Swimming in 60 Degree Weather?

Usually when we vacation in Florida we bring shorts, t-shirts, and bathing suits. We knew it was going to be unseasonally chilly this year, but we still brought our swimsuits "just in case". Well, sure enough, the forecast didn't lie, and the highs have been in the 50's and 60's all week. But we still decided to brave the pool on the day when the high was supposed to be 67. Hey, at least the pool was heated. Colin's lips turned purple and poor Eli just cried (normally he loves the water), so we didn't stay long. Oh well, at least it's warmer than Ohio and there's no snow on the ground.

Breakfast with Chef Mickey

This morning, we went to breakfast at Chef Mickey's with Nana, Papa, Aunt Kara, Aunt Ellen, Uncle Robbie, and all the cousins. Despite waking up at 5:30 this morning, the boys did well. We had a delcious breakfast, complete with Mickey Mouse waffles, but the hit of the morning was the characters. The boys got to meet Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie, and Pluto. The kids also enjoyed dancing and putting on their own show. It was definitely a great start to our vacation!

Eli's First Haircut

As much as I wanted to wait until he was at least a year old, I couldn't ignore Eli's long, stringy bangs any more. Chris had been waiting for awhile for the go-ahead and gladly grabbed the sciccors and went to work. I think the results are adorable, but can't help to feel a little sad since he looks more grown-up.

Before

During

After

Shoveling Snow

At the beginning of the season, Chris and I told Colin that he would get the opportunity to help Daddy shovel the driveway whenever there was a big snow. Much to Colin's disappointment, that has only happened twice this year. The second time was this weekend. He's really not into smiling for the camera (as you can tell from his indoor shot). Luckily I was able to get some cute ones of him while standing in our house and zooming in across the yard - kid didn't even know what was happening and I got to stay semi-warm.

Tissues

Maybe leaving Colin with an entire box of tissues during "quiet playtime" was not the wisest decision I've made today.

Potty Power!

I think we may officially be down to just one kid in diapers! We've had a potty since Colin was about 2 but have put off pushing him to potty train due to Eli's impending birth, all his surgeries, and then traveling for Christmas. This Fall, Chris and I had talked about really buckling down after the New Year. We had debated about which approach to take and realized that unless Colin had some serious motivation to use the potty, we would just be spinning our wheels (we had already tried food rewards, setting a timer, reading books, etc.; all of which bombed). So, about a month ago we took Colin on a shopping trip to pick out his big boy underwear. He had fun checking out all the different characters and deciding which ones he wanted to wear. The next day, as soon as he woke up, we put him in underwear and told him no more diapers. We also enticed him by changing our TV rules. Now he had to use the potty to earn a show. We felt like he was physically ready because he had been staying dry at night and using the potty first thing every morning for several months. He had a couple big accidents the first two days but has been doing really well since then. Our next obstacle was getting him to use the big potty. He seemed very unsure of it and refused to use it at home or wherever else we went. Luckily he hasn't had any accidents while we've been out and about, but I just kept waiting for it to happen. So, this weekend we decided to push the use of the big potty. We told him that now he had to use the big potty to earn a show. He's been doing great and hasn't even asked to use his little potty anymore. Now our final hurdle is to get him to use a public bathroom. We're super proud of him and it's been so cool to watch his confidence grow through the whole experience.

Beautiful Blogger

Ericka from Moore Family Blog nominated me for the beautiful blogger award. I feel so special! :) Thank you for sharing the love!

The Rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated me for this award.
2. Copy the award & place it on my blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated me for this award.
4. Share 7 interesting things about myself.
5. Nominate 7 bloggers (or a few less since I need to go to bed).

7 Interesting Things About Me

1. I used to *love* animals, but since having kids, not so much.

2. I used to love bloody and nasty things, but since having kids, not so much.

3. I used to love horror movies, but since having kids, not so much.

4. I used to go on real vacations (you know, the kind where just you and your husband jet-set to Mexico), but since having kids, not so much.

5. I used to go out to see movies in the theater, but since having kids, not so much.

6. I used to work in a office pushing paper and kissing booty, but since having kids, not so much. (Yesss!)

7. I never was a morning person and since having kids, I'm still not. ;)

Now, on to the nominations....

1. Jen at There Goes My Life

2. Kara at The Daily Life

3. Kendra at Kendraspondence

4. Cathy at The Goose and The Bear