No More Bottle

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I am always trying to improve on things in life and this is why I always post challenges. For the last two days I have had a huge challenge going on but I did not post it. I am weaning my 18 month old off his bottle. It has been three days since he has had a bottle and it has not been an easy task.

The last two days I have been running on nothing but two pots of coffee and my patience is running very thin. However, since this is the third day with no bottle, I'd say I have accomplished my goal and it will only get easier from here on out.

It is a breeze all day until he gets tired. Hayden loves his bottle when hurt or tired, and this is what sooths him to sleep. The first day he refused to nap and come 3:00 pm, he literally passed out he was so tired. I sat down in the rocker with him and he shut his eyes 1/8 of a second later, despite all the noise in the playroom. He slept sound but was very upset when he woke up and did not get a bottle. I had a good thirty minutes of crying to deal with then. It made me feel so bad, but I knew it needed to be done!

Night time was really hard. Although there was really not a lot of crying it took just shy of two hours to get him to go to sleep. Once asleep, there was three times he woke up. The worst was at 4 am. We were up for 1 1/2 hours.

It is getting easier and I am hoping that tonight there is more sleeping going on and less crying. I am hoping that this will help to keep him asleep in his toddler bed too. After all, if he doesn't have to wake up to find a bottle there is no need to wake up! Wish me luck!

A Mom Challenge For You; How You Can Start Your Day Off With A Bang!

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I have shared many of my challenges with you over the past few months and now I want to throw a challenge your way. I have recently started greeting my son differently every morning. Typically, I say, "good morning" followed by a hug when he comes down the stairs. Then I am off to get him breakfast before he gets testy.

My new thing is giving him a longer hug and saying something like, "Good morning my awesome son! I love you so much! Let's go have an awesome day together."

While this may sound silly, it really has made an impact on his mood!

As the New Year rolls around and everyone starts their resolutions I figured this was a perfect time to share this.

If you choose to partake in this challenge; please come back and let me know how it goes.

Day4: "The Toddler Bed"

Well... I think is safe to say that it is a very bad idea to put your toddler in his own bed during the cold season! Last night was a rough one all night! I listened to coughing all night from both boys.
So, you can guess that we were not successful in staying in the toddler bed all night. We started out strong but the coughing kept us awake even in my bed.
I do not think I will continue to update daily on this subject because we all know that this cold is not going away tomorrow. However, I will keep at it and update as I see the success! I hope to see success by the end of the month?
Thanks for following in another one of MeloMomma's Mom Challenges!

Day3: "The Toddler Bed"

Last night was nothing short of a disaster. Honestly, I should say a large portion of the afternoon was. My oldest son fell down and busted open his chin. It was awful! Because of this, Hayden's nap was very late in the day resulting in a weird night for him. He was hard to keep asleep all night long. Even in my bed. That's right folks, I said my bed.

He started off in his own bed doing fabulous but that was extremely short lived. It was most likely the nap and the fact that he is coming down with his brothers cold.

I told my husband I figured it would be a hard night and sure enough as we were making a list of Christmas stuff to still buy, I heard the cries of little Hayden.

Today we are playing very safe so nobody gets hurt and we are striving for a more successful night in the toddler bed.

Day2: "The Toddler Bed"

Last night was fantastic! There was no resistance when I laid Hayden down at all. I did lay with him to help him fall asleep but that is ok. It is only day two. We will work on him falling asleep on his own in the next few days.

The best part of last night was that he stayed in his bed without waking up until 1am. This was a whopping 2 hours more than the previous night! I am impressed at the quick progress.

When I went to get him at 1am, he was nlot even crying. I had heard some rustling so I went to check on him and he was standing there by his door being so patient and waiting for mommy to come get him.

The failing part of last night was me. I did bring him to my bed at 1am. I know... I know....

