Trash Can vs. Toilet

Well, I thought being in time-out and losing time playing the Wii would have an impact, but apparently it did not. So I have decided that since I don't enjoy cleaning out the garbage cans and the toilets for the same pupose, that I'll just have to out smart my boys. So I have removed the trash cans from their bedroom, the bathroom and the computer room. So if you come to visit, don't bother looking for them. But if you smell something funny coming from a toy bucket or behind the bathroom door, please tell me immediately : O

Potty Training, The Never Ending Story.

So I am feeling a little frustrated with my boys today concerning their bathroom behavior. Hayden has been potty trained for 2 1/2 years, and Tucker has been for 1 year. Of course the term "potty training" is quite relative to your definition of the phrase. Are they potty trained when they understand how to use the toilet? Or are they completely trained when they no longer have any accidents, including night time and don't use alternative places to "relieve" themselves?

I have observed that boys by nature like to take the simplest and fastest route to get something accomplished. I am not trying to stereotype or find fault, this has just been my observation. Lately I have been frustrated because my boys have been using the garbage cans to pee in. Of course they don't inform me of their choice, so it's not until a few days later, when I can't figure out where the pee smell is coming from, no matter how well I clean in and around the toilet, that I find the source of the odor. What puzzles me is that the trash can in the bathroom is right next to the toilet, so how much time are they really saving by using the can instead? But of course they don't limit themselves to just the bathroom trash can. They have sought relief in the garbage cans in the computer room and their bedroom.

As many kids do, my boys like to wait until it's absolutely necessary to run to the bathroom, so I can understand the allure of saving a trip to the bathroom when they can just use the trash can in the room they are in. We have told our boys this is not acceptable behavior and they have been punished each time. But of course their memories are short, so I keep finding myself "tracking down" the smell time and time again.

As a mother of 3 boys I would define potty training as: The process of teaching your children to use the toilet, and only the toilet until they are grown and out of the house. I would hope that I am not the only mother who has had this problem with her boys and I am sure that they will outgrow it at some point. But until then I guess I'll just have to chalk it up as one of the many "joys" of motherhood.

Pirate Play

Everyone who knows our boys know how much they love pirates. Along with Mario and Luigi, that is their favorite thing to play, act out, and watch (The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy.) Mason has now started to play with them, or I should say he is now allowed to play with them. So this morning when they were playing pirates I grabbed the camera. Whether it was to document their play or to just prove that I am a "good" mother who takes pictures of her kids at least once a month, (believe me, there have been months where the camera has never left the dock) , it was a cute moment, so I started filming.

Sledding trip at BYU Idaho

Tucker sledding with Grandpa Burt down the hill below the
baseball fields.

Brianna's turn going down the hill with Grandpa during
our trip in Rexburg.

Brianna and Grandpa sledding down the hill... and Hayden tumbling down after.

Pajamas from Grandma

The kids LOVE their pj's made by Grandma Gosney! Tucker has pirates on his, Hayden's are football themed, and Brianna's are pink with polka-dot hearts. The only trick is getting them off the kids so they can be laundered : )

Santa's Lap

We went to our ward Christmas party a few days ago and the boys got to sit on Santa's lap and get a candy cane. Mason watched his brothers go first, so he didn't have a problem sitting on his lap. He was just a little curious about who we were entrusting his well-being with.

Mason

Tucker

Hayden

Mason's first time in the snow

Last week we got hit with a big snow storm. The kids really wanted to go out and play even though it was still coming down hard and really windy. Mason was soooo excited to get out of the house. He wasn't ready for what was waiting for him. But even though he kept falling and slipping and landing face first in the snow, there was no way he was going back inside.



We were hit with another storm a few days ago, and this time we waited for the wind and snow to stop. Mason had a more enjoyable experience the second time around.

Rollerskating

I took Brianna and Hayden to the roller skating rink for a friend's birthday party last month. They both did really well at sticking with it. They were probably falling down every 10 seconds, but they didn't want to give up.

Gosney Elf Dance

If you would like to see the kids doing their "traditional" elf dance, then click on the following: http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/yB3nG0Dhxdbelx6oIt3z

To see Anna dancing with them "disco style" click here: http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/dl8PgY6jfNK9Wfa1RWFT

And for the grand finale, Gabe decided to join them for a barn dance: http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/Dbgfurvkkr81QgECm5zA

After viewing a dance, just click on the back arrow at the top of the web page to come back to the blog.

Boys Hair Cuts

Last week I gave the boys haircuts. It's the first time I've done all three of them together. The older boys just sit on a stool and watch tv while I buzz and cut. Mason watched the other two first, so he wasn't scared. He just sat in his booster and let me use the trimmers. He was only annoyed that he couldn't see the trimmers while I was cutting his hair. Next time I'll have to do it in front of a mirror.


.......Hayden's before and after.......



.......Tucker's before and after.......

.......Mason's before and after.......