Success!

Since i have posted now about how frustrating potty training can be i have to share the exciting news that it is safe to say Brayden is potty trained!!!!! He hasn't even had an accident since Monday and then it was just 1! He does still wear a pull up at night but that is ok with me. I know that will come! He is such a big boy and had alot of fun on his special trip to the store to pick undies!! He chose super heroes and cars! So cute....i love to see his little tush in big boy undies! We are so proud of him and will now be looking into preschools for him to start in the fall, which he is very excited about. A lady in one of my bible studies once told me "never judge a situation when you're in the middle of it" and what wise advice it is! While there are indeed some frustrating parts of potty training, when looking back i see that it really wasn't that bad! 2 days of him testing the limits and peeing himself and pushing on anyway and that was it!! What a big boy we have on our hands now!!! =)

My Oh My

And the drama continues on another episode of the Bachelor! I don't know about you guys but i got some really good laughs last night! Drama, laughing, a lil fallin' in love......just my kinda tv! So where to begin....

The singing competition was great. Most of the songs were silly and fun and i thought they did a good job of just going with the flow! Megan w/ her "there will be baby makin', i'm sure i won't be fakin'".....ummm...are you serious? Tacky! Thought Nikki did ok for being so not into it but a song for your future baby? I'm pretty sure the show is about him, and you and him, not about the future babies you may or may not have.

The one on one date w/ Molly. I saw the previews so i knew she spent the night but it still kinda surprises me. The date went well but i think they could have done without the sound effects after they went into the tent. Ya know what i mean? I think Molly will probably be going on a home town date.

The group date was...well....drama. And lots of it! Shannon was awkward as always and the whole picking her nose and then handing him the snot rag was gross. Like i cringed for him. And then the kiss.....and the napkin on her face. The whole thing was just not good. At all. Megan's kiss was odd....it didn't even seem passionate...it just looked like she was attacking him. I felt bad for Melissa and Naomi because they have genuine connections with him and it had to be hard to watch all of the kissing. Not such a great date idea but it made for dramatic tv!

The 2 on 1 date is always hard to watch. It's just got to be hard to have that pressure knowing that one of them is going home. I think he made the right decision but I still just don't see the romantic connection w/ Stephanie. I think they connect in alot of ways and it seems to me like he really really wants there to be more of a romantic connection but it just isn't there. Maybe the network is hiding alot so it just seems that way but i just don't see it.

I'm not surprised at all that he didn't give out the final rose and i think it was a great choice. The 5 that are left are great girls but i do have to say that i am partial to Melissa aka Mel. (so cute that he calls her Mel!) They just fit and have from the beginning. I'm torn on what will happen next week...who do you guys think will be the one to go home and why? Who will the hometown dates be with?? Can't wait to hear what ya'll are thinking!

I Kandoo this!

I'm just going to be really honest here and put it out there that in my opinion potty training is the single most FRUSTRATING part of parenting. I loathe it and it exhausts me because i can't have a loathing attitude and expect success ya know?!?

So as of my last post (on saturday morning) Brayden was doing GREAT! But then like not even 30 minutes after i posted he peed all over the kitchen floor. Ok...an accident here and there is to be expected....no biggie. Accept then every time he peed on saturday he did it on either the kitchen floor or the BATHROOM FLOOR. Yes. You read that right. On the bathroom floor and when asked if he was trying to make it to the potty he smiled ever so sweetly and said "nope". AAAAHHHHH. I wanted to scream but i kept my cool. Tomorrow will be better i told myself. And it was slightly better but he still had multiple accidents. Starting to get frustrated but holding it together. And then today it was like he was back to his old self and he went on the potty every single time. Until Daddy came home from work and then he peed his pants. I'm noticing now that when Daddy is at work he does awesome with the potty. When Daddy is home...not so much. Can't say for sure yet if this is a true pattern...time will tell. But what i do know is that i'm thankful that i made him continue to wear undies through the weekend even though he had accident after accident. It took a little courage....we tried a new church on sunday and we were very tempted to send him to sunday school in a pull up but we stuck to the undies and he did great! I spent a couple hours in Colby's classroom today and Brayden came along. It was very tempting again to put him in a pull up "just in case". But i stuck to the undies and he did great. So all in all i think we are doing ok......its just so darn frustrating. But this too shall pass and in my glass half full kinda mindset i'm going to say that a week from now i'll be telling you all about how pull ups are a thing of the past and we can safely say he is potty trained! Even with all of the accidents i think we are definitely making progress.