Day1: "The Toddler Bed"

Well, I hope you were not hoping to hear about a night of great success because it surely was not that. However, I am happy with the start of it all given the circumstances.
Hayden has been in my bed now for a year and a half, so this is significant progress in my book.
I have been a little under the weather so, I was not totally excited when Hayden woke up at 11pm. I was so super tired that I did not put in as much effort as I had planned.
The night started off OK. He was a little resistant about falling asleep in his toddler bed, so I laid there with him and he was out within ten minutes. I even snapped a photo of his fast asleep. I then had a quick bite to eat. I expected him to wake withing thirty minutes but he was still fast asleep when I was ready to fall asleep. I checked on both my boys and I was out like a light. However at 11 he was up. I was so tired... to my bed he came. This might send him a mixed message so I need to get better about this. Less than an hour later my oldest was up and sick! I was glad at this point I had decided to bring little Hayden in my bed. That left me free to deal with Gabe, who also ended up in my bed.
I am feeling a little better today so I hope to put a little more effort into this challenge and achieve success.

I wonder if any of my readers have dealt with this issue or a similar one?

Invitation To "The Toddler Bed"

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It is time for another one of Melomomma's famous challenges.Join me on a sleepless adventure for the next 5 days as I attempt to get my little one to sleep in his toddler bed. It shall be an exhausting journey and it all starts tonight! Check in tomorrow for a full update. I'm not going to lie; I am nervous! Please wish me luck! I am going to need it and a lot of coffee too!

Day 5:"Bye Bye BackTalk"

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Today is thankfully the last day of my challenge. I believe things would have been better if I was not sick, but that is life.

It was a hard day and not much of a good one to share. Except one big meltdown.

Gabe had an enormous fit early this morning. I was taking a quick shower. You know... a 7 minuet shower to clean yourself and your baby. It is a race to get it done before the preschooler needs you.

Usually I can shower quick enough,but not today. Gabe needed to go poo and does not like to wipe his own toosh. He hollered for me but I was in the shower. He finally gave up an came up the stairs to get me. He was so upset, so I rushed out of the shower. He was having a melt down like I had never seen before. I shower every morning and had never witnessed this.

After mommy and baby were dressed I tried to comfort Gabe, but he would not have it. His choice quickly became to either hush up an come downstairs to play or stay up stairs an throw a fit, alone. 

Twenty minutes later he came down stairs still having a fit. He took it to a level I had never seen. He was bouncing around and throwing himself around, into the walls, as if he was possessed. I love my son dearly, but this was unbelievable.

We finally got through it and had an OK afternoon. We even went to a local carnival.

I do not think I made my kids into angels over this 5 day challenge but I did realize how much better our day goes when I remain calm and in control. I am the boss not the kids! This is one mom realizing that nothing gets solved when you get angry!

Thank you for joining in my challenge!

Day 4:"Bye Bye BackTalk"

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Today was just no good. I woke up with a tummy ache and it got worse through out the day. I think Hayden passed his bug onto me. Chasing kids around while under the weather is less than fun.

Gabe was great until I told him he needed to take a bath. Things went down hill pretty quickly from here. I lost track of how many timeouts we had by 1p.m. I had wished I was the one in time out. I could have sat there all day.

Despite the monster tummy ache I even managed to walk my boys to the park before school this morning. They were really well behaved there, thankfully!

Hayden started in on his fit when we had to leave the park. It is a thirty minute walk home and he cried the whole way! I was ready to beat my head against the wall by the time we got home. Literally!

I had hoped for a break when Gabe went to preschool. Hayden refused to nap the whole time. Guess when he did take his nap? About three minutes after we got in the car to get Gabe from preschool. Thanks Hayden.

We had dinner with the neighbors so the kids were happy and the evening was successful.

It was just one of those days where the night was sleepless and the patience were spread very thin early in the day. I think there is a pillow calling my name.

