Potty Boot Camp

I have been hesitant to blog about my potty training experience with Nixon because I didn't want to jynx it! :) Now that we have gone a whole week (in kid world (esp. regarding pee-pee) 7 days is a LIFE TIME!!!) without any accidents, I am ready to declare that NIXON IS OUT OF DIAPERS and IN BIG BOY UNDIES!!! Woo hoo! Oh my goodness, I think this was one of my toughest challenges yet as a Mommy!

Here are some of the STATS on his potty training:
(He is going to LOVE this blog entry when he's older!)

*Start date: Monday Oct 26th (5 accidents), lots of crying (i joined him by the end of the afternoon!)
*Potty Training Type: "Hold-Out-Kid." Less accidents. But holding out for up to 3.5hours at a time to go pee, just because he didn't want to face reality. Holding his #2 for up to 3 days, til he made his tummy hurt! I hate to admit this, but he gets this from my side of the family. (aah ahh choooRYANooo! oh, excuse me! allergies!)
*How long did we stay home? 3 days
*His Fave Big Boy Undies: Paul Frank Monkey Undies & Spiderman
*Potty Incentives that worked: Sugarless Gum and Coins$
*How many times we almost quit: 4
*When I knew he had it: Nov. 1st (my birthday!)
*Big Supporters: Daddy, Mimi, and Papa* (On Day 5, M&P took him overnight and continued the training. I think this change-up did WONDERS! New Trainers, New setting. :)
*First public bathroom he used: Henry's
*Crazyiest place he's gone: Post Office & Car Wash w/Daddy

Win-Win Situation

He got a workbench from Grandma

I got a live-in Toilet Scrubber!

I'm so thankful we survived Potty Boot Camp!
xoxo.

Early Christmas Gift

Christmas not only came early to Costco and Fashion Valley Mall (Helloooo! Santa's little cottage is already out!!! Right after Halloween! I thought the rule was AFTER Thanksgiving! I LOVE Christmas, but really?), it has also come early for Nixon. Yoichi and I decided for Christmas this year, instead of buy Nixon a bunch of toys, we would give Nixon a gift in the form of a music class. He LOVES music, instruments, rhythm and beats. We also thought it would be really special to have one more Mommy and Son activity before Scarlett arrives. So, we forked out the money and decided this would be our Christmas gift to him.

After the first 10min of the first class I realized it truly is the BEST gift we could've given him (and me!) He LOVES everything about his music class; his Teacher Ms. Crystal, the instruments he gets to play, the songs they sing, and did I mention his teacher! Yes, he adores her! It's crazy for me to see him become the helper in class and talk about Ms. Crystal and her "pretty voice."

The first week of class landed on Oct 30th, so the kids were invited to wear their Halloween costumes.

Nix sitting by Ms. Crystal and following her directions to the "T."

Spending time with Nixon in this way has really been a gift!
I'm so glad we got to unwrap his Christmas gift a little early this year! ;)
xo.

Halloween and Turning Thirty-Two!

Last Thursday the Owen's had us over to make Fall Cookies! We're talkin' homemade dough, the perfect shade of Winston orange frosting, and sprinkles! Rox only knows how to go over the top! :)

This pic was taken BEFORE he pee'd all over the chair! Awesome, Nix! He must've got confused when I told him to put "sprinkles" on the COOKIES!!!

Finished product. Mm,mm! Didn't they do a super job decorating?

Friday came and Yoichi kicked off the weekend with a surprise get-away for my Birthday! He took 1/2 of Friday off, my parents came and picked up Nixon, and we drove off just the two of us! (Well, we did make a comment that Lolo was lucky to stick around on our adventure! :)

I had no idea where we were going until I got my Birthday envelope in the car!

1st leg of the journey was a 2 hour drive up North. We didn't hit ANY traffic-- talk about God hooking us up! Who drives on the 5 and 405, on a Friday, and doesn't hit traffic? I loved our talking time! Connecting means so much to me. No interruptions!

Yo had hotel reservations for us at an Ocean View room off of the Santa Monica Pier. We walked around 3rd and Promenade and found a yummy Crepe Cafe for dinner. (*Biola friends, this is the first time I re-visited the scene where I got my TERRIBLE Jennifer Aniston WANNA-BE short haircut, from Freshmen year! Oh the tragedy! Surprisingly the Vidal Sassoon School of Training was GONE!!! Thank God! haha.)