And for now i am going to sign off as i need to get the boys settled and tucked into bed, make a cup of hot tea and get comfy for The Bachelor!!!!!! Oh my goodness....my thoughts on tonight's episode tomorrow morning! Oh yeah...and all of you west coast chica's...don't be too jealous...it comes on here in about 20 minutes. And in like 2 or 3 hrs for you ladies. Not that i'm rubbing it in or anything but it is a pretty fantastic perk of living on the eastern side of the good ole US of A!! ;)

Potty Update!

I couldn't be prouder of my little man!!!! He wore his "supermans" aka big boy undies ALL day yesterday w/ NO accidents!!!!! He did so well! We even ventured out to the mall and did some shopping and he told us when he had to go. (yes i was a little unsure of going out on day 1 of such a huge transition but figured if he has an accident we'll change him. Right?!?) But he didn't! Oh i am so excited you don't even know! I guess i do have to say that he had an accident while he was down for his nap but i'm not too concerned with the "while sleeping" issue for now. He slept in a pull up last night but put his undies on again when he woke up this morning!!! If he continues today with no accidents we told him we would take him to the store tonight and let him pick new undies!! I think this may be it....like this may really be it! And if he does good all week i'm thinking we will have a little potty party for him next weekend! This was such a struggle the last time we tried and i finally just decided to let go of it and that when we got all settled here i would think about trying again, so this is such a huge blessing that he is doing this on his own! Keep your fingers crossed for us and i'll keep everyone updated!!!

Please say it isn't a Dream.....

So last night John and I were hanging out in the office talking and in comes Brayden. With the entire contents of his big boy underwear drawer. You know...the one we haven't used in like FOREVER because last time we tried it was a nightmare. You can read about it here. So, anyway...for the first time in MONTHS he actually showed interest in the big boy underwear again. He knows that he can't go to school until he goes potty on the toilet. He knows that he can't play baseball, or soccer, or any other sport until he goes on the toilet. He just hasn't cared. And we have tried hard to encourage but not pressure him. Its a fine line that's difficult to navigate at times but we are trying. Well last night when he suddenly showed this renewed interest i asked him if he would like to wear the big boy underwear today and he said yes. So he is. He is in big boy underwear. And we let him pick his clothes and explained that if he goes potty in his underwear it will get all over his "rockstar" shirt and his pants he chose. So we'll see! Maybe this is it! I'm cautiously excited....i don't want to get too excited to avoid being hugely disappointed but i'm indeed hopeful! Please pray for me. Pray that i will have patience, that He will give me wisdom and endless encouragement for my little man so that i can help him to succeed. I'll update tonight and let ya know how it goes!! For now i will leave you with a picture of my lil man this morning!

Random Observations

So...as i work on adjusting to this new state, city, neighborhood, etc. there are just a few things that i have observed. And i'm going to share them here if for no other reason than to just get them off my chest!



* Apparently there is an unspoken 30 second red light rule...as in...once the light turns red most would stop right? Not here! The unspoken 30 second rule must be something like this....While the law says that a red light means stop, here in Pensacola you can still go for approx. 30 seconds after the light is red. SERIOUSLY. It scares me to death....i'm getting used to the other side of that unspoken rule which is wait a while after the light turns green before you go. That way if somebody in the "practicing the unspoken 30 second rule" club happens to be approaching the intersection your at they won't plow into you. CRAZY! Like SCARY crazy!

