Celebrating the Commode

He is potty-trained! Mr C is older than I thought he would be, but I waited to move forward with toilet-training when he showed some interest. Stage one was a little simpler, involving a 20-30 minute timer setting on my phone as a reminder, but stage two eluded us.

Mario and Spiderman underpants helped. The sticker chart motivated. Finally, after a few days of Mommy (me) scrubbing those characters in the toilet with the toilet brush, the young lad came up to me to announce the feeling! I've tried to celebrate with him at every successful experience since. Those moments, and hearing him tell family, "I'm being trained!" were my highlights. Those and every dry underpants moment since.

His long-term eyes-on-the-prize goal was Chuck E. Cheese's. We played together last night in Mr C's honor. Anyone need some size 5 diapers?

Nicole A. H. Porter and Zak Porter, proud parents of a potty-trained son

Our Red-Nosed School Girl

Leading up to the last school day before Christmas, parents, friends, and families were invited to the elementary school to hear each grade perform special musical numbers. I'm glad was able to go into work late that day so he could be there. It's a little tricky, because there are so many parents trying to stand and record their children, so I don't think he and Mr C got to watch her very well. The principal invited any and who chose, to sit on the floor up front to take pictures when his or her child performed. Miss V ended up right in front. Her grade performed "All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," with their little red-cone-taped noses.

Zak, Mr C, and Nicole A H Porter at the Christmas performance

Johnson Thanksgiving 2019

Miss V watched Seussical the Musical at the theatre with my parents the snowy night before Thanksgiving, so she was very tired the next day. We didn't end up staying at Uncle Scott's house very long because she was so tired. We did have a lot of fun visiting with my parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

To give you an idea of what kind of people my mom and aunts are, they came prepared with several to-go containers, and made sure everyone had a chance to fill them after we had all eaten. Mom took over the turkey, even though she doesn't eat meat anymore, this while helping Miss V to have a good stay.

Unfortunately, I didn't get everyone photographed, but I enjoyed a relaxing meal and conversation, once we got all of the food and spaces prepped. I started working on my chosen side dishes and desserts Wednesday morning, since Miss V didn't have school, and that made meal prep a lot easier. I ran out of time for a morning shower on Thursday, so I still have some time management issues.

We continue making new gratitude feathers for our ever-growing turkey we started for a family home activity around 2014. Mom laminated and cut out each feather for me, so we can keep taping them to the wall each November. This year I added how grateful I am that the kids can ride their own bikes to school (and I don't have to carry the children or bikes home). I'm glad we have 2-hour church instead of 3-hour church, for all of the 8-second hugs with my children, 20-second hugs from Zak, and our Redwood Forest family road trip. Mr C wrote had me write that he's happy when Miss V is home from school, because he misses her when she is gone, and for "Gwama and Gwappa." Miss V is grateful for herself, her "cute, cute" brother, the sun and moon, tv, the world, our house, and cars. Zak is still extra thankful for his C-PAP and for "fizzy." This year both sets of grandparents come to see Miss V in the children's church program. I invited them to include their own feathers in our turkey. I love putting up each feather and remembering the blessings in our lives throughout the years.

Nicole A H Porter, Cassie, Nate, and Aaron

Bake Me a Halloween Cupcake 2019

Miss V, Mr C, Zak, and Nicole A H Porter as cupcakes and bakers

Miss V told us she wanted to be a cupcake for Halloween, so I asked Mr C if he wanted to be a donut or another treat. He likes to do what his big sister does, so he wanted to be a cupcake, too. With a puppy on top.  With a dragon tail.  I told him, "Let's stick with the first two for now." We found dog ears and mittens, and got some face paint for a nose, if he decides to actually go with the "puppy decoration on top of the cupcake" costume on Halloween night.

I decided to be a baker to go along with their costumes. Zak thought for a moment about the baker look and wanted to go with The Muppet's Swedish Chef. That is, until he tried on the fake eyebrows and mustache I bought for him and he started inhaling fake wafts of hair. Just bakers.

I found small laundry baskets at the dollar store, and bought flannel solid fabric to pleat for the wrapper. They had some really soft non-pilling white fleece, so I chose that for the frosting. The kids helped me cut some felt strips for the sprinkles. I used some of the extra strips of white fleece to make suspenders attached to the laundry baskets, and then hand-stitched the white fleece onto the top. I sewed the top of the frosting, leaving holes for heads and arms. They do have to slip into the costumes from the top, but I'm glad they are outerwear-friendly costumes this year, because we will be wearing lots of layers as we trudge through snow from house to house. They'll earn their candy this year. Mwhahaha.

Thanks, Brother Todd Glad, for taking professional level pictures at our neighborhood Halloween party. They are fantastic!

Puppy dog nose

Our Swedish Chef. For about 3 minutes.

Ghostly Halloween

For a few months Miss V has insisted on being a ghost for Halloween. I figured we wouldn't be able to do the put-a-sheet-over-your-head look since at most schools and parties you can't wear a mask. One of the other kindergarten moms suggested buying a thrift store shirt or sweater, and going from there. My friend, Carrie, produced a ghost dress that fit Miss V perfectly, so I used the thermal shirt I found to make Mr C's costume. The kids loved the look with some white face paint and my dark eyeshadow (which spilled years ago, so I just keep it in a ziplock bag now). I tried finding white gloves and beanies, but I guess those looks are not in at Walmart and Dollar Tree right now. Miss V spent all of October "ooohing" adults and kids alike in preparation for her ghostly persona.

Zak has suggested the Uncle Fester Addams costume for a few years, so I figured now would be a good time to make the most versatile Halloween costume I could: Uncle Fester, the Grim Reaper, wizard dress robes, und so weiter. It does pull a bit in the front, but I was pretty pleased with myself upon completing the costume from scratch. I even added pockets!

With both ghosts and the Addams family in mind, I shopped at Deseret Industries for my costume. I found a white dress that was long-sleeved, big, and loose on me for a ghost costume, but I couldn't do it. I could tell it had been someone's religious ceremonial dress, and I didn't want to be disrespectful. I bought a black sweater and white collared shirt for my Wednesday Addams look, because I'm not quite confident in pulling off the Morticia Addams look. Since my Wednesday costume looks like me in a dress without Zak in costume, we went as the Addams to a trunk-or-treat on Friday night, and I just wore my NASA jumpsuit from a couple of years ago when I went to the school's parade and trick-or-treated on Halloween.

Waiting before school starts on Halloween

Glowstick necklaces from Uncle Aaron!

Nicole A H Porter and Zak as Wednesday and Uncle Fester Addams

Ghosts at trunk-or-treat

Playing with leaves during our walk home

Nicole A H Porter sewing Uncle Fester's outfit

Playing around with the costume before trimming the sleeves.