Adventures in Potty Training Carys

When your child starts to have an interest in potty training, it turns into all you talk about.  "When did she go potty last?"  "Daddy, did you hear that Carys went poopie on the potty?"  You try anything you can to make it fun and for your little one to want to use the potty.  We found ourselves resorting to bribery to go poopie on the potty.  Carys got ice cream with sprinkles the first time she went poopie on the potty.  Of course I took a picture to text her daddy.

 Then when school started back up and Carys was filling up potty charts at Mrs Patty's, she used them to "buy" her Dora guitar.

 Then a week and a half later the singing Dora backpack joined our bribery loot.  Now I understand why you can buy anything Dora, kids love her and parents use her to make their children do what they want.  We have Dora toothpaste, bandaids, toothbrush, underwear...

It is hard to say when exactly Carys was potty trained but I remember the accidents stopping and her taking herself to the potty when she was around 2 years and 9 month.

A Day at the Park

With Ava being a more confident walker, and the temperatures of Texas slowly declining, a trip to our local park...as Carys calls it..."My Park" was to be had. Both girls could play and interact with all the components of the park, but in a different way. They enjoy the same things but they play with them differently. Ava with the best view of the park, on top of daddy's shoulders.

Ava is getting so big, she can climb very well.

Almost there! Only a few more steps, the holes did not make her nervous.

Always the first item of business, the twisty slide. A favorite of Carys', but Ava went first with Daddy.

There's Carys showing how big girls go down the slide all by herself. She has started to also like climbing up slides.

Both girls could do the yellow slides alone.

A new swing for Carys to try, the tire swing. Hold tight!

Ava in her swing!

Carys too, she used to hate swings...that sure has changed, look at that smile.

The helpful big sister wants to push Ava.

Hooray! But keep your distance, Carys has the habit of walking after the swing, forgetting it was going to come right back to her and knock her on her tushy!

The merry go round.

One of the funniest things Ava did before we left was she sprawled out in the rocks, really digging into it, like it was sand. She is old enough to keep them out of her mouth now.

Another fun activity the girls can enjoy together, the park, now that Ava is 13.5 months old.

Beneeeezy Fun Run

The Beneeeeezy Fun Run is a memorial fund created by the parents of Ben Garcia. If you met Ben Garcia, you would remember him as the fun, easy going guy, who made everyone feel important and welcome. He was also TJ's college roommate and teammate. Two months before our wedding, we got a phone call from our high school coach that Ben had been killed in a car accident. It was so upsetting to everyone, as he just finished college, his life was just beginning and he was home to celebrate his little brother graduating high school. To remember Ben, his parents host the annual Beneeeezy Fun Run to raise funds for college scholarships for students who attend Alvin High School. We have kept in touch with the Garcia's and love this annual event. This was the first year we entered the girls in the 1K, mainly to get a "shiny" metal and also to be entered in the drawing for a bicycle. I love this picture of the girls waiting for the start.Ava wearing Keds for the first time, ready to "run". Carys taking after her cousin Grant, wearing Crocs for her run.Their bib numbers, Ava was the youngest entrant. The Alvin High School Cheerleaders loved our girls so much they asked to take a picture with them.

Team Markiewicz, ready for the 5K. TJ and Sharla walked and pushed the running stroller, while the girls slept. Tom and I ran...doing personal bests.

Carys so proud of her "shiny" metal.

Ava stretching with Daddy.

Papa Tom with Ava.

Papa Tom and Nana Sharla proud of their races.

I took 2nd in my age group, meaning I won a purple monkey! The purple monkey is a funny story about Ben spending a fortune at a carnival to win the purple money on the right hand side of this picture. After he finally won it, he walked around the rest of the night asking people how they were doing and when they reciprocated the question, he said he was doing fine, except for this monkey on my back. Classic Ben. Vicky Garcia, Ben's mother is the lady in the visor passing out the awards.

My girls and me celebrating my 2nd place win, not bad for a working mother of two under the age of 3!