Potty Training Blunders

Potty training was going excellent. See Miss A's sticker chart from all the times she actually went potty!



As you can see, she was doing great. Until (yes, the big until) I became so sick with my pregnancy that I couldn't sit in the bathroom reading book after book during the potty training process. Everything made me sick to my stomach and sitting in the bathroom was definitely one of them.

So ... I put potty training on hold. Well, apparently so did Miss A. After we returned from vacation she decided she didn't want to sit on the potty chair at all and frankly, just until tonight, she hadn't sat on the potty chair in a good month. She would scream, she'd cry, throw tantrums, etc so I thought, forget it! I figured she wasn't ready and didn't want anything to do with it either if she was going to act that way.

However, she most definitely knows the process and knows the drill. The other day while playing upstairs, I hear Miss A say to her one of her baby dolls, "Hurry, hurry, hurry" as she proceeded to run to the bathroom. I smiled to myself, thinking that Miss A was running to the bathroom so SHE could use the potty chair.

Without luck, I walked in and found this ...



A disheveled toddler sitting next to her baby doll that was using the potty chair. Apparently she was having a hard time and needed to read several books to her doll.



After all the stickers, the hours, the potty training, at least I can walk away knowing that her baby doll can be potty trained.



Wow, this is going to be a long process ...

Baby Bump Photos - 19 weeks

Of course, I HATE posting photos like this, but as usual, everyone has been asking. After having a few weeks of finally [feeling better] I have definitely started to gain weight and my bump is MUCH more than noticeable these days.

Unfortunately, I am also sad to admit, this is the first round of baby bump photos I've taken this time around.

Without further ado ... here they are - the baby bump photos - 19 weeks.





And just for a little comparison, here are my 38 week photos from my pregnancy with little Miss A. I can definitely tell I'm going to be much bigger this time around and realize I still have a L-O-N-G way to go!

Crater Lake National Park

According to Crater Lakes' National Park website ...

"Crater Lake is Like No Place Else on Earth. Crater Lake has inspired people for hundreds of years. No place else on earth combines a deep, pure lake, so blue in color; sheer surrounding cliffs, almost two thousand feet high; two picturesque islands; and a violent volcanic past."

While I'll give them the part that "CL is like no place else on earth," I must say I'm glad the Chef family didn't spend 6 hours in the car just to see Crater Lake. As my husband said, "it's just a big lake." haha.

Crater Lake is definitely more than a big lake, it's a beautiful big lake. ;) Crater Lake is a perfect destination if you're going to make an "event" out of it such as hiking for the day, biking around the lake, camping, etc. In my opinion, it's definitely not worth it to simply drive and see. We made a few scenic stops, visited Rim Village area, took several beautiful pictures ........... and then made our way to Bend, OR.

However, I must say, having previously lived in Vancouver, WA, I'd always wanted to visit Crater Lake because you hear about it so often. With that being said, I am glad I checked this National Park of my to-see list. Crater Lake was beautiful and I think our pictures prove just that.








If you look in the distance, you will see "Crater Lake" hiding behind the volcanic remains. You can see the remains of the volcano and the dip in the middle that hides Crater Lake.

Preschool Bound!

The Chef family definitely has a few busy weeks ahead of us as we adjust to our new fall schedule. Miss A is starting preschool two days a week beginning next Tuesday. This will be a transition for her since she has stayed home with me (except for 2 months when I went back to work) and she is quite a mommy's girl these days.

Our days will consist of: playgroups, preschool, MOPS (I'm joining for the first time this fall), Mother Goose on the Loose, speech therapy, LMAKT club events (I'm the treasurer), etc, etc.

I never realized how the introduction of "school" brings on an entirely new world of parenting. Driving, picking up, and driving again. I can't even imagine how many miles I'll be putting on my car when Miss A is in middle school and high school in between sporting events and friends.

Here's to hoping the next few weeks Miss A transitions smoothly to her new schedule.

Turtle Bay Exploration Center

The Chef family recently went on an extended weekend excursion to a few locations in California and Oregon. We had a blast meeting up with friends. Here's a highlight from our visit to Redding, CA and the Turtle Bay Exploration Center.

We drove to Redding via backroads instead of I-5. Something a little different, and actually, a little faster. We saw the beautiful countryside, several fresh fruit stands, walnut tree farms, peach tree farms, several new cities including Chico, and ended up getting stuck behind several pick-up trucks, farmers and locals driving way too slow!

The Turtle Bay museum/park was definitely worth our trip mostly because we were one of the few people actually touring around the facilities. It was the perfect way for Miss A to run around and get some exercise before jumping back into the car for another long ride.

We saw animals and a Wild Animal Show, she played in the kids park area, we toured around a museum, and saw a huge sundial (that actually had the correct time). Overall, a great stop along the trip.



The turtle exhibits were by far one of Miss A's favorites. She spotted the turtles and would get incredibly excited! This one is for you, Mimi!



The butterfly house was another highlight of the park. Miss A was scared at first and then realized it was pretty neat to see all the butterflies flying around. A butterfly even landed on her head ... but I wasn't able to snap a great picture.



Paul Bunyon's treehouse. Miss A had the run of the mill at the kids park area.



The beautiful sundial bridge.



Riding in an old car in the museum. I honestly do not know what this exhibit was all about, but Miss A had a blast steering the wheel and playing old fashioned music on the radio.