As we slow down to turn on the road to our campround Alex says "WE AT THE CAAAMPERRR!!! Drew immediately asks to unbuckle once we are on the driveway to the camper because that, of course, allows him to jump out quicker once the truck stops.
Last year we bought a camper to park with my parents & sister's family campers. We always have alot of fun and the boys LOVE going to the camper to see my nieces & play, play, play. Last year the boys were not too into the lake. This year, however, is a different story. Drew jumps in like he has never been afraid of the lake a day in his life. We laugh that our family is stuck in the 80s and the ONLY ones that still water ski. Most everyone there is doing kneeboards or wakeboards. Not us!!! I figure it took me sooo long to learn how to ski on 2 skis that I will spend the rest of my life doing it. David wants to learn to ski on 1 and also wakeboard. I tried years ago to ski on 1 ski but I thought I was drowning because you take on so much water. After probably 2 attempts I decided I was perfectly content with skiing on 2 forever!
Our first weekend at the lake this year was Memorial Day weekend. We didn't get out on the lake because with all of the rain we had in the spring, the lake was very high and dirty. We opened up & cleaned the campers. The kids did water guns & water balloons. We took the kids to the Norfork Dam and river to let them wade in the water & play on the playground. There is something magical for my boys about throwing rocks into water!
Drew started the summer in swimmies but after just a few times in the pool he was ready to swim without them. He is now jumping in the deep end & swimming to the other side, diving for shark dive sticks, swimming underwater, and doing cannonballs. I liked it when they both had a little fear at the pool & lake. Now neither of the boys are scared so I watch EXTRA close all of the time because they are getting braver & braver everyday. The other day we forgot Alex's swimmies at home. Alex jumped from the pools steps into the water without any fear...luckily David was standing right there & caught him. He has now experienced swimming alone with swimmies so he does not want to be held in the pool. He will take off with or without swimmies.
Besides swimming, going to the lake, VBS, summer school, and Mexico...I began potty training Alex. Let me tell you, that was an adventure all in itself! We have a book called "Duck Goes Potty" and that is what was my tool for him giving up diapers. In the book the momma duck tells baby duck "no more diapers" so that's what I told Alex the day after July 4th. He woke up that morning & we immediately put on underwear. I was amazed at how long he would hold it because he refused to use the potty. He wasn't having accidents though, he was just holding it. Finally he got to a point that he couldn't hold it anymore so he used the potty & saw it wasn't scary at all. He was so proud of himself & of course we made a HUGE deal over him! I started with underwear on Tuesday and then Wednesday we spent the afternoon at the pool. He started pee-peeing on the grass there. Well...that started a whole new adventure for him. For a week he would only pee-pee on the grass. Therefore, if we were out & about he would hold it until we got home. The moment of all embarassment was at church on Sunday. He told his teachers that he couldn't potty at church because there was no grass! That's wonderful, huh? Luckily Monday at VBS he went on the potty at church so he is pretty much only going on the potty now unless he is outside playing. He definitely has a mind of his own though. He keeps us laughing all of the time. On Saturday he was complaining of his tummy hurting but he refused to poop on the potty. I bought a pirate puzzle he had been asking for and I sat it on top of the fridge. He constantly asked for it but I always replied "only if you poopy on the potty". Finally Drew asked if he could poop on the potty & earn it for brother. How sweet is that??? They were determined to earn that puzzle. Drew finally coached him into using the potty & they BOTH were thrilled to have earned the puzzle.
I will admit though...when I felt like he was officially potty trained, I had a brief moment of sadness that this "phase" of his life was over. No more diapers!