View from our room. Ahhhh!!!

The surprises kept coming-- next stop: Cirque de Soleil's Kooza! This was MY FAVORITE circus show so far (and we've seen 5 of the other ones)!

Under the big top!

We're lucky they didn't confiscate my camera! No Flash photography under the Big Top! Oops!

We woke up Saturday and hit the town hunting for some pancakes! Driving thru Westwood and Hollywood, we drove past the So You Think You Can Dance studios. I was looking for celebrities, like TMZ.... no such luck! My good friend Hallie who lives in LA, told us of an AWESOME breakfast stop in Westwood, John O Groats! Incredible pancakes, crunchy bacon!

Our last stop, Beverly Center Macy's. My only true bday request was NEW wrinkle cream. Hey, when you're 32 you have your priorities! I got my magic cream! :) What more can I ask for? BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!

We got home, just in time for Halloween with Nixon!

Our little monkey

His buddies @ Trunk or Treat/Faith Chapel Church

Trick-or-Treat!

This ol' lady better sign-off for now!
xo.

Fun Fall Weekend

Friday Night...

We had a Batman Birthday Party @ Round Table Pizza for my brother this weekend. Round table? Really? Yep! It was his request! :) If you grew up in Spring Valley, you know that RT has the best pizza... we grew up with it in our blood. :) You can take a kiddo outta Spring Valley, but you can't take the Spring Valley outta' the kid! :) His girlfriend Erin decorated with the Batman theme. It looked so awesome! Strangers walked by our party room and wished Nixon a "Happy Birthday" because they assumed the Batman theme was for him! hahaa! :)

Nix's official Batman move!

I surprised Ryan with some of our childhood bestfriends. Melissa and Kristen. :) We learned to ride bikes with these girls and their brothers. So many great memories with the Sano's and Von Gottberg's.

On Saturday... we hit up Peterson's Donut Corner on the way up to Bates Nut Farm;
I have never seen such big and yummy donuts!!! Sinful! :)

80 degrees at the Pumpkin Patch doesn't seem right!

Caleb, Abbey, Ethan, Trey, Bella, Nix, Aiden
*Graham was on the other side of the patch

The FUN kept on going, Saturday night we celebrated Aiden's 3rd Bday...

Pumpkin Carving
Yummy pizza and cupcakes!
The Cute Hostess with her 3 year old!
and the crazyiest dog-pile on Aiden's Daddy, Mark.

the sweetest treats of the night... the Mezzadri Twins!
So adorable! and Thanks to them, Scarlett has a full closet of clothes passed down!

All fun things must come to an end! Today (Sunday) Nix and I woke up with runny noses and congestion! Too much fun in one weekend! You'll find us at home the next couple of days taking it easy.

Stay tuned.
You're going to LOVE Nix's Halloween Costume!
His GREAT Aunt Cathy sent us the perfect costume!
xo.

The View from here is AMAZING!
Thanks be to God!
xoxo.

My Dad's Bday

October is a great month! The weather grows cooler and my Dad and brother grow O-L-D-E-R! :) Yesterday, my Dad turned 61! We started off with dinner at a Japanese restaurant.

Intrigued by the foam on my dad's "apple juice."

"Mimi, you're a camel!"

People say they look alike. They def. act alike! Trouble-makers! :)

xoxo.

i HAD to include this picture, it makes me laugh SOOOO hard! I can't think of the perfect caption... but something from an Austin Powers movie, maybe?? :)

yet another FULL expression from my Dad! :)
you know he was having a blast!

The Baker and her Taste-Tester :)

The double-layer cake, and Nix in a "sugar-coma" in the background.

Sukiyaki

When the temps fall below 75 in SD, Fall has arrived! A perfect time to eat Sukiyaki or "hot pot." Yo and I both grew up eating hot pot when we were younger, and last year my Mom gave me my very own hot pot so we could enjoy it at the Wakayama dinner table. This week was the first "chilly" week and we kicked off this "warm eating" at Yoichi's Mom's house. Soooo yummy!

Uncle Eric, Gramma Leiko, Nix, Yoichi

If you've never had it, come by this Winter and we'll cook up some yummy noodles, meat, tofu, and veggies together! We'll keep ya warm! :)