Things are getting exciting!!

Another fun camping weekend has come to an end! Travis, Kiegan, Maddie & I went back to Hickory Hills for some family time. We left Friday as soon as my last daycare child left and the last few items were put in the camper. It's sooo nice that this place is such a close drive! We just relaxed Friday night and went to bed at a decent time. Saturday it rained off and on, but we were able to get out and about around the campground. We were up at the pool as soon as it opened at 10:00. I had bought a pair of arm floaties for Maddie and also a swimsuit that had float thingies built into the front & back of it. We decided to try the swimsuit thingy first and although it definitely kept her afloat, it rubbed her chin raw and it was difficult to hold her very well! Later on Saturday night, after the rain passed we went back up to the pool again this time with just her regular swimsuit on and the arm floaties. It was amazing watching her in the pool! While Travis & Kiegan horsed around in the pool, Maddie and I hung out in the shallower end and she was a fish! As soon as the floaties were put on her and she was plopped in the water, she took off! I never even had to hold her - she was leaning back and floating, kicking her legs, splashing, leaning forward and floating. It was awesome! And the whole time she never stopped smiling and laughing. So we ended up closing the pool down. Sunday morning we packed up and came home right after breakfast which is so perfect b/c it still leaves plenty of time for me to get my Walmart shopping done and stuff ready for my daycare week. Plus Travis was excited to go check out our new golf cart! I don't have any pictures of it to put on here, but it's a nice one and will be nice to take camping with us so we can buzz around the campground.



I had noticed over the weekend that Maddie kept coming up to me and wanting her diaper changed as soon as she would poop. So I sort of took that as a sign that maybe potty training was just around the corner! Later in the day Sunday, she went over to her "poop corner" and squatted but hopped right back up and came over to me pointing at her diaper. I asked her if she was done pooping and she shook her head no so I wasn't real sure what she was wanting! I asked her if she wanted to sit on the potty and she immediately took off towards the bathroom so of course I raced in there with her, put the potty seat on the toilet, pulled down her shorts, ripped off her diaper and plopped her up on the potty. Sure enough I suddenly heard a bunch of "plop, plop, plops" - I couldn't believe it!! I kept telling her "good girl!" and when she was done she screamed! LOL It was a pretty exciting moment!! I was trying not to get too excited b/c she is only 18 months after all and that is pretty early to be potty training, but yesterday during quiet time she wanted to go on the potty and after sitting there for awhile she pee'd! WOO HOO! Even MORE exciting!! And then last night after we got home from Blm. she wanted to sit on the potty and she pee'd AGAIN! So maybe she has thrown herself into this potty training business?? There's definitely no rhyme or reason to when she wants to go, but if she wants to sit on the potty then by all means let's go for it! Goodness knows she sees a lot of potty business going on with all of the daycare children so it might make sense for her to pick up on it somewhat quickly.



In other family news - I was talking with the girl that Kiegan works with in Blm. to see if she still thought he would be done with the program by the time school started. He's been talking about playing basketball this school year and he also wants to join Tae Kwon Do which we think is a great idea! But as long as he's going to Blm., those extra things can't happen. Megan, the girl he works with, wanted to talk with Basha (who owns the Speech & Learning Connections place) about Kiegan b/c he is the first person she's had go through this particular reading program and she wasn't as familiar with it as Basha is. Kiegan is on Level 3 in the reading program and Megan thought that maybe the Level 4 and Level 5 would be above his reading level and he would have to come back in later school years to do those levels. Come to find out, Level 3 is a 3rd grade reading level meaning the Level 4 is 4th grade and Level 5 is 5th grade soooo considering that he's going into 5th grade means that he really needs to do the Level 4 and 5 as well. It wasn't at all what we were hoping to hear b/c it means that he will probably be going for up to another year depending on how quickly he progresses through the levels. BUT it's what he needs and it's obviously working so hard to complain too much! Kiegan was just disappointed about not being able to play basketball or do the Tae Kwon Do (which he was looking forward to the most). I think for the next month to month and a half he's going four days out of the week which the more often we go, the quicker he'll progress and get through the levels.



I received a warning phone call last week that the DCFS "witch" was going to be coming to my house this week. So I had to race around the house to make sure everything was in order and paperwork was ready for her to look at. This lady is new and from what I've heard is MUCH worse than the lady who retired and use to make the home visits. So that makes me nervous - I'm sure I'll get written up for all sorts of stupid stuff. I already know one of the dings I'll get is that my CPR & First Aid certification is expired and is not getting renewed till Thursday night. So she'll write me up for that like she did a friend of mine whose certification is also expired and is not getting renewed till Thursday. YIPPEE!! I'm sure I'll be plenty stressed by the time she leaves. I HATE being treated/talked to like I don't know what I'm doing.



Oh a happier note! I have a date Friday night with a good friend of mine!! Her two little ones come to my daycare and Travis & I are good friends with them. So we decided that we needed to go have a nice dinner, do a little shopping and hit up Coldstone Creamery before coming home without having little people tugging and pulling on us. We are both looking forward to it so much! In general, this week will be a busy one with Kiegan going to Blm. three days (my mom will be taking him two of the three days b/c I won't be able to), I have a training to go to Wednesday night, CPR & First Aid re-certification Thursday night, date night with my friend Friday night, Aunt Peggy's wedding on Saturday and then Sunday will be spent getting the house back in order and ready for the new week! Oh and Kiegan wants to get his school supplies this weekend - woo hoo! I LOVE shopping for school supplies!!



So busy week ahead, but also lots of exciting things going on!