* While we're on the subject of driving here....i'm becoming more and more convinced that they do not teach turn signal usage in Florida driving schools. I'm just sayin'! For the love of all things good could these people just use a turn signal?!?



* Florida schools are WAY advanced compared to Washington schools. I am just amazed at how vastly different the level of curriculum and expectations are. This has made for a bit of a tough adjustment for Colby. And an overwhelming couple of weeks of trying to figure out how in the world to help him catch up and adjust in the midst of everything else that has been going on. Thankfully, we have been blessed with a wonderful teacher who has been in constant contact with me and is all for working together with us to make sure he is encouraged w/ positivity and that we are all doing what is best for him. Colby is doing well and is improving each day. I can't ask for anything more from him. I am consumed w/ the thought that there should be some kind of national standard for curriculum that would prevent this from being an issue.



* I despise unpacking. It is hands down the worst part of this lifestyle. I don't like having to spend so much time trying to figure out what will work where and what we have that we can use and what we can't. It's exhausting and i'm so ready to just be done. Like completely done. Anybody out there happen to be a good motivator?? I think i need a swift foot up my rear to get motivated to finish this whole unpacking thing up!



* I'm pretty sure i always hear this state referred to as "sunny Florida". And i guess i mistakenly thought that meant that it wouldn't be cold here. The key word there was mistakenly. I've had to scrape ice off of my windshield more times than i can count on one hand in the couple of weeks we've been in the house. Not a big deal but very unexpected!

* It's dangerous to have Sonic and Chick-fil-a around again! Neither of them does me any favors in my quest to lose weight. But after 3 years of not having them it's a fierce battle i'm facing! Fierce indeed. And for the most part i'm winning but sometimes i just can't take it and i give in. Like right now i'm craving a big fat sonic burger. Will i give in or stay strong? We shall see!



* I need a girls night. Or a girls morning of coffee and girl talk. Or just a girl friend period. In the last 2 and 1/2 weeks i've talked to a whopping 5 people. My husband and kiddos make up 3 of that 5. I've also talked to Colby's teacher (which isn't very "fun" talk right now) and to a friend of ours from Whidbey Island who is here now. Only that friend is a single dude....not exactly someone i can call up and hang out with. *sigh* I'm really missing all my girlfriends right about now!

I guess i'll stop rambling now! Oh it feels good to get all that off my chest! I must go fold laundry and put away the growing pile of folded clothes!! Hope everyone is having a fantastic week!

The Sweetest Words

It was a typical weekend night. The boys were all tucked into Colby's bed and excited that Colby didn't have school the next day so they could sleep together. We said prayers and sang and then as i tucked them both in one last time Colby said the sweetest words i've ever heard. With an ear to ear grin on his precious face he said "Your the best Mommy and Daddy ever!" Tears filled my eyes as i kissed him and told him how very much i loved him. I am so humbled by such unconditional love. I am so far from perfect in any way but most definitely as a Mommy. I lose my cool, my patience runs out at times, I forget to send lunch money or a snack to school....oh how far i am from perfect. Yet in this little boys eyes i'm the best. How blessed am i that God chose me to give this child to?!? I am overwhelmed with gratitude that God has given me the opportunity to love and nurture these lil men and i am ever so grateful for the love they have for me. I never knew love like i do now until i held Colby in my arms that first time. And so when i am tempted to lose my cool, when my patience seems to be running out...I will pray. Pray that i can be all that God would have me be for these precious gifts I call my sons. Pray that He would give me the strength to not lose my cool, to be patient and do my best to live up to being the "best mommy ever"!

Oh my goodness ya'll!

Let's talk Bachelor, shall we?? I'd say the theme for last night's episode would easily be DRAMA!!! Crazy drama! And there was so many things that i was thinking while watching it but i didn't take notes so i'll probably forget half of what i wanted to say but here it goes....

The date w/ Stephanie and her lil girl was so sweet!! And i'll say it again...i really wish there was something more there but i don't see the connection there on a romantic level like i see with other girls. I could be wrong but i just don't see the two of them ending up together. But....John and I agree that she would be a strong candidate for the next bachelorette!?!

I was not at all upset to see Natalie go.......she just wasn't for him. And i'm going to have to borrow this from my bloggy friend at a boy, a girl, and a pug because she said it so well...."the girl really could of gone on a date with just the diamonds"!! Couldn't have said it any better! And is it just me or is it just a little odd that when asked to say something about herself she said "i really like bears".....WHAT? That one cracked me up!

The group date was fabulous! What a neat idea and a great way to have fun, give back, and get to know the girls! Shannon and Nikki were just awkward.....it just isn't there. Loved Jillian again! She is so fun! Melissa was cute as always.....i probably would have kept the whole breast reduction thing to myself but whatev! Megan needs to go.....she always seems to be at the center of the drama and seems a little too rough and confrontational. I just really don't see him with someone like that! (because don't ya know that i am the expert on who is best for Jason. ha!) Kari seemed sweet but just didn't seem cut out for that type of dating environment! (i'm right there w/ her....how in the world these girls do it is beyond me!)

Did you see the previews of next week....the part that showed him saying he couldn't give out the final rose?!? Can't wait to see what that is about! And when in the world is Deanna coming back?? I'm not sure how many girls he eliminates next week but i say there are four more that could have gone last night....Lauren, Megan, Nikki, and Shannon.......beyond that i am a little torn! Its going to be fun to see how it all plays out!!

Undecided

I used to never have any trouble making decisions. I would decide on something and that would be it. Now? Not so much....i have issues. Serious issues with making a solid decision on some things. One of those things is my blog design.....i'm not sure if i like it or not. And it may take me a few days to get it figured out and find something i'm happy with. So be patient with me....i promise i'll make up my mind soon! =)

ps....The Bachelor is on tonight!!!!!!

All together now....B-A-C-H-E-L-O-R!!!

Wow Wow Wow Wow Wow!! I'm loving this season! Sooooo much to talk about here especially since i didn't get to post about last week!!!

Lets start with last week......I actually didn't have any real stand outs. The three that kind of stood out to me were Jillian, Melissa, and Nikki. Shannon with her over the top knowledge was a little crazy to me and while the hotdog thing with Jillian was a little strange it was quirky and for some reason i thought it was kind of cute. And then there was the previews w/ Deanna. WHAT?!? I'm skeptical, i have to admit.....they tend to really chop different scenes and play them all together in previews to get us all worked up! That one is driving me nuts....HAVE to know what her being back is all about!

AND

Last night! Wow! There are two in my mind that are definite stand outs!! But first i will start with the opposite...

*Raquel~ A little over the top to hop in the limo like she did and i love that Jason cannot hide what he's thinking....his face says it all!! He was totally weirded out and i would have been too! And then her comment about finding someone who would love her enough that if something happened to her they wouldn't want to find someone else......STRANGE to say the least. Not surprised she is gone!

*Shannon~ This girl annoys me to no end! I think it is completely odd that she knows so much about his family...its one thing to know his and Ty's b-days, but to know his siblings names, who they are dating/married to, their kids names.....that is a little much! And the immature little things she does when he is spending time with other girls drives me nuts........she needs to go!

*Lauren~ Oh my goodness...this girl! "Thank God it wasn't me" when speaking of the first 1 0n 1 date??!! Are you serious? Heaven forbid you have to wear your hair up while you spend time with the man you are there to get to know and possibly fall in love with! This isn't a pageant sweetie! Way too needy and self absorbed to take on the role of a step mom in my opinion!

And now on to the two that i really like right now for him! The two 1 on 1 dates last night were great!

* Jillian is very confident and sure of herself but not in a stuck up kind of way! She seems quirky and passionate and fun and they are great together! The date was fantastic and i'm really liking her for him!

