Diapers

First of all, it just makes me sick that I'm still buying diapers for my youngest boy child who is all of 2 years and 8 1/2 months old!! ahhh! But the only way that we have had success with potty training is if he goes around the house with just a shirt on...no diaper, no underwear, no pull-up, no pants. Then, and only then does he stop himself from "going" and then proceeds to yell, "Mommy the pee-pee is coming". Then we rush to the bathroom and he goes immediately. No accidents. But it's the middle of winter, and even though we are in the South, it's been in the teens over night and only up to maybe 40 degrees in the day. Just a bit cold to be running around with just a shirt on. So until it gets warmer or we have a break thru in another potty training "technique" (and believe me, I've tried it all), he will be wearing diapers for awhile longer. Sigh. Sadness. Frustration.
But if we have to spend money on diapers, I'm at least going to get the best price around (or try too!!!)
We LOVE Luvs around our house!! It's the cheapest brand-name diaper and always has a coupon or promo code going on!! I've tried all the store brands, but both my boys leaked thru them all. When we just had one baby in diapers, we loved Pampers Swaddlers and Cruisers, but the budget didn't allow for that "luxury" once we had 2 kids in diapers both under the age of 14 months old! Thus, came our LOVE for Luvs!
I just bought 120, size 6 (yes, my kids both maxxed out at the largest size before they were 2 years old)...so 120 diapers for just $17.99 shipped TO MY DOOR. TOTAL!! Including tax and S & H...$17.99!!! (but really there was no shipping charges in this case!)
How???
My FAVORITE...Amazon.com + a coupon!!
They have their 120 count, size 6 diapers on sale for $35.99. Use the Subscribe and Save option to save an additional 30%. If you have an additional 20% coupon located in Parents magazine (I'll post next about how you can get a 3 yrs subscription to this magazine for just $5.99), this will bring your total to $17.99 with free two day shipping. You can't beat that for diapers delivered to your door for under $20! Don't forget if you use the Subscribe and Save option, to cancel the membership once your item has been shipped or you will continue to receive these diapers each month. Membership is free and you can cancel at anytime.
All the other sizes of Luvs are on sale too. I have done this "Subscribe and Save" option before and as soon as they were delivered, I went into my Amazon account and canceled the membership.
So while my son who talks like a 4 year old is still wearing diapers, I'll be trying to get the best deal until this expenditure goes away!!

More Christmas Fun

The boys and I made a trip to Moore, SC (right near Greenville) to see my sister and her family. The boys exchanged presents with their cousin Ethan. Levi and Ethan are just 5 months apart. The kids had a blast playing together. Wyatt and Ethan got along really well....Wyatt loves to tell people what to do and Ethan loves to imitate and follow Wyatt.

I attempted making a gingerbread house with Wyatt and Levi and it was a hit! We did have to talk to Papa and Grandma on Skype to make the "wait" time go by faster. (had to let the icing dry for 15 min. after I first put the house together b4 decorating)

Levi really got into it and was very calm and concentrated (this is a big accomplishment for him)


The finished product!! They only ate 3 pieces of candy each, and I promised they could eat some the next day! I even let them put the candy where ever they wanted and let it be "their" project and not "mine". (which is a big accomplishment for me!).

We let the boys open a present today, and will let them open another one on Christmas Eve as well. Today, Wyatt got this Magna Doodle, and I was totally surprised when he wrote his name. We have been working on writing his name, but the only letters that he had really mastered were W and T. I wasn't worried b/c he still has 2 years b4 kindergarten, but he's really interested on his own and gets very frustrated when he can't write the Y and the A. Sure enough, the first thing he wants to write on his Magna Doodle is his name, and he practiced all day long! Tonight when I came out to the living room after putting Levi to bed, he had made this "masterpiece" and was so excited to show me. I couldn't believe it!! He also added the circle stamps around for the border! Made me so proud and happy!

Christmas Preparations

I've heard/read alot of neat ideas for the days leading up to Christmas. Most of them I'm going to keep "on file" to use when our kids are a bit older and understand the passing of time and days better. The "are we there yet?" phrase comes into my mind when I think of trying to explain that Christmas is 24 days away to a 3 1/2 y.o. and a 2 1/2 y.o. (most of the ideas I've heard about involve doing something every day starting on Dec 1st)

