Pinch-pinch!

This past weekend was all about food, well that, and potty training...We went strawberry picking, then to the super-fun Carter's annual crawfish boil, and finished the weekend with a fabulous dinner at the Collin's house.  The pool is now open, so we also took advantage of it Sunday.  It was a hot one...of many more to come, I'm afraid!

Last week, Griffin got his first boo-boo...on his chin.  He's pulling up EVERYWHERE and on everything.  He slipped and hit his chin on my parent's fireplace.  He's a tough boy, though!  He's getting really good at walking while holding fingers, or behind his push-toy.  He's starting to eat more and more table food, but still with only that one 1/2 tooth.  I swear there are 3 more at the gum's surface, but he's the slowest tooth-grower I've ever seen!   He's starting to give high-5's and wave goodbye, and also complains (loudly) if something he was playing with was taken away.  Basically, he's starting to have an opinion and be able to communicate it. Griffin "talks" a lot more than Payton ever did. I love watching him grow stronger and develop his ever-charming personality.  He's awesome.  I love him SO much!

So about the potty training...I can attribute any delays in potty training to us plain being lazy.  It takes time, consistency, and dedication to go head-first, er, bottom-first, into accomplishing this feat.  The experts say the best time to potty-train is between 22-30 months, but each kid is so different.  I felt she was ready, and since she can communicate the need to "go" now, so it was time...I worked from home on Thursday and Friday, so that gave me 4 consecutive days to really delve into getting Payton used to going in the potty.  I promised her new panties, which she was really excited about.  At first she wanted Elmo or Barbie ones, but after seeing all that was available, we came home with Minnie Mouse panties.  10 pair.  I told her she wasn't allowed to get Minnie wet, and from there we went.  I haven't read all the potty training books.  I haven't read any of the preparatory books to her.  We both went into this blindly.  I just kept putting her on the potty about every hour, and bribed her with M&M's.  This seems to work well, and after all said and done, we had maybe 4-5 accidents the ENTIRE 4 days!  I do still put her in diapers at night, and she is still waking up wet in the mornings, but she's in pull-ups for naps (waking up dry) and panties otherwise.  I did send her to school yesterday, in pull-ups, just because I'm not sure how well she'll adjust there, with so much going on, and with so many kids to attend to, I'm not sure her teachers will be able to ask her if she needs to go regularly. She did poop in her pants :(  But we'll get there!  Apparently this morning she told one of her teachers, Ms Karen, that she needed to poop before my mom left. I'm hoping she really did, and am excited to hear.  Anyway, I'm hoping this continues to go well.  To have just one kid in diapers for the summer will be fabulous!  GO PAYTON!

PS-Payton is talking in this silly monster voice sometimes.  I don't know where she get this stuff, but it's hilarious!

Please enjoy the pictures...it was one fun and busy weekend (seems to be the common trend lately & we love it!)

Home Depot...Payton was too much of a rock star to remove her sunnies

Target...also the last place Payton's right shoe & Sophie the Giraffe were spotted...Ugh.

Waiting for Mommy to get ready to go STRAWBERRY picking!  (now that Payton is wearing panties, we're going to have to teach her to be a little more ladylike!)

Very concerned with G's first boo-boo...G just wanted to chew on her finger

Well, maybe she's not too concerned!  She'd better watch out!  He's going to be bigger than her one of these days!

He loves his big sissy SO much!

This is Griffin's new face he makes...I've been trying to get it on "film" but I never have the camera out when he does it.  It's SO cute though!

He makes everyone smile.

Griffin hit his boo-boo on the tile kitchen floor and it started bleeding.  I put a band aid on it, so little miss copy-cat (who is supposedly afraid of them) put a band aid on her chin.  Just like little brother!

Mmmm, turkey stick!

S-L-O-W-L-Y growing in...he LOVES to have his one half-toofer brushed each night!

Madi (3), Cali (3 in two weeks), and Payton (2) walking up to our house to take a bath while Daddy and Dan prepare dinner

Luckiest boy ever!!  I'm not sure why we didn't use the big bathtub...

Kyler (3 in August) and Payton walking to pick strawberries

<3 love

Excited to get picking!

I see you!

You're doing it wrong!  lol

Looking for ONLY the big, red strawberries!

Hey, Mom!  I found a couple, but I need to make sure they are of the highest quality first. (she "taste-tested almost every one she picked, then threw them down...sorry!)

 

Someone else really enjoyed the super-sweet strawberries...we may have to go back for more!

READY?

SET!

GOOOOoooooOOOO!

Look at that face!  This slide was super-fast!

I'm guessing that boo-boo on his chin is the least of our worries of what's to come!  Griffin is such a boy...observant, involved, and motivated.  Watch out, world!  He'll be walking soon!

I'm usually behind the camera, but Daddy snapped this quick shot...me and my sweet little man!

Marnie (crawfish party hostess with the mostess), yours truly, and Cheryl

Checking out the crawfish

Griffin (8 mo) and Camryn (6 mo) on a date

I'd love to know what Payton was saying...

It SURE must have been funny!

Raegan kept cracking Payton up...she kept blowing raspberries

Okay, so he'll be really confident in his manhood.  Daddy was too lazy to go upstairs to grab Griffin's sweater, so he borrowed Payton's sweater and Raegan's blanket.  Griffin didn't seem to mind.

Making friends...until he became dinner!

Seriously, this little Rae-Rae is going to be TROUBLE!

Channeling her inner Karate Kid with Uncle Jeremy

Ready for more crawfish, please!!  (she actually ate some, and liked them!)

You can't see, but she has a paper towel in her right hand.  She was cleaning the sign. 

All the kids got glow sticks.  There had to be a thousand of them!

Night night, my angel...pick that halo up in the morning! (This was taken in the car as soon as we pulled out.  Both kids out like lights!)

POOL TIME!  Cali, Madi, and Payton splashing around in the very cold water!

Even Griffin made a splash (literally...he kept splashing me.  It was cold!)

I'm scared to death of the plans they are making!

They look like they are ganging up to get me!  We finished the weekend off with dinner at the Collins'...lobstah, crab legs, steak kabobs.  YUM!  Pinch, pinch!