The Sick Bell

So we have something in our house I call the sick bell.  I give it to Katy when she is feeling so icky that she really can't be getting in and out of bed to ask me for things.  As you can imagine, this happens fairly infrequently.  But the idea of having Mommy cater to her every whim sounds like a fabulous idea, so this was our conversation last night.  (I should also mention that Katy has had a chest cold for the past few days, and has been coughing and taking Tylenol).

Katy: Mom, can I ask you a question?

Me: Sure, sweetie.

Katy:  Can I have something?

Me:  What is the "something?"

Katy:  A bell.  You know, a bell is really helpful, is does "ding ding" and tells you when I need something.

Me:  I know, but you aren't sick enough for the bell.  You can get out of bed and move your body and tell me yourself when you need something.

Katy.  Oh.

Me:  Yup.

Katy:  Mom?  Can I ask you something?

Me: Sure sweetie.

Katy:  (coughing)  I think I need some more medicine.

Me:  You already had your medicine.

Katy:  I know, but I think I need MORE medicine.  Like when I'm REALLY sick.

Me:  Really?  What's wrong?

Katy:  Um, my shingdalalala (unintelligible) hurts.

Me:  Really.

Katy:  Yes, really. And then I need the bell.

Me:  I might have more medicine, but that means you are too sick to go to Grandma's house.

Katy:  Oh.

Me:  Yeah.

Katy:  Hmm.

Me:  Does it still hurt?  Should I find the medicine?

Katy:  You know what, Mom?  I feel better now.  I think I want to play Legos instead.

Me:  Wow.  Are you sure you don't need to rest?

Katy:  No.  Legos, please.


And I thought this kind of deception started much later in childhood.  Apparently not.

Twin Potty Training

Potty training with twin boys is proving to be quite the experience.  I'm not even sure they're ready to be trained.  But since they wake up every morning and promptly take off their diapers and take simultaneous dumps on the carpet, I figure they must be at least partly ready.  So last week I hauled out a little potty from Katy's potty training days.  After gathering lots of advice from my pals on Facebook, I started sitting them on the little pot during diaper changes.

Immediately I made a huge mistake.  I offered M&Ms for sitting on the pot.

Ooops.

By the end of the very first day the boys had figured out that if they "asked" to sit on the potty, they would get chocolate.  You can imagine how that went.

By day two the chocolate was gone (sad face), but I was still putting the kids on the pot at every diaper change.  Without the novelty of the chocolate, though, there was nothing to make them stay sitting, and they wouldn't stay sitting on the little pot for more than a second.  I took what I could get, and then put the diaper on and figured that they would get it eventually. 

So far, I've been wrong.

And I've been missing one diaper change- the very first one of the day.  The way our day goes, In the mornings, I bring the boys in the living room and get them settled with toys and such before leaving them to get their breakfast, etc.  As SOON as I leave the room, they take off their pants, their diapers, and poop on the floor.  One day I returned to find Eli swaying at the entrance of baby jail and peeing through the baby jail gates, totally oblivious to the world around him.  Nice.

So today I decided to wait on breakfast (and coffee... this sacrifice is a testament to how much I love my children) and I pulled the potty into baby jail, pulled off diapers and waited for signs that they were ready to "go."

Nothing.  For over an hour.  Nothing.

Finally, my own need to pee over came the need to train, so I slapped diapers on and removed the potty and headed for the head myself.

I returned to two dirty diapers.

At least they didn't take them off this time.

I give up.

Next step: Maybe carpeting the inside of the potty since they like to poop on the floor so much?

Back to Work

After a six week hiatus, it's time for both Ruben and I to get back to our respective jobs.  Today he goes back to work and so do I- as full-time mommy here at the Anzora household.  My seizures held us back from doing what we both do normally, but now that my medications are straightened out, it's time to get everything and everyone back to their own places.  It was kind of nice, in between periods of unconsciousness, to be together more.  On the other hand, I think we're both ready to be back doing what we've been doing- Ruben out working and me taking care of things here at home.

The kids, on the other hand, were a little shocked this morning when mommy woke up with them this morning and not Papa.  I think this whole day will be a little bit of an adjustment period, and I hope Ruben doesn't expect much housework to get done and/or dinner to be ready when he gets home as I am spending most of my time on the floor with the kiddos.  Having time to type during a rare quiet moment during Elmo is the exception (and I guess I could be spending this time doing said housework, but, well, shhhhh....).

Stay tuned...