Zuri

The Baton Rouge Zoo has a new baby black rhinoceros. They had a contest to let the public pick the names. I took the advice of a zookeeper and researched the origin and languages of the area black rhinoceros is from. Dylan and I picked out a few Swahili names with meanings to fit a baby rhinoceros. He chose the name "Lela" meaning Black Beauty. It was perfect. The zoo thought so too because Dylan was chosen as a top 3 finalist. Over 500 names were submitted and my child was a finalist!!!! It was very exciting. I even think that he understood how important it was. We went to the Santa Safari yesterday for the announcement. It was an outdoor event and about 40 something degrees. It was really cold. They had decorated so nice. The breakfast was delicious, but cold. :) Santa was there to greet the children and take pictures. Not with my two babies. They did not want anything to do with him. They had an animal show with baby alligators, a small owl, and what looked like a chinchilla? There was also an arts and crafts table to make a candy cane reindeer ornament. It was nice. At 9:30 they announced the winner. Dylan was a runner up. The winning name was "Zuri" meaning "beauty". It was a beautiful name and did sound more "African" than ours, maybe that is why the public voted for it. But I though Dylan's name had the perfect meaning for the black rhino. The best part of the day was when we were walking away. Dylan said "Oh well, it was cool anyway". For anyone who knows my son it was a big deal for him to feel that way and to make that statement. It was so grown up and mature. I was so so proud of him for that. I probably told him 5 times how proud I was for that one statement. Part of his prize was a stuffed rhino, so naturally I went to the gift shop to buy one for Jack and Laiken also to commemorate the day for all of us. Leaving the gift shop with our 3 baby rhino's in hand, Laiken said she will name hers Baby Jeano. Dylan said, " I will name mine Lela." (with a big grin on his face.) I said, "I think that is a beautiful name!" It was a great day!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

It seems like so much is happening the last few weeks that I haven't had time to blog. Trey came home Nov. 24th for the Thanksgiving holiday. The kids were so excited to see him at the airport. Laiken was talking to him as she ran and jumped in her arms. I am sure I heard her voice crack. She seemed pretty emotional, but that is my drama queen and daddy's little girl. It was sweet. That week we took Trey and his Mom to IHOP for their birthday's. For some reason (probably happy face pancakes) the kids chose there as the official birthday spot. Debbie and I cooked Thanksgiving dinner. She might have done a little more than me....but I helped alot. It was wonderful and the kids ate well and everyone napped well afterwards. That is always a blessing. Thursday night we joined Trey's cousins for midnight madness at an outlet mall and Black Friday at Wal-Mart. I had never been before and it was wild! I would definitely do it again b/c the deals were outrageous. We saved so much money and finished our shopping list in one night. The rest of the weekend we pretty much just layed around and spent time together. We decorated the tree Saturday, and it only took until Tuesday for Jack to pull it down! Luckily since having 2 small children, our tree is decorated very simple with cheap ornaments. Cleanup was quick. Trey left Sunday morning. It was hard to see him go, but we have been through the longest stretch of time away from him. Now he will be home in 18 days for a Christmas holiday from the 22nd-4th. That will be so nice. The next time he goes back it will be for less than 30 days and he will be home for good. Then we will probably be moving again. Fun! I am ready, but also not.

Stars for good behavior!!!!

I began a star chart as rewards for good behaviors to encourage more positive behaviors from my children. I also made a list of rules to emphasize the important ones. Laiken receives stars for helping pick up toys, sharing, and handling stressful situations without going bananas. Dylan gets stars for good days at school, not lying, and being helpful. Jack mostly just get sympathy stars. But so far our household seems more positive and less chaotic. Laiken has really responded the most to the star chart. She tries throughout the day to earn stars and often asks what will earn her another star.

This morning I was in the bathroom blow drying my hair. We were getting ready to go to the zoo. Laiken rushed in my room screaming hysterically about Jack, her belly hurting, "everywhere", "too much". And many other random thoughts squished into one. After several minutes she calmed down enough to say, "Jack feed the fish!! Too much is everywhere! It will hurt their bellies!!!!" Word for word. Sure enough, Jack had fed the fish half of the container of goldfish flakes and it was everywhere. Although, sadly, he did manage to get the largest portion in the aquarium. The poor fish were swimming in yellow, murky, food-filled water. It was a terrible sight. Jack just pointed while I cleaned..."bish, bish (fish)!!!!!!!!" I managed to clean the tank this afternoon, but some cloudiness still remains. Laiken's little goldfish died and the big goldfish is swimming sort of lop-sided. I do not expect him to make it through the night. So I guess we will be back at walmart tomorrow. Oh fun!

While I was cleaning the fish tank, Laiken kept complaining she was hungry. I told her it will be supper time very soon, but for right now I had to finish cleaning the tank and put the fish back in. She said, "so you can get a red star?" Yes, exactly. Sometimes Mommy's need a star too.

Halloween!!!

WalMart

This is an additional post for the previous one titled "The most wonderful, terrible weekend". If you read that one...you would know about Jack's involvement in flushing my keys down the toilet at Wal-Mart. I recently went in the Wal-Mart in Slidell, LA. We visited the restroom. We always do. On the way in the door Laiken tells me "Take your keys out of your pocket, Don't lose them." Unbelievable. She really said that word for word. Don't worry, my keys were definitely in my purse this time. We walked into the stall and there it was!!! A little tiny "keep Jack out of trouble" chair. Where was that when we needed it last weekend!!!!!!!!!!

Jack

Jack is stealing noodles from Laiken's plate. (He knows she isn't going to eat them, she never does.) Jack eating broccoli??? Nope, he was just moving it to Laiken's plate.

They are so sweet!

The most terrible, wonderful weekend!

