Potty-Training Resistance!

 This is how my little Princess Diva Bear feels about potty-training.  We have been fairly consistent with training her for the past 3-4 weeks, and she still cries nearly every time I tell her it's time to go potty.  She doesn't tell us when she needs to go either, which is a bit frustrating to me, because I KNOW she knows when at least #2 is coming!  She stops everything and bends slightly at the waist, and goes...in her Pull-ups!

I'm not sure what to do with her at this point.  We have tried stickers, treats, and pretty much any other bribe for when she DOES go.  But she fights me a LOT on this.  I have the timer set for every 45 minutes so that I don't forget to have her go.  Maybe this is too often, but I find that about a third of the time, she has already gone in her Pull-up in that 45 minutes between potty time.

We let her have books in the bathroom, which she enjoys.  We let her turn the timer on for the next potty time, which she also enjoys.  I have asked her to help me remember what to do when the timer bell rings, which she does, and seems to be excited about.

But she just does not care if she gets potty-trained or not.  She will be 2-1/2 in a couple of weeks, and I figured for sure that she would be ready to potty-train.  I am tired of changing diapers, so I know I'm ready, but I guess maybe she's not.  I will not stop though.  We will continue to take her to the potty, and we will continue to give high praise when she goes, and even the occasional piece of candy when she goes #2.  Somethings GOTTA give!  Right?

I'd love to hear about your potty-training experiences!  Got any advice for me?

Mama Bear

 

How Beautiful Are the Feet

How beautiful upon the mountains
   are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
   who publishes salvation,
   who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” 

Isaiah 52:7

I love those feet up there.  They belong to our very energetic 5 year old.  It seems his feet and hands and arms and legs and head NEVER stop moving.  But we pray that he will use those feet, that body, to share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others.  I have to remind myself of that most days, when his energy tires me out.  God has chosen him for a very special purpose, and He has placed this little boy in our home for a very important reason.  Even if that reason is just to show me plainly how much I need Jesus and the cross and I how I can't make it without Him, then that is reason enough for me.

Mama Bear

Blackberry Oatmeal Bars -- A Small Deviation from a Pioneer Woman Recipe

Blackberry Oatmeal Bars

(one small step away from Pioneer Woman's recipe)

Of course I follow Pioneer Woman on Facebook.  Of course I had to make these yummy bars as soon as I saw the recipe link posted on FB this morning, from her show that aired this morning.  Only, I didn't have any strawberry jam in the house (SHOCK & AWE, I KNOW!), so I had to use what I had (fortunately!), which was Sugar Free Seedless Blackberry Jam.

Yes, I made this at 8am this morning.  Yes, we ate it for breakfast instead of as a dessert or snack.  And it was DELICIOUS!  If I were a coffee drinker, I'm sure it would be divine with coffee.  But I'm not.  So I just drank my standard fare---ice water.

Yes, this was supposed to cool completely before I cut into it.  But who can wait when it's all warm and heavenly and smells SO good???  This would be excellent with vanilla ice cream, but I couldn't do that for breakfast.  Sorry.  That would've been a bit much.

Want her recipe?  Ok.  Here it is:

1-3/4 sticks salted butter, cut into pieces (plus a little more to butter your baking dish)

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1-1/2 cups quick oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

(oh, and I added a bit of cinnamon, just because)

One 10-12 ounce jar of strawberry (or blackberry or whatever you like) preserves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch rectangular pan.

Mix together the butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Press half the oat mixture into the prepared pan. Spread with the strawberry preserves. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly. Bake until light brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely, and then cut into squares. 

 There you have it!  Now, go and make it!  You won't be sorry!

Mama Bear