Life Lately

I didn't intend to go ten days between blog posts, but well...life is weird right now. It's busy, like usual, but not really full of much to blog about. Here's what we've been up to lately...

Leland got sick. He started vomiting one night and continued to do so intermittently for four days. I started to worry that he might be getting dehydrated so I took him to the doctor. Turns out it was strep. Who knew?

As much as I hated seeing him sick. I sure enjoyed the extra snuggles and having him fall asleep in my arms.

Waiting for our prescription.

Alden is cutting four molars right now. Which means he's sleeping pretty crappy again. Oh, how I long for some dang sleep. (This is part of why I haven't been blogging. I'm just so tired.)

He loves books now. He brings them to me all the time and says "ree, ree, ree." Not sure if he's saying "read" or just babbling, but I love it.

I've tried a few new recipes from my Against All Grain cookbook. Just kind of practicing for my whole30 which I start in about two weeks (though some of these recipes are still not whole30 approved because they have honey in them, it's at least a step in the right direction). Last week, I made zoodles with spaghetti sauce which we all enjoyed.

This week, I made sesame-orange chicken with cauliflower "rice" which was a huge hit. Dave actually said he preferred the cauliflower instead of normal rice. I also made mini meatloaf muffins. Yum!

And Leland helped me make some zucchini muffins. I don't love them, but Leland does, so at least they're not a total waste.

My big helper

We celebrated Dave's 34th birthday at home. He was happy with his gifts of turkey jerky and a new DeWalt nail gun.

I started filling out enrollment forms for preschool. 

Our school has an enrollment lottery because we're a charter school. So the forms have to be in by the beginning of April. I'm pretty sure he's guaranteed a spot since I teach there, but I figured I should still get my forms in on time. I can't believe he'll be in preschool already! We're planning on two days in the fall, and then three days starting next January. The following year, he'll probably go full time. Part of me is so excited to have him in my school, but part of me wants to keep him in daycare forever.

That's pretty much it. Lots of puking. Lots of food. Some random stuff and a crap ton of report cards (another reason for no blogging). That's life lately. Hopefully I'll be back soon with something more exciting.

Alden at 15 months

PYesterday, January 17, Alden turned 15 months old. My last update was his 12 month letter, so here's what he's been up to...

• Still loves food and will generally eat anything in sight. However, he has also learned the super fun toddler game of throwing his food on the floor, even when it's a favorite food.

• Not saying many words yet - yay and ow mostly. And he will repeat mama and dada most of the time, but he doesn't use them regularly.

• Wearing mostly 18 month clothes. Size 4 diapers, size 5 at night. Size 5 shoes.

• Loves all of the toys that Leland loves: tractors, trucks, planes, etc.

• Major mama's boy. He gets so jealous when Leland sits on my lap, and he definitely prefers me over Dave right now.

• Climbing all the time! Hence all the bruises on his head.

• Around Christmas, he started sleeping pretty well. EIGHT HOUR stretches! But then...molars. He's getting all 4 right now. For the last week, we've been up every 2-3 hours again.

• Still nursing at night and naps.

• New habit is putting his hand down my shirt. He does it all the time lately, since he started cutting molars. Not sure if that's just a coincidence or what.

• 15 month check up isn't for about 2 weeks, so I'm not sure of height and weight stats.

• Loves the movies Cars and Planes. Doesn't care for much else on TV/movies.

• Getting really interested in books. He used to love just pulling them all off the shelves. Now he actually wants to look at them and will bring them to me to read.

He is still my sweet littlest baby, but is definitely developing a sassy side. We simply adore him, sassy pants and all.

Happy 15 months, my precious babe!

A New (Food) Journey

In a few weeks, I am going to embark on a new, slightly terrifying, food journey. I will do the Whole 30 challenge. Thirty days of whole food - no grain, no sugar, no dairy, no processed foods.

This is sort of an extreme food challenge for me. I try to eat whole foods as often as possible, and I don't really feel like I eat incredibly unhealthy. But, as of late, I do eat a lot of carbs and refined sugar. This is a huge change for me and for my family (let's not talk about how much Dave is NOT looking forward to this).

When I first decided to do this challenge, my main motivation was weight loss. I am not overweight, and I'm actually fairly content with the number on the scale, but I wanted a way to kick-start myself into losing a few pounds and fitting into my clothes better. However, after researching it more, I am now more motivated by the health benefits for myself and my family. I have always had some digestive issues and dismissed them as just the way things are for me. But now my boys seem to be inheriting the same issues, and I don't want them to go through their whole lives like this. I want them to eat well and feel great NOW so that it's just a habit when they're older.

I feel that doing the Whole 30 will be a good way to force me to create healthier meals and eating habits for my family so that it will become easier for me. I am the queen of excuses, like when it comes to food prep, saying I don't have time, but really I just don't make time. I also think that it will be good for me to cut out sugar for a good chunk of time. I have a definite addiction to sugar and I'm hoping to get it under control. I do not want sugar to be such a big part of my diet. The Whole 30 is considered a type of  cleanse, and that is why I'm doing it. I need to detox from all the sugar. That's the only way I can see myself getting control of it.

