Pax came for a visit

If you've followed the news, it's all over. The south was hit with not one but TWO snow storms in January (and counting?). Of course this week it's in the 70's.  It was only a few inches each time but let's face it. We don't know what to do in snow. Rain? We're good. Heat that will melt the make-up off your face in 1.2 seconds? Check. Humidity that will wilt even the most cemented of hair-do's? Got that covered too. 

Snow and ice...not so much. You can't blame us. We never (and I mean NEVER) see it around here. I've been in Columbia, SC for 8.5 years and have seen it 3x (including the two rounds this year). So pardon us if we get a little giddy (and panicked) when we hear it really is coming. 

The first snow hit a couple of weeks ago and it was true snow. They kept saying it would start mid-day...then late afternoon...well then it got dark. My boys (specifically Charlie) were so sad. But just before he went to bed...around 9pm that night because he apparently got in tp some form of crack I wasn't aware of and wouldn't settle down...it started to snow. Well so much for bedtime. Thankfully I didn't have anything scheduled the next day so I let them stay up and watch it fall for a little while. We woke up to this...

It was such a pretty soft white snow. The fun part was that Daniel didn't have to go in to work that day so we got to have a family day in the snow! The boys have never seen it before so this was super fun for them. 

Even the old man felt a little spry in the cold weather...

but that lasted a whopping 2 minutes and he was ready to rest again. 

Cole especially liked walking around in it and seeing his footprints.  So he wandered mostly...

Then there was the ice storm that hit last week. This time we knew to be prepared. Not because we just had it two weeks earlier but because Jim Cantore from the Weather Channel was in town. You know when he's in your city it's serious bid-ness. Sure enough, the sleet and freezing rain started early Tuesday. So much so that as soon as I was done with my workout, I had to go ahead and get the boys since schools were dismissing early. 

Our precipitation mainly hit overnight and all day on Wednesday in the form of sleet. The boys were very disappointed that we couldn't make snowballs this time around. Cole decided early Wednesday morning to go ahead and put on his too-small-for-me-toboggan and wear it around. You know, just in case we went out. 

Once it finally slowed down and I stopped work for an hour or so, we went out for a little family outing. The boys decided that the toy carrot from their kitchen set and the dust pan were fun items to bring out in the sleet. Random. 

 (did you notice how Stella the pug photo bombs almost all of our snow shots?)

Even the Cuban ventured out! She stayed with us during this storm for peace of mind. 

The outing lasted 20 minutes and then we went back inside. I to my work and everyone else became more and more stir crazy. What do you do when you're trapped inside with two toddlers for 3 days? Why arts and crafts! Literally it was the only novel thing I could find after play-doh, coloring and movies failed to entertain them. So we made fun Valentine's Day crafts. I literally was digging out all my stickers, cutting circles and ribbon and anything else I could make to glue on to paper. Milk and bread I bought. Arts and crafts I did not. Lesson learned. 

And when that was all done, we sat down for what else? Hot Chocolate. Putting the marshmallows in was a huge hit. Bet you can't tell that they enjoyed it...

It melted almost as fast as it came...most of it being cleared by Friday afternoon. Daniel got two whole days at home and the boys loved being able to stay at home an extra four days. It's so fun to create memories with your children. I cherish every moment that God gives me with these two cuties.  

Oh the difference paint can make!

On this icy and snowy Thursday, as I take a break from my real job (and by real I mean paying), I realized I haven't posted pictures of our house now that it's painted. 

First, let me give a big 'ol shout out to our painter affectionately called Mr. Tom. What started as a little help with some of the main living areas (because I was way intimidated by the sheer volume of painting needed) turned in to him painting our entire house. Literally. He painted all the trim, walls and cabinets. He even did a little work on an outside window and our outside doors. I highly recommend him! If you need his information, please send me a message. 

OK moving on from that shameless plug. Fair warning...lots and lots of pictures in this post! 

First, welcome to our humble abode affectionately called Schrallville! 

We'll start this little tour in the living room, dining room, hall and foyer since they all got painted Macadamia by Sherwin Williams. 

Before...

And now...  

(at Christmas)

(at present day...decorated for Valentine's Day)

I love sitting on my spot on the couch and seeing this...for some reason it makes me happy. 

The hallway...

