It's a Good Day

I just wanted to update to say that things have been a little better the last few days with Eleanor. I really had to vent a little the other day, and I want to clear the air that I'm not that frustrated all the time.

I think the main problem had to do with the potty training issues. Thank goodness for mineral oil!! That stuff has saved us with Eleanor so many times. Remember those old commercials for Roto Rooter? I've had that little ditty in my head these last few days. "Mineral oil, that's the name, and away go troubles down the drain." Plus, since her body has been, as you might say, "catching up" over the last few days, we have had quite a few opportunities for her to have successful potty training experiences. I think (hope) that has really helped to build her confidence in that area. We made it through Friday pretty well without as much drama. I got the girls out of the house in the afternoon so we wouldn't be tempted to bother Grant while he was busy with homework. There was some drama in the evening, but at least Grant was there to help me out a bit. Our weekend has been too busy and action-packed for tantrums. Today, she was emotional at church, but I felt for the poor girl because she got to bed really late last night (We were out late at a family reunion).

I also have been feeling bad the last week or so that I didn't come up with more to say on Eleanor's monthly post. I think I was just too hot and tired to really remember much to write. Since then, I have thought of a few things I want to write down before the end of this month when I will probably forget.

Eleanor goes through phases with favorite songs to sing in the car. Right now, her favorite is "It's a Good Day," by Perry Como. This is purely due to my influence, and it makes me so happy that she likes it. It's one of those happy songs that I like to turn on when I need a pick me up or a change of attitude. Sometimes, I'll inadvertently sing a line from that song around the house, and she'll prompt me with the next few words to keep me going. Also, every now and then, she'll just randomly tell me, a toy, or someone that it's a good day for shining your shoes. I love it!

Have I ever mentioned that Eleanor calls convertible cars "broken cars." The first time she saw one this spring, she was very concerned about what happened to the top of the car. Since then, she likes to spot them while we're out and about and point them out to me. While we're riding around, she'll often tell me, "I want to see a broken car." I tell her we just have to watch for them, and maybe we'll see one (and I hope it doesn't rain and blow our chances).

With potty training, I am finally seeing Eleanor want independence in some areas where she previously didn't care about it. She used to want me to help her get dressed instead of doing it herself. Now, I just hand her the clothes and let her know if they are going on backwards. At first, I treated it like I assumed she wanted to do it herself, even if she didn't, but since she has been potty training, she seems to ask for help less and less. When she takes a bath, I've stopped washing her off and washing her hair. I just put soap in her hands and direct her what body parts to wash. Then, I give her the sprayer to get her hair wet and put some shampoo in her hand. I help scrub here and there, but she's doing really well. Sometimes when we are out walking, she'll insist that she doesn't need to hold a hand, that she will keep up and stay close. You can see on her face her sense of accomplishment when she does this, and she's still obedient to take a hand as we cross the street. She's saying more and more about being a big girl and the many things she can do, as if she's really proud of herself. This is such a nice change from my girl who forever wanted to stay the baby! I love watching her gain this confidence. It also has cut down on my work load to have her take care of herself a little more.

Eleanor is obsessed with birthdays. Any time we tell her we have a surprise for her, she says, "Oh! Is it my birthday?" She likes to wrap things (toys, trinkets, food) in other things (towels, paper, a box) and give it to people as their birthday surprise. When she sees cake, she thinks it's birthday cake, and wants to know whose party it is. With her birthday coming up next month, I'm trying to decide if I want to just do a family party or try a friend party this year, too. I could do a double party for both my girls. I feel like if I do a friend party, I have to have some sort of theme and entertainment and all sorts of planning. I'm not good at that stuff. The more I think about it, the more I just want to keep it simple. Does anyone have any great ideas for me to do a party for Eleanor? Maybe if I could just get the ball rolling, it wouldn't be that bad. I'm stuck on coming up with a theme. I hate commitment!