Blog Book

Okay. Obviously I have been messing around with how the blog looks. I found a great website with free backgrounds and banners. They also can make your blog into a book for you! I was so excited when I saw that, I have been thinking about trying to make ours into a book and now I can. The website is http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/

Anyway, last night was Lauren's smore party with her new Girl Scout troop. They had a great time swimming in the lake, making smores, and playing hide and go seek with flashlights after it was dark. Lauren was a bit shy at first (which is not like her) and it took a while before she felt comfortable enough to join in. She recognized a couple girls from school last year and we even found out one of the girls lives in our neighborhood.

Next Wednesday is Back to School Night at our elementary school and the girls are really excited! Even Abbie who has been reluctant to go back to school here. She had a few bad experiences with some kids in her class. She never really felt included last year. Hopefully this year is different. It helps that we are actually starting the year here instead of moving in during the school year. Lauren is excited because she learned that half her Brownie Troop is in her class=)

Reina woke up at 5:30 this morning. At that point I figured it wouldn't do much good to try to put her back in bed (I would probably just have accomplished waking up everyone else if I had tried), so I napped on the couch for about an hour while she watched cartoons. Alina slept til about 10am! That kid likes to sleep=) I am definitely not complaining! Quentin put her down around 7 last night and she slept all the way through. Though by the time she woke up her diaper had leaked again. I checked on her around 11 last night and she was okay. I have tried everything with her diapers that I can think of. I doubled them up one night and that didn't work. I have tried one bigger size and that didn't work. I will try one of Reina's tonight and see if that does it. I am getting really tired of having to wash dirty bedding every morning or in the middle of the night. I really don't want to have to wake her up in the night to change her pants. It would take awhile to get her back to sleep, not to mention giving her bad sleep habits. But I can't let her sleep in wet and dirty jammies and sheets! I had the same problems when Reina was younger. I never remember having problems with the older two. But the diapers were a lot thicker then and contained more I think. If anyone has suggestions please let me know! I have even considered cloth diapers, but really don't want to go there. I am hoping that the problem goes away since she just had her last dose of amoxicillin this morning. Okay, diaper rant over.

Last night after I left with Lauren, Quentin and Alina were sitting in our big chair together. Quentin said she would stand up and look over the back of the chair with a "mamama". Then she turned around and plopped down. Quentin said "Down!" She grinned and stood up again. Quentin said "Up!" She plopped again, "Down!" Evidently this happened over and over again with her grinning and laughing. She is fine with Quentin when I am not around. She lets him hold her and play with her. He put her to bed last night without a problem. But she is Mama's Girl when I am there=)

Reina and I have been having some tests of willpower lately. She is definitely stating to the world that she is 2 and wants to do it HERSELF! Or HER WAY! The other day she decided that she really didn't want clothes on and that was okay with me. But the diaper HAS to stay on.

Reina: "Diaper OFF!"

Me: "The diaper needs to stay on."

Reina: "Diaper OFF!"

Me: "No, it stays on."

This repeated several times until I got her attention focused elsewhere. I think she is ready to potty train, but I am having a difficult time focusing on that right now. So I have decided as soon as school starts and we get a routine going, potty training will be my number one priority for Reina. I may get lucky and get Alina to use the potty too since she likes to copy Reina (not likely, but I can hope) !