Swimming

We officially have a swimmer on our hands here! I’ve heard she takes after her mama and uncles in the pool… a real fish! After six weeks of Swim Float Swim lessons with Miss Michelle of Swim Tots Winter Haven, Grace Louise was confident in the water, swimming short distances, and floating to get air. Since then I’ve been making sure she swims at least once a week. We’ve been to the beach twice, once with BeBe and Pops and just recently with my mom and grandparents, each time her swimming skills drastically improving. I love that she swims. Not only because she enjoys every second, but also because I don’t have to worry about her in the water. Home girl’s got mad skills.

After just the first week of lessons:

After 5 weeks of lessons. Swimming at Fairway Pines, where Aggie lives.

Lots of swimming with BeBe, Pops, and Aunt Lindsey down at Stuart. A little fishin' too!

Oh yeah... and a little relaxing!

Poor Crayon Box

After a couple of days of success in reading Grace Louise’s signs for going potty, I decided to take a more aggressive shot at potty training this morning. I asked her if she wanted to wear a diaper or big girl panties and, as usual, she said “diaper or big girl panties.” (She doesn’t get the idea of choices yet, but instead repeats all options… funny). So, I made the decision for her, put on big girl panties and rehearsed the protocol for when wearing panties. Grace Louise immediately wanted to give it a shot. After sitting unsuccessful for a few minutes, it was time for breakfast.

Pee pee puddles underneath her chair. Clean up. Naked.

Now that we’re undergarment-less (by we I mean she) Grace Louise sits on the potty to see if #2 is close behind #1. No such luck. I’m busy cleaning up from breakfast, trying to finish my now cold cup of coffee, when I look over just in time to see her returning from a squat over the crayon box… yes, IN the crayon box!

Admittedly, I scream, “You crapped in the crayon box!!!!???” and then set her back on the froggy potty until I can clean up the mess and wipe her hiney. At this point she is so shocked at her mother’s behavior that she will do anything I say. We have a great conversation about where poo poo should and shouldn’t go and then alas, a diaper.

I love diapers!!!

Daddy comes in the living room from making a few business calls and Grace Louise informs him that she has “crapped in the crayon box”. We fight back uncontrollable laughter and daddy affirms mommy’s words of wisdom regarding the appropriate places to poo and pee.

Grace Louise, sporting her cuter than ever cloth diaper, is now instructing Jelly Baby (her doll) on how to use the potty. She’s kneeling in front of Jelly on the potty saying “Potty train. Potty train. I’m listening…” Oh the things they say.

Both frustrating and hilarious, I’m sure this is only one of many potty moments to come.

Long sleeved beach babe

No family fishing trips yet this summer- the cost of a growing business. I did hitch a stay, however, with my mom and grandparents in Englewood and another long weekend with Jimmy's parents in Stuart. Some pics from our Englewood stay...

Having this time with my grandparents- and my mom with her parents, was so special. Thankfully, they joined us at the beach a few times and loved like crazy on one certain little girl.

Grace Louise hit it off with another family staying at the beach with three little boys!!! Here she is sharing her pool time, again showing off her mad swimming skills!

This is the day!

The last 15 minutes of my day... too good not to share...

Changed a poopy cloth diaper, changed another explosive poopy cloth diaper (didn't wait long enough apparently), stuck my poopy baby in the sink after running out of wipes downstairs, turned around to see the dog licking out the diaper on the floor, refrained from vomiting... sprayed out the remainder of the diaper, went to wash a load of cloth diapers to find my last load of whites from five days ago still in the wash (oops, must have forgot), *frustrated sigh... spilled the container of laundry soap on the floor... clean up clean up everybody everywhere... restarted the whites, came back to the living room to find GL typing on my new laptop saying "I doing it! I doing it!" with a really adorable grin on her face. I must laugh or I will cry...

Now looking at the bright side of things... today was mostly great! Grace Louise loves friends, loves to play with other kids, and was in absolute heaven today with three other children to run around with. One of my childhood friends, Brittany, came over with her mom and two sweet little boys, and mom brought Grace Louise’s friend, Jordan, to the castle for a playdate. We painted, play-doed, fished, swam, tortured lizards, made music, and had a yummy lunch before crashing for a two hour nap!

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! -Psalm 118:24