Sit back and get comfortable, this one is going to be long. But every word will be true. No part of this outrageous weekend was embellished for your enjoyment or mine. This past weekend was the Baton Rouge State Fair. Trey's mom, the kids call her Gran Gran, was coming to stay the weekend and go to the fair with us. I got out Friday night for a quick trip to Walmart, before she got there. I had all three kids with me, but the list was not too long, so we should have been in and out. But as I learned this weekend from several people, I am accident prone. Wild, unusual things happen to us. My life is full of "you had to be there" and "you will never believe what just happened to me" stories. I am in a hurry, and down to the end of the list. I am so ready to get home. Laiken has to use the bathroom. She probably doesn't, but has just become used to it because we would visit the bathrooms on the way in every time we came when she was potty training. So I went in with Laiken and Jack. Jack came with us b/c since Trey has been gone, Jack will most often cry when I walk away from him. So we usually use the big stall, for extra room, and this time a little girl ran in front of us. With her in the bigger stall, we chose a smaller one next to it. Jack took his usual position as flusher and Laiken pottied. I went next. Jack is pulling nonstop on the flushing handle and Laiken is trying to open the door and get out. I stood up to keep the door from opening and whipped around to Jack who is about to reach in the toilet with his free hand and one sharp move too many and my keys fell out of my back pocket and swooooooshed!!!!! Down the toilet they went like a flash of lightening! My apartment key, car key, keyless entry, and a large decorative 6 in. key chain ribbon. All disappeared (along with my dignity) in about 1 second flat. I was literally shaking when I called Trey, "Please, please, please, oh god, tell me you didn't take my spare keys with you to Wyoming!!!" He did. One minor/major detail forgotten in the hustle and bustle of him leaving. Trey also said that they are industrial strength commercial toilets designed to be able to flush a whole roll of toilet paper at once. Oh yeah, it went down with no hesitation at all. So I asked for assistance from the customer service counter and was only slightly relieved to learn that the assistant manager had done the same thing recently and his keys were not recovered. They had to rekey all of the locks in WalMart. Ok, well at least I had a two and three year old to help me. I was not alone. I also learned that I was in the only stall in all of Walmart that does not flush automatically when you stand up. You have to pull the handle. So Jack's assistance in nonstop handle pulling played a key role in the flushing of the keys. I called pop a lock to have the doors opened and a key made. They quoted an "estimate" of $250 plus tax. I then called Trey and asked him to go to the post office and send the key to me express mail. Next I called a ride to come and get me. The car stayed in the parking lot all weekend. The key arrived today and I had someone to take me back to my car to pick it up. It cost me nothing, but a small amount of humiliation. I am so proud of myself for not getting mad or letting it ruin my weekend. I was able to laugh and make jokes and not be offended when everyone called me accident prone. I remember telling someone, "I can't help it if everyone else's kids are boring. I will just have more stories to tell my kids when they are grown up." But I can't help but wonder what makes us so accident prone. Despite the drama of Friday night, we still made it to the Baton Rouge State Fair Saturday. We had the most wonderful day together. Me, the kids, and Gran Gran. We all laughed and laughed all day. When we arrived, the petting zoo was the first attraction. We fed baby goats and sheep. And we sat on a bull to have our picture taken, minus Gran Gran. You can tell by everyone's expressions in the picture below, that this was not that great of an idea. The babies were fine until the head moved. Jack went nuts! I think he scared Laiken because she was ok until this point. Next we ate fair food. I had alligator on a stick. (just tasted like greasy chicken). The babies had ribbon fries and a funnel cake. Gran Gran had an enormous sausage dog with onion and peppers. Mmmm, it was so so good. We rode the carousal next because it was first and also Laiken's favorite ride. Right before it started she told me she loved me and kissed me. Then she said she loved the fair, she was having "much fun". It was a precious moment. We played games and rode the rides until 8:00 that night. Gran Gran rode the bumper cars and the big swings. Later on the ferris wheel alone with Dylan he told me that Gran Gran closed her eyes on the swings and he asked her what she was doing. He told me that she said she is praying. He said she must not have felt good. I laughed so hard. She didn't want to ride any rides, but later she said she was glad she did. It was fun and special to have shared that with him. On the way out of the fair we won 3 goldfish. Jack points and says "bish! bish! I see bish!" We were about to leave and I saw the cotton candy vendors. You cannot go to the fair and not have cotton candy. So I bought two. It was one of the most enjoyable days we have ever had. Fair admission...$45, Fair food...$40, Games and attractions...$50, Goldfish...$15, The memories I made that day with my children...priceless!

Am I the only one enjoying this?? Whose idea was this anyway? Not Jack's, that is for sure!

Squint your eyes and look really close...Yes, that is Dylan AND Gran Gran (Trey's mom)! How did she get suckered into bumper cars?? I thought she was just going to stand in line. Grandmother's will do just about anything for the Grandkids!

Say cheese!

Dylan climbed all the way to the top of the rock climbing wall. And very quickly, I might add. Impressive!

Cotton Candy was our final purchase of the night!

Oct 17th...Annie's Birthday Party

October 17th Our good friend Jennifer, here in Denham Springs, was throwing a birthday party for her oldest daughter Annie. They have only lived here a short time and wanted to have her party in Monroe, where they used to live. So we went to north LA to celebrate with them. Dylan was out of school on Friday and decided to go to his Mom's Thursday night so he could spend an extra day with them. Highlights from that weekend are my speeding ticket and the party. The speeding ticket was for 59 in a 45. But in my defense it was a highway where the speed changes constantly from 65 to 55 to 45 to 55 to 65....and so on forever. Well, I just missed the last change from 55 to 45, but I should have known it was 45 through town. The only problem with that is I didn't notice the town. He said, "You were going 59 in a 45." I said, "It's 45 here!?" He said, "No, in town it is 45." Oh, what town. I didn't see a town. That is what I thought. I was careful what I said. I was hoping for a warning. No such luck. But I was lucky that I did not get a ticket for my illegal tint, and he is going to change my ticket to a non moving violation when he submits it to the state so it will not be on my record or change my insurance. Sounds shady right? Well I asked around, and apparently they can do that in the great state of Louisiana. Annie's party was awesome. It was a Halloween theme. Jennifer really went all out! (Between Lil's party for Abigail and this one...mine are looking kinda boring...we need to step it up in 2010! lol) She had a costume contest, in which Laiken won prettiest and Jack won spookiest. Laiken was a ballerina and Jack was a triceratops. There was a bean bag toss and a dart game. She even had bobbing for apples. The stems were left on because the "bobbers" were mostly small children. Laiken and Jack both got apples. It was so cute to see them come up with apples dangling from their mouths. She had a pinata for the last game. It only took a few whacks by the little boys and candy covered the ground. Annie was so cute opening her presents. She was so happy and excited about each and every present. It a great day for everyone.

