Potty training (Dude and Momma's side)

During this break we decided that we were going to potty train Lucy.  She seemed like she is very interested in learning and she has even gone a few times on her own before this!  :)  We also figured that a break would be the best time because we're both home and can devote the proper amount of time to it.

We went back to the same method that worked so well with Tristan... using that book.  Tristan was a few months older than she was, but I've heard that girls potty train sooner than boys do.  Although, I feel like Dude trained much earlier than most... So, we thought that the perfect day to start would be the day that I had a bunch of Dr's appointments and was going to be out of the house anyway.

Monday was an early morning.  My first appointment was at 8:45 in Grand Rapids, so I had to wake up fairly early in order to get ready for the day!  I have to admit there is a lot less planning when you don't have to pack a diaper bag or anything of that, but I did want to pack a few things to keep him occupied during my appointments.  As I blogged about before my Dr's appointments went very well.  :)  Dude was a champ through all of them and I could've have been happier with him!  Funny story about leaving my first appointment.  We went to a mini-van in the parking lot, one that I thought was ours, and our keyless entry was just not working.  At first I thought it was because I was to far away and the batteries where dying but soon we were standing right next to it and it wasn't working!  I was puzzled and looked down at my keys and then I noticed something on the dash of this van that wasn't in ours... sheepishly I did a quick look around and noticed our van elsewhere... Dude asked what we were doing but all I could do was laugh.  We had a good laugh about that one after we got buckled in and out of the lot :)

After my OB appointment downtown I had planned on taking Dude to the Children's Museum.  However, as we got closer it seemed pretty dead inside and there wasn't a lot of cars in the parking spaces out front... GAH!  Monday is the only day that they are closed.  I felt terrible.  I had promised Dude that we were going to play at the CM and it was closed... :(  Poor Dude took the news really well, and what was worse was I invited his friend Kai to play with us.  Hoping that they hadn't left yet to let them know it was closed before they got there, but they were already down town.  So, instead, Tomo (Kai's Mom) suggested that we try out this Java Gym.  Its pretty much a huge play structure for kids to be monkey's in!  Tristan was so excited about his playdate with Kai he pretty much forgot that the children's museum was closed. :)

My super cute lunch date

This place was a lot of fun.  I think that Tristan would've had more fun with Gaetan because he would've been able to climb in there and chase him, but this pregnant Momma doesn't move so quickly through small spaces!  Kai had a lot of fun playing by himself, but Dude stayed pretty close to where I could get to him.  Then, he felt adventurous and followed Kai pretty high and away and then he got scared when there was a space that was a little farther down than he thought he could do.  He was probably about an inch away from it, but he didn't realize it and got really scared.  And unfortunately, as I mentioned before, this Momma doesn't move so quickly... so I tried to talk him down so he was calm until I could get there, but luckily one of the workers took a worker short-cut and got there and he was happy about that.

Sakura, Kai's little sister playing

So big!

Dude just monkeying his way up so fast!

He was loving that slide!  It went fast!

Duder climbing after Kai

Playing high up!

This little bridge was cool

Little kids can climb over these things so easily... not this Momma!  haha

Sakura was taking a turn under the obstacle as well

Duder making his way back up

Also, another thing that's easy for little kids to get over... imagine trying to get my belly over that thing.  Yes, it is very funny to watch.

Huge slide!  This was only some of the turns to it

Sweet Duder all tuckered out

The kids played for a few hours until both of them got grumpy and crabby and it was time to go.  Dude was running on empty because he hadn't gotten a nap in that day and woke up earlier than usual.  Not to mention all the running around that we did previous to the playing super hard at this place!  He passed out in the car ride to my parent's house... so when we got there I just sat in the driveway and waited til he woke up.  He was UNHAPPY with waking up to be in the car.  Once I got him inside and comfortable on the couch he calmed down and was happier about it.  Mom and I ordered some take out Chinese, Yum Yum! and chatted a little bit before we had to head home to see our sweet Goose and Papa.

Gaetan had burned a few of his favorite Dinosaur Train songs onto a CD but by the end of the trip he only really wanted to listen to three of them... so you can imagine that three songs gets played a lot in the span of the trip back to Kalamazoo.  I actually don't mind them, and now could probably sing every single song to you from that CD!  haha.  Dude and I had a lot of fun together, and I enjoyed our one on one.  :)  He's such a sweet Duder.

JVG