To start this journey, I ordered the cookbook Against All Grain as well as a zoodle slicer. I have always wanted to try zoodles, so now is the perfect time!

Now, I'm not saying that I am going completely Paleo after this challenge. I'm not a person that likes to be defined or limited by labels. If I want to have bread, I will eat bread. If I want to have pasta, I will eat pasta. And if I want cake, I for sure am going to eat cake! But I would like to have some of these healthier meals more often than not.

So, will I always have zoodles instead of pasta? Not necessarily, unless of course I like them better. We shall see.

I'm anxious to get started, but have decided to wait until I have at least the majority of the 30 days planned out. If I go in without a plan, I am sure to fail. I need to prepare my mind (and my refrigerator). So I've begun by looking up some meal ideas and soon I will make my actual grocery lists for those weeks. My friend, Kristina, is going to do the challenge with me, and we have decided to start on February 15. That way I can enjoy a few Valentine's Day treats and still be done before spring break. In the meantime, I am just trying to cut back on my sugar consumption and make better choices.

I am looking forward to seeing how this challenge will affect my eating habits and even just the way I look at food and nutrition.

I will post about the process both during and after, and will include things like before and after pictures and any changes in weight. Wish me luck!

Leland Says

Leland constantly amazes and entertains me with the things he says. I don't know where he gets this stuff, but here are some of my favorites lately:

While eating lunch one day...
Me: What's my name, Leland?
Leland: Your name is Mama.
Me: What's Daddy's name?
Leland: Dave.
Me: What's your name?
Leland: Ummm...my name is...Bob!


While playing with a truck he got for Christmas, he said, "I got this for Christmas. When I was a kid."


Since potty training, he likes to cheer me on whenever I go potty. He likes to tell me I did "a awesome great job!"


Also since potty training, Leland is obsessed with bowel movements and passing gas. He always wants to see if I poop in the potty (like, literally sticking his head in the toilet and sniffing). And when passes gas, he will walk toward me, backwards, and ask me "You wanna smell my fart?" He's not trying to be funny or rude though. He thinks I really want to smell it. Weirdo.


For the longest time, when Leland wanted to use my phone, he would just say "I want to use your phone." I always got on him about asking nicely. Now, he always says, "Mama, if you're done with your phone, I'll use it." As if he's doing me a favor. And it's still not asking so we continue to work on that.


Referring to the cat: "I like him really really much." If only the feelings were mutual.


In general, he's still a great eater, but at times, he tries to be picky. If there is something he doesn't want, his excuse for not liking it is because "it's all black and white and green." Even if it is none of those colors. A few days ago, he didn't want to eat his pizza because it was "black and white and green." He ate it two minutes later.


He still likes to watch The Polar Express. Whenever it gets to the part where they arrive at the North Pole, and the conductor takes off his hat, Leland says, "He doesn't have any hair on!"


This age is just so fun. Even with the oh-so-lovely threenager fits. I love the silly things he says.

First Trip to the Dentist

I Leland had his first dentist visit a few days ago. He was so excited about it! I'm not really sure where his excitement came from, other than the fact that I really like going to the dentist (who doesn't love clean teeth?). A few months ago, he was being less than cooperative about brushing his teeth, and when I told him that the dentist wants him to brush his teeth so he won't get cavities, he suddenly was all about brushing. Since then, he has asked almost daily if he could go to the dentist. However, our dentist doesn't take kids until age three, so we had to wait a bit.

Well, Friday was finally the big day. He looked forward to it all day. At one point, he asked if there would be tractors there (always with the tractors...). I told him probably not, but that he could pick out a prize if he didn't have any cavities. Then he was even more excited.

Leland was very cooperative and enjoyed his first experience at the dentist. Our hygienist was quite impressed, as was I. Of course this mamarazzi had to document. Excuse his crazy bed head/hat hair and chapped cheeks/chin. He had a cold and had just woken up from a nap.

Big boy in the chair!

He picked chocolate flavored toothpaste. Sounds gross to me - I stick with mint - but he didn't complain.

Loved the "vacuum" and had fun holding it himself.

And since his teeth looked great with no cavities, he got to pick a prize! (Anyone else find it weird that the tooth prize box has holes in it? Like, we're at the dentist and the prize box has cavities? No, it's just me? Okay.)

He chose a toy car.

I'm glad this was a great experience for him. I know that the dentist can be a scary place for lots of kids...and adults. I'm thankful it was so easy and fun for him. After it was all over, he told me, "That was so really fun, Mama!" Yay! We'll be back in July for more fun at the dentist!

Adventures in Potty Training

Note: this is an incredibly wordy post to say that my kid is basically potty trained. If you're not interested in the boring details, read no further. But, as this is my journal of sorts, and I may want to look back on this in the future (when it comes time to potty train Alden), I am sharing lots of boring details about the process.

On Leland's birthday (December 28), we (I) decided we were done with diapers. I told Leland we ran out of diapers, which was a complete and total lie, because Alden wears the same size diapers at night. I hadn't planned ahead. I had just decided when I woke up that morning that it was time. We needed to get this potty training show on the road. Because, if not now, when?