Day 3:"Bye Bye BackTalk"

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Day 3 of Bye Bye BackTalk was a little harder. Our morning really did go very well. We were showered and out of the house by 9:15am. Today we needed to grab dog food and a birthday gift for Gabe's best friend. Gabe was an angel in the store and Hayden did really well until the end! Yay!

When we got home the sun was shining so we rode bikes and had a wonderful time playing outside. The boys had a Popsicle as well! It was a beautiful November day!

We had no real issues until preschool. Today, at school, was chapel so Hayden and I stayed through this part. Gabe got real sad during chapel and wanted to sit with his mommy but his teacher said no. I wanted to knock her out because that made him sad but I get it. The whole class is sitting there as a group and he needs to as well. That is just the mama bear in me!

After chapel it was time for school and I needed to leave. He was sad again but he calmed down shortly after I walked out. Everyday I hang out in the parking lot for a while talking with my friend and today I got lucky. Her daughter had to potty so they had a reason to go back into the school! Score! I knew she would let me know if Gabe was OK. So, I headed home knowing that if there was an issue she would call right away!

She did call right when I pulled in the drive way, but no bad news. I guess the teacher has figured out were friends and was quick to tell her that Gabe stopped crying right after I left! So, thankfully the phone call brought me good news!

After preschool everything was still going great! We even drove out to see a baby cow who was just born two hours ago! It was adorable and still a little wobbly on it's feet.

The issues were after school when the playtime got too rowdy. We have soft and hard swords. The boy's are only allowed to sword fight with soft swords. They seem to forget this every ten minutes. Gabe busted his brother in the hand and all hell broke loose. The crying was a 10 on the volume scale. I may need hearing aids if we have to hear crying like that again, but the poor baby was hurt.

The situation was fixed within 15 minutes and I took the boy's up the hill to play with a group of neighbor kids.

Again all was well until bed. I feed my kids anytime they are hungry but when I ask then if they want a snack before bed and the answer is no, I expect them to get ready for bed. Of course, three minutes after I lay Gabe down he is hungry! It is the end of my day and my nerves are getting a little thin. I was not happy about it and he knew that but I did feed him.

It was not prefect today, I raised my voice a few times when frustrated! I was able to keep myself in check 95% of the day, but when I got angry I did deserve a time out. I hope to have a total success tomorrow!

Day 2: "Bye Bye BackTalk"

Day two... OK.... Grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. Today was a day! The whole day was fantastic until we had a play date. Don't get me wrong. We had a fabulous time with our friends just as long as they followed Gabe's rules. We all know that was not going to happen. Kick your feet up and have a good read!

Last night my little guy, Hayden was very sick. He vomited on me so much that we needed to shower, change the bed sheets, and basically mop up the bathroom floor. It was really really bad and stinky I might add. When the puking finally stopped and we were all cleaned up we finally got some rest. It was a hard night because my little man woke up sick every few hours. Needless to say, we made it and he is feeling much better today.

As the sun starts to peak out for the day so does my son, Gabe. He was sweet and hung out with his dad for about ten minutes while his brother and I rested. I just had a feeling this was too good to be true. Gabe came up the stairs all hot and heavy about something. I was tired but I think I gathered that his Dad would not let him play a video game. Gabe can not just play these games alone. He likes the games for 8 year old’s so he needs a lot of help. Gabe is crazy to have come ask me. I despise my four year old playing games, so I was quick to answer with a NO. Gabe would not take no for an answer and he proceeded to be as irritating as possible until Hayden and I were awake. Oh man! Are we really starting the day like this?

The morning actually turned out OK. I have really been paying attention to the fact that I am the mom and I am in charge of how our day runs. I got some non video games out and we played while having breakfast. Then we had a fabulous time doing our preschool pages! It was a wonderful morning.

Right after lunch, my neighbor and friend called needing a hair cut. We now were on a time schedule because we had some other friends coming over to visit within the hour. I found myself in a little panic wondering why I always stretch myself so thin. We grabbed shoes and drinks and walked up the hill. It was a piece of cake. I did a little trim, the boys played, and we were back home with time to spare. We played legos, pulled weeds, and rode bikes.

