Potty Training

We have had a potty chair all set out for Makayla since she could walk. I took the same path that I did with Reilly in that she will do it when she does. Being Makayla had a bigger sister to watch and learn from, I just knew that we would have this completed sooner rather than later. Boy was I wrong. Now, don’t get me wrong, Makayla LOVES her chair. She just doesn’t do anything in it. I’ve learned quickly that Makayla is about 2-4 weeks behind everything Reilly did. Of course when Reilly did things she would often backslide and I would have to start a reward chart system. However, this “delay” from Makayla has almost always meant that once she gets it, she has it forever. I’m hoping this is the case with the potty. Today I got a call that she finally did it. Makayla finally went potty in the potty chair! Fingers crossed for smooth sailing as I would love to not have to carry diapers everywhere!

More Hats

I know I recently had a post with hats and Makayla. Most of the time it is Makayla copying Reilly, but there are some times when Reilly just wants to do everything Makayla does. I think it is more the green-eyed monster on this as she hears how cute everyone thinks Makayla is, but who knows. Both girls got a hat in their Valentine’s Day goodies. Reilly didn’t really go crazy for hers until Makayla refused to take hers off. Now it is the first thing they put on in the afternoon. I love it! They are just too cute. And yes, once again this also adds to my collection!

Vacations

Reilly loves vacations. And I’m talking madly and passionately loves vacations. It can be something as simple as staying the night at Stone Mountain. She doesn’t care. She just loves to pack up a suitcase and go anywhere. She is a GREAT traveler. I guess that stems from me taking her anywhere and everywhere I could think of when she was born. Her birthday is April 29th so the weather was amazing when she was born. She became like my little accessory. Then I had Makayla. You would think having two would stop me from my ventures. Nada. I think it made it easier. Once I learned a routine of getting them in and out of places, it was on. Of course, Makayla did come on January 20th and therefore traveling was a little more difficult. I always felt like I was dressing her like that poor kid from A Christmas Story. Oh well, she never complained and then it was like two adorably cute accessories everywhere I went. So, now is the time of the year we start planning vacations because my parents will generally go everywhere I go (or rather everywhere their granddaughters go because I’ve so been replaced as the favorite). We will be going next weekend to Pigeon Forge, are booking a week long beach trip in June, and our yearly week long Orlando trip for September. Of course we will have to fill each of these trips in with other excursions because if you think those will hold Reilly, then you just don’t understand.

Manners

It is great to have children with manners, but in my case also hilarious. Makayla is getting the hang of them and sometimes it just comes out funny. Right now she wants to say “welcome” when she should say “thank you”. For instance, while baking cookies for Reilly’s school this past Sunday, Makayla came over to the plate, took a cookie, and goes “welcome”. I couldn’t stop laughing to tell her not to take one of the cookies. Last night she started with a kick of “no thank you”. Everything she didn’t want was “no thank you”. Even when it was something she wanted. Oh well, at least she has manners!

