Potty Training, Round 2

A few months ago, we blogged about Ryan's great interest in using the potty around the time he turned 2. After a week or two of wanting to sit on the potty about 20 time a day, the novelty had worn off and it seemed he wasn't really ready to be trained. So we waited about three months and tried again this week. We're using the method where you keep the child pants- and diaper- free (at home, of course) for about 3 days until they learn to get themselves to the potty as soon as they feel the urge to go. It worked really well for my sister's boys at this age -- and, as a bonus, has made for some fun pictures....





Our next project is breaking him of the habit of raising his hockey stick in the air (see below) every time he "scores a goal" -- which, according to Ryan, is every time he hits the puck. (That will be Rob's project, since he was responsible for introducing Ryan to NHL hockey.)



Here's our big boy on day 3 of potty training -- wearing pants and Lightning McQueen briefs that he kept dry all afternoon! -- doing the dance he invented for the music on his Winnie the Pooh video:

Bounce U

Last weekend, we attended the birthday party of Ryan's cousin Elliot (5) and friend Erin (3) at "Bounce U," an indoor play center with various "moon bounces" and inflatable slides and obstacle courses. Ryan LOVED it. Most of our pictures came out blurry because the flash on our camera wasn't working. Fortunately, my dad and sister took a lot of pictures, and even a few videos.





The second slide was bigger and better:




Ryan going down the big slide with Aunt Liz:



Ryan's cousins Elliot and Dylan on the slide:




Ryan in the basketball moon bounce.




Ryan's favorite activity was the obstacle course. (I wasn't successful at uploading the videos of this, but will try again in a separate post.)



He also loved the air-powered tee ball. We like how the blurred bat looks like a light saber in this one. (Too bad he didn't wear his Yoda costume to the party.)



After an hour of bouncing, sliding, and batting, it was time for birthday cake. Check out the expressions on Ryan's face when I told him it was a Thomas cake, and then when he saw it:





The birthday kids with their cake:



It was no surprise that Ryan managed to snag the Thomas train shortly after the cake was cut.



Waiting for cake:



I wish Ryan would dig into nutritious food the way he attacks cake.



Dylan enjoyed his cake so much that he licked the plate. (This appears to have been the most photographed event of the day.)



Ryan with his fruit punch mustache:



A rare picture of Rob and me together:

Our blog posts have become less frequent since I returned to work full-time at the beginning of February, after being home with Ryan most of the time for the past 18 months. The new arrangement is working out well -- I'm enjoying my work, and Rob was able leave the job he didn't enjoy (to put it in polite terms). He is now focusing solely on the business he started a few years ago, which allows him to be home with Ryan 3 days a week. Since Ryan enjoys daycare, he still goes 2 days a week, as he has since last summer when I was working part-time and Rob was at his former job.

We'll post our recent pictures over the next few entries.

Here's Ryan playing hockey wearing his shades and backward hat. His hockey obsession has really exploded in the last few weeks. He has a vinyl-covered foam puck that he hits around the living room, and lately he insists on taking it to bed at night and during naps.



Playing with his trains in another great outfit:



Hanging out with his Civil War (Union soldier) Boyd's Bear. He is very attached to his stuffed animals lately. He sleeps with 5-6 of them, carries them around the house, and usually takes one or two along on car rides.



Reading with Daddy:

St. Croix photos, part 7

Miscellaneous pictures taken throughout our vacation....

Rob and Ryan wearing their flag shirts:



Ryan directing Rob in sandcastle construction:



Ryan was in a terrible mood when Rob took this picture of him, but I love how it came out:



One evening Ryan took a break from his usual picky eating and decided to taste a chicken wing:




Ryan wandering the sidewalks of Christiansted with his teddy bear:



Hanging out at the beach:






Taking a break in the shade:



Ryan examining a flower he picked from a shrub outside our cottage:



Looking cool with his shades and Thomas sippy cup:



Pretty tropical plants and flowers:







There were always little green lizards (geckos maybe?) on the outside walls of our cottage.


We also saw lots of what I think were weasels running around at the resort, but they always darted away too quickly to get a picture.

We had delicious tropical cocktails for dessert on our last night of vacation. Ryan enjoyed doing "cheers" (that's milk in his cup!) and playing with the umbrellas from our drinks.






Ryan looked pretty glum about having to go home to the snow and ice the next day: