the paquettes

As I was napping today, (“How could you take a nap with 3 kids?” you ask.  Well because I am just now getting over strep throat which I’ve had since Monday night and my dear sweet husband has worked from home the whole week so he could take care of me and the kids!!!  I know I’m totally spoiled by him!!  Thanks babe!) I was awoken by Ella running in my room and screaming “I poopoo’d in the potty mommy!!”  Now this is something of a feat because we have been trying for her to poopoo in the potty for the past 6 months (oh the joys of potty training!).  I got out of bed and looked at James and asked, “Is it true?!?”  “Yep!” he replied and we both looked lovingly at the Disney princess nightgown….

You see, we have been racking our brains trying to find something to bribe Ella with for her to poo in the potty.  Chuck E Cheese, ice cream, wrapped presents, and wearing ‘big girl panties’ all were laughed at by her.  Until one day last week I was noticing how Ella and Rilyn love wearing their nightgowns to bed each night.  You see, they only have one nightgown each and they beg and plead to wear it each night and they are heartbroken when I tell them it must be washed before they can wear it again (because really, that could be a long time with my laundry skills).  So I decided to buy one more Disney Princess night gown, (because you can’t beat Disney Princess in my girls eyes), and that would be the bribe.  James instituted my plan this week since I was bedridden and he did it brilliantly because he added a twist.  He brought out the oh so beautiful nightgown and told both girls this was a nightgown that only the girl who went poopoo in the potty last could wear that night.  He looked at Ella, “Did you go poopoo in the potty today?”  Ella goes right into tears.  Rilyn pipes up, “I did daddy!  Oh I’m so excited, what a surprise!  I get this nightgown!”  Ella goes right to the potty but to no avail.  She is in too much distress to even push out a pebble.    Rilyn wears the gown for the night and Ella is heartbroken.  (Hooray!  Just where we want her!)

And that leads us to today where we decided to leave Ella naked from the waist down and keep reminding her of the gown.  Well, here is the picture to prove it worked! (At least it worked once. Hopefully this will continue!!)

From September 2008

So what did I learn from all this? If vanity worked now, James and I are in for it big time when they hit puberty!!

Ella had her first day of preschool today.  She was so excited to go since sister has already been going now for 2 weeks.

From September 2008

Anna Richardson, Ella’s best friend, is in her class (Miss Misty’s Monkeys!), so we thought it would be cute to dress them alike!  Here they are at the donut store this morning.

From September 2008

BTHO New Mexico….PLEASE!!!!!!

From August 2008

Rilyn is officially a bus rider this week and both mommy and Rilyn couldn’t be happier!  (I don’t have to load up 2 crying kiddos in the car to drop off and pick up Rilyn from school and Rilyn gets to be ‘a big kid’ and ride the bus!  She feels so cool.)

From September 2008

One of her first assignments at preschool was to draw a self portrait. Of course, that is Rilyn’s favorite thing to do! Here is her masterpiece!

From September 2008

(that is a ’4′ next to her name because she is 4 years old of course! And the orange dot on her pink shirt is her belly button.  She insists on putting one on every person she draws!)