Catching You Up...

The past month has been a busy one chez EcoMeg, which accounts for the sparse posts here on the blog.  Here's what I've been up to...

In mid-January, I started potty training my toddler.  This turned out to be remarkably easy.  He got the hang of it within 3 days and we were done.  Within three weeks, he no longer wanted to wear diapers at night, either, so we are officially completely done with diapers.

Around that same time, my toddler and I battled sinus infections.  Mine didn't respond to the first antibiotic, so I had to go on a double dose of amoxicillin.  Big, elephant pills.  Unpleasant all the way around.

I had a visit from my Dad in late January, which was super.  I wish he lived closer.  My kids ask about him every day.  He is their favorite person!

My toddler started Montessori the first week of February, 3 mornings a week.  He lasted one week before sinking into a huge case of separation anxiety - despite being in the same class as my older son, who adores his teacher.  He also started swim classes and gymnastics classes, which, given the aforementioned separation anxiety, have not been as fun as they should be.  But we are taking it slowly and I'm not pushing the Montessori.  I know if I take a gentle approach he'll come back around to the idea.  He really enjoyed the first week and attending there was his motivation for potty training.

My older son is thriving at school, in gymnastics and has a renewed interest in reading and writing.  He is 5 and a half and we've been plowing through the Beast Quest series.  Great books for a boy his age!  He also started faith education this past Sunday afternoon, which of course means we actually have to go to church every Sunday - something we've avoided since the toddler just runs wild through the service.  But the little guy needs to learn to sit nicely, so we're committed now to attending each Sunday.

Meanwhile, I've been planning springtime for my garden:

For my organic lawn, I've sprayed all of the existing weeds with 20% vinegar to eliminate them (kills them dead in 4 hours - be careful where you spray because it will kill whatever vegetation it touches!).  Then I bought bags of corn meal gluten (to prevent future weeds) and dry molasses (encourages beneficial microbes), which I'll distribute with my spreader once we get past the precipitation later this week.  I'll water them in to make sure they get into the soil.  Then, I'm done with that for a little while.  Once the Bermuda grass emerges from hibernation in a month or two, I'll put down some organic fertilizer.

I've been mulling an organic vegetable container garden for some time and I'll launch seedlings indoors in the next two weeks.  I plan to grow zucchini, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, green beans, onion and peppers.  My boys are very excited about this (I'm hoping this excitement translates into more veggie consumption!).  I'll keep you posted on how I go about it.  I decided to go with a container garden since my neighbors use chemicals on their lawns and I don't want my veggies contaminated by runoff, despite my own efforts in maintaining an organic yard.

As for fruits, I will plant two different apple trees and a pear tree up on a slope that will minimize neighbors' runoff.  I would love to try growing bananas since we consume so many of them.  We will grow strawberries indoors in a pretty planter.

To support all of this activity, I'll start composting in the next two weeks.  More on that later!

So that's what we've been up to lately.  When things calm down around here and I get some more quiet time, I'll post more often.

Stay warm!

I'm Busy Potty Training

You parents out there know what I'm talking about. The moment you become engrossed in something, your potty training toddler forgets to run to the bathroom and has an accident. So I'll step away from the computer for a while and get back to blogging when he's reliably carting himself off to the bathroom on his own.

For those parents who haven't yet faced the potty training challenge, let me quickly tell you how I'm training my 2 1/2 year old son (this is the second child I've potty trained):

On Day 1, I put him on the potty as soon as he woke up. (I use one of those rings that you place directly on the potty, with a step stool. I don't bother with the intermediate step of using one of those little floor potties. Too much cleaning.) I then popped him into big boy underpants (with much pomp and circumstance!). I put plastic diaper covers over them to minimize mess if he had accidents. Dressed him in comfortable pull-on pants. I then told him he'll get an M&M if he made it to the potty for #1 without an accident (I'm not proud of it, but it does work!). He'd get TWO M&Ms for #2.

I reminded him every 15 minutes that he's not wearing a diaper and that he needs to get to the potty if he feels it coming. Success begets success, so I took him by the hand to the bathroom for the first day and showed him how to safely climb onto the potty. I did not forget the M&Ms and gave him lots of praise, high fives and hugs.  He had two accidents on Day #1 (one #1 and one #2). At bedtime I put him in a diaper.

On the morning of Day 2, he was back to the underpants and plastic diaper covers.  More reminding and help with pants, but only one accident.  Success with #2 (woo hoo!!).

I have to go out of the house during this process (this is inevitable, so plan for it), so I make sure he uses the potty before we leave and bring a potty chair in the car with me.  I use potty liners for the potty chair (they are much tidier) and keep wipes in the car.  (I don't fall back on pull ups.  Pull ups are confusing to potty training kids, in my experience.)  My kids find it reassuring to always know they have access to a potty.  I can't tell you how many times I've pulled over to the side of the road to to put one of my kids on the potty.

So that's it.  We are on Day 3 and no accidents.  He tells everyone we see that he's not wearing a diaper - he's very proud.  He also has a belly full of M&Ms.

So, back to the potty training.  I'll post again in a few days.