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!!

Suitcases, Santa & More

Oh. My. Goodness. The last 2 weeks feels like an eternity! E.T.E.R.N.I.T.Y. And just think....we only have about 3 1/2 weeks of living out of suitcases to go! We are so blessed to be able to spend this time visiting friends and family and i don't want to forget that. But DANG! I am so ready to find our next house and make it a home. To settle down and put this away for a while....

I'm going to do my best to sum up everything that has happened over the last couple of weeks but forgive me if this post ends up a lil long!

Last Monday we checked into the hotel that would be home for our last week in Oak Harbor. The "room" was amazing! It was a 2 bedroom suite and was so spacious....which was such a blessing! With the stress and emotion of the move we really enjoyed having room to spread out and relax and unwind each night. The boys had their own bedroom so John and I could still have our time in the evenings and we were able to keep the routine pretty much the same! Another huge blessing in the room.....a laundry room! We were able to do all of our laundry before hitting the road which was so nice!! And the tub in the master bath...check this thing out....need i say more??

Things with the movers went really well! They had everything packed and loaded in 2 days which gave us plenty of time to clean and run last minute errands w/o rushing! We had more offers from friends to help out than we could even use and we are so very grateful to all of them. Last Thursday we turned in the keys to the house. The home that so many memories were made in. The home where our boys grew and learned so much. Where I grew to be the woman, wife, and mother that i am today. Colby went to school for the last time in the school where he attended his first day of kindergarten. It was very hard. Very emotional for me. It seemed all day long there was a continuous stream of memories going thru my mind. Good, bad and everything in between. Then we went and picked Colby up from school and got to stand outside the classroom for the last few minutes of the school day and hear all of his friends saying goodbye. We helped him pack all of his things into his backpack and we walked out while listening to Colby talk of all the special things his teacher and class did for him that day. The one that really touched me the most was that his teacher made time in the day for his classmates to write letters to Colby. Each of them was so special and i know this meant so much to Colby. That evening we had dinner with our closest friends which was such a blessing. It was so hard to say goodbye but such a blessing to have that one last evening with all of them.

Then last Friday we hit the road! Said goodbye to Whidbey Island, WA and all it has meant to us and we said a teary eyed hello to what God has in store for us. The drive was fairly uneventful. We learned that Brayden is not as great a road tripper as Colby but with a little patience and distraction we were able to keep him pretty entertained most of the way. We oohed and aahed at the wonder of God's creation as we made our way south through Washington, Oregon, and California! We got to stay in southern California and have dinner with some wonderful friends who moved a few months ago which was alot of fun! The kids exchanged Christmas gifts and we enjoyed catching up! Finally on Tuesday we crossed the Texas state line!! And the most ironic part of the trip by far is that we drove through several mountain passes in the northern part of our trip and didn't see ANY snow! We drove into Texas and hit a pretty good snow storm. In West Texas. SERIOUSLY?!? We couldn't help but laugh at the irony! And late that night we made it to John's parents house. Exhausted and ready to be out of the car but thankful that we made it safely!

We haven't been back home to visit since we moved to Washington so it is fun to be back and to see what has changed and what hasn't! The boys are thoroughly enjoying being spoiled by Grandma and Papa Culka(as they call them) and Uncle Eric! Poor Uncle Eric lost all rights to privacy or relaxation and gained two little admirer's and tag alongs! The boys just can't get enough of their Eric!

Wednesday night we decided to go to dinner and then come home and open gifts! The boys were sooooo excited and even more so when they came home and found this.....

That's right! A note from Santa's elf Jingles explaining that Grandma and Papa 'Culka had written and asked if Santa could come a little early to their house! The guy in the big red suit couldn't make it as he was busy building toys but he happily sent his best elf Jingles with a little something special!! And what might that little something special be you ask?? It's a......

And oh yes...there has been a lot of wii playing going on!! We LOVE it! Best money spent in a long time!! I can see many family nights spent playing the wii together! Santa also sent a wii fit for Mommy and Daddy which i am really excited about! All of it is great.....i have nothing bad to say about the system so far!

Tomorrow, John's mom is throwing a huge party and has invited all of the extended family and John's friends! We are expecting about 75 people!! There will be a bouncy house for the kiddos to play in, lots of food, and lots of catching up! It should be a good time...we are looking forward to it! I'll do my best to snap a few pictures and post them in the next few days!!

And thats about it for now! It was tough to try to remember and write all that the last two weeks has held! Thank you all for your sweet comments and patience while my posting has been so unpredictable!!