Oct 10th...Good Friends, Good Times

I am 3 weeks behind on my blog. I have been so busy. I have not had time to update. So I will attempt to catch up today. The weekend of October 10th I went home to Southaven. Highlights of the Weekend included meeting up with my best girlfriends from high school and Miss Abigail's (Lil's youngest) first birthday party. With Trey being gone, we were really starting to feel the stress. This trip home was the best one I have had in years. I was so happy and it was such a good change of scenery for us. All of my kids were thrilled. Even though they may not see my family as much as I would like them to, they love them dearly. Friday night I had arranged a little reunion with my two very best friends from school, Kate and Hillary. As soon as we sat together at Outback, it was like old times. We started with what everyone is doing now and stories about how we all met our husbands and what our jobs and lives are like now. We spent most of the night remembering all the crazy things we did together in high school. The good, the bad, and the outrageous! I haven't laughed like that in years. I loved every minute of it. I enjoyed being with them again. We were all mad at ourselves for not keeping in touch over the years and made promises to get together every time I come in town from now on. Saturday I stayed up late with Lisa icing birthday cakes, as usual. I say as usual because everytime I visit it seems that we are up late icing cakes. Well, first let me clarify here, Lisa iced the cakes. This is the first time she offered to let me help. She was going to let me do one by myself. I practiced on a paper plate to show her how I would do on the actual cake. After a few minutes she showed me a second time how to do it...then a third ....then a fourth...then she politely said that she would do it. I laughed, and agreed. She is much better and faster. If I would have helped, not only would it have taken longer, but we would have spent half of the night correcting my mistakes. So I helped in other ways, as I have done in the past. She does the icing, and I assist (clean up, get things for her....small jobs). Sunday afternoon Lil hosted Abigail's birthday party. It was really cute. Laiken loved the princess theme. And Jack loved the cake. We know he did because he climbed on the table and helped himself to a taste while we were playing games. The kids played pin the crown on the princess and busted a pinata full of candy. They had a blast! We had an amazing weekend!

flu shots!!!!!!!!!

Today was Flu Fair at our doctor's office. Fair? Are they serious? So I unloaded all 3 kids out of the car, and had to carry an overly dramatic Laiken in (she overheard that we were there for shots!). I was met at the door with clipboards full of paperwork. And greeted at the next door by another nurse and coordinators giving directions. Laiken is just before crying the whole time. And just in case she was not completely sure if we were there for shots...They were giving them in mass quantities to adults in the lobby. They were really having a fair! Booths set up everywhere with all the necessary supplies right out on the table! It was very efficient and set up well. So well, for anyone who knows me at all, by breathing got shallow and it was hard to swallow. I have a phobia of needles. Since having been pregnant twice, I am making progress in that area of my life. I no longer cry and hyperventilate at the sight of needles anymore. Just gets hard to breathe. I know. Big Baby. So I hand the nurse at the pediatric booth our paperwork. She said "mama first". Oh that was unexpected..getting hard to take a breath in...So I sat down and put on my brave face. And managed to hold it together for the kids. I know, I know. So then she says, we do kids in the back. Of course you do, you wouldn't want any small children, elderly, or weak at heart to see the ginormous fit Laiken is about to throw. So the nurse takes us to a table just behind the door. Who's first? I picked Dylan so that MAYBE Laiken would see him not cry and gain an ounce of bravery. NOPE...I picked her up kicking and screaming! The doctor, the nurse, and myself had to physically restrain her. She screamed and screamed. I couldn't even assist with Jack for his turn or comfort him afterwards, b/c Laiken is still screaming. He only cried for a few seconds and the nurse strapped him back in the stroller. I asked the doctor if maybe Laiken could have a sucker, over her screams of course. She stopped just long enough to pick out the sucker, and to eat it on the way to the car and in the car. When the sucker was gone, she grabbed her leg and screamed again. We went to have the car washed, thinking that might cheer her up. She screamed the whole time. We got out for them to vacuum and wipe down the inside and she still screamed. Finally about an hour after the shot she quit screaming. She just whined and held her leg. She limped and whined for a few more hours. Finally, sometime after lunch, she recovered. My only question is....WHO is going to take her to get her 2 swine flu shots in November?! Any volunteers????

new words and phrases

Jack is starting to say so many new things. We were at the playground at Chik-fil-a and he asked "where the shoes go". Just this week he started saying "I hungry" and "I thirsty". Amazing. Funny to me that those two phrases followed "I Mad" which he has been saying for weeks! He also says "I did it" and "I get it", which I love. I want my kids to be super independent. I hope I am doing a good job to give that gift to them. He also tells others to "sit down", usually at the table when it is time to eat. I am so proud of my little Jack. He is growing up so fast. Laiken has a few new phrases too, but they include words like "freakin" and "this is your last warning" and of course " are you listening to me". She is such a sweet little girl. I need to watch how I talk to her, she will tell on me. Well, at least she does not use fowl language. (although I was really embarrassed when she said freakin) Jack's newest obsession is hot wheels cars. He carries around 3 or 4 at all times. He sleeps with them and takes them everywhere we go. It is really cute. Laiken got a new pack of big girl panties on Saturday. She has been carrying them around ever since. I convinced her to please put them in her drawer. The next thing I know she is looking a little thick in the hip area. Oh yes, she put on every pair, thinking that was better than carrying them all around. She is relentless. When it comes to clothes, pajamas, panties, and dress up dresses, I just have to choose my battles carefully. Mostly I just let it go, so she changes 5 or 6 times a day. Oh well, it could be worse!

growing up way too fast!

Jack sleeps in a playpen, instead of his toddler bed...(see previous post Thurs, July 16th "I WIN"). Well, score is Mama 1-Jack 1. Tonight, he got out! Yep, he climbed right out. What will keep him in the bed now? Don't ask me, I am wondering that myself!

Laiken surprised me in Wal-Mart tonight. As we were walking around, she is telling me that she is thirsty and wants a drink. I told her we will go to sonic next (only b/c I wanted a big fountain coke). She said "No, I want it here. I know the lady has some." I said, "What lady?" She said, "The lady at the pretzel place has lemonades!" Man, she remembered a few months ago when we were waiting for a prescription, I took her and Jack over to the Auntie Ann's in the front Wal-Mart and got them a lemonade to share. She is so smart. And starting to remember everything and everywhere we go!

I love my babies!!!

I think I need a babysitter while I am cooking supper.

And just in case you are wondering...I cleaned the bathroom (including scrubbing that toilet) just hours earlier. Luck? I think so. And yes, that is toilet water and toilet paper all over the wall, the floor, my child, and a trail from the bathroom to the kitchen, where he ran, to show me the fun he was having. His expression in the picture, probably is similar to the one on my face as well....

everyday fun!!

