Wednesday, 30 July 2008

• Thank You for Not Peeing on the Floor

  by Mama Turtle

  I've literally hit my limits in trying to have Turtle4 go on the potty. In the past few weeks it has gotten to the point that she'd only go if I took her and sat her down. Even when the couple of times out of the day she'd argue with me and not want to go, I would "be right" - she did have to go.
  
  I had my "that is it!" moment when she had peed on the kitchen floor yet again and before I happened upon it, Turtle2 slipped and fell in it, hurting his elbow. I was sincerely really angry with her, but I knew being angry was only going to make it worse. I just went and grabbed a sposie and put it on her and told her I can't have any more pee (or worse) on the floor any more so until she figured out how to go potty she was going to wear them. 
  
  I think by rights, and for the sake of my sanity, I can put things on hold. We have been at this, at her own initiation, since the summer of 2006. She'll be four in September.  All the back and forth with her progress has made me about cuckoo. It doesn't help that I tell myself maybe I should have EC'ed with her as a baby. Some people keep talking about "a window of opportunity" and I do not think, with as early as she was wanting to climb aboard that I missed this mysterious window. I think we more, fell out of that window, lol!
  
  I wanted to just grab a pair of training pants but....the washing machine decided to die a few weeks ago. Perfect timing with having just gone broke buying the van. It didn't totally die, I think it needs a belt replaced, based on the smell that suggested rubber wanted to go up in flames (but filled the whole room with smoke instead - Pee U!). I didn't want to have wet trainers sitting around for who knows how long (it's already been two weeks) while waiting until we can afford to fix it or replace it or whatever it is we're going to do.  I'm not terribly handy, and Papa Turtle is even less handy with that sort of thing. Uncle B being here though, I think if I figured out what exact part(s) to get we could tackle the project together. It's been a good washer and I think with some TLC I can keep it going for years to come.
  
  

  
  

  
  I'm trying to think of how old it is...My mom bought it when she moved down from NY and that was in '02...she gave it to me in '04 or '05. I know with a family of 6 and at one point two in diapers, I've really put it through it's paces. That it was freely given on top of that, even if we do replace it I guess I should not complain.
  
  Meanwhile the laundry is slowly piling up and I was wanting to go to the laundromat three days ago now. But Papa Turtle has been getting home late, not feeling well, all week, not to mention I'm pretty out of it by the time dinner is over with. I'm going to have to suck it up and pack up the laundry and the kids and have Uncle B take us. At least I have that option. Four kids at the mat, yay.  I can't let the laundry pile get any funkier than it probably already is. Laundry is the one chore (and about the only chore) I stay on top of really well so I'm sitting here getting twitchy thinking about it!
  
  Speaking of chores, I've finally lit a fire under my rear and started some serious decluttering. Turtle4 had the laundry room so trashed you could not see a speck of the floor. Between packaging and styrofoam, broken boxes, and general crap that I know only got moved with us because I was too sick to take care of it before we moved, I hauled out three kitchen sized garbage bags to the curb the other day. The room is still not finished and I have a lot of stuff to go through and decide what to do with it. I'm seriously pondering listing tons of things for free on Craiglist. You know, those troublesome items that do work and you don't want to just throw away, yet your are never going to use again in your life time. "Please, just show up and take my crap!" At least I can walk through the room without breaking an ankle.
  
  Yesterday I did a really good job of decluttering the kitchen counters and shelves. Our kitchen is very limited in storage and counter space so it really needed it. It was so bad, we had one drawer just plain open with stuff like the tin foil and saran wrap piled on it. I think I'll keep my momentum going and do the cupboards, which are full of things we never use. And with that, I should get started!

  Do you have a laundry machine at home, or do you have to go to the laundromat or laundry room?  Laundromat goers, how do you keep your kids occupied during trips to the laundromat?

  • 5:40 PM
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