Potty training, round 2

So I had been planning on potty training Eliza in a couple of weeks when it is half term holiday from Esther's playgroup and we would have nothing on but since things have been up in the air about getting our new kitchen fitted and also there seems to be a lot on in February I thought I may as well take the bull by the horns and get going. I hav a 3 day window starting today where I don't really need to be anywhere so this morning we got out the potty and the girly pants!

Esther was our model and showed her what to do on the potty and then Eliza got right to it! She must have sat on the potty for about 2 hours this morning! I have some pictures I've forgotten to upload so I'll put them on tomorrow. Eliza did fantastically, we only had one accident on the floor and the rest in the potty! She even sat on the toilet for a few seconds which she has been doing for ages (she pulls at her nappy shouting 'wee wee toilet' until we put her on there...). She spent the majority of the day in only t-shirts and socks but relented and put on some pants this afternoon for a while. I bought chocolate to use as a reward but she doesn't really seem to remember that I reward her for doing it so I ate some of it as a reward to myself tonight! Esther has been the helpful big sister but wants to go on the potty too only Eliza can get a bit precious about 'her' potty! Not that it's even ours - we borrowed it when we potty trained Esther and borrowed it again this time - it's one of those little chair type ones.

So here's to day 2 - may it be as accident free as the first!

Wedding photo's!

My sister Rebekah was the photographer at Adam and Alexa's wedding and has just put the pics on facebook so I promptly saved some of them to put on here! Now do you believe me at how cold it was???

You can see more at http://www.scarlettphotography.blogspot.com She is great!

So sincere!

Kids always say the funniest things in prayers but unfortunately it's all the more funny because they are so serious about them. Today Esther prayed that Father Christmas would be safe and his reindeer would be safe when they were flying around! Since it is nearly February I had just about forgotten the exsistence of Father Christmas but it seems Esther has not! I should explain the her that he and the reindeer are probably on holiday right now...

New year project

When I was pregnant with Eliza, some friends (thanks Helen) gave us their old double stroller which was a bit mouse eaten (literally) but in good working order. We used it for ages with Esther and Eliza and soon enough it will be time to get it back out. So I decided I would spruce it up a little before the new baby arrives. I'm going to attempt to sew up the holes in the basket bit at the bottom, give the wheels a good oiling (Ben always knew where I was when we were out with the stoller because of it's terrible squeak!) and I'm going to make some stroller liners to cover up the mouse holes in the seats. I'm going to use this tutorial http://http://floatingworld.typepad.com/floating_world_views/2008/08/stroller-liner-tutorial.html and I've chosen this fabric to make them with! They will have the russian dolls on one side and the apples on the other. I'm hoping the fabric comes before Friday so my sister can give me a hand. If not wish me luck!

I don't know why I didn't oil the wheels last time or do any of these things so it'll be a touch of luxury for our new baby girl!

Happy Days

Thursdays are our day off. We don't have to be anywhere or do anything but today I felt like we had been home too much or travelling with more focus on getting things done than having fun with the kids so I took them to a kids indoor play place with some friends. It was just the ticket. The only problem was that Eliza got stuck on one of the higher toys and I couldn't make my way through the foam rollers - big preggo tummy got in the way. Luckily my friend came to the rescue as there was no way I could have reached her! This afternoon I didn't feel guilty doing the house work as they had had such a good time.
One of my new years resolutions is to have less TV time. I don't mind them watching TV but not so much as they used to - they have to have breakfast and get dressed before it goes on and then it only goes on until we go out. It's good - now to sort out the problem of sharing....

We'll laugh about this in a year...

So Adam and Alexa decided to get married in Germany on Friday 8th January and after alot of decision making we decided we would go. After all you can't miss you brother's wedding can you? We set off from our house at 8am on Thursday 7th after having had a terrible nights sleep, literally 3 or 4 hours for various reasons. Made it to Heathrow easily - due to the snow the roads were super clear - I don't think I've ever seen the M25 with less car on it! We were parking 10 minutes from the airport and getting a mini-bus in which was all fine until about 1/2 mile from the terminal a lady driving a landrover was reading the signs and not looking at the road and crashed into the back of us. So we had to wait for the police to come which luckily wasn't too long and then we were on our way again.

When we got to the airport our flight had been cancelled and we had just missed an earlier flight by about 15 minutes so instead we had to wait for the next one which left 3 1/2 hours after our original flight at 5.05pm. It was a long and boring wait but the girls were really good. The flight was quick and the girls seemed to really enjoy it - Eliza sat on my knee the entire time and was fine!

Then the adventure of driving on the wrong side of the road started! Firstly we took the wrong way out of the airport , luckily the sat nav recalculated the route quickly, then driving down the Autobahn Eliza managed to open her door! So I was holding the sat nav up for Ben with one hand and stretching through to the back holding Eliza's door shut with the other! Comfy.... It wasn't a long drive to where we were staying though. Adam had arranged for us to stay with a friend, Miriam, she has 2 girls but they were both away that week so my girls had their beds and a whole new set of toys to play with - they were in heaven! We got their pretty late at night and tried to get to bed pretty quickly. Both girls woke up disoriented in the night so I spent time lying with each of them (picture me 6 months pregnant lying down with Eliza in a toddler bed....) needless to say I was even more tired on the say of the wedding!

Adam and Alexa chose to get married at Castle Franenkenstein (mostly a runied castle but actually the place the story is based on...) The little building the the left of the tower is the little chapel. Doesn't it look picturesque? Well, in the snow at -4.5 celcius the chapel is very cold!!! Everyone had coats, boots, hats, scarves!!! There is a restaurant right were the picture is taken from though so as soon as the ceremony was over it was off the the restaurant for hot drinks and defrosting! They had a picture of everyone taken outside the chapel and some of themselves but it was too cold for any others.

The reception was in the restaurant next door so that was handy. The reception was pretty relaxed and after a 5 course meal it was off to the Frankfurt temple about 45 mintues away. By the time we got to the temple I was feeling not very well, I think I was just exhausted. Thankfully Alexa asked one of her friends if she would look after the girls so both Ben and I could go in to see them being married for time and all eternity. I literally saw the sealing and went to bed 1/2 hour later. The next day I felt much better since I'd had a decent nights sleep.

Our flight back was also cancelled - Germany was experiencing a severe weather warning weekend for heavy snow etc and there wasn't enough grit for the roads. Luckily with it being a Saturday I think most people stayed at home so the roads were pretty empty. We were rebooked onto a later flight, sat for about an hour on the tarmac while the plane was de-iced etc. Again the girls were fabulous the entire time. A man sitting just behind us started feeling ill not too long after take off so me and the girls moved the sit in the 2 spare seats next to Bex before he started throwing up! Yuck. Poor guy. Poor Ben - he was right in front of him!

On the way back from Heathrow to our car park the mini-bus driver didn't close the door of the luggage trailer and someone pulled him over to tell him - nothing had fallen out thank goodness!

We got home pretty late but not as late as my cousin who travelled with us - the head gasket blew on his car on the way home!!

Lots of 'memories' made on this trip! It sure will be an experience we won't forget in a hurry! I'm glad we were there with Adam and Alexa and see them happy and start their new lives together. Just remind me not to do it again when 6 months pregnant! I don't have any photographic evidence of being at the wedding but I'll try to get a picture from someone of the happy couple because they really looked great together! Anyway, Yay Adam is married and I have a new sister-in-law!!!