I can't believe I'm still talking about this.

Remember this post? I do. Vividly. I was so excited. I thought potty training would be a snap. My little two year-old was on her way to getting out of diapers. I was so wrong.

Life has really gotten in the way. That's the one excuse I have. And, it's really valid. The trouble is I think the real problem is me.

I like diapers. They're comfortable. They're easy. They let me go out whenever I want without worrying about potty breaks and long car rides. They stick to a schedule, more or less. Potty training is messy. It cramps my style, so to speak.

So, I really shouldn't have been surprised tonight when Catie changed her own diaper. She is almost three years old.

My dad likes to quote the nursery attendant from back when I was in the nursery who said, "When a baby can tell you that you forgot the powder, it's time to potty train."

I think we're way past that point.

Sigh...

The diaper fairy is going to be coming to our house soon to take the diapers away and give them to the babies who need them. I don't know who will miss them more: me or the twins.

Chicago's Millenium Park

Mom and Dad took Friday off, and we headed in to Chicago for the morning to visit Millenium Park. First, we stopped at the Family Day tent, where we listened to a woman sing children's songs. The kids liked it, but there were so many little ones there that it was overwhelming at times.

Then we headed to "the bean." Nick loved it underneath there!

By that time, we were all hot, so we made our way to the fountains. On the other side, there are pictures of faces that spit and other things, so that part was crowded, and we enjoyed the much more quiet side. In the pictures, it looks like no one's there, but trust me when I say there were at least 100 squealing children on the other side.

After we played for a while, we walked over to the amplitheater where the Grant Park Orchestra was practicing for their concert that night. We ate a picnic lunch on the lawn. Then, we played on the playground across the street. What a fun day!

Final days

Our last weekend in Alaska was filled with packing, cleaning, and last-minute errands. Every spare moment we had was spent with our friends David and Kristine. On Friday, we all headed up to Hatcher's Pass for some wild blueberry picking.

How could you not love a place that looks like this?
Brad looked like a momma bear with his cubs following behind. We had to make a rule that the kids could only eat the berries that they picked, not the ones out of the bucket. They were so sweet and delicious; Catie and Nick ate them by the handfuls.

Kristine and I settled down to picking right away. She wanted to make syrup. I just wanted just enough for blueberry pancakes on Saturday morning, but ended up making muffins too.

David and Kristine's oldest.

Daddy teaches Nick how to pick berries.

Good buddies. Kristine and I were talking about how rare it is to find such good friends. Kristine and I get along. Brad and David get along. And, the kids love each other too.

We ate lunch next to this creek.

My little rock collector.

Is there anything more fun for a little boy than throwing rocks into the water? I don't think so.

We're now officially in transition. I'm at my parents' house and Brad is in Washington. Everything is going well so far. We'll keep you posted. :)

Thanks for remembering your camera and taking these great photos, David.

A morning of accomplishments

It's become routine for the kids to try to go potty when they have their diapers off, such as when I'm changing them out of their pj's. This morning, Nicky sat and sat on the potty until he finally went. I was so proud of him. We clapped and cheered.

Well, you know Catie can't go long without hogging 100% of Mommy and Daddy's attention, so she refused to get dressed, and kept trying and trying. 45 minutes later it finally paid off!

Maybe I won't have Kindergarteners in diapers after all. :)

Learning to lean

Seriously. I thought I had learned my lesson as we were leaving Doha. And it's not like I don't have a history of His faithfulness. But, my anxious heart is giving me away. I suppose it's human nature, but I can't shake the feeling that someone is going to pull the rug out from under us. How long until everything goes wrong again? But I can't live like this for long. It may be human nature, but it's not God's best. He's been reminding me of that today. Click here and here to see what I've been reading.