Jack has a new phrase "ah stuck!" He is a smart cookie too, b/c he uses his new phrase in the booster seat, car seat, and stroller. He is not so much stuck, as he is strapped in! But it is still adorable when he screams it. Yesterday walking into Sam's, Laiken was calling my name "mama, mama, mama". The greeter/card checker lady at the door was a grungy looking old lady that was mocking her "mama, mama, mama" and said "that's my mama" as we walked by. My little Laiken, bless her little heart, frowned at the lady. And like a grown up, she waited until we passed the woman...and with a disgusted look she said to me (with the proper amount of attitude and some snobbiness) "we do NOT need her help!" How dare that lady talk to us... the nerve! Haha it was priceless! She is definitely going to be a handful. Probably my fault, I remember saying to Lisa and Mama in my living room a few months ago, "Princesses don't get spankings!" Which Laiken repeated with the same attitude, as if on cue. Mama said I will eat those words one day. Probably so. Tonight was our second soccer game. Dylan did an amazing job! He is definitely the best on our team. The last game he had a problem with getting hurt alot. He was carried off the field in a crumpled mess about 6 times. Before tonight's game, Daddy gave him a little pep talk. He explained the difference between hurt and an injury. And just to be sure he understood...Trey told him that if he was carried off the field for no reason, that we would go home. It worked b/c Dylan was so tough tonight. It really let people see what an amazing athlete he can be when there is no distracting drama. He even seemed to enjoy it more! He was knocked down by one kid and halfway stepped on by another and still jumped up and went after the ball. It was so much fun tonight. During the game, Laiken and Jack were bribed with suckers to stay still. Jack remained "ah stuck" in the stroller for most of the game. Finally, the last ten minutes I let him out. And he seized the first opportunity he had to run on the field during the game while I wasn't looking. Good thing some lady was watching and saved him from being trampled, just as I noticed he was missing. And right after that Laiken and Jack were playing on the next field, which was empty, in the goal. Harmless I thought. So I was watching Dylan play again. Laiken got tangled in the net and was rescued by a lady who was jogging on a track around the fields. So I definitely was not looking to get a mom award tonight. Nothing like both your kids being rescued by total strangers to remind you not to take your eyes off of them, not even for a second!

I love my computer!!

They say you never know how much you need something until it is gone. That is the absolute truth. My computer hard drive crashed, and I was forced to live a long, long week without it! How did people ever get along without them??? How did I ever get so addicted to it??? lol. School has started again. Wow, almost forgot how much I hate homework and how difficult an hour can be! Soccer also started. The coach said Dylan is an outstanding soccer player even though he has never played before. He is a natural athlete. He would be outstanding if his heart equalled his ability. On somedays it does, maybe soon it will every practice and game. Maybe. He has so many wonderful opportunities available to him, I wish he could see them too. Jack sees his...He sees no fences and nothing to stop him from running free. Practice for me consists of chasing Jack. I did not realize he has never been in a wide open space with no boundaries. Usually there is a park or playground or something to keep his attention. Not anything like multiple soccer fields. He just laughs and runs away as far as he can. I always call to him (and pray) he will come back, but he doesn't. He doesn't even look back. Maybe I should request the doctor to check his hearing next time we go in... maybe he does not hear me....nah, he always comes to me, no matter where he is, if I say eat or tea! He probably can hear me. Laiken loves practice, but she just loves being outside no matter what we are doing. Except for the bugs. She lets out blood curdling screams if she thinks one might get on her. She doesn't like any type of bug. I could not even get her to hold a ladybug today. Trey leaves for Wyoming on Sunday. I have really enjoyed being here with him. I know we made the right decision by moving here. I am only afraid that we are so used to seeing him and hugging and kissing him everyday, that this will be a really hard, really long 3 months. Maybe it will pass quickly if we are busy enough.

new firsts...

Sometime late last week Jack decided to start talking. He already had a pretty descent list of words...no, nonono, stop, don't, daddy, mama, Dylan, Laiken, Tucker, Kitty, thank you, luv you, nite nite, go go go, bye bye, hello, and maybe a few others I am forgetting. But last week he just started with sentences and phrases, and can repeat anything we say! Laiken was watching Dora and Jack said "where are we goin?" For those who don't have the pleasure of watching Dora, they sing a song about where she is going. "clap, clap, clap, Where are we going? Mermaid Kingdom!" Another day I told him Swiper no swiping (also from Dora) and he said "Aww man!" And all week long he has been singing "happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you!" over and over and over and over. Maybe if I give him a cupcake he will sing something else. LOL. But it has been really cute that he has gone from one word speech to sentences, phrases, and songs over night! I guess he is officially a toddler now. Oh how sad that makes me. We have no more babies in the house. Laiken is growing so fast, soon she will no longer be a toddler. Maybe she is not a toddler already, I just am not ready to admit it. She has started to tell stories. Her stories are long and drawn out and full of detail. And they are very interesting if you can follow them. Her memory is outstanding as well. Dylan went to a birthday party for a friend last Saturday, so I took Leigh, Blayne, and Laiken to Baskin Robbins (Jack was napping). After that we went to Wal-Mart. We were gone for about 2 1/2 hours. When we got back, Trey asked Laiken what kind of ice-cream she had. Not only did she name what color ice-cream she had, but she named the color of each of ours too!! I was shocked. I should know her memory is that good, because she always repeats what I say. I am learning to watch my mouth and not to say anything I wouldn't want her to say. LOL. She is way too smart!

UNO!

Leigh and Blayne have been staying with us the past two weeks. We have had a really good time together! The most fun has been swimming. Normally when we go, I play with the babies or chat with other mom's, but with Blayne and Leigh we play games. We play catagories and do relay races. It has been a blast! Leigh also brought her Wii, which makes me feel old because I am not very good at it! lol. We all play bowling together and take turns playing tennis. Thanks to Leigh, that will probably be the Walker family's next big investment. Tonight we played UNO. Blayne won twice, Dylan twice, me once, and Leigh won once. On the last game she made me draw about 50 cards. Everytime it was her turn she was throwing down draw 2 or draw 4. At least when Dylan and Blayne did it to me they were saying sorry, but not LeeBee, she was just throwing them down. lol. She showed no mercy. It has been so crazy and out of routine here that I am excited about this weekend, but at the same time I am sad for them to go. Our apartment will be so quiet and so empty! We will be lost without our BlayneBlayne and our LeeBee! Poor Dylan, he will probably miss them the most!

I WIN!!!