Nobody is mean to my little girl

Valentine’s Day comes with great confusion in our house. Daniel is a lifelong hater of this “made up holiday”. Having the girls has softened him a little bit. I think he feels after I carried and delivered both girls (both naturally with no drugs), that he owes me a little Valentine’s love. Other than that I think he could care less. I am from a different mindset. I was the cute little blond hair, blue eyed, southern belle that couldn’t fit all her valentines in the little homemade mailbox at school. I love this day. Not because it should be the only day you get flowers/candy/etc. But because it is a fun day. I’m all for decorations (especially those that can be put on sweets) and having fun. This holiday, made up or not, is right up my alley. Yesterday, Reilly and I got all the stuff I bought to stuff bags for her classmates and her valentines out. She was pretty adamant that she didn’t want to give a few boys in her class valentines because they were mean to her. Excuse me, what did you say, some boy is mean to my little girl. Oh my, here comes momma bear. I proudly calmed down because I remembered why it is exactly that Daniel, her daddy, doesn’t like this day. It all started back in elementary school for him, when he received not one valentine on this very fun day. Now, I can think of a million things that could have made that situation better back then. However, here and now, there isn’t much I can do about it (especially since I was not even born when this very tragic event occurred). I very calmly explained to Reilly that just because these boys were mean, does not excuse her being rude. I explained that I was her mommy and I wanted to raise her with a certain set of values and morals. She seemed to understand this. But momma bear was still in there hurt for my baby. So, I crafted an idea. These mean boys would get a valentine and the same package of goodies that all the other kids would get, but it would be with a little twist. That’s right. All the other boys would be getting typical boy colors of the little baubles in the bags, but these three that are so mean to my little baby girl would get pink and purple. I know it is petty and I don’t care. Reilly was happy that they wouldn’t get green, blue or red. I was happy because she knows not to be rude and she was happy. That’s really all I momma can ask for polite and happy children. I did run this by Daniel so that I wasn’t creating a trauma filled day for these boys that would punish later girlfriends and future wife. He seemed to think it was perfect.

T.V.

We have high media profile case going right now. Now, let me stop there. EVERY case that has been like this and about 95% of the cases that I have gone to trial with have ended up with me on the news, pictures of me in newpapers, and a few caricature drawings of me done. This is NOT what I went to school for and certainly NOT what I would like. Of course, family (especially my parents, Nana, and my godfather when he was alive) gets a big kick out of this since most of the time I can’t comment on what I’m working on. This case I have avoided the blitz successfully until today. Without too many details, I somehow ended up on every local news channel last night. Typically this would be beyond embarrassing (and it still is). Here is the difference. The girls got to see it. They have seen the boys a few times and Reilly gets a kick out of Mr. Doug and Mr. Bob being on t.v. (although she keeps asking where Mr. Jason is). So last night as I’m reviewing the damage Reilly goes, “Momma, there’s Mr. Doug. Oh yay, there is Mr. Jason. . . . Momma! Is that *you* on t.v.?!?!?!” Yes baby, that’s momma. Momma, why are *you* on t.v.? I explained that I was doing a case that required momma to be on t.v. That was it. You would have thought I was the most important, beautiful movie star on the planet. Now that was a moment that I will always remember (even though I had to force myself not to be sick at seeing myself on t.v.).

Evil Twins

The girls were absolutely insane tonight. Well, to be honest it really started yesterday when mom returned them to me after they spent Saturday night with her. They are always crazier when they get more time with Nana, Papa, and G.G. (which is a good thing). Honestly, when they used to get this like this I would panic and think I wasn’t being a very good mom because they shouldn’t be this wild if I had things better under control. But I’m in a much better place now where I realize that my two girls are different than another other girls in the world and I am their mother, not anybody else’s. So, what happens at our house works for us. This did not stop me from asking them what was going on (because they were c-r-a-z-y). Our dialogue:

Me: Girls! What is going on? Ya’ll are acting so crazy!
Reilly: I dunno. We must be our evil twins or somethin’.
Makayla: Yep. Eeeevvilllll!!!! (in her cutest squeal voice)

. . . and that is about where the outburst of laughter came from me . . .

After the laughter stopped and we were calming down to do Reilly’s homework, Reilly looked at me and goes “Whew. Guess we will be normal and totally awesome like you mom.” Me = Totally Awesome. Well, that works!

Nana's Birthday

It is funny when birthdays come around. Reilly gets so excited to bake whatever goodies is the birthday recipient’s favorite. She does however like to try to influence what the person will be getting so that it is to her liking! She doesn’t do this too much with her Nana because they share a love of walnut brownies. So, there was no fuss when it came to making these. What was more fun was when we turned our backs to mix the brownies up, Makayla found the present we had just wrapped and decided her birthday was not over and that she must have a present left over. Needless to say, we ended up re-wrapping Nana’s gift!