February Update

Ok this is how February went:

WEEK 1
Get ready for trip on the 10th
Get ready for Taysha's court date on the 8th (probation violation)
Get ready for Taysha's 15th birthday party on the 8th (LUAU!)

WEEK 2
Court - Taysha was sentenced to 5 days in Juvenille Detention. She also missed her own birthday party. We leave for Cali and enjoy our vacation. While we're gone Taysha gets out and stays with a respite family for a few days. We're all reunited on Valentines Day and Darik gets back to work. We don't see him for the next few days. That weekend my bro gets married and they asked me to be the wedding photographer.

WEEK 3
Adventures in Potty Training, Part 2!!!! One of my friends used "Potty Training in a Day" with her boy and she recommended it (the premise is to have the kid teach a baby doll how to do it first, then use reminders and rewards for the kid, along with lots of juice and crackers). As always Ellie shows just enough interest to make me think she wants to try it but not enough that I can't be sure if she's ready. So for the first day she's halfway there -- she wants the panties and wants to try but she LOSES her MIND and FREAKS any time she has to go. I think maybe she just needs to recognize the feeling and connect that then you run to the potty. So the next day we try sit on the pot for hours at a time until potty happens. Lots of coloring and blocks and painting and videos at the little table in the kitchen. That day she peed great in the potty and we had fun doing the potty dance. She's still freaked out about #2 and I start to realize she's holding it in. I think I might go back to the diapers cuz I don't want that to complicate things -- this is hard enough as it is. Problem--she wouldn't put diapers back on. So the next day she wears panties but refuses the potty at all costs. And I refuse to forcefully hold my kid there. So we're back to square one. Halfway thru the day I'm able to communicate, "no potty, no panties". She runs to the diapers. sheesh. So there goes 3 full days of my life down the drain. And I know every failed potty training attempt pushes the real readiness back further. Crappy. Things with Taysh at this point are crappy too. The rest of the week I work on editing wedding photos.

Week 4
On Saturday I held a bookclub with a bunch of friends. It was so fun! Also over the weekend D & I decide it's time to try some different stuff with Taysh. Obviously she still lies through her teeth all the time and we're working on other stuff but we're going to do one of those point system of discipline where she loses and gains points. It'll be complicated but will work better for her. We also decide we're in this for one more try so Taysh starts to feel more accepted and happy in the house. I try to stay away from the stores with all of their winter clearance sales. Good thing I gave darik my credit cards back yesterday--I am looking for a winter coat for ellie next year and I ran into some cute summer shorts for her--I had to end up telling the lady to put them back because I forgot I'd given the cards back to Darik! This method works for me! I also am getting new contacts (saw the dr today!) hooray. Ok. that's the update, more detailed posts later gator.