Yes, last night in Jack's room a battle line was drawn! It was a long time coming and had been previously predicted by Mama. She said "You know how he is...you better not put him in a toddler bed until the last minute b/c he will never stay in it!" And once again for all the world to know...She was right. It started off slowly. He would get up about 15 times after being put to bed. But I have watched super nanny, so I would go in and without a word, put him back to bed. 15 turned into 20, then thirty, then me begging, then before long he was being tucked in endlessly for over an hour. There is not much patience for that. Earlier this week, he started something new. He gets out of bed, then gets under the bed!!! When I come in and say "Jack, night-night" He just lays super still and I guess thinks I can't see him?? Last night he would get under the bed every single time I tucked him in! He refused to stay in the bed. I was tired and this game had to come to an end. I walked away from him, went into my room, and got the play pen! Yes sir, he WILL stay in the bed now. I am bigger, smarter, and have more resources than him. I will win! (not every time I am sure, but this was a big victory for me!) He can sleep in a toddler bed when he starts potty training!

Happy Birthday to Laiken!!!!

Laiken turned 3 years old yesterday. Despite having just recovered from a stomach virus, which she shared so nicely with Jack, her party was a success. I had so much trouble planning Laiken's party this year because Trey was back and forth about the possiblity of leaving to work out of town. Once that was settled, he was unsure if they would be working 7 days a week or staying at 6. Finally, I decided to just have her party on her birthday, at night, so he would be there for sure. Everything was planned. Mimi, Kristin, and Kynnedi were coming. Lisa, Jason, Blayne, and Savana were coming. We were so excited! Then late Thursday....the stomach virus reared its ugly head in our door. All plans changed again, all out of town guests were forced to cancel. She was doing better by Sunday, so we decided to not let her b-day pass with no celebration, and go on with the party. The only guests who came were our downstairs neighbors (Jennifer, Brad, Annie, and Zoe). I told them that Jack was feeling poor and had the virus. Jennifer felt it would be ok because they had already spent the first two days of Laiken being sick playing with us and in our house before we realized she had the virus. They were already exposed so why not come over for cake? It was a wonderful party! Only lasting about an hour, the kids played, opened presents, and ate cake/ice cream. Laiken, in her three years of life, has often surprised me. She surprised me the day she arrived 6 weeks early. And in the NICU, where she was so strong and was out so quickly. She surprised me by showing me how easy it was to be her mother, when I was so scared to have a new baby and was not sure I would know what to do. I am delighted and surprised everytime she does or says something new. She has learned to count on her fingers. She is so proud of herself when she holds up her fingers and says " I am two, but in a few days I will be 3". Well now she can say she is 3! Last night she surprised me too with her manners and her gratitude. She opened each present and looked at it and was happy. She took her time with each one. She waited patiently while I read cards. She moved from presents to cake with no fits or protests (just a little coaxing). For anyone who has seen my kids eat cake...you are not wondering why I did gifts, then cake! At the end of her party, she hugged all of her guests and told them bye and thank you. I was so proud of her. It was not her usual shy, quiet thank you, but a loud and sincere one. She is growing up so fast! One day we will turn around and they will all be grown up! These are the days we will want back!!!!

"I'm so mad at you!"

Laiken picked her cup off the table. It was almost empty. (what she didn't know was that I had just taken the cup from Jack, who was drinking it while she was using the potty.) She noticed her half full cup was almost empty. In her sweetest voice, she told me, "Jack shared my cup, but it's not all gone." Then she drank the rest of it. I guess it wasn't enough to satisfy her thirst because she turned to Jack and said, "Did you drink my cup? JACK! Look at me!! Why did you drink my cup?? It is all gone and I am so mad at you!!" Jack seemed completely unaware of the entire situation. It was priceless!

I love my kids!!

As I wrestled bubbles away from Jack, he threw his body back and arched his back; all while screaming his head off. I kept my cool. When he quit screaming I asked him if I could trade him in for a new baby. He said "nome". Which means "no m'am". Laiken threw her arms up and said "we can't get anymore new babies, anymore!" LOL They are both right. Mama doesn' t really want a new Jack. And definitely no new babies.

thankful!

Last weekend a building in our complex caught on fire. No one was hurt but the building and the personal property of 12 families was lost. It is a reminder of how precious each day is. We are blessed with each day. It is so easy with three children to take things for granted, and to "just make it" through some days. I am blessed to be able to spend each day with my children. And we are so fortunate to have the things we have. I am trying hard to remember that every day now.

The picture you don't get to see.....

This is Laiken at the pool. Leigh and Dylan are swimming in the pool. Jack is walking around. He is flirting with all the ladies at the pool. He wanders from one to the other laying out in their lawn chairs, letting them hold him in the pool, talking to other kids, and sometimes grabbing abandoned pool toys and throwing them in. He is being reasonably good and has made a few buddies, I thought I would seize the moment and lay out. After laying out a bit, I got brave and untied my top (to get rid of that pesky tanline around the neck). Jack wanders over to me and picks up my keys. I am watching him. He just walks around my chair "fixing things", playing with the keys. (bear in mind my keyring holds the keyless entry to my car and the apartment complex gate remote, which you are told at the time of sign in that a replacement is $75 dollars.) I am sure everyone can see where this story is going....The picture you don't get to see is the one where Jack is standing at the end of my lawn chair with me laying and my top still untied...He turns around and takes off for the water...fully intending on throwing my keys in the pool like all the abandoned toys he threw in all afternoon! I grab my top, press it to my chest to keep everything in or at least covered, catch him and wrestle him to the ground for my keys. I win. Back to the chair to tie my top. I scanned the pool to see how many spectators we attracted.... two of his new female buddies were giggling and one said, "that was so funny". Yes, Yes it was thank- you.

All good things must end....

