Team JacWard

So the story begins about two years ago when I was pregnant with Benjamin. I had just graduated collage and moved in with my mom while Daniel was in New York on an internship. I had been fighting really hard not to read the twilight books. I have this thing about being cookie cutter. I am a unique person and this book series was just way too much for me. I didn't want to read them AT ALL! So back to the summer before Ben was born, my dad sent me a package and inside were the first two books of the series. My dad kept asking if I had started to read them yet and I would keep making excuses, some of which were really good reasons why not to have started yet. Finally I made an agreement with my self. I would start to read the first book and if I fell asleep, got too bored, or hated it I would stop reading and tell everyone that I was right, the books weren't all that they lived up to.

I was soooooo wrong. I started reading before I went to bed, I think because I secretly wanted to fall asleep during the book. Anyways, I started and the first few chapters were ok, not horrible, but I could find a reason why they were great yet. I think a few hour passed by before I realized that I was hooked. Line and sinker! I had about a month before Ben would be born so I read like crazy. I finished the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, the week before Ben came out! They are wonderful books and so easy to read and get hooked on. The second one was hard for me to get through, but I soldiered on and am glad I did.

So I am eternally in torment on whose team I am on. Reading the books I was totally team Edward, and even in the first movie. New moon changed that. Jacob looks 90% better with his hair short and his shirt off. So I am torn between the deep love for Edward and the sweet perfectness of Jacob. So I have created my own team: Team Jacward! I think I need a t-shirt now...

So last night was the preview showing at midnight for the third movie, Eclipse. I had waited in line for the second one last November and it was totally fun! I really wanted to do that again this time, but I am almost 7 months pregnant and sitting in a line all day is not possible. So I found out they were showing Twilight and New moon right before Eclipse, so I totally bought those tickets and then If you buy a ticket to the show right before, you don't have to leave your seat. So I was totally up for sitting in a chair with air conditioning, rather than a line. So I spent close to $30 to see four movies in a row.

Prince of Persia was the first one and was really good. It reminded me a lot of the story of Aladdin minus the genie. I walked around after this movie and was feeling pretty good. Then they let in the big long line of people who didn't want to watch Persia. We had a whole row and a half of people who went together from church. Then the Twilight series started. Close to the end of that movie I was hungry and needed dinner. I got a pasta dish and rhubarb-strawberry pie. mmmmm the pie was good!

Ok so now on to New moon. I only saw it twice when it came out so it had been a while. After this movie my toes and ankles were starting to merge together and become cankles with nubbins for toes. I stretched and got my blood pumping and by the time Eclipse started I was feeling ok.

So then finally Eclipse started and it was wonderful. It was the most similar to the book and was spot on to what I had imagined it to be like when I read the book. The only thing I was underwhelmed by was Bella's ring. I thought it was way better in the book. Other than that I was happy.

It was really nice to see the movies all in a row and experience the progression all at once. I don't think I will do it next time, once was great for me. By then end of the night I had to run my feet under a cold shower, because my feet were on fire and the size of an elephants foot. Too much sitting for this preggo lady. I am excited that the first of the next two movies probably wont come out until November of 2011, which means the child I am carrying now will be weaned and I won't have to worry about him!

Yay for good movies and girls night out! Oh and Jacob spent 95% of the movie with no shirt on!!

Potty diaries

I decided last week to start potty training again since I am feeling much better lately and would love for it to be done before the next one arrives. It is getting really difficult to get up and down for diaper changes now that I am getting big.

So last week I started to keep a log of when Benjamin had a wet diaper and his behaviors concerning going potty. Then a few days later I took off the diaper and shorts and he was nakie. I set his little potty in the middle of the living room and re-introduced him to what the potty was. We also bought big boy undies so he can go into public and not have to wear a diaper.

I tried to make him sit and go, but there was no success with that. So I sort of gave up trying to make him and after his nap he sat on the potty and went all by himself! We praised the heck out of him and he kept up the habit. He gets a marshmallow every time he goes in the potty. He likes the praise and the reward. We have figured out that if it is his idea, he will go no problem. When we force him to sit and say "Ok go potty," he doesn't. So now our process is he goes when HE knows he has to go and then he comes and tells us proudly.

Yesterday he slept through his nap dry, but he woke up this morning wet. All night is a little harder, so we will work on that too. I started to put a diaper on him when he sleeps, but then I found out it confuses them. They think they can go in them, and it confuses them. So I haven't put a diaper on him in over a day. He has had accidents, but he is learning. My mom said I didn't like waking up wet and learned after one accident, but I was a girl and heard they are much easier. We shall see.

I think what we will do next is take his potty with us to the store and practice going while out of the house, and wearing undies at home and pulling them down to go. I usually take a clean pair of undies and a change of pants with us in a zip lock bag in case he has an accident.

Does anyone have any ideas of how they did potty training in public? I feel like he has got it down at home, but has trouble with the big potties at the store.

Color week

I went on a little mini vavation this last weekend to Utah for my good friend Ally's wedding. WHile I was there I had so much fun. I also was able to see a bunch of friends that I went to highschool with in South Dakota. So much fun!!! Anyways, I really missed my boys. It is so good to be home.

While I was gone, Daniel was with Ben. He noticed that he was really whiny like he was bored a lot. So I decided to start school with him. I looked up a bunch of cites and am starting really simple both for his sake and mine. So this week is color week. We are learning all about colors and doind different projects and lessons with colors.

Yesterday we painted and colored with crayons. We talked about the colors he used and what happened when you combine them. We used different techniques with the hand and fingers. He really likes paints. Then we moved onto crayons and this is where we really talked about the different colors.

Last night I had to prepare a little for todays lesson. We started with four ice cubes and each had one drop of food coloring. Red, yellow, blue and green were the ones I had. This morning I put the yellow and red together and blue and green where in their own baggies. I put a few clear ice cubes in also so he could see that change. I talked about the different colors and the tempereature of the cubes. We used our warm hands to melt the cubes. It was fun to watch the color cubes leak their tint to the clear ones. The baggie with yellow and red made orange by the end, so we could see the colors combine. Then for a snack today Ben had a popsicle that I made from apple juice. So there we introduced a color and temperature. Ben had a lot of fun with this activity and kept trying to eat the ice! Oh and we watched a baby signing time that included opposites of hot and cold, so it was fresh in his mind for the activity today.

Tomorrow we will be going outside and discovering the many colors and textures with nature. I am so excited for this new adventure of planning and teaching Ben new things. Everyday we use flash cards of the alphabet to help Ben learn the name and sign of each letter.

Prayers

Our little family would really appreciate your prayers. We are going through a rough transition with Daniels work. This is a really humbling time for us, and is taking a lot of faith to not to give into worry. I can't give a lot of detail now, but will after it has passed. Please just keep us in mind and in your hearts!