Arapahoe County Fair

On Saturday Kevin surprised us by taking us to the Arapahoe County Fair. We got there about 12:30pm and left around 6:00pm. First we saw a stunt dog show which wasn't that great. Then we went through the petting zoo and tried to get Sarah to milk a cow. She wouldn't but Kevin did. After that we went into the livestock area and saw all the animals. Then Kevin took Sarah on a bunch of the rides. Sarah had such a good time on the rides with Daddy. I was a little nervous because she freaked out over the horse ride in the grocery store a few months ago but she loved the rides at the fair. She even went on the Ferris Wheel with Daddy and loved that as well. Of course we had to eat some of the food while we were there. We had snow cones, kettle corn, frozen lemonade, smothered burritos and tacos. It was a wonderful surprise and a perfect day. Thanks for such a great day sweetheart!

Petting the pigs

Daddy milking the cow

Look Mommy, sheep!

Sarah holding a baby chick

This seriously was the biggest rooster I have ever seen!

Pippi the Clown

Sarah and Daddy on the Super Slide!

Sarah's first ride by herself!

Going on the Circus Train

Sarah loving the Ferris Wheel

More Potty Training News

Overall potty training is going well. Sarah is so excited to be wearing big girl panties and using the big potty like Mommy and Daddy. Friday was accident free. Saturday and Sunday she had a poop accident and so far today we have had a poop and pee accident. I was so proud of Sarah yesterday at church. We were about half way through Sacrament meeting when I asked her if she had to go potty. She said yes and I looked over at Kevin. He asked me if she would use the church potties because at home we use the cushy ring that fits over the regular seat. I told him I didn't know and off Sarah and I went to the restroom.

At first she didn't want to go into any of the stalls so I told her to pick one out. She did and of course it was one of the smallest ones. So I made my way in the stall with her. I got her up on the potty and asked her if she wanted me to hold her up there. She said she didn't and she was able to balance herself on the seat. Then I knelt down on the floor in front of her because she likes me at eye level when she uses the potty. It was extremely uncomfortable and felt pretty humiliating but I kept reminding myself that I was doing it for Sarah. She went right away and didn't have any problems. When she was finished she told me she wanted to go out of the stall before I flushed the toilet. She is afraid of the loud noise the public toilets make. It's funny because I hate that noise as well and still get kind of freaked out about it. I have never been able to figure out why. Anyways, Sarah didn't go potty again until we got home after church so she did great.

Today Sarah is starting to go pee by herself. This morning I asked her if she needed to go potty and she said yes. I was right in the middle of something so I told her to go ahead and get on the potty and I would be right in. By the time I got in there she had already went. Then about an hour ago she was playing in her play room and I was in the kitchen. All of a sudden she ran past me in the kitchen. I didn't think anything of it because she runs around the house all the time but then I heard her going potty in the bathroom. I peeked in on her with a big grin on my face and said to her, "you used the potty all by yourself and I didn't even have to remind you!" She was so excited and I told her how proud I was of her. We have gotten to the point that I don't have to give her stickers or blow out the candle. Just the excitement of using the potty is enough for her. I am so proud of how fast she is understanding the feeling of having to go to the bathroom and responding to it. We just need to work on the poop area.

It's funny, I have always heard women complain about the many hardships of motherhood and one of them has always been dealing with poop. I have never had a problem with it...until now. Can I just say how gross it is to clean up after a poop accident? I try very hard to hide my true feelings when I am in the process of cleaning one up because I don't want Sarah to feel bad for having an accident. She is just learning. But it is a challenge not to grimace or comment over it.

There is still work to be done but I really feel like Sarah is doing a great job with this whole process. I'm glad I don't have to buy diapers for her anymore. One child in diapers is expensive enough.

Potty Training Update

After Sarah woke up from her nap she was resisting going to the potty but she finally made it and was able to go. Then she went two more times before she went to bed. She only had three accidents today and they were all early this morning. Over all I feel like it was a pretty successful day. It was definitely discouraging at times but she got better as the day went on and each success made her want to keep it up. She has a chart that she is putting all her stickers on so she can see how many times she went potty. She loves looking at it and counting the stickers. I am hopeful that tomorrow will be even better than today. I guess we'll see.

Potty Training

So I have decided that it is time to start potty training Sarah. She is old enough and it is very expensive having two kids in diapers. About a year ago she was really interested and excited about the potty and I tried to start training her and even got her to go on the potty a few times. But then I found out I was pregnant and I had horrible "morning sickness". Potty training went out the window at that point because I was so sick and it lasted the entire pregnancy.