Now is the time of day Gabe had been waiting for all week! Well, I had been looking forward to it too! His friend was here to play!!! Now, since he was so excited I figured there would be no issues.

WRONG!!! Gabe got some rubber mice for Halloween. He flipped out when his friend's sister was playing with them. Not just a little sad, but he Flipped out. It was an 8 on the fit throwing scale. I got a little embarrassed and elevated my voice enough to get my point across but never yelled. A time out was issued twice.

I thought the situation was fixed but then he threw a fit because she had his pillow pet. I could clearly see that this was going to be the case with any toy she touched. Another time out was issues and the mice and the pillow pet were put up until tomorrow. The mood changed shortly after this and we had a good visit. Talk about some embarrassing behavior.

The rest of the day was OK. Gabe had a good dinner and Hayden even sat at the table without a fit during dinner. ( I got rid of Hayden's highchair. He is in a big boy booster now). Now it is time for this mommy to relax! Oh and yes... I did succeed again today! I kept it all under control!

Day 1: "Bye Bye BackTalk"

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Day 1: Bye Bye Backtalk

I imagined today to be a little bit of a head ache. We have had good and bad moments. I was hoping to see both boys getting along by the end of the day and not pinching each other but that was not the case. Maybe by day 5 this will happen.

The morning started off really smooth until bath time. Bath time sucks everyday, so why should today be any different. Gabe flipped out when I said bath time. He reacts as if you just broke his favorite toy. He was given a choice and told to choose quickly. The choice is time out or bath; sweet and simple. Somehow he makes himself produce real tears as we make our way upstairs. We made it through bath time with only the one fit but he did pinch his brother for splashing in his bath water. This pinching is getting old. He got his only warning for the day. Next time it is time out.

After bath time there was another episode. Gabe pinched again. Time out number 1! Gabe cried and cried as if it was unfair to be in timeout for pinching. Get real son! I don't even know where he learned to pinch, but he will not be rewarded for it!

To keep from turning day one into a novel I will sum it up. We had 4 time outs today. 1 time out for backtalk and 3 for being too rough with little brother or for pinching. I love to see my boys play together until Gabe shoves Hayden's face into the wall. Boys will be boys but I don't want to see a broken bone or blood. OK, he is not really that rough but you get my drift.

I never raised my voice once today. I think this was a huge aid in our day running a little smoother. I feel great too! I guess this is really becoming a challenge for my kids and their mommy.

Check back in tomorrow for another update!

123 Magic- Effective Discipline

Are there days where you want to pull your hair out? Your yelling at the kids and finding yourself entirely too stressed out to function?

A friend turned me on to these books and when I use the technique right we all have an amazing stress free day. This book guides you step by step on the most effective way to discipline without spanking or yelling. It even explains to you step by step how the child will respond once in time out. It is very easy reading and comical at times. It is effective in extreme cases and even effective with kids who only misbehave once in a great while. It is a great book and highly recommended by me.

Invitation To "Bye Bye Backtalk" Another 5 Day Challenge



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I have had a personal battle lately with my children respecting me and doing what I ask of them. This will be changing immediately and I thought to myself...Hmm... Let's have another 5 day challenge. Yes, folks, I am inviting you to join in another 5 day challenge. I am calling it, “Bye Bye Backtalk”. I hate to admit it but my son loves to talk back to me and I just cant take another minute of it. Starting November 1, 2010 I invite you to join along in this journey! I am also challenging myself to keep my voice in check! I might be getting a time out if I raise my voice!

I can guarantee it will not go as smoothly as the dinner challenge. Be prepared for some entertainment.

Day 5: "Dinner Time Battle"

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Those were 5 quick days. Last night was the last night of my “Dinner Time Battle” series.

