Happy Monday!
Guys, I can’t believe it’s already Monday… and I made it. You see, after several months of failed attempts, accidents, un-filled potty charts and tears, we decided to go for it and initiate Potty Training Bootcamp with Mary this weekend. For us, this entailed:
- Taking Mary to the potty every 20 minutes on Saturday; every 30 minutes on Sunday;
- A few messes;
- Lots of rewards;
- Staying home all weekend.
So — this definitely put a cramp in our usual weekend adventures, and prompted lots of “Where are we going today?” “Are we going someplace fun?” questions from Julian. In an effort to stay sane this weekend, we came up with the following “fun” things to do:
We took big walks
We live in an area with lots of sidewalks, parks, a Little Free Library and even a nature preserve within walking distance. In other words: there are lots of different walk options. So, we’d take Mary potty, then immediately leave for a half-hour walk. And guess what? There was a city-wide garage sale going on this weekend, and we found a new Richard Scarry book!
We made blanket forts
Usually, Saturday chores are things we have to rush through, but since we had nowhere to be, I relaxed a little and had fun with them. After the kids’ sheets came out of the dryer, I made a blanket fort in the family room and let Harvey have at it!
We did yard work
The leaves have already started amassing in our back yard, so we enlisted the kids’ help. We got mowing, mulching, pruning and raking accomplished. We even took a cue from the Fall Bucket List and let the kids jump in big piles of leaves!
We made pizzas
On Friday night, I prepared homemade pizza dough, and washed, prepped and chopped lots of different veggies. On Saturday, the kids each got their own mini dough ball, and had a blast topping it with as many veggies as would fit. Bonus: Julian and Mary each tried foods they would never have tried on their own (namely: mushrooms, basil and artichokes!).
We had one-on-one time
Ok — so this wasn’t technically at home — but, Daddy was home with the younger two, so I’m counting it! Julian and I ran out on a few quick errands on Saturday afternoon. He “helped” me look for a new mattress and do the grocery shopping. It was great spending time with him — as a mom of three small kids, it’s always a treat to be able to spend one-on-one time with each of them.
In short, we had a really fun and full weekend — at home! No rushing around, no obligations — just lots of family time, comfy sweatpants — and a successful two days of potty training!
But — now it’s Monday, and there’s a chorus of “Where are we going today” questions echoing in my house. So, I’ll be back later this week with a full recap of the “fun place” we ended up going to!