Livin’ the Dream

Many of you know that Dan and I are marketing-minded people. We often marvel at creative advertising, or shop-talk different concepts. Lately, our own tagline has been 'Livin’ the Dream.' Romey and Avery had been giving us a hard time and Dan had looked at me and said, “Sus, we’re sure livin’ the dream, aren’t we?” Yep, we sure are. Although sometimes it feels like we’re 'Livin’ on a Prayer' or 'Livin’ la Vida Loca.'

Avery + Potty Training = God help us. Did you know that a toilet seat doubles as a cup holder? Take a closer look (below) and see that Avery has managed to balance her sippy cup right next to her leg. I mean, really, you never know when you’ll need a drink while you’re using the restroom, right?



















In a nutshell, Avery needs to be potty-trained (potty learning is the politically correct term) prior to starting pre-school in the fall. We’re not sure Avery’s ready (for potty learning; school: YES!). She is showing certain signs of readiness, she’s not showing other signs of readiness……..I don’t know.

So, on Tuesday I thought I’d make it a potty day, and potty day it was. Avery logged several hundred miles on her potty chair, earning her a red-rimmed hiney. Were we successful? Yes, but only because Avery wasn’t doing anything besides sitting on the potty. Did she tell us that she needed to sit on the potty? No, and every time I stepped out of the room to tend to Romey, Avery had an accident. I sense we’re close, but how close I don’t know. I find this parenting milestone simply maddening. One thing is for sure: we can’t treat potty training like cramming for a final exam (i.e. pre-school starting as our deadline). Stay tuned.

And if you haven’t seen Dan lately, and you happen to run into him, you’ll surely notice that he’s nearing the 60-pound loss mark. Dan is always telling me about the great salad that he had, or subjecting me to a fashion show of the clothes he hasn’t been able to wear in years. He’s glowing, and I’m so proud of him. I can’t keep up with him on walks though, and find that I’m often trailing him. Guess it is time to retire the “I’ve been baking babies and eating snickers for the last three years” excuse.

What else? Romey continues to delight us with her sweet smiley self. We’re anticipating her four-month well-check next week, and are curious what her stats are. Dan and Avery are just returning from their trip to the Creative Learning Art Studio for Kids. Enjoy these fun pictures!