Skating Hippo Takes the Plunge

Okay, I was really going to go to bed early, then I thought, "I'm just going to get caught up on everyone else's blog, then I'm going to bed. Hah! This blogging thing is really addicting! After I've been doing this a while, I'm going to write a funny little Top Ten list about blogging. I think I've managed to comment on everyone's blog, even if you haven't posted in a while (what are you up to Liz, anyway?) Everybody check out that chick's blog that Sue mentioned in her blog dated Sept. 12 "Mischief Managed." Funny stuff! And she's got some kind of contest going for her friend's book about supper swapping. It's too bad I don't live near you guys, or we could all do some kind of freezer meal swap. Does anybody want to do some other kind of non-perishable crafty kind of swap, maybe at granddad's b-day party in November. Any ideas (I could bring handmade cards or something.....hhhhmmm.)

Well, I took the plunge today and started Connor on potty training. He's been giving me so many clues lately that he's ready, even though he's just barely two. Mostly it's this independent kick he's on, where he has to do everything himself. This has some payoffs, because I can get him to do things now that he wouldn't before just by saying, "Are you going to do it, or is Mommy going to do it?" This is especially handy when we get out of the car from running errands, and I want him to go in the house instead of running off down the street. I threaten to carry him in the house if he doesn't get in there by himself, and sure enough, he'll go. He started taking his diapers off all the time, and wanting to help me change his dirty diapers, so I thought, "Well, I better take advantage of this." I used up the last diaper in the house this morning, then started taking him to the bathroom and sitting him on the potty. When he was done, he got to flush by himself, and wash his hands by himself. Of course, he wore Pull-Ups training pants in between trips to the bathroom. I'm not totally crazy! But he did really good today. He made it to the bathroom about 60-70% of the time. Here he is in this picture, crashed on the floor, wearing only his training pants and his favorite shoes. Oh, and a half-mauled Dum-Dum sucker is on the floor beside him. That was part of the reward system I had going, too: Go pee and get a treat. We've got a ways to go on the pooping thing, but that's par for the course.

Also, Fall is back!!!! I wish I was there in Utah to see all the leaves turn color ..... sighhh. But now that the weather has turned colder here, the ice rink has opened up! Dani and I are so excited. As some of you may know, Dani and I started taking skating lessons last fall/winter, and I got proficient enough to go around the rink without clinging to the wall, and I could also coast on one foot and skate backwards by the end of the season. It doesn't sould like much, I know, but I was totally proud of myself. Anyway, yesterday was the first day that the rink was open, and Dani and I went for a spin. I was afraid I'd be almost back to square one, because I'd assumed my ankles would be weak after not having skated for five months. But I was pleasantly surprised! It was like I'd just left the rink the day before. I guess all my exercising has paid off, because my ankles were super strong on the ice last night. Yippee!!!! Regular exercising hasn't really resulted in big weight loss for me this summer, and I still look like a hippo, but now I'm a skating hippo!!

Randomly Odd Bits - more trivia. Guess this one (it's one of Connor's favorite funny lines for some reason, but he's too little to get the joke, right?): submarine blows up, sends a big bubble to the top, and one stork(?) sarcastically says to another, "Nice", then flies away in disgust. What's the movie?