The Duffy Family

Playing "Catch Up"

Well, It's official...I am a horrible blogger! I have really dropped the ball lately on updating our site, but hopefully that will all change soon. We are all doing good. I guess I can start back at halloween. We had a blast! It was the first time that Brian got to go with us. Last year he had class. I think he may have been more excited about it than the kids (if that's possible). Eli was...BUZZ LIGHTYEAR (of course-what else would he have been?) and Ella Kate was a beautiful lady bug! They were so funny going from house to house. Eli would say "trick or treat" with such a big grin! He was so polite just taking one piece of candy and not being stingy! One guy was like, "you gotta take more than that, just reach in and get a big handful!" Well, that's all Eli had to hear...and a big handful he grabbed! Ella Kate didn't quite understand that you saved the candy and didn't eat it right then. Everytime people put stuff in her pumpkin, she pulled it out and handed it to us as if she was saying "open it?" We ended the night going over to Grandmom and Grandad Clapp's and then Marc, Annie, and the kids'. By the end of the night they had made practically a meal out of candy and didn't eat a very good supper, but hey, it only happens once a year right??? One of the neatest houses we went to was a dentist's house. She opened the door decked out in her scrubs and had a big giant bowl of...TOOTHPASTE!!! She would hand a tube to each child and say "now don't forget to brush your teeth after all this candy!!!" I thought that was pretty creative!

Potty training is well.....grueling...to be honest. We have peeing down. Eli stays dry all day and I guess seriously I should be thankful because he is one of the few who goes all night without having an accident. He wakes up dry every morning which I hear is a feat in itself. If only I could get him to poop in the potty!!! I want to think I've tried everything. Even my cousin Catherine's idea (she got it from a book) of practicing. Whenever they have an accident you are suppose to make them practice. So basically for 10 times you have them start from different areas of the house pretending that they need to go and they have to hurry and do everything by themselves and as soon as they sit down you tell them to get up and do it again. This is to hopefully reinforce that you go to the potty when you have to go and also it acts as punishment because logically after about 6 times of doing this repetition you would think they would be so sick of it that they would do ANYTHING to get to stop practicing. Well, not my son!!! He makes comments like "This is fun" and "I like to practice!" Last night I actually made him do it 30 times!!!! Did you hear me?? YES I said 30! I was determined to make him HATE practicing, but the only person who got sick of it was ME!!!! He just giggled the whole time running through the house playing this fun new game. I give up!!! I just pray he is not pooping in his pants when he goes to kindergarten! I guess he'll get kicked out of Mother's Day out when he's 4 if he's not doing it cause you have to be potty trained to be in the class. AHHHHH! That means I'll not get to have my 4-5 hours of sleep on Mondays after working all weekend-maybe I should stick with it :)

Being a one car family is not as bad as I thought it would be. I had it in my head that it was just going to be awful, but not so! Brian is able to ride in with a coworker 4 days a week and we pick him up there at night as well. This coworker's house is only 15 minutes from us, so it's not lie we are in traffic all morning. I am pretty sure we can do this. I'm very thankful for how it has worked out.

Believe it or not, we are going to be putting up a christmas tree tonight. It seems to get earlier and earlier every year! Eli is so excited about all the decorations that are going up everywhere that he wants to do our annual tree trimming and rice krispy treat baking TONIGHT. I am such a softy!!! How can I say "no" to that sweet little thing??? I won't feel too bad for putting it up so early, the house across the street (NO LIE) had their's up HALLOWEEN NIGHT!!!! Now that's BAD!!!

Well, I better go. I hear Ella Kate..she's up from her nap and trying to make sure I know it!