Potty Training

Oh Boy! We embarked on potty training two weeks ago using the 3 Day Potty Training method that my co-workers swear by. The author insists that the ideal age for potty training is 22 months, but Miles is 33 months and did just fine. This method has the kid run around the house for 3 days with no pants on and every time he started to go, we rushed him to the potty to finished and praised him like crazy. They also had us throw away all of the diapers in the house - in the garbage! We kept reminding Miles "It's your job to keep your pants dry" and "Make sure you tell us when you have to go potty" instead of asking "Do you have to go potty" every 3 seconds. Miles is a little rule-follower, so we thought he would do well.

After 3 days of potty boot camp, Miles was doing well. We took him back to day care with 10 pairs of underwear and 4 pairs of pants. We picked him up that night and had no accidents at day care. WHAT?! Since the 3-day potty training, he wets the bed at night once or twice per week. He's totally comfortable on public toilets, etc. Jason and I are pleasantly surprised at how well he's done and I'm elated that there are no more stinky diaper pails in our house! I'm in total denial that Miles will be 3 in only 3 months from now. Where did the time go?!

Writing to Grandpa Jim

Tonight Miles was asked to write a card to Grandpa Jim and you can see all the action in this video. He holds a pen/pencil/crayon just like we do and right now he mimics handwriting while saying his letters. He's starting to recognize letters in books and signs. He sings the alphabet song while washing hands (or during church when he sees a letter) and I'd say he knows about half of his letters by sight right now. Welcome to our kitchen table!

Time to Blog

Time has flown by in this family, just like it does for all of you, and our blog has gone neglected. I'm starting to realize the importance of blogging both for sharing information with people we love whom we don't see often and maybe more importantly, to keep a record of the ever-changing progress that Miles is making. We have thousands of photos and hundreds of videos of Miles that we take every day. I'm trying to capture more and more of our favorite routines like bedtime prayers, reading books, playing with the dog, etc. so that we remember these great times when we have a little boy who will still sit on our laps! So, if you're out there reading, you can expect more short every day posts. If no one is reading, these posts will be for future Katie, Jason, and Miles to look back on. :)

Summer 2011

Wow! Summer has flown by and our blog has been totally neglected! What that really means is that we've been blessed to share so much time with our families this summer. Instead of seeing videos of Miles online, his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and little boy cousins have gotten to see and play with him at home! We've had a lot of fun just watching Miles be a crazy boy playing outside at the park, playing frisbee, tee ball, watering flowers, splashing in the pool, and riding his new tricycle!

We've spent lots of great time with our families including a long 4th of July weekend with the Selbys in Bismarck. That weekend was a whirlwind celebrating Jason's parents' 40th wedding anniversary, our nephew's baptism, family photos, and a good old fashioned 4th of July parade! We spent time with Katie's family at a cabin in Hayward, WI including lots of time on Poppy's pontoon boat, grilling out, a trip to the zoo, and feeding the ducks! Jason and I spent 3 nights away kid-free in Door County and really enjoyed sleeping in, relaxing by the lake, and eating out with no toddler! And of course, no summer is complete without a day at the Minnesota State Fair! Photos of all of our summer adventures are in the Picasa link to the right.

At this point, Miles is speaking in sentences and gets frustrated when we don't understand him. He insists on doing everything himself (washing, dressing, opening doors, getting into his car seat, etc.) He's also starting to get a bit of humor so when something makes us laugh once, he'll say it over and over again! We love seeing the world though his eyes and are enjoying each little new learning for him. In the words of our day care provider, "I'm not sure which he loves more: puzzles or books!" He's still a very curious guy and has great patience and focus when learning new things.

We're looking forward to cool fall weather, our apple harvest, evenings in front of the fireplace, and I always love this time of year when students return to campus! Enjoy our photos and your fall!

Happy Retirement, Mrs. Boyce!

In June, Katie's mom retired after 33 years as an educator. We traveled home to Wisconsin to surprise Grammy on her last day of school and spend a fun weekend with her and Katie's family. We are very excited for her and selfishly excited to have more Grammy time with Miles! Congrats, mom!

Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo...

We spent our Saturday at the Minnesota Zoo and a great time was had by all. This was Miles' 2nd time there, but this year he understands everything so much better. This little video was one of the most excited moments when he could stand at the glass and watch the otters swim by. We also had a blast at the Family Farm where we at ice cream, petted the cows, and fed the goats. More photos on the Picasa link to the right. We will certainly be back there soon!

Birthday Partaaay!

Yep, we survived Miles' 2nd Birthday Party at Todd Park, just south of our house, and were happy to have lots of friends and family around to celebrate with us! Grammy, Poppy, Grandma Jan, Grandpa Jim, Uncle Nicholas, Auntie Sara, and baby Nolan all stayed at our house for the holiday weekend filled with presents and sweet eats! Miles received lots of awesome gifts, including a handmade rocking horse from Grandpa Jim. I also earned my mommy membership card with my first homemade kid's birthday cake and it turned out well! More photos of the whole birthday celebration at the Picasa link to the right. Happy Birthday, Miles!