Sarah will be 2 1/2 at the end of this month so it's time to get her trained. I know she can use the potty and occasionally will but it's not consistent and she loves her diapers. After reading a few books I decided the best way to do this for Sarah would be to buy a ton of underwear and just have her wear them all day long. Periodically I will take her to the potty and have her try to go. I expect many accidents but I think going cold turkey will be best for her. I will still use a pull-up at night for a while.

Today is our first day of potty training. So far it has been a long day. When we woke up this morning I explained to Sarah that we were done with diapers and she was going to wear big girl underwear and use the potty like mommy and daddy and all her friends who are potty trained. Of course the underwear I bought was Disney princess and Tinkerbell so she was excited to wear them. Not too long after I put her in them she had an accident. I did not lecture her and calmly took her to the bathroom cleaned her up and put dry underwear on her. Right after breakfast she sat on the potty for a while and went poop! I was so excited for her and made a big deal out of it. I gave her a sticker and then lit a candle, sang a potty song (something I just made up) and had her blow out the candle. She loves stickers and thought it was so fun to blow out the candle.

After that we went downstairs to watch a movie. I continued to take her to the potty every 30 minutes and she got tired of it very quickly. She didn't want to use the potty and started holding her pee. I tried to encourage her but didn't force her so I kept trying and after an hour was able to get her to at least sit on the potty. She had a few more accidents and finally after lunch she went pee on the potty. I made a huge deal out of it and got all excited and sang the potty song. Sarah got up and danced and tried to sing along with me. She was so proud of herself and so was I. I gave her another sticker and lit the candle for her to blow out again. Right now she is taking a nap and I put her in a pull-up for it. I explained what it was for and I also told her that as soon as she woke up from her nap we would sit on the potty again. After I shut her door she started singing the potty song to herself. It was so cute!

I got really discouraged this morning and started to wonder why I was doing this but we are starting to make some exciting progress so I feel much better about it. We'll see how the rest of this evening goes.

Hailey's Blessing

Today was a very special day for our family. Kevin gave Hailey a beautiful and wonderful blessing. Hailey looked so beautiful in her blessing dress and she was such an angel through the whole thing. Kevin's dad, Ray said Hailey looked up at Kevin almost the entire time during the blessing.

Kevin's parents came out from Kansas and my brother Brian his wife Ann and her mother Carol were able to be there for it as well. We sure missed family that was not able to make it but circumstances just didn't make it possible.

What a wonderful gift it is to have the opportuntiy to bless our children when they are born. I am so grateful to Kevin and his worthiness to hold the priesthood. We are so grateful for Hailey and the love she brings into our home. Her smiles brighten the room and bring us so much joy.

4th of July

We had a great holiday today. First we went to a church breakfast bright and early that served pancakes, eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy and lots of fruit...yummy! After everyone was done eating we had a short flag ceremony and said the Pledge of Allegiance followed by singing The Star Spangled Banner. I loved saying the Pledge of Allegiance since it has been so long since I have recited it. It really encompasses the spirit of our country and what we stand for. I wish I had more opportunites to say it.

After that we went home and had some lunch then put the girls down for a nap. While they were napping Kevin and I played cards with his parents who are visiting. One of our favorite games to play is Pinnacle. They taught us the game about a year ago and we love to play it with them whenever they are in town.

When naps were done we went to a fabulous Italian buffet restaurant called Cinzetti's. There are only two locations in the country, one here in the Denver area and one in the Kansas City area. The food is amazing and they have so much to choose from. It's a great place to eat when you have a lot of people in your party.

Finally we went to a fireworks show just south of here. We tried to attend that same show last year but about a minute into the show the surrounding field caught fire and after three minutes they stopped the show. We were so bummed because it was Sarah's first show and she was loving it. This year we have had a lot more rain and we decided to give it another try. It was fantastic and one of the best shows we have seen. We pretty much had front row seats and there was a nice breeze so the smoke was being carried away before it had a chance to affect people. Sarah sat on my lap during the show and I covered her ears while we watched. She loved every minute of it and kept cheering and making remarks like "oh that was a pretty good one". It was so cute. I loved being able to see the fireworks through a child's eye. It makes everything so much more magical. The show got done just before 10pm and as soon as we were in the car heading home Sarah fell asleep. Of course we had Hailey with us as well and she just slept the whole time.

We had a wonderful holiday and enjoyed being together to celebrate our country and the freedoms we enjoy. We are truly blessed to live in this country and have the opportunities we do. I hope we never take that for granted and always remember how blessed we are. More importantly I pray that our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy the same freedoms we have been able to enjoy.