* Melissa stood out to me last week as "his type" and she seemed really sweet! Last night she stood out even more......their date was fabulous as well. Kinda cheesy but hey....it's reality tv so i'll let it slide! She seems really fun and sweet!

Those are the two that really stand out to me right now as having a great connection with him right off the bat! Stephanie is such a sweetheart and so genuine but i just don't see much of a connection there yet. I want there to be because she is such an amazing woman but so far i'm just not seeing it. And there are a couple of other girls who are cute but several of them are a little more quiet and reserved this season so we will have to see how everything plays out!!

Next Monday can't come soon enough! What are everyone else's thoughts?!? Talk to me!! And ps....loved the nerdy dance he did on the group date! Too funny!! Can't wait to hear what everyone else it thinking!! =)

There's No Place Like Home!

So...i've thought and thought about how in the world i could write about our whole visit to Texas and keep it at a reasonable length. And i've come to the conclusion that i can't! So i am going to share some of my favorite pictures with a brief description of each and by doing so will share my favorite highlights of the visit!

It was actually really cold when we first got to Texas so John's mom (aka Culka) gave the boys each one of her jackets......they loved them and they became their star wars costumes! They had a blast!

For the big party at John's parents house, his mom rented a jumpy castle and to say the least it was a hit! I think the boys jumped about 4 hrs and 45 minutes of the 5 hr rental!! A shot of the boys jumping before everyone got there.......

One of my bestest girlfriends (like since elementary school...love this girl!) braved the 2 hr drive to John's parents for the party! It was so special to get to see her sooner than expected!! Here is me & Tracy!

Culka loves to bake and the boys love any chance to spend time with their Culka so they took some time to bake together one afternoon!

Once we said goodbye to John's family we traveled to see my family and friends!! My girlfriend, Tracy, hosted a get together at her house for some of my best friends. We had such a great time visiting and watching the kids play! The kiddos all got along so well and it was fun to watch them all make friends so quickly! When the kids all sat down to open their gifts they just happened to sit in order from youngest to oldest! Caiden-2, Madison & Brayden-3, Kaitlyn-5, Colby-7, & Maddy-10!

On Christmas Eve we were blessed to get to spend the afternoon and evening @ my Papa and Grandma Lil's home! This was the tradition for me growing up and for us before we left for Washington so it was special for me to be able to be there with them again! Now, i know in alot of places people marvel at the beauty of snow and play in the fluffy white stuff around Christmas. Not in Texas! The boys raked leaves for Papa and then played in them! They had so much fun and we enjoyed watching the joy they found in such simplicity!

The boys spent quite a bit of time with my Mom which was special to them and to me! They went to lunch at McDonalds and to the pet store one afternoon. The boys LOVE going to pet stores! And then they got to go to the movies with my Mom and Meemi (my grandma) our last afternoon there. It was just such a blessing to me for the boys to have this time to make memories with their grandparents! Here is a pic of the boys w/ my Mom and step dad, who the boys call Granny and Papi...

And last but not least~Santa visited a second time!! (actually you may remember his elf jingles helped him out the first time but anyway...) Colby got a microscope set and 2 sets of pre prepared slides which he LOVES! And Brayden got a batcave toy he wanted which he has really enjoyed! Here is the loot and a shot of the boys Christmas morning....

These were just a few of the very special memories made during our visit! We feel so blessed to have had the time with all of our friends and family and can't wait to make it back to see everyone again!!

Alive

Just had to drop in like REAL QUICK and let you all know that I am alive!! The madness in the Miculka house has been over the top but we are in our new home and things are moving along! We just got the internet at home last night and i have been trying to catch up on email and blog reading inbetween unpacking, laundry, and all the usual day to day chores! Colby had his first day of school here today(long story as to why he just started) and i am off to pick him up shortly!! I pray you all had a wonderful Holiday season and that the new year is bringing lots of happiness and joy your way! I'll be back soon with thoughts on the Bachelor (OH MY GOODNESS), some favorite pictures from our visit with family and friends in Texas and pictures of our new home!!