Leigh spent the past two weeks with us on "vacation". Mom and Dad came the last weekend of May to visit and leave Leigh to stay with us. We had a great time visiting with them. When it came time for them to leave, I got the feeling Leigh was not sure about staying. She made several comments about how loud we are. She is just not used to being around so many kids for such a long period of time. I promised her we are not always that loud. She always had fun with the babies, but always seemed relieved at nap times and bedtimes. She spent alot of time bonding with Dylan. They played playstation and watched movies together. Later in the second week she commented on how Dylan was attached to her hip. LOL I'm sure mama can relate to that comment.The first week was cloudy the first few days, so we stayed indoors and rested. One evening, after Trey came home, me and Leigh went to see a movie. Leigh chose Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. It was such a funny movie. I can't remember the last time I went with her to see a movie. It was a much needed bonding time for us. We spent the rest of the week at the pool. That weekend Lil, Sean, Hayden, and Abigail came to visit. We all went to the pool on Friday. Hayden and Laiken had so much fun swimming together. That night we ate a Japanese buffet restaurant. It was amazing. We all tried so many things we have never eaten before. I tried octopus salad and fried squid. I even fed the fried squid to Laiken and Jack. They loved it. Dylan and Leigh wouldn't try anything new, they were no fun. And I apologize to Sean, but that man can EAT! He ate about ten sushi plates. He ate and ate and ate. I don't know where he even put it all. It was like something you see on tv. Too funny. But he got Trey to try sushi! That was just amazing. He has always told me he would never, never eat raw fish. I'm proud he has become so open minded. The next day Lil and her family went to New Orleans to sight see, and we went back to the pool. They went home on Sunday. It was a short, but really nice visit. Its hard to believe how fast the babies grow. Leigh wanted to go to the pool as much as she could while she was here. We planned to go the entire last week she was staying. Unfortunately, we ended up confined indoors with Jack having a virus (fever and terrible rash), and my eye being cut (something got in and scratched it, which led to a $50 after hours visit, $35 dollar eye cream, swelling, oozing, pain, frustrated crying, all kinds of other unpleasantness). Wednesday, we were back at the pool. Leigh was happy again. That night, for supper I made chicken quesadillas and earned the "Favorite Sister Award" I was very pleased to accept it. I was trying hard to make sure she was having a good time. I was glad to know she is happy and comfortable here with me and my loud family. Sadly, though, all good things must come to an end....today she went home. I think she was ready to go, but was already talking about when she is coming back. We met mom halfway at a rest stop just outside of Jackson. I could tell Leigh was happy to see her when mama got out of the car. It was a sweet moment. Tuesday is Leigh's 33rd bday. Since we are not going to be in Southaven to celebrate with her, I wanted to do something special before she left. So I brought a chocolate cake with a big green 33 written on it, to our park picnic. We had sandwiches and chips, sang happy birthday to Leigh, and had cake. It was so nice. We packed up our stuff and they drove off and I started buckling babies in. I had to scream out to mom to come back, I forgot to give her Leigh's insurance card. She came back, then left again. I cranked the car, the radio starts to play the new Hannah Montana cd Leigh bought at Walmart Friday. I called mama and asked her to wait at next exit. I drove up, parked behind her, got out with cd in hand. As I gave it to her, I asked Leigh if I was still the favorite sister?? I took care of her, while she was here and even as she was leaving. We had a really good time together. It was a terrific two weeks.

Way Too Sweet!!!

We swam this morning and took afternoon naps. When Dylan got out of school, we went back to the pool. Needless to say, the babies were sleepy. I turned on Care Bears for them to watch on our computer in the bedroom, put the babies on the bed, and helped Trey make supper. (oh yeah, I said "help Trey make supper") How awesome is that? He grilled for supper and it was awesome! Anyways, back to the babies I left on my bed. I came in to check on them because it was so quiet. Quiet in my house means something very bad is happening. I was so surprised to see them snuggled up together watching the movie. Moments like these are few and far between and definitely priceless. The next time I came to check they were wrestling and Laiken ended up shoving Jack off the bed.

summertime!

The pool is open and we have been swimming almost everyday since last thurs. It is awesome! I love it. The pool is perfect for Laiken and Jack. It has 4 half circles, one on each side, that are only a foot and 1/2 deep and wide enough that each little half circle is like a baby pool. They are probably there as a step to access the pool from every side, but they look like little baby pools to me, and work perfectly. We walk to and from the pool. It is great, we get a little exercise and a little sun every day. We are already starting to get dark. Unfortunately, standing in the pool most of the time we are there, and the walk there and back are all factors contributing to having a flip flop tan line again. I swore I wouldn't have one this year but seems unavoidable. Besides, it was still there a little from last year. Hard to get rid of. On one of our recent walks back from the pool Laiken picked up an earthworm and carried it all the way back to the apartment. She put it on all kinds of stuff on the way back and set it down and picked it up repeatedly. She even got upset once because she "broke" its head off. Lol. By the time we got home, he was limp and no longer moving. I convinced her he was sleeping and to leave him in the grass. Gross!

Fun in the Sun!

Last weekend we went to Greene Co. to visit Mimi and Paw Paw Colly (Ryan and Jody). They are our adopted Grandparents, Trey's aunt and uncle. They are very close to the kids. It was the first time we have been to see them since we moved to Louisiana. It was such a treat for the babies, because they got to stay outside all weekend. They wore barely any clothes the whole time and stayed so dirty. They loved it, I know. Kynnedi had a baby pool for them to swim in. We had not brought swim suits, so Laiken swam in her panties. Not too bad, but daddy was not pleased that Jack borrowed a pair of Kynnedi's potty training panties with pink lollipops and pink cup cakes on them. They were so cute on him. He looked so sweet. Mimi and Paw Paw Colly have goats too. The babies really enjoyed feeding the goats. It has been awhile since Laiken had seen them. She loves Mimi's goats. On Saturday night Trey made Crawfish and Shrimp Fettachini. It was a big hit. They were skeptical at first but once plates were being made, they were all really impressed with him. It was nice to cook for them for a change. We all had a really good weekend. We will be going back in June for Kynnedi's 2nd birthday. My, how they grow up so fast!

5 min....

Apparently, 5 min is all it takes to make a mess!!

The Princess!

My Little Man

face painting at Baton Rouge Zoo

Laiken made lunch! I wish Jack could stay this clean when he eats real food!

it's official!!!

