I feel like a National Geographic wildlife photographer trying not to be noticed while watching the toddler for signs of impending potty needs.

Maybe I should melt down more often. We finally had success with Jessie tonight!

Potty Training is Going to Kill Me

I swear that potty training my 2-year-old is going to kill me. It's not the way I pictured I would go, but the Pearly Gates seem like a pretty welcome sight in my 46th minute of sitting on the side of the bathtub waiting for the tiniest drop to hit the water so we can have the biggest, baddest celebration the world has ever known. But no. Not today. Probably not tomorrow. Heck, probably not next month.

Her wonderful preschool teachers swear that she only goes in the potty at school, but she has never once gone in ours over the last 6 months of running to the potty every time she wants.

Don't you dare ask her if she wants to go unless you are prepared for an eardrum rumbling series of toddler expletives - I can't understand her, so who knows what she's really saying. I probably don't want to know.

This is the child that woke up dry the other morning. I just knew this was my chance, but twenty minutes of sitting on a stool, straddling the front of the potty while hugging this tiny emotional powder keg and I've got nothin. Zip. Nada.

The other day she peed on the carport and quickly told her daddy with way to much optimism, "I not pee in your house!" See, that seems to be our motto these days - Don't pee in my house! Well, evidently she doesn't consider her booster seat, the living room floor, the bathroom floor, her brother's room, the kitchen floor, her bedroom floor or even my bed to be part of my house because she's peed in all of them.

I started this all extremely optimistic. I just knew that she would pick it right up and we would all live in bliss not having to buy diapers anymore. Right now all I know is that potty training is going to kill me, and I'm just about ready for it.

Doesn't everyone sit at the table like this?

Sittin' side saddle waiting for a miracle.


And no, there is nothing in that cup. She's just playing with it.

I thought it was tough when they clung to you and cried for you not to go, but it's so much worse when they take off and wave bye to you without a second thought.

Jessie Anne just watched me paint Maggie Anne's fingernails. When Maggie left, Jessie scooted over into her chair without saying a word and handed me the fingernail polish.

Even though it was against my better judgement, I went ahead and painted Jessie's fingernails telling her that she had to keep her fingers apart and not touch anything. Well, that was a half hour ago and she's still walking around the house with her fingers spread out not touching anything. I may be on to something!

There is something so, so, so wrong with this. She is NOT old enough for Kindergarten!

Had fun fishing with their grandparents!

Jessie Anne just crawled up into my lap and said, "I love you, mama!" I told her how sweet she was and to go tell her daddy meaning to tell him that she loved him, too. She ran over to Boyd and exclaimed, "I love my mama!"

Meeting her grandparents in Vicksburg.

Jessie Anne was arguing with me on the way home. I told her she was pretty and she would say, "Nooooooooo, Maggie Anne is pretty!" We went back and forth most of the way home.

Sugar-dazed at a friend's birthday party this weekend.

Maggie Anne just looked at me during dinner and said she had something for me to remember. "Happy life, happy wife. Remember that!" I told her that I thought she was a little confused but that I would remember that. :-)

This is an absolutely amazing recipe from Ree Drummond's Pioneer Woman website. The web address for this recipe is below it. Searching under her Main Dish category, she has a bunch of 16-minute meals and I have found that they pack a huge amount of flavor into quick dishes which are perfect for weeknight dinners. I tried her Coconut Curry Shrimp recipe last weekend, but subsituted a combination of  chicken breast and beef roast meat. It was wonderful, as well.

This is best thing I've made in a long time!

Quick and Easy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Prep Time:

 5 Minutes

 

Cook Time:

 10 Minutes

 

Difficulty:

 Easy

 

Servings:

 8

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 ounces, weight Pasta Of Your Choice (I Prefer Short Ones Like Rigatoni, Penne, Etc.)
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/2 whole Large Onion, Finely Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 jar (15.5 Ounces) Roasted Red Peppers, Drained And Roughly Chopped
• 1 cup Vegetable Or Chicken Broth
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
•  Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream (more To Taste)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Shavings (more For Serving)
•  Finely Minced Parsley
•  Chopped Fresh Basil (if You Have It!)

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until starting to soften. Add the chopped red peppers and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until hot.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Carefully transfer the contents of the skillet to a food processor or blender. Place on the lid and puree the pepper mixture until totally blended (there will still be some texture to the peppers.)

Heat the other 2 tablespoon butter back to the skillet over medium heat. Pour the pepper puree back into the skillet. Add the broth, salt, and pepper, and stir until heated. Splash in the cream and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if you need to.

Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Add Parmesan and parsley/basil, then stir it together to coat the pasta.

Serve in bowls with extra Parmesan and a sprinkling of parsley on top.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/05/quick-and-easy-roasted-red-pepper-pasta/ 

Whole wheat Ritz crackers plus pepperoni & cheese. Bake at 350 for about 5 minutes. Stay close because they are done quick. Our kids love them!