Shattered dreams

I was all revved up for a wonderful day of potty training after I read "Toilet Training in Less Than a Day" which I picked up at the library. The technique made sense and I thought for sure it would work for my son since he is within the age group recommended. Well, several things went wrong and let's just say that he is back in diapers and won't even put underwear on now.

When he sees the little potty, he says, "Mom, I'm not on the potty train anymore." I guess when he heard us talk about "potty training" he thought it had to do with an actual train. So now my husband and I are trying to come up with some sort of "potty train" game to get him to wear the underwear again. Any suggestions? He has used the potty a couple of times so we know he can do it and will just take more time.

He must be trained by the time he starts pre-school next August and I'm sure that will be no problem. We just really wanted him trained before our trip to Disney World in January so we don't have to worry about bringing diapers or buying them once we are there. So we have three and a half months to work on it before then. Wish us luck!!

Holidays are on the way

Well, it's that time of year again. Halloween is approaching and before long, relatives will start asking for Christmas gift ideas for the kids. They are both pretty well set on clothes this year, thanks to hand-me-downs and gifts from birthdays that were slightly too big, but will fit this winter.

My best advice for friends and family is that you can't go wrong with educational toys and quality books. Things like puzzles, art supplies, classic games, blocks, and the like are timeless gifts and children can't really have too many in my opinion.

Common luxuries

I was just thinking about how many things seem totally extravagant when they are first introduced, but before long everyone "needs" one. Examples are things like cellular phones, flat panel televisions, Ipods, and even computers.

I read a statistic that stated more households now have computers than television sets. Wow. I never thought that would be the case, considering how much television is valued in our society. But I guess since children use laptops in school now, many families have a computer for every member of the family. My husband and I have three computers between the two of us, and only two television sets for a family of four. So we do fit that statistic.

Our excuse is that one of the laptops is only used for my husband's music projects, since he doesn't want it connected to the internet. Then when I started doing my own online projects to make money, we were having trouble sharing the other computer, so we bought a new laptop for me. We have more than paid for it with my paid blogging alone, so the investment was definitely worth it in our case.

Indispensable tool

With the many moves we have endured over the past ten years (eight, I think!), and with all the birthday gifts this month I have realized that box cutters are truly an indispensable tool to have around. The kind that retract into the handle are a definite in a home with children, and they are so handy to keep in your pocket while unpacking boxes. You can break down a box in no time with a cutter and have it flat and ready for recycling.

The first time I really discovered a box cutter's many uses was when I worked at a Walgreen's during my college years. All employees would keep them in our pockets for various needs throughout the day. My husband worked in a grocery store at that time and it was the same at his store. He amassed a collection at that job and we ended up with half a dozen in our tool box when all was said and done.

Any suggestions?

My son is normally a very sweet, loving boy and now that he turned three we have definitely seen a drop off in the tantrum department (thank goodness!). The only problem we are having with him right now is with the phrase "shut up." When I tell him to do something he doesn't agree with, he says, "No, shut up." I have tried everything to get him to stop doing this and it seemed to get better for a couple of months, but now he is doing it again full force and worse than ever.

I have put him in "time-out" in the corner as well as in his room. He yells out from his room "shut up, shut up, shut up." I have tried simply ignoring him which seems to work for the time being, but he will still say it again the next time he doesn't get his way. I have tried washing his mouth out with soap. He did hate the taste and I thought it would work, but he said it again later that day.

I will ask the pre-school teacher tomorrow when I go in to substitute if she has any suggestions, and I would love to hear any from my readers as well. At this point, we will try anything, so give me your craziest ideas - I want to hear them all. Thanks!

New fountain of youth?

Have you ever noticed that you can't tell an Asian woman's age? Well, now I think I know why. There is a bright red fruit which grows abundantly on vines in sub-tropical Asia called Red Gac or R.G. for short. It is a sort of "fountain of youth" which boosts the immune system, assists the skin’s cellular rejuvenation process, and supports the structural integrity of the tissues. Red Gac improves the condition of the skin from the inside, while you continue to take care of your skin on the outside by always applying a good sunscreen and moisturizer.

Now there is a system called R.G. Skin Revitalizer that can be ordered online to be added to your regular daily health and beauty regimen. The website is not very descriptive on what exactly you get when you place your order, but based on the photo, it looks like the regimen includes supplements and two different topical creams. The price is $44.99, although it doesn't list quantities of supplemental pills or how many ounces are in the creams. If the price is $44.99 and it lasts a month, I would say it is a fairly good deal. But if the price is $44.99 and it only lasts one week, I would say it is very expensive and probably not worth the money unless you are extremely happy with the results.

