Thanks & New Problem--Bullying

Thanks for all the advice on potty training.  I once had Junior sit in his mess till he got tired of it--wouldn't you know, he didn't mind at all.  I had to put him outside at one point in the backyard, and he played nicely on the back porch while sitting in his own feces, singing happily.  He must get his stubbornness from his father.

I have tried making him clean himself up, but probably not as regularly as I should, so I'm going to give that a shot again.  He did it a few times and was happy as a lark.

My new problem is bullying.

My dear sweet Abs, who we have all come to know and love, has been bullied since the beginning of school.  I have fought with the school non-stop, demanding that they do something, and they always point it back to Abs, which 95% of the time is not the case.

Yesterday things came to a head when "he" attacked her and shoved her down.  Now I realize that these are 4th graders and that stuff like this happens (although being a 2nd grade teacher, my students knew better than to do anything to hurt anyone).  But, this has been consistently happening, although more on the harassment level--you're stupid, you're dumb, you're ugly, anything that he can say to cut her down.

The physical was more than I could handle, and I fired off an email demanding a response from them.  Their solution was to keep Abs out of her specials classes and therefore keep them separated.  Really?  She's not the problem.

I have had Abs moved, against her will.  That will probably backfire on me, but I couldn't let her deal with that anymore, and it was obvious that the school wasn't going to do anything.  The problem is that Abs loves the school, and I like that they are challenging her, but then there is this problem.
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I'm frustrated.  It shouldn't be this hard to protect your child.  Any suggestions?

And Here's Where I Ask for Help

I keep saying I am laying low, changing poopy diapers till Gunner gets home, and then it is his problem.

After changing THREE of them today, for a child who eats everything that I do, I am disgusted.

I am looking for all potty training advice.  I have put him in diapers, and he pretends that they are pullups.  He knows what to do.  He isn't scared of the potty, he just won't go.

I've bribed.  I've threatened, I've begged.

We are getting NOWHERE.

I'm at my wit's end.  Everyone says it will come.  He's going to start Kindergarten in less than 7 months, and I really don't see 7 months making a difference.

The kid is brilliant.  He can write his name, has an Abbie size vocabulary, and can rationalize everything....

He will not use the bathroom.  He will sit there sometimes, but not on a regular basis.  Timers don't work.  Regular intervals don't work.

Nothing works.

I really might have the first boy that is not potty trained when he goes off to college.  I don't know how he thinks he can hide pullups at the Air Force Academy!

Help!!!!  Someone out there has to know the miracle that I am looking for....I hope!!!!

Family Movie Night--Giveaway!

Goodness knows with the military there is a change of plans around every corner.  Heck, I emailed a bike ride I wanted to do with Gunner, and he told me it looked great, and maybe we could make it in at least ONE of the cities, but who knows which one.

Anyway....

It's Family Movie Night on Fox, this Saturday, January 8th, at 8/7CST.

“CHANGE OF PLANS” SYNOPSIS

Up to this point, Sally Danville’s life has played out just as she hoped it would.  As a beautiful and free-spirited musician, she and her fighter-pilot husband, Jason, live life on the go, free of domestic responsibilities.  But with a single phone call from Child & Family Services case worker, Dorothy (Phylicia Rashad, “The Cosby Show”), she learns that things don’t always go according to plan.  Sally (Brooke White, “American Idol”) is met with the news that her best friend from college has died in a tragic accident on a Peace Corps mission and has named Sally the legal guardian of her four kids – 3 of them adopted from third-world countries.  Now Sally and Jason (Joe Flanigan, “Stargate Atlantis”) must quickly learn to parent this instant family and help the kids deal with the culture clash of life in America.  The story is both humorous and heartwarming, revealing how fulfilling life can be when you look beyond your own plans and invest in the lives of others.


I'm a sucker for a movie that pulls at your heartstrings, like all those Hallmark made for tv movies.  Surely I'm not the only one!

Now for the good stuff!  I'm allowed to offer to my readers, a giveaway of a cute fleece blanket, like the one shown here (ummm....the cute but dirty dog is not included, and they are sending you the blanket, so yours would be clean whereas mine will be washed tonight after Abs tucked it around Sammy.  Forgive the blurry picture as I still have not found my camera charger.  I'm convinced it is around the next corner!).

