Potty Training...the first 4 hours

After much prayer for endurance and patience, I was ready to go this morning. I had three potty seats, a timer, stools, stickers, trains, juice and a new potty chart.

Ace blew all my prep to bits.

He has CRIED non-stop since waking up this morning. I was ready to GIVE UP but, sad to admit, I need a vacation and if potty training has to be my excuse, I'll keep after it.

He cried on and off the potty. Screamed when his trains went off the track. Yelled when I left the room. Threw himself on the floor when I went to get more juice. I mean, what has possessed my precious Ace?

So, the update so far is: no accidents. He's pee-peed four times on the potty. No poop. He loves his Diego undies (thanks LeeLee). And now he's playing in his crib in diapers (I'm keeping him in diapers for naps and nighttime) fixing to take his nap. (Although right now, I can hear him yelling through the monitor "I don't want my bed", "I want Diego pants.")

I'm taking a NAP!
Who said that mommies have to potty train? I want to wring their neck!
No, no. I am thankful for my precious little man and am lucky to be his momma.
But I would be willing to pay someone to do this for me. Hee. Hee.

Precious Praise

If I don't blog about this, it won't make it into Ace's yearbook so forgive my post without a video to go along. I'm desperately trying to get Ace's worship on video but he does most of his singing in the car or at bedtime when I'm without my camera.

Here's how he sings "Mighty to Save"

He is mighty to save, he is mighty to save.
Forever, father of dalmation.
He rose and conquered the grapes. Jesus conquered the grapes.

He sings "I can only imagine" by repeating "I can only imagine" a million times. He doesn't know any other of the words!

His other favorites right now:
Sing, sing, sing (Chris Tomlin)
Desert song (Hillsong) He calls it "Bring praise."

To hear him sing these just makes me melt.

The 5th Mile

I DID IT!

Background...I started running in college. I never paid attention to how far or fast I ran, only to the amount of time I spent on the treadmill. At my best, I would run for an hour. In January, when Leah and Allen decided to start training for their marathon, I decided to start tracking my stats and set a goal for myself: 5 miles at a pace of 6 miles an hour. DON'T LAUGH! I'm not athletic and I'm used to running at a pace of about 5.4.

Now it's November and I FINALLY ran 5 miles (at 5.9...time to attack my pace)! It feels like I finished a marathon. I have no aspirations of even running a half marathon much less a marathon. It's such a great feeling to achieve a goal no matter how inconsequential. I think I will bask in it for a while.

Now it seems like 5 miles is so small (although I've only done it once!). What shall my next goal be???!!!

Air Show

With a name like Ace, sometimes it's eerie how much he likes airplanes. Like his name was chosen for him. I know the Lord is going to give him a new name in Heaven but He's going to be hard pressed to find one more appropriate.

B promised to take Ace to see the Blue Angels two months ago and Ace has been able to talk of little else since. Here they are fixing to go into a plan that is used to monitor hurricanes.B even bought Ace earphones to protect his little ears from the loud engines. We wished we would have had some. You have no idea how loud these things are until you are right beside them.
Precious and SOOOOOOOO typical Ace.

It surprised me how much I liked looking at all of the old planes and watching them fly.

Ace loves his Uncle James.

A close second to airplanes, Ace loves cars and he ALWAYS points out a Hummer when he sees one. This little go-cart of a Hummer thrilled him.

Here, Ace is in the cockpit of the hurricane plane. He always insists on being buckled up whenever he's behind a wheel.

Our little pilot was pooped so he didn't actually get to see the Blue Angels fly. We won't miss it next year.

We had such a great time and Ace got to see a P-51 which is what his Paw Paw flew (my Mom's Dad). Turns out his great-grandpa on through Jonathan's dad was also a pilot. Maybe it's in the blood although, watching all of the planes do tricks and fly so fast, it will be terrifying if Ace does become a pilot. I wanted to lose my breakfast just watching. Can't wait to go back.

Trick or Treat

Pilot Ace started off Halloween at a Trunk-or-Treat down the highway. He loved going to each trunk and used his adorable manners telling everyone "thank you."

We came home, ate pizza, then started off again. I was a stewardess to his pilot. This photo doesn't show my enormous gold wings (courtesy of Honey). I tried to tease my hair but it only make me look like a stewardess-post-non-stop-24hr-flight-to-somewhere.

He was all grins even though most houses were out of candy by the time we set out. Our neighborhood kids must have started early this year. Ace really didn't care. He just loved walking around.

Here was his entourage: Honey in a crab costume and B as Frankenstein (not pictured: Gabby and Mommy - photographer).

Once we got back home, Ace had even more fun giving out candy to trick-or-treaters. He handed out hand-FULLS of candy and always picked one out for himself after closing the door. Pooped and in his Sashi's lap.

This is what happens when your toddler has too much candy. (In case you are wondering what he's yelling, he keeps saying, "Cheese" because I have the camera pointed at him. What a good boy!)

GREAT times!