Definitely not ready

I have been substitute teaching in one of the Pre-school classes at the public elementary school for the last couple of days and it has been a great experience. I'm glad I signed up for subbing and I think it will be a great source of extra income, plus a way for me to stay involved in my children's school.

My son is not in Pre-K yet, as his birthday is three days past the cut-off date for three year olds to enroll. Plus they have to be fully potty trained, which we are still working on. Anyway, being in the classroom with other kids around his age, I am glad he has another year at home before starting school. The Pre-K is full day, five days a week at the public school, and that is just so much for kids this age to handle. Some of the children seem so young to be following strict rules, cleaning up after themselves, and lining up in order with the other kids. I honestly can't see my son being able to handle a classroom situation yet.

I'm thinking of maybe dropping him off at a daycare center for a couple of hours once a week or so just so he can get accustomed to being around a group of young children in a classroom setting. And next week, I'm going full throttle with the potty training, no holds barred. I'll let you know how it goes...

Quick home project

I've posted before about some of our more difficult home improvement experiences, but now I want to talk about a very simple one that makes a big impact. We switched out our old cabinet hardware with new brushed nickel handles to match our new light fixtures.

This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to change the look of a kitchen or bathroom, not to mention the cheapest home improvement project we've encountered.

Peace and quiet

This afternoon, I was on the verge of a headache and needed to rest a bit before a busy week of substitute teaching I have coming up. So I asked my husband if he would please take the kids somewhere so I could get some peace and quiet. My daughter overheard and said, "Don't worry Mom, I can give you a piece of quiet." She proceeded to hand me an imaginary cube of silence and said, "There you go."

Boo

Since some stores already have all the Halloween decorations, candy, and costumes displayed, my children have been thinking of what they want to "be" for Halloween. So far, they have been really good about just picking something out of our costume tub of various capes, wigs, animal masks, and make-up. We don't usually have to buy much to complete their costumes. My daughter has even been willing to wear the same costume for two years in a row if it still fits. She is very creative, so she always finds a way to change it up with different make-up, hats, or other accessories.

Halloween is a very big deal here in Eureka Springs, which is awesome since it is our family's favorite holiday. Everyone knows the best trick-or-treating is on the West side of the historic loop, commonly known as White Street. There are lots of Victorian houses and it's fun to see all the decorations which make them look extra creepy. The kids love it because they get to see so many people and many of their friends out in their costumes and we can hang out all together. We're looking forward to another great Halloween this year!

Eleven years already??

My wedding anniversary is this weekend. I can't believe it's been eleven years already. I'm happy to report, we are still madly in love and the future looks bright. When my coworkers found out about it, they asked what I'm getting him as a gift. I realized it's been probably eight years since we gave each other store-bought gifts.

I used to get the typical gifts of flowers, jewelry, and chocolates. That's all fine and dandy, but when you get into the accounting and realize how much these things add up, it just doesn't seem worth it. The fun part is the surprise aspect. So now we try to dazzle each other with poems we write, a piece of artwork, a fancy dinner at home, and other things that are thoughtful without spending a fortune.

Family entertainment

The major weather cool-down this week has made us feel like doing a lot more outdoor activities. On Sunday, we walked about five miles total - from our house to downtown and all around. We even discovered a few streets we had never seen before. We took lots of pictures and had a very nice afternoon. It's days like that when we remember why we decided to call Eureka Springs "home."

The only complaint we share with some of the other locals is the lack of family activities. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of things to do, but we would enjoy more planned events geared towards families with children. Currently, many families drive to Branson for family shows, but we would like to see something closer to home. During the summer months, there is a "drive in" type movie event held on Sunday nights in a parking lot on Main Street.

During the winter, there is a serious lack of things for families to do. My husband and I are actually in the process of brainstorming with some city officials for ideas of a possible regularly scheduled family event held in the Auditorium during the off-season months.

Kids are a crack up!

My daughter said the funniest thing yesterday, I just have to share before I forget...

She saw a grasshopper on the window and she started talking to it, as she normally does. I walked into the next room and overheard her say to the grasshopper, "Oh my, Mr. Grasshopper, you have a long thorax." I guess the bug lessons she's been having in school are really sticking in her mind! I didn't think she would remember all the parts of a grasshopper, but I was impressed and amused at her comment.