In addition to the blanket, you get THREE movies that have previously been P&G/Walmart movies for Family Movie Night--Secrets of the Mountain, Jenson Project and A Walk in My Shoes.  (I linked to the trailers, and wish I had seen them all, they look great!)

All you need to do is leave a comment, and let me know what you do for Family Night at your house!  I'd love the ideas!  I will draw the winner on Sunday, January 9th, 2011!  Good luck!

Making Time Go Too Quickly?

Gunner wrote on facebook that he was ready for this deployment to be over.

It reminded me of when Junior was born.

Gunner came home two days before Junior was born on R&R, and left when he was 13 days old.  I was left with three kids, lots of stitches (TMI, I know), and I didn't know if I should wish the remaining 6 months away or not.

I looked at Junior every day and saw how much he was changing, and I just wanted to savor every last minute with him, because he was my last baby.  I knew Gunner was missing his first smile, his first laugh, and a lot of other firsts, which made me sad.

On the other hand, we missed Gunner terribly, and he wanted to be home.  Did I want to rush Junior growing up in exchange for him being home?  How do you rationalize that in your head?

In the end I just took it one day at a time, and it was all good.  The second half of the deployment did fly by, so I was happy about that but also sad.

Now I find myself in a similar but very different position.  Junior is growing up fast.  Em's a teenager, Abs is Abs, and he's missing it all.  Sometimes I wish time would just fly by and he could be home.  The sad part is, that once he is home it won't be long till Junior is in Kindergarten (assuming he ever potty trains) and we have no "little" ones anymore.

(meeting his son 6 months later 2006)

Where did the time go?

I admit, I watched the Bachelor

Please tell me I am not the only one.  I usually don't watch it, but I did watch it the first time that Brad Womack was on there.

He's cute.  He seems genuine.  I believe he has changed, I guess.

The women?  Where do they find these freaks????

Vampire teeth?

Just plain weird.

Some of the girls are so far fetched.  Really, she slapped him and he kept her?

He should have tossed her to the curb.

Unfortunately, I'll probably watch the entire season to see if slap girl and vampire girl make the cut.  I need Gunner home to save me from crappy reality television!

What should I do in 2011?

There's a million posts out there on goals and making 2011.

I want to do a half ironman.  This will be in preparation for my Ironman in 2012.

A couple of Olympic distance tris.  A couple of sprints. With Gunner home, I should be able to do more.

I want to run a marathon, a couple of half marathons.  I'm not super speedy, but I like the feeling of completing things.  It drives me nuts when people won't even attempt something because the task seems overwhelming to them or they won't win.  Get over it and get out there and try something.

I'm taking a snowshoeing class with a friend, and so I want to go snowshoeing a few times.  That should be interesting.

I need to get Abbie and Andrew to ride bikes.

I am still working on the garage challenge.  That should have been an entire deployment challenge.

I'll think of a few more things to throw in there for good measure, but most importantly, I am looking forward to this deployment being over!

Funny video about military wives....

This made me laugh and laugh.  Let me know what you think!  This is the PG version, less of the f-bombs.

Preview

I was always told that whatever you spend your time doing on the first day of the year, is how you spend the rest of the year.

This is not a good sign.

I changed at least 4 poopy diapers.

I cleaned the living room.

I tried to take a nap, but was interrupted consistently by Gunner's children.

I washed three loads of dishes.

I walked the dog in frigid temperatures where my nose hairs were freezing.

On the other hand....

I have three healthy children even if they are a little rough around the edges some days.

I have a husband that loves me more than anything else in the world.

I am healthy, love to workout, and have big plans for this year.

Gunner will be home this year, and we will bid the Army goodbye.  That's good and bad in a way.

Deployments will come to an end for us.  (knock on wood)

Even if I still can't find my camera battery charger, I can afford to buy a new one.

The list goes on, so hopefully 2011 will turn out much better than 2010!

The Little Things.

I sent Gunner one of our Christmas cards this year, and he received it today.

I should have taken a picture of the inside, but everyone signed their names.

Gunner emailed to let me know that the card had arrived and he loved that Abs signed the card Absters, which is what he calls her all the time.

Then he asked "Who signed Junior's name?".

I had forgotten to tell him that he could sign his own name.

Sigh.  How many more trash days?