Mouseke-potty time

We've been working on potty training for what feels like forever. Apparently A finally had the ah-ha moment and it's showing: we had an 8-day streak of no accidents! We're back on a 1-day streak at the moment, but it was a day out of the house on a bug adventure to Busch Gardens, so I feel like that should almost count as 2!)

Anyways, to help motivate we have been doing some rewards. For his first 5 stickers (1 sticker = accident free day; the 5 days don't have to be consecutive)  he got a Winnie the Pooh book. He LOVES Pooh and is quite happy with this prize. 

For his second run of 5 days he got to pick a toy. So off to Toys R Us we went. I was quite proud of his pick: a mouseketool set, complete with ears, tool bet and goggles. For those of you who don't watch Disney Junior, the new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is all about problem solving and requires the kids use tools to solve the problems. 

We are already off having adventures using the Mouseketools in the house and around the yard. So, here's to our next long accident-free run and the next big prize (10 stickers this time and maybe a new movie or book as the prize this time).

Over the River...

Last weekend we tacked a little vacation to Williamsburg on to the front of our trip to see Maga and Pop. Rather than deal with summer traffic of I-64, we decided to take a more scenic (and much more enjoyable) route over the James River.

It was A's first time on a ferry boat. He had a blast feeding the birds.

And of course as the song goes, we went to Grandmother's house (though we drove through Peanut fields and in Subaru, of course). We had a great time visiting, playing outside and eating delicious food.

We had a chance to visit downtown Portsmouth and the Children's museum. It puts our Discovery museum to shame (but of course we'll still go back).

What a great trip! We can't wait to see what adventurous route we take to get there next time!

Busch Gardens Fun

Recently I decided to get a season pass to Busch Gardens. I wasn't sure how A would like it, or if there would be enough for a kid his age, but I decided that since Disney is a little out of our comfort zone right now, this was a good way to ease in to the amusement park experience. 

Wow. First, I have always loved BG. It's shady and fun, and walking around is enjoyable. I love the idea of visiting different countries and experiencing their food and fun. Second, A clearly agrees with me. 

We started with the train ride. It gave me some time to look at the map, and this guy wasn't going to complain. If we had done nothing but ride the train all day, I think he would have been happy! We opted for one ride around the whole park (20 minutes). The best part? The conductor gave him a high-five! What more could a 2 year old ask for?!

Next up we decided to meet the horses. Petting the Clydesdales was fun, as was his first real ride: the Li'l Clydesdales. You can tell he's a fan.

And of course since we had passed Sesame Place on the train, we couldn't skip it. So, here we are in Sesame Place riding the big ride (I sat next to him on this one)...

and then meeting big Bird and Abbie; sadly, Elmo was on break. We'll meet him next time!

Then it was off to Italy for the balloon ride...

and Germany for the planes.

After 3 hours we had had enough and were getting hungry. Rather than end up with a cranky toddler, we headed out in search of dinner. In all we had a fabulous trip. We'll go back in a few weeks and teach his big cousin all about it. I'm sure he'll be a pro and want to show it off to everyone :) 

Fast little guy

As you may know, I enjoy running. I posted last year about my biggest fans for supporting me by giving me company (in the stroller) or watching A for me so I can take the time to stretch my legs. 

A knows I like to run and maybe it's starting to wear off on him. He's learning to run and boy, does he go fast. I didn't think he was too fast until I saw him outrun a kid a year older than him. So I started  paying attention. 

Maybe it won't stick, maybe it will, but I hope maybe next year we can do a fun run. In the meantime, Dad will just have to bring him along to cheer for me at the W4M in a few more weeks. 

Speaking of that (now here's the shameless plug) race, if you don't follow me on FB you haven't seen this link yet. So go check it out and think about giving a dollar or two to help women get the proper screening for breast cancer.

https://womens4miler.dominiondigital.com/donations.asp