And now that some paint and pictures have been added (pictures referenced here)...

Perhaps one of our biggest changes was the kitchen. It got a bright coat of Hazel by Sherwin Williams and the cabinets were painted white. Before any color was on the wall it looked like this: 

Then a coat of Hazel was added...

But boy the cabinets stood out then. I kept thinking I'd paint them myself since it can be expensive (and I was being cheap) but around New Year's I texted Tom and said "OK you win" and he came and painted them two days later. I also got a TV for the kitchen counter for Christmas. This is now my favorite room in the house! This is where I go every day when I get off work to start dinner and unwind. I love how all my bright pictures and accents pop against the blue.  

can you tell I had started dinner in this picture? #keepingitreal

 

Our bedroom got a coat of Techno Gray by Sherwin Williams. I went with a neutral that matched some of the color in the bright comforter on our bed. It's still not "finished" in my eyes but that will be a slower process. We still want to get a larger bed and that may change things again. 

Sadly I don't have a good before picture so you'll have to just look at the current pictures. Just imagine it a bland white. 

The guest room got a good dose of Sassy Green by Sherwin Williams. I wanted to go bold in at least one room because I felt like the entire house was turning brown! I originally thought Melange Green was the color...ummm check it out...not so much. Here it is with just one coat on the wall. Bad. Very Bad. 

Literally it looked like Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc. was all over my walls. It "glowed". So then I panicked, ran to Sherwin Williams and picked up the Sassy Green. It looks super bright in the picture below since the flash changed the color a little but it's actually a very rich deep green. The same green is in the curtains so it really makes it pop with the black furniture. 

The "man room" as all my boy's call it (also known to me as my office) got a coat of Macadamia as well since we had so much left over. In hindsight I wouldn't have bought a 5 gallon bucket of paint but at the time I thought I'd need that much and it would save me money. It started off like this on moving day...everything wood color. 

And after 8 tubes of caulk and some paint it now looks like this: 

It's amazing how much brighter the room is now that it's not all wood paneling. This is another room that isn't really complete to me yet. Still trying to figure out what it's missing. Maybe a bigger rug? I definitely need a new desk that's bigger and more functional. I initially thought a small desk was just in order but I've realized that all my stuff is out in the open and not quite so picturesque. But that in and of itself won't fix the issue. I'm still pondering how to increase the cozy factor with all these windows. Suggestions welcome. 

I'll save the boys' room for another update so you can see their new beds too. I did choose to use the leftover paint from their room in the bathrooms. Here's a quick before and after of the guest/boy's bathroom. 

I must say it is so nice to finally have all the walls and trim painted. Totally worth the $$. What's next you ask? Let's just say it involves a gallon of glossy black paint. Stay tuned! 

Potty Training Boot Camp and other tips

I have a potty mouth head. That's what happens when you do potty training boot camp for four days. You are consumed. You think about it when you eat, sleep and well...potty. 

It all started when I realized that my slow work days were going to come to an end soon and I had accomplished very little in the way of big milestones. I had this overwhelming fear that I would get so busy with work that when I really need to potty train Charlie, I'd be too busy and kicking myself for not doing it during my slow time. After all, I knew he was ready...well I hoped he was. 

You see I waited and waited and waited to get started. Why? Mostly my own fear. I wasn't ready to mentally tackle what I had worked up in my mind as a huge deal. Sort've like getting rid of their bubbies (pacifiers) that we finally tackled at Christmas. We thought it was going to be horrible. And it was...for 36 hours. Then it was smooth sailing and we both thought "what took us so long?"

I also knew he wasn't quite ready yet prior to this point. He would scream at the mention of even sitting on the potty. This was a recent conversation prior to boot camp: 

Me: anyone want to sit on the potty? 
Cole: I want to sit on the potty! I want an M&M! 

Me: Charlie! Cole went on the potty and is getting M&Ms!
Charlie: Aww nuts! 
Me: You want to try and sit on the potty? 
Charlie (screaming and a wee bit mad): NO! I DON'T CARE! 

Yep, that was our life. At the mere thought of suggesting he sit on the potty, he'd scream and cry. I forced him to sit on the potty one day and he cried crocodile tears saying "mommy get me outta here!" No amount of bribing would work - I tried candy, promises of toys, ice cream...which did get a "which ice cream store?" question from him mid-scream but he didn't like the answer. If I had answered "the one at Nana and Pop-E's house 5 hours away" he might have gone for it but I wasn't that desperate yet. 