It's official! Jack is going to be a linebacker! He is 25 lbs of mean. He has learned to tackle. Laiken is learning not to turn her back on "little" brother. Today when she was not looking he came up from behind and tackled her to the ground. He does it like a baby who has seen one too many UFC fight nights. He doesn't just push or grab at the waste, he scoops the arm around the neck in the middle of a charging run and pulls her to the ground. Vicious. She thinks it is funny. Ha! Wait just a little and he will be bigger than her and she will not think it is so funny then.... Jack has also learned to climb on the the dining room table. So scary. He loves it. I hate it. I called Mama tonight to get the blog addresses for Mrs. Baker's girls. I got to see Mrs. Baker and Jennifer a few months ago at Mama's house. I was so glad to have been fortunate to be in town when they came by. I know the last time I saw them was at Horseshoe Lake, but I cannot remember when that was. It brings back so many memories. Lisa and Lil and I reminisced awhile about what we could remember. Lil did not remember as much as we did, and I didn't as much as Lisa did. But we all remembered the swimming pool and playing Nintendo, and the big horse outside (although I think Lil did not remember the horse). And how the front of the house was shaped, it always reminded me of a castle. We did not keep in touch over the years, so it was really neat to see what everyone is up to. And to see Jody and Emily's babies. Porter and Graham are so so cute. I would like to say to Jody, if I can, at Jack's six month checkup the doctor's called him "busy" too, and laughed and told me I'm going to have my hands full. Jack is 16 months old now, and he is more than a hand full. Mama can barely talk about him without laughing. The boy is relentless to say the least. He is only interested in things he shouldn't have or things that make loud noises. Tonight, right before tucking my "little angel" into bed, I had to unassemble the fan and retrieve the 10 plastic play forks and knives he shoved into it. He is so "busy", you literally cannot take your eyes off of him for a second. "Busy", hmm that was a nice way to put it. :) Well, for anyone who doesn't know.... Laiken is officially potty trained! She has not had even one accident (aside from night time) in one week and two days. God Bless her cause I was not sure we were both gonna make it out of this one. Good for Lil and Hayden and their 3 day potty training. It only took me and Laiken one month! Shouldn't I get some kind of award or something???

"I'm not going home, I stay with Lisa"

This weekend was amazing! I had such a good time visiting with the family in Hernando. I know Laiken and Jack loved it. Laiken repeatedly said, "I'm not going home, I stay with Lisa." It was still a busy weekend, even though we tried not to plan too much. I am so glad Lisa and Lil thought to have an Easter Egg hunt, even if it was last minute. I think all the kids enjoyed it. The hit of the whole weekend was the blow up bouncer Lisa had in her backyard. It is a mini version of the big one's you rent for birthday parties. That's probably one reason the kids love Aunt Lisa so much. LOL Just kidding. It was so good to see everyone. I love that every time I see Brandon, I remember how hilariously funny he is. Friday night was definitely a good night. We met Mama, Leigh, and Aunt Terry at Cracker Barrel for supper. It was so much fun. The babies were well behaved, but cutting up as usual. Jack was dipping his chicken in any and everything that would sit still, from cocktail sauce to tarter sauce. So to help, we squirted ketchup on his plate, but he put down the chicken and just ate the ketchup plain. Gross. He sat in between Mama and Aunt Terry. Big mistake. Mama had to keep an arm between him and her plate to keep him from "sharing" . He tried to feed her some of his half chewed chicken. And by the time we were ready to leave, she was wearing ketchup, cocktail sauce and mostly vanilla ice cream. By the end of the meal we were out of baby wipes. Laiken has learned to eat without making a total mess, but Jack seems hopeless. I really enjoy when we are able to all get together. The kids are growing up so fast! One day we'll all turn around and they will all be grown. How sad! Trey went to Greene co. this weekend to see Ryan. Ryan has been in South Carolina for a few weeks working. They went fishing for white perch, and did fairly well, I think. I saw a few pictures of some pretty big fish. Aunt Jody said he was not allowed to come again without the babies. He won't, because we are all going in a few weeks. Dylan went to his mom's. He wanted to stay with her for spring break.

Geaux Tigers!!!!! Love ya Brian!

Too much fun!!

We had a great weekend! Friday Trey was off work and we had a few errands to run. We went to lunch at Sizzlin Wings. He ordered 10 boneless buffalo wings. If he finished all the chicken and a large order of fries and a large coke he would get his name on a board by the front register. I dared him to do it, so he did. It was alot of food. The "wings" weren't really wings, they were regular sized chicken strips, not wimpy ones, that were cooked in buffalo sauce. He struggled toward the end and was looking like he would burst but I cheered him on and he did it! funny thing to be proud of, but I was. The whole family eats there from time to time and Briana told Trey "good job, make the family proud". That also opened a challenge to some others in the family who attempted but failed to finish. lol Trey is the reigning Wing King! Friday night we were invited to Briana's to eat crawfish with the family. It was awesome. Normally when we are over there I have to walk around and follow Jack. They don't have any babies, the youngest is 3. So the house is not completely baby proofed and Jack is more curious than the average 1 yr old, so with that combination, I have to keep a close eye on him. The kids play in and out alot, so as they are coming and going from delaynie's room to the front yard Jack attempts to follow them but he is too slow and would end up wandering alone outside. But this time was different, we were all outside and I was able to enjoy hanging out with the grown ups and keep and eye on Jack all at the same time. It was alot more fun that way! lol Kip, Briana's husband, made the crawfish along with the usual potatoes, corn, garlic and mushrooms. It was so so so good. He cooked two huge bags and it did not take long at all for everyone to eat all of them. Everyone ate until they moaned with full bellies. Trey swears he fed Laiken about thirty crawfish, and I don't know how many I gave her. She loves them and spicy foods don't bother her. Jack did not eat any, he wasn't sure about the texture of them. I can't wait for Kip's birthday this month, they always have a crawfish boil for his birthday. Saturday Trey worked on an electrical problem for Mrs. Becky, she is a friend of the family and head nurse at our new pediatrician's office. I told Trey not to worry if she didn't pay him much, she will repay me with friend perks at the doctor's office, which I know all of you know the value of that! And Sunday we went to the zoo. (Of course! ) We love going, it never gets old. We got snowcones and Trey insisted we keep walking instead of sitting to enjoy them. Laiken ended up wearing more of hers than she ate. But luckily since she is potty training, I had a change of clothes. Thank goodness the only accident she had that day was the snowcone one or we would have been SOL. Right after the snowcones came the giraffes, this time they were eating hay far away from the people, and you may not believe me, but I swear it is the truth... Trey grabbed a small branch from a bush and called a giraffe over to him and fed it the branch! It was awesome. A few more people came over and started to feed the giraffe too, and a zookeeper saw them and stopped them. It was funny. I have seen people feeding the animals on SEVERAL occasions, so I was not entirely surprised the giraffe came to him. But it was still pretty cool. They were having a special event at the zoo, Zippity Zoo Days. There were alot of extra things to do like face painting, large inflatables to jump on or slide, several information booths giving free stuff away. It was really fun. I know the kids enjoyed it. It was a busy weekend, but it was alot of fun.

