Careful What You Wish For

A few months ago Hunter refused to even try a "standing pee", but that has all changed since Doyl introduced him to peeing in the backyard. At first I was definitely a little hesitant about allowing this behavior, but decided that if it encouraged him to master the standing pee, then I wouldn't worry about it. Hunter loves to pee in the backyard so much that he will drop his pants multiple times in an hour to pee on the flowers. He even runs to the back door in the morning and asks if he can go outside to pee. I had to draw the line somewhere. Unfortunately, Hunter's new skill is carrying over to areas where it is not OK. Today he peed in a toy bin and then dumped it on the train table in his room. The cute and funny behavior in the backyard is now just gross and a pain to clean up. Hunter lost his 30 minute TV privilege this afternoon after the train table incident, and I am hoping and praying the consequence was strong enough to curb the unwanted stand up pees.

And After

Here are a few shots of the almost finished patio. We replaced the wood with Pennsylvania Blue Stone, extended the shape to create 500 square feet of living space, including a larger area off the kitchen, and updated the support posts. We are still waiting for the final seal on the stone, and coat of paint on the posts as well as the last piece of furniture.

Before

We recently replaced our dilapidated deck with a stone patio. Here are a few before shots.

Potty Training

Hunter has been potty trained since September (a prerequisite for preschool). There is an occasional accident these days, but for the most part, Hunter has mastered the potty. He stills sleeps in a pull-up, which I have been told is developmentally appropriate until age 6, and he prefers to sit versus stand when it comes to peeing, but generally speaking he is potty trained. Hunter is even able to pull his pants up and down on his own. I had been feeling relatively pleased at how easily we went through the potty training process, but today reminded me we aren't quite finished. During Hunter's "quite time", which is the hour he plays in room in the afternoon if he is not going to nap, there was an "accident". Hunter actually played really well on his own today, without shouting for me and telling me he was finished. When the timer went off, and I went to retrieve Hunter from his room, he said, proudly, "I peed in a fire hat." Sure enough, in his fire hat, was little puddle of pee, but on the bright side, not only did his mishap make an entertaining story, but I also think he peed standing up.

Hunter & Soccer

So Hunter started playing soccer though the Malibu-Palisades YMCA a month ago. He had been requesting to go to "soccer camp" for the last year because at one of the parks we go to in Santa Monica there is a soccer camp that he loves to watch. We told him he had to be 3 to go to soccer camp. Hunter's third birthday came and he didn't forget, and for months he has been saying, "I'm 3, I can go to soccer camp now". Wanting to follow through on our promise, we signed him up for "Iddy Biddy" soccer at the Y. When I bought him shorts, shin guards, and socks, he insisted on putting on his new gear over his pajamas so that he could sleep in it. Of course, when he got his jersey the following Saturday, he wanted to wear his full uniform 24/7. The jersey is one of the ugliest I've seen, but he loves it. His team named themselves The Yellow Hornets. They practice for a half hour on Saturday, followed by a thirty minute game. While Hunter loves the idea of soccer, his attention for the actual practice drills and game are lacking. Bottom line, he loves to wear the uniform and just be there. When we asked him why he didn't try to get the ball during the game, he responded, "I didn't want to take the ball away from my friend- it wasn't my turn." The parents of the four-year-old kids on the team assured me that next year Hunter will understand the game more and actually play. For now, we are just happy that Hunter is happy he gets to "go to soccer camp."

Christmas in May!

Last weekend was Fire Service Day at our neighborhood fire station in the Pacific Palisades. Hunter looks forward to this day almost as much as Christmas and his birthday. The kids had a blast climbing all over the firetrucks!

Xavier Practices His Words

Trying out our new Flip Video...