet people look at me with pure wonderment.  Doesn't she have a six year old son?  Yeah, I do.  But he was already potty trained when I became his mother.  So this is all new to me.  And I'm starting to think birthing a baby is much easier than teaching another human being how not to pee in their pants but to pee in a toilet. 

I give up.

Then we went to Indiana for Thanksgiving.  (All good things come from that state, you know.)  Helen was playing with her cousin, Nicholas who turns two today (happy birthday, Nick!).  Nicholas is on the up-swing to being free of diapers.  Did I mention he is just now turning two?  When he would use the potty, he got a brownie as a reward, and Helen started to notice this.  Now, I have tried something similar, only with M&Ms, but to no avail.  Once again, everything else the books and the internet say to do work for everyone else's kid but mine.   

Until Helen discovered pink bubble gum (my friend, Kim is probably gasping at the thought of this).

I told Helen she could have a small piece if she would go pee-pee in the potty.  Sure, feel free to judge my parenting skills and don't you dare guess how many pieces she has swallowed, but IT IS WORKING!!   

We are on Day 3 of big girl undies, and I owe it all to Nicholas' example and Bubble Tape Gum. 

There is nothing more rewarding than cheering for a little person who has just peed or pooped in the toilet.

On Being Thankful [in pictures]

I am thankful for my husband who works very hard to support our family and never misses an opportunity to spend time with us.

I am thankful for his family who has always welcomed me into their family, no matter the amount of weirdness I tend to bring.

I am thankful for my sister-in-law, who not only is hilarious, but makes beautiful cousins for my kids.

I am thankful for my brother-in-law who knows how to give the gift that keeps on giving, especially for Sheldon.

(marshmallow launcher)


I am thankful for the generosity of Brian's family, particularly those who love to dress Helen in all of her favorite things.

But most of all, I am thankful for spending a long weekend with family doing the things families do best:  eating, laughing, telling stories, baptizing babies, staying up late, drinking wine, going to Mass, and even watching Purdue continue to claim the Oaken Bucket. 

Closed for Thanksgiving

This next week is jam packed with everything you can think of...

Volunteering at Martin's school.

Cub Scouts.

Doctor's appointment.

Finishing up Christmas shopping (yeah, that's right).

Driving to Southern Indiana.

Thanksgiving dinner with the family.

Our Godson's baptism.

The circus.

I hate to say it, but don't expect any new posts from here until next week.

From our family to yours:

I hope your family has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

Our Day at the Salon

Helen has the finest hair ever grown on a human head.  She never lets me put a barrette or bow in it to keep it from hanging in her eyes. And really, there isn't a clip small enough to hold her hair.

I want her to have long beautiful hair as little girls should. 

It was starting to get stringy and knotty.  If only she would just let me comb it!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner and our big trip to Southern Indiana, I thought her and I could splurge and head to the hair salon.  And by hair salon, I mean the $9.99 hair cut at Fantastic Sams.

As a mother of a daughter, I couldn't wait for us to do things like this, as my mom and I never really shared in any mother/daughter bonding.  I had this fantasy of Helen and I walking into the salon and the hairdressers pampering us with expensive shampoo, a fabulous cut, a blow dry, and then finish it off with a style complete with curls.  Helen and I would walk out of the salon together turning heads as people noticed our marvelous new dos. 

Not the case.

We were in and out in 10 minutes.  Helen didn't cry, and she didn't talk to her hairdresser either.  I had to explain to her that Helen likes to throw around the stink eye.  We didn't get our hair washed, which meant no blow dry or style.  Helen did get her hair curled a bit, but with fine hair the curls were gone moments later. 

I'm not in love with the way Helen's hair looks either.  I feel like I could have saved the $9.99 and cut her hair myself.  But, Brian reminded me that I payed the money for Helen to have the experience, which she did enjoy in her own non-smiling Helen way.

And to top it off, I did not get a picture of my little girl sitting in the hairdresser's chair.

I did manage to take a few pictures at home, but I'm not sure how well you can see her new hair cut.

And my personal favorite:

"No More, MOM!"

Future World Champion

Helen C. Logue

World Champion Poker Player.

 

Well... maybe just a master of Go Ape.

The Weirdos with the Beardos

My friend Angela knitted this Beard-O for Martin.

It's pure comedy.

Is it me, or do I look like my dad??

Saint Martin de Porres

If you know us or if you have read this blog long enough, you know our family has a love for Saint Martin de Porres.  Today is his feast day, so we did a few extra special things to celebrate!

Here's a story about Saint Martin from www.martindeporres.org:

"Often we see Martin pictured in his Dominican habit holding a broom, with a mouse and dog at his feet. There is an interesting story about mice. One time there seemed to be a large gathering of mice in the wardrobe room of the monastery, where they feasted on the finest linen garments and sheets, leaving the old ones untouched. Some of the monks wanted to poison the rodents, but Martin would not hear of it. One day he caught a little mouse and held him gently, and said, "Little brother, why are you and your companions doing so much harm to the things belonging to the sick? Look; I shall not kill you, but you are to assemble all your friends and lead them to the far end of the garden. Every day I will bring you food if you leave the wardrobe alone," After Martin let go of the mouse, there was scurrying from every nook and cranny and the procession started towards the monastery garden. Martin, tall and slender, with long strides, led the mice to their new home. Every day he brought them a meal and no mouse ever touched anything in the monastery wardrobe."

So yesterday I made Martin some treats to take to his class.  I got the idea from here.

(they're chocolate mice, if you can't tell)

And today we headed up to an indoor water park (we had free passes) and had a blast!  With all the bags I had to carry in, I left the camera in the car.  But I did take this snap shot on the way home.  

It just confirms how much fun we had today.

Happy Feast of All Saints!

See how easily a ninja costume can turn into a St. John Neumann costume?