We had been working on potty training for months, but we weren't committed. We made a few half-ass attempts, and tried to be serious about it, but we just weren't. Part of it was that Leland didn't quite seem ready. We would put underwear on him with no pants, and when he had an accident five minutes later, we pretty much gave up. He did great with going pee on the potty, but would also go in his pants and didn't seem to care.

But on his birthday, when I put his underwear on him, I also had him wear pants. Underwear alone was too much like a diaper; it wasn't all that uncomfortable when he peed in them. But with pants on too, he definitely didn't like being wet.

Another reason I felt like he wasn't ready before was because he would have accidents just a few minutes after going on the potty. I had this notion in my head that he shouldn't have accidents. That if he were ready, he wouldn't have any accidents. Well...that was just plain dumb of me. Accidents are a necessary part of potty training. Without having accidents, how will he know he doesn't like being wet? It's a learning process.

It's funny that it took me so long to figure these things out, because I have potty-trained COUNTLESS children in my life as a daycare/preschool teacher. I was known as the potty training guru at one school. However, potty training in a daycare/school setting is much different than at home. The structure is different, the toilets are different (smaller, yet still "real" toilets are awesome), and there are several children working on it at the same time so they learn from each other.

I know many potty training methods suggest setting aside a few days strictly to work on pottying. No leaving the house, no distractions (TV, other children, etc.). I don't ever have that much time to dedicate strictly to potty training, so I made sure we had one whole day at home, and a few low-key days with not much going on so we could work on it.

His birthday was day one.

Planes undies

We put him in underwear first thing in the morning and I set the timer on my phone to go off every 20 minutes. Every 20 minutes, he sat on the potty, and he peed each and every time. I was armed with mini marshmallows as his treats for going - one for staying dry, one for peeing. He asked for a diaper a few times, but I stuck to my story that we were all out. At nap time, I told him we only had sleep diapers (that were actually the same as the regular diapers we have always used...I'm a liar). He wore a diaper for nap and sleeping at night. He had 2 accidents that day.

Day 2, I didn't set the timer once. Instead, I asked him often if he had to go potty. Sometimes I had to carry him to the toilet and tell him it was time, and sometimes he would tell me, "It's potty time." We had a doctor's appointment that day, and he stayed dry in the car ride and at the doctor's office. Again, he had 2 accidents (including a poop...no fun).

Day 3, I tried to remind him less and less. I just tried to let him listen to his body. He, again, made it to a doctor's appointment without an accident. And he also refused to wear a diaper during nap that day. From that day on, he hasn't had any accidents, including naps, except for another poop on day 6. That one was while we were out of the house, and I ended up throwing that pair of underwear away.

Since then, he has been telling us whenever he has to pee. I ask him now and then to make sure he's still thinking about it. Pooping on the potty was a different story. It was not as easy. Several times, he would sit on the potty, trying to poop and I would sit with him, encouraging him and telling him that he could have his special toy when he went. But he never did.

Then one night (day 7), Dave sat in the bathroom with him. Dave explained to him that he needs help with lots of things, like shoveling the driveway, working in his shop, etc. and that he needs a big boy to help him. He needs to know that Leland won't poop his pants during those activities. And in the middle of that conversation Leland.pooped.on.the.toilet! Holy crap! No pun intended.

That's when Leland got his long adored and coveted combine tractor.

He calls him Frank Combine (from Cars)

The next day, I was giving Alden a bath when Leland ran into the bathroom, sat on the toilet and pooped again.

Then he got another special toy that we had been saving for a special occasion.

The tractor on the right was given to us from a student. Leland adores it, but one day Alden chewed on it and some paint scraped off. So the one on the left is his new one - no chipped paint and it still has the steering wheel. Leland was thrilled.

Considering he hasn't had an accident in 6 days, he tells us when he has to go, and will go independently (shuts the door and locks it so he can go by himself), and has now pooped on the potty on his own, I'd say the boy is potty trained (except for wiping)! Wahoo!

Throughout the entire process, I tried as much as possible to let Leland do all of the pulling down/up of his pants himself. He needed to do this - he needed to own it. He wore pajama pants for the first few days, because they're easier to pull up and down, but now he's wearing regular pants.

I cannot believe how easy this process was once we finally committed to it. I think it is definitely because he was ready. Six months ago, he wasn't ready, and this would have a very different story. But now he is, and I'm glad I had that random thought last Sunday to just do it already.

Happy Birthday, Grammy!

On New Year's Eve, my mother-in-law turned 60, so we threw her a surprise party.

Dave and I told her we were taking her out for dinner for her birthday, and when she walked into the restaurant, a few of her favorite people were there to surprise her.

We all enjoyed visiting...

Ate our yummy meals...

Patti opened her gifts (with a little help from Leland)...

And then we had cake!

A little help from some of the grandboys.

And then, before we left, we attempted some group pictures.

Just missing Kennedi and Elli

I was so glad we were able to pull off the surprise. I thought for sure she would have figured it out. What a fun night celebrating my sweet mother-in-law.