Trip planning

In order to get the promotional free airline flights for our trip to Disney World, we have to leave out of Nashville, Tennessee. Frontier airlines doesn't fly out of XNA in Bentonville yet, but I hope they add a stop there because they are by far the least expensive airline to fly. We could have also flown from Tulsa, Oklahoma, but the flight heads west to Denver before going all the way east to Orlando. Since we have small children, we opted for a longer drive to Tennessee and a shorter flight to Orlando and splitting the travel up between two days.

We will stay in Nashville for one night and our flight leaves early the next morning. Maybe we could catch a Tennessee football game or something. I'm sure we'll be so tired we will just visit the hotel pool for awhile and then turn in early. Of course, "we'll be too excited to sleep" since we're going to be in Disney World the next day! Woooohooooo! We're really looking forward to this trip.

Insurance loyalty

Just by moving to Arkansas, we got better car insurance rates. Since the town is so small and we mostly work at home, our family only needs one car. That is definitely a bonus in many ways, saving us money on gasoline, auto maintenance, and auto insurance plans.

Of course, even if your current rate is good, I advise people to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal. You can get insurance quotes online easily, so shopping around for rates has never been easier.

If you find a better deal with another insurance company, I don't advise switching right away. First, speak with your current agent about the new quote and see if they would be willing to match the new rate. Some insurance companies will do this rather than lose you as a customer, especially if you are in good standing with no claims. If they insist on keeping your current rate, then you can always switch to the new company with the lower rate.

Another headache cause

I posted earlier about my ongoing problem with migraine headaches and how I mostly have them under control now. I forgot to mention that when I was in my early teens, my doctor recommended I see a dental specialist about my headaches to rule out any problems. Well, the dentist took one look at my molars and determined that I am a tooth grinder. I was clenching and grinding my teeth at night and during stressful situations (like a test in school), which would lead to headaches.

To remedy the situation, the dentist made a Night Guard for me. A Night Guard can help with TMJ, Bruxism, Tooth Grinding, and other afflictions. NightGuard must be custom made for the individual, which involves a dental impression and a few weeks to complete the apparatus.

Once I knew what the problem was and started using my Night Guard, I became very aware of when I was clenching and grinding during the day and would relax my jaw right away. This led to less intense headaches, and I didn't have to wear the guard all the time, just every once in awhile.

"Go Cards!"

We drove up to Springfield, Missouri on Sunday to watch a Minor League game between the Springfield Cardinals and the Arkansas Travelers. The Travelers got slaughtered, losing 11 to 1. Even though we are not much into sports, we just wanted to take the kids to a big stadium and thought they would enjoy all the sights and sounds of a live sporting event.

They had a good time, but it's hard for young kids to sit down for three hours. All in all, they did great. Their favorite part was meeting the mascot characters dressed in costume. This was my son's first time meeting any character in costume and I'm happy to say he loved it. So now I am really looking forward to our Disney World trip in January because he will love meeting all the characters just like my daughter did when she was his age and we took her for the first time.

Some things get better with age

One affliction I have been dealing with since I was a child is migraine headaches. I used to get them really bad in school, so we assumed they were stress related. I tried many different types of headache treatment, all to no avail. With most prescription treatments, the side effects are usually worse than the headache!

After graduating college, the headaches lessened in frequency from about one or two a week to about three times a month. Then when I was pregnant with my first child, I did not have one headache throughout the entire nine months. That was wonderful and led me to think that perhaps it was some sort of hormone imbalance causing them all these years. Since having children, I get headaches maybe once a month. I have found that if I feel one coming on, I drink a cup of sweetened green tea and lay down for twenty to thirty minutes and usually a bad headache can be prevented.

If I do happen to get a migraine headache these days, I opt for the natural approach of taking a nap in order for it to subside. I have never had a headache last more than one day, as sleeping always helps for me. I can't imagine people who get migraine headaches that last for days on end. I feel for them and I don't think I could handle that.

Weather changing by the calendar

Since Orbitz mentioned Eureka Springs as one of their staff picks for great Labor Day destinations, we are unusually busy this weekend. Most of the hotels are full to capacity, and there aren't even any special events happening. I guess everyone will just be walking downtown, shopping, and taking in the sights. Not that these are bad, I have just never seen so many tourists when there wasn't a big event in town.

The weather has been absolutely beautiful starting right on September first. The humidity is very low, with temperatures in the seventies and a slight cool breeze. I wish the weather was always just like this! It's strange, because I specifically remember the weather turning crummy exactly on August first. That's when the humidity got really high and the heat was unbearable. So I'd say August is the worst month to be in Eureka Springs, which is odd since it is one of our busiest tourist months. Go figure...