So, today is 7 days before Christmas, and we made a Christmas chain. Of course I forgot to take a picture of it...it's just a typical paper chain made out of alternating red and green strips of paper that I stapled together in a loop and then interchanged and interlocked. I put a yellow star at the top which represents Christmas Day. We will take one link off every day. As the chain gets shorter and closer to the star, we are getting closer to Christmas Day! I wrote a special activity on the back of each individual chain. Things like making Christmas cut-out cookies, building a gingerbread house, driving to see a neighborhood full of Christmas lights, watching a Christmas movie, etc, etc.
Today we made some more Christmas cut-out cookies. It went soooo smoothly too! I think I have found the "special ingredient" to having fun making cookies w/ toddlers...MAKE THE DOUGH AHEAD OF TIME!!!! I made the full recipe 1 or 2 days ago. I split the dough in half and wrapped each big dough ball in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. I put one dough ball in the fridge and one in the freezer. The cookies we made tonight were from the refrigerated dough. I pulled it out an hour before we were going to make cookies and it was soft and easy to work with by then.

By making the dough a day or so beforehand, my state of mind is much calmer when I begin the task of making and decorating cookies with preschool age children. I am able to have more fun since I haven't already been in the kitchen making the dough (and I don't have a sink full of dishes from making the dough either...provided I've done the dishes from the day or 2 before when I did make the dough! ha!)
And by only using half of the dough, we don't have too overwhelming a task in front of us of never-ending rolling and cookie cutting. It was "just right". We actually fit all the cookies onto 2 cookie sheets, so I didn't even have to deal w/ shuffling the cookies to the cooling rack only to roll and cut more cookies for the next pan, etc, etc.
Here's a picture of our completed product! My slightly-OCD-just-like-I-am 3 1/2 y.o. was my helper tonight (as Daddy took the 2 1/2 y.o. out to Target) as evidenced by the nice, neat sprinkles!



Testing out the Christmas Hats! (with the Fall Leaf project still up on the window)

Trying to get them to pose under the Christmas Tree

Good thing I didn't spend the time to coordinate their outfits b/c they were in quite the silly mood and Levi would not give up his blankie.

An Addendum and Some Pictures

I wanted to add to my post about the easy cookies...
Last week when I made them and was going on and on about them, I had cut the recipe in half. It made about 35 sandwhich cookies. My husband was home playing w/ the kids.
Tonight I made the full recipe, my husband was not home. It took alot longer. The dough was alot more stiff and hard to mix. I still haven't finished putting the icing in the middle and rolling them in sprinkles. But I did have to stop at different times in the cookie making process to either: a) help someone w/ the bathroom or change a diaper. b) get them snacks and drinks c) give them haircuts d)clean up the hair cut e) bathe them f) put them to bed.
Thank the Lord for Redbox $1 DVD rentals and Toy Story 3 (or the "new" Buzz and Woody as they called it)
so, just wanted to say that if you make the full recipe, it's alot more work, but still much easier b/c it's semi-homemade w/ using the cake mix as the base! So unless you are going to a cookie exchange where you need to bring 5 dozen cookies, just cut the recipe in half and you will be fine! And if you have a kid(s) under the age of 4, it will go much smoother if your husband is home...well, I guess that really goes for any task you try to get done when you have a kid(s) under the age of 4! ha! :-)
Here are some pictures from the past few days!
Wyatt was pretty excited about making the Christmas cookies. Notice Levi's sleeves w/ flour all over them!

Levi is really serious about sprinkles

Enjoying their cookies and not wanting to stop for a picture (Dixie is hoping somethign falls to the floor)


This was the first time we used their chalkboard/marker board easel for painting. They LOVED it!

Levi was surprising calm and very delibrate with his painting. I must admit I was a bit nervous about him and paint, but he did so well!

Wyatt loves to get his Home Depot apron dirty (and if it doesn't get dirty by accident, he'll put the paint brush directly on it!)

The finished artwork! And they wanted to keep doing more!

The Easiest Fancy Looking Cookie

I just tried this recipe out and cannot stop eating these cookies! But I have to stop b/c I have 2 cookies exchanges to bring these cookies to!
I had to share the recipe b/c it was probably the easiest "fancy" cookie I have ever made!

Homemade Peppermint Oreos
2 boxes Devil's food cake mix
4 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
Frosting:
1 (8ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
sprinkles or crushed candy cane for decorating
green or red food coloring

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil with a mixer. The batter will be very stiff. Pinch of pieces of batter and roll into 1 inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets and flatten slightly with fingertips. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove immediately from the cookie sheets with a spatula and cool on a wire rack.

In a small glass bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter until completely blended. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and peppermint extract and mix until the icing is smooth. Color frosting green or red if desired. Spread half of the cookies with icing and top with remaining cookies.

Roll in sprinkles, crushed candy canes, or just leave them plain.

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or resealable plastic bags.