Apple-saucing

We have so many apples from apple picking. Let's make apple sauce!



First we cut the apples.

Then we cook them.

The watched apple sauce boils eventually.

Stir and mash...

...and stir and mash! 

Baking cookies with Joss

While Shawn and Paul went to help with an annual clean-up day at the shul, Joss and I were left to our own devices. . . So we baked cookies!
Watch "Baking cookies with Joss" on YouTube

Cookie Time w/ Mommy

What does a family do the day after Thanksgiving? Make more food! Paul is a terrific cookie maker.

Mix that dough. Mix that dough!

Daddy, don't disturb the chef!

Adventures in Potty Training

Paul is 3 years, 4 months, and 2 weeks old. He has been making "man poops" for a few months now. Those diapers are NOT fun to change. We introduced Paul to the Potty over a year ago, and Paul has been peeing in the potty before his bath for almost that long, but there hasn't been any progress and we haven't really pushed the issue.

Last month, daycare suggested we send him to school in underpants (with several changes of clothes) to see what happens. At first, things seemed to go well - all pees in the potty, but poop in the pants. We pushed Paul a little harder to train, and he began having pee accidents at school, along with his poops. He'd also wet himself at home within spitting distance of the potty. Something wasn't working.

After a weekend of backing off (letting Paul wear pull-ups, suggesting potty visits but not insisting on them), and a week of more laundry from daycare, we decided to try one more "training trick" before giving up and buying stock in Depends.

Pants-free weekend.

Mommy wasn't keen on the idea - visions of cleaning up puddles and piles, especially after a full 24 hours of cleaning up Joss' barf, dampened my enthusiasm. But Shawn insisted that it had to work, it just had to. . . So we gave it a go.

And it wasn't too bad. No pee accidents, one poop in the potty (such a mixed blessing - it's in the right place - yay, but still have to clean out the potty bowl - ew), most poops in the pull-ups right after going down for a nap, and tushie-prints on every surface. Paul wore underpants when we went out on a few errands, and didn't have any accidents.

Oh, he also thinks he's a turtle, and has 4 feet, and insists on wearing socks on "all" his feet. . .

Paul also prefers to go potty in the kitchen. I can't wait for his future prom date to see this picture.


(Daddy and Joss provide some travelling music.)


Since Joss had been feeling better, we sent him to daycare on friday so Paul could have 100% of my focus for the first day of Pantless Potty Training. We got to have breakfast (no pants), go to Trader Joe's (underpants & Pullups), have lunch (no pants), make Challot for dinner (no pants) - Paul helped roll out the dough and braid the loaves -

take a nap (Pullups), read books in the rocking chair (no pants), have Shabbat Dinner (no pants), and talk to Grandma on the phone (no pants).

Cookin' and Climbin'

Joss found the stairs.

In the time between taking these pictures and setting the camera down, Joss managed to climb up and sit on the first step, and would have made it to the second step if Mommy hadn't swooped in and taken him away.


Joss also discovered the play kitchen - and sat playing for a good 10 minutes, long enough for Mommy to actually finish a cup of coffee. Pretty cool, kiddo.

Mmmm Cookies!

Mommy had a hankering for Oatmeal Craisin cookies, and Paul helped!


from November 19, 2010.