A new start

We have started a new chapter in the Walker Family, one that I never thought would happen. We have moved to Denham Springs, LA. And most importantly, we are with Trey every night. It sounds funny to say, but I am so glad to see him every day again, being apart was difficult. We just celebrated our 4th anniversary. It is hard to believe it has been 4 years. Life can pass by so fast. Everyone has adjusted really well to the move. Dylan has made a ton of friends, at school and at the apartments. He was at his mom's this weekend and 3 little boys knocked on our door all weekend wanting him to come out. Laiken and Jack had trouble sleeping the first week, but they seem fine now. We are just about in a routine. I babysit Trey's cousin's little girl, Delaynie. She is 3 years old. She comes on tues, wed and thurs. They are like peas in a pod. They both love to dress up and play with barbie dolls. They share many of the same interests. They even look alike a little. It is so much fun to watch them together. I really like it here. Trey says our move could be permanent. I don't think I would mind that. I like the convenience of being back in the city again. It is so nice to be able to "run" to walmart and not be gone all day. And I am so happy about high speed internet, only dial up was available in Sandhill. We have even been watching movies on our computer through netflix. I am so excited about the pool here too. I know the kids will be too when we get to start swimming. The apartments also have a nice sized fishing lake. Trey has already taken the kids several times and Laiken loves to fish! And as everyone knows, I have to mention the Zoo. Laiken and Jack love going to the zoo. We have already been twice. It is really nice, compared to the smaller zoo of Hattiesburg. The first time we went we were able to feed leaves to a giraffe and the second time we went, we saw people feeding peanuts to an elephant. Both times were really neat. I am sure that moving here is going to turn out to be the best decision we could ever have made for our family. It will open up an endless amount of opportunity for us and our children, not to mention daddy's new dream of Jack becoming a linebacker for LSU! Go Tigers!!

The Skittles Story

I bought Laiken some skittles the other day. She gets only a few at a time, and only for things she does good or after eating a good supper. A small, sporadic reward. She loves them so much. Well, tonight Trey and the babies were on the couch while I was vacuuming the rug. Trey walked into the kitchen and came back to the couch as I was finishing and wrapping the cord. Laiken jumped onto the couch next to him. She gets right in his face, her nose to his mouth and says, " What you smell daddy??!" She tried to open his mouth (he's laughing so hard) She says, "That's my candy!!" Daddy had sneaked a mouthful of her skittles, but she smelled them!!!! It was so funny. She is getting really good at sharing, but skittles do not fall under that category for her. Update on New Year's resolutions: The diet is only going fairly well. I am having a hard time finding a good work out schedule. 6:15 is when Dylan gets on the bus but Jack is usually up before seven. Not enough time and his morning naps are getting shorter, not enough time. And it would be hard to do after bedtime, and that would also require 2 showers a day. So, there is a stationary bike at walmart that comes with an mp3 player for 135.00. I am considering that because it seems it would be easier than a workout video. I am trying to keep my stress levels down. It may seem silly but this past week I have just tried to breath a little more. No really, it is working. When I feel a snap or loss of patience coming on, I take a deep breath. Then I am able to handle the situation more calmly. I don't know how much longer that will help, but its working for now. I feel less guilty when I am able to remain calm. Laiken seems to sometimes respond better to a calm request rather than a loud angry one. Sometimes she does not respond at all, that could be due to her confusion about who is the boss. In moments like this I allow her a minute or two to sit quietly in a designated spot, where she is not allowed to get up, to let her think about how she could have handled the situation differently. (yeah, I bet that's what she's thinking about in time out.) We have not handled potty training at all, I continue to ask, "do you want to sit on the potty?" She continues to say, "no." So no rush there, she'll do it in her own time.

It's 2009 already??

The month of December was so very hectic for us. But it was a wonderful time for our family. We enjoyed spending time with my family in Hernando, and also in Corinth. I am really glad we got the chance to see everyone and spend the holiday with them. The highlight of the day was definitely the scratch off lottery tickets. I loved it! The kids had a ball playing together, I think Dylan was sad to leave. I am sure Laiken was, she screamed, " I want to stay!" all the way to the car. It may be madness when all the kids are together, but it is so important to get them together like that. I want my kids to know and love my family as much as they do their family here. We're doing a good job, because both Dylan and Laiken know who I am talking about when I say everyone's names. (Maybe not Brian and his family, but they just moved closer so it will take a few more visits). Laiken used to see babies on tv and call them AnnaReece. Now she says Sabana. Somethimes she says Hayden. LOL. We also had a great Christmas here as well. Gran Gran (Trey's mom) stayed a few days with us over the holidays. We had Christmas dinner and Jack's birthday party at Jody and Ryan's. Our kids probably had the best Christmas ever. They got a swingset. Which may not sound like much, but my kids can swing for hours and hours. They love having one in the yard. (although it has rained almost everyday since Christmas). Jack had a great birthday. Thanks to Aunt Lisa, I made him a football cake that he enjoyed all to himself. He loved it. The new year is starting off good. Nikki, Donald's wife, had a beautiful baby girl on Sunday, Jan 4th. She was 5lb and 11oz. Her name is Kelsey Ann Elizabeth Walley. Trey is still in Baton Rouge but is only working 40 hours a week. He will get to come home every Thursday night and goes back every Sunday night. I am so glad to get to see him that much. Might even start to feel like he lives here again. I love my children more than anything else in this whole wide world but it is hard being a single parent of three. I need a little help sometimes. So for new year's resolutions.... I want to lose about 20lbs. I have already started a workout video. I am going to take the babies for a walk in the wagon as many times a week as I can. And I am going to watch what I eat. Maybe follow a diet plan or join weight watchers. I want to reduce stress in my life. I am losing patience and feeling tired too often. I will rest more, drink more water, choose my battles with the kids, simplify where I can. I want to make a flexible schedule to help me move through the day more smoothly. We function mostly on a natural schedule. Breakfast is always about 7:30 or 8. Jack's first nap around 10. Lunch by 11:30. Laiken and Jack nap around 2. Jack has a snack about 3:30 or 4. Supper about 5:30. Jack goes to bed at 7:30 and Laiken by 8:30. Dylan has no natural schedule. He eats when food is on the table, and goes to bed when we tell him to. Last but not least, I want to potty train Laiken. I don't know if she's ready, I think she is. Step one will be to make the potty her friend, she is not overly enthusiastic about sitting on the potty. She doesn't dislike it, just has to be bribed to sit. I am not going to pressure her, just test the waters and see if she might be more ready than I think. She is smart enough to use the potty, but stubborn enough not too, if you catch my drift. We'll just see how it goes.