At any rate, I decided 3 days before I initiated boot camp that it was time. There was no magical sign, just a fear I wouldn't be as focused later. Off to the Dollar Store I went. I have read posts about M&Ms and other treats but I also knew Charlie was motivated by little toys more than candy. It fluctuates but he leans towards toys. So toys it was. 

Armed with my basket of dollar toys...

some M&Ms just in case...

and our potty seat (which makes it easier for him to fit on a regular potty...and it has a guard for added spray protection)...

and it was time. 

After talking about it all week, we woke up on a Thursday morning and put on underwear...then we cried. If you haven't already gathered, Charlie is not a fan of change. Once we got over that, I put him on the potty. Nothing but crying. 

Seven or eight accidents later and some whining that he wanted a toy...still nothing. Then I unashamedly called in reinforcements. Anna M came over with one of her sons to "show us how it's done". I have to say that really helped. Having someone to encourage gave us a little boost (and yes it had only been a few hours but we needed the boost already). I had two other friends call to check on us throughout the day. Really I think they were checking on my mental condition. 

I also had to take Cole to the sitter's house so he was no longer a distraction, at least on day one. Having your little brother try to "best you" the entire time is not entirely helpful in these situations. 

Then it happened. It's like a switch went off in his little brain. One little trickle and he realized he could do it. Another trickle turned stream and it was game on. 

I spent the rest of the day asking him to "try" every 15-20 minutes. I set a timer on the microwave so I wouldn't forget. Every time he tried, he got to pick a prize. Suddenly he realized this was pretty fun and I was one proud mama. 

The next day we had one small accident in the morning then he remembered we were potty training and we never had another accident again. Cole even got to stay home on Friday thanks to Charlie being so confident and telling his little brother "OK Cole, you can stay home while I practice potty training." 

I put a pull-up on him at night, just in case, but even that has gotten drier and drier as we master this new skill. The cute thing is how much his little self confidence has been boosted. As he puts it "I'm not a baby anymore! I'm a big boy now!" 

And he's awfully snuggly since he knows how proud I am of this big accomplishment, which this mama will take any day of the week. 

So if you're planning on potty training, here's what I learned: 

1. Choose a reward that you know will motivate your child. Each child is different so tailor it to your child. 
2. Mentally prepare to have accidents, frustrations, failures and to be exhausted at the end of day one. Wine helps.  
3. Don't fuss - encourage and stay positive - no matter how fast you think they should pick it up. 
4. Be sure your child is ready. Cole isn't ready because even though he's willing to try, he doesn't know how to "release on command" yet. I'd rather set him up to succeed later than push him to try now with Charlie. 
5. Each child is ready at different ages. Don't compare yours to another. Charlie is 3 yrs and 3 months old. Others are ready sooner. 
6. Use the big potty with a seat. That way when you want to go out to dinner or run errands, they aren't freaked out by trying to use a taller potty in a store. 
7. For boys I recommend having them sit to do everything at first. Once they master this, they can learn to stand. 
8. Be consistent. I set a timer so that he had to try every 15 minutes and there was less chance for accidents (a perceived failure). 
9. Don't expect it to work overnight yet. Tackle the day time first then tackle night time later. For now we still use a pull-up which we call "special night time underwear" so he doesn't feel like we're going backwards. 

And most importantly...Encourage the heck out of them. I can't stress this enough. Charlie was so proud because we made such a big deal out of it.  The first time he did it without me prompting him, we called grandparents, a friend, daddy at work. You name it. I'm pretty sure he was telling perfect strangers off the street that he pee-peed in the potty now and was a big boy. No seriously. He told a few strangers. And yes, I continued to beam with pride and dared them not to say something positive. 

In the past two months we've tackled some big milestones in toddler-ville. Giving up bubbies and now potty training...boy how they grow up fast. It seems like just yesterday they were two little babies. 

But not to worry, Cole helps us remember they aren't grown up yet...somehow he managed to get ooze (a potty training prize) in his hair. I almost didn't see it since it matched his blond hair. It had to be cut out...like a mo-hawk. 

Ahh! Mischievous boys. I wouldn't have it any other way!