I made my family homemade peperoni Halloween pizza last night. It was a Halloween pizza because I cut the cheese into the shape of a pumpkin with a small cookie cutter. My son thought this was pretty cool and he started to gobble it down. Normally he will not eat homemade pizza. He likes Pizza Hut. He ate about ½ a piece and said it was disgusting. I figured this would be the case.

I didn't serve him any other meal but he was welcome to more pizza. There was not one fit at dinner time and he even said the prayer before our meal. So, I am not sure it was a total success or a fail, but we made it through dinner fit free!

Thank you for following me for this series.

Day 4: "Dinner Time Battle"

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Dinner was not as wonderful last night. I made pork chops, garlic mashed potatoes, and a pea an corn medley. Gabe's meat was prepared with no spice at all and he refused to even try it. I knew this would be a hard night. He has never liked pork and he only likes frozen peas. If they are even room temperature he won't eat them. So, Gabe had only four frozen peas. He devoured the potatoes and even had seconds.

Before giving him seconds I tried to bargain with him to try the meat first or no more potatoes but I knew that was a battle I would lose since I already knew he was not a pork eater. I hope his taste buds mature soon.

So, night 4 of the “Dinner Time Battle”... mission failed.

Day 3: " Dinner Time Battle"



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It is the middle of the week and I was ready for a break tonight. I decided on a simple dinner. Tonight was grilled cheese and tomato soup.

I expected Gabe to eat all of the grilled cheese and not a single bite of the soup, but again I was wrong. The first thing he ate was soup. He said it was delicious and asked that nobody eat seconds. He said he wanted to save it all for him. Hmmm... what is going on with this kid?

Gabe sat there an ate very well, although his table manners were pretty rough. With every bite of soup I heard a slurp. Yum yum!

Tonight Gabe ate 3/4 of a whole grilled cheese and a full cup of tomato soup. As dinner time came to an end an he got full he decided to tell me the last few bites of soup were disgusting. Was it disgusting or was he just full?

Since my son is proving me wrong in this dinner time challenge I am considering starting a challenge for my little one, Hayden. I might call it, " Sleep in your own bed!". What do you think? Will I get so lucky with that challenge?

Day 2: "Dinner Time Battle"

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Day 2 of “ Dinner Time Battle” was again a random night. I don't even know what to make of it.

Tonight I made lasagna for dinner. On a normal night I make lasagna, Gabe takes a glance at it and says it looks nasty. He pretty much refuses to taste it. Tonight I had it all cut up and ready to eat at the table for him. I called out for him to come to dinner and told him we were having lasagna just like Garfield eats. He said, “ Mmmmm, Mazana.” He has never pronounced it just right.

He sat down and ate ¾ of a large piece. There was no whining and he was rewarded with chocolate milk.

I can't believe this child. He is making my 5 day challenge a bundle of boring stories! However, he is eating his food!

I hope you all had a good dinner too!

Day 1: "Dinner Time Battle"

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Good evening all! It is day one of my 5 day “Dinner Time Battle”.

Tonight I made hard shell tacos for dinner. We had a fairly successful night. Instead of having Gabe's meal already dished up before I called him to dinner; I involved him a little more in the process of dishing up his dinner. This was a little different approach because I normally have him help me cook the dinner.

I already know he is not a meat eater, so instead of forcing him to put meat in his taco, I allowed him to put it on the side. However, he was required to taste it. Do you think he liked it? To my surprise, heck yeah, he did. I did cut the taco seasoning in half to tempt his taste buds, but it worked! I figured he'd spit it out immediately along with a gallon of saliva, but I am happy I was wrong. What is even better is that he asked for seconds and thirds. He ate about a cup of taco meat and all of his shell filled to the rim with cheese. He was still hungry after that and asked for more grated cheese. Holy cow! I am SHOCKED!

I really did not see us succeeding on day one but this was awesome. I am making a Spanish rice dish tomorrow and he is not one to like rice, so I am sure that will be an adventure.