Smelly Pants

My Robbie has encopresis.  The definition is the voluntary or involuntary passage of stools in a child who has been toilet trained (typically over age 4), which causes the soiling of clothes.  What does this mean for me?  We have poop pants twice a day.  I have been trying so hard to keep positive with him, because he can't help it.  At some point it hurt when he went potty, so he started holding it.  The muscle that sends the signal to your brain that you gotta go is so stretched that it doesn't work.


So how do I fix this?  He has to take a dose of miralax daily, has to do booty exercises, and he has to sit on the potty for 5 minutes at a time twice a day.  I have been working really hard to make sure all of this happens each and every day.  I think I do a pretty fair job but not perfect.  
I'm just ready for a week, a month, two months to pass by and I realize that he's had clean underwear all day...


Also this is causing pee issues too.  So it'd be nice to throw in a non-wet bed every morning too.  I stopped buying night pullups and just put one of Em's diapers on him.  I hate it.  But I can't afford the pullups anymore when there's no end in sight.


So I will keep forging on.  Hoping there will be an end sometime soon.
Has anyone dealt with this before?  What did you do?  I'll take any advice I can get!!

Positive Thoughts

I posted on the BirminghamMommies forum tonight asking everyone to write a positive comment about the person above.  It got me thinking.  How often do we compliment those around us?  I used to strive to compliment as many people as possible each day.  I wanted it to become a habit.
They say that it takes 30 days to make something a habit.  That seems like a long time, but really why should it be hard to make a positive impact on someone?  I have been a "Negative Nancy" since I lost my job, but  I want to turn that around.  I want my kids to see me happy and I want them to see me doing and saying nice things for anyone we pass.
I challenge each of you to do them same.  What's the point in being a "Debbie Downer" all the time?  Make a positive impact in one way or another to as many people as you can every day!

The Un-Techie Mom

So I have this desktop and I had an HP printer but I couldn't find the software.  My BIL and sis told me to download a driver.  Ok, sure.  I tried that and a big nothing.
So they give me their scanner, printer, combo--yay!  So I plug it in and I'm immediately IMing my sister, "How to I hook it up to the computer? I have the cord with the big piece and the square piece but I don't see a place for the square piece."  After numerous googles of the back of the printer...I finally have it in--another yay!!
Oh, I forgot to mention that the reason I have a desktop and not a laptop is that I was trying to upload pics and somehow the laptop fell (me, my sons, the cat?  I dunno) directly onto the SD card.  BIL says it compromised the mother board...oops.  So I'm on the desktop.  Also that means I have to get a new SD card.  Now, about 4 months later, I bought a cheap one.  So I load it in my little, pink camera to take to soccer.  Oh....the batteries have enough life for 3 pics...!!!
BUT I got a great one showing my son acting like his nutty self on the field.  *Lightbulb* Great blog idea!  Let's upload the pic...
So into the SD card slot on the computer...nothing.  Ok, in the printer? Nothing.  I google "Canon MP470 and SD card for uploading pics to the computer."  Yes, great googling skills...There's a tutorial!!!  But it says a popup will appear after I put it in the slot.  NOPE!!
Thus the Un-Techie Mom.  I IMed my sister, but she probably glanced, laughed, and went back to sleep.  I wouldn't help me either.  I'm beyond that...
So...instead of a great pic of my non-soccer playing boy, here's something I found via Google (always. Ass my friends Steph says...you can Google everything!!)

Painted By U

*This review is my own opinion. I was not paid by Painted By U for this review*


Friday night was Mom's Night Out.  I can't tell you how excited I was to go with the BirminghamMommies without either of my children.  I didn't really care what we did, but our event was SO MUCH FUN!
We went to Painted By U in Hoover.  I didn't know what to expect.  In my mind, I'm super crafty.  On the outside, not so much.  So I was a little nervous.  I walked in a little late, of course, to be greeted by some of the mommies that had gotten there on time.  They were milling around looking at pieces of pottery to pick out.  


Amanda was the one working and I didn't see her at first, but she soon appeared. She answered my questions on the prices of the pieces that weren't marked and showed comparable pieces if one was out of stock.  Amanda pointed us to the private room we reserved.  If you have more than 8 paying and less than 18, you can reserve a room for $25.  You get the $25 back if 8 people pay (more on that part in a bit).


After we got our pizza that my kind sister and fellow BirminghamMommies manager, Ally, picked up.  We met out in front of the paints.  Amanda explained the painting process and how we needed to do 3 coats to make the paint look how it should after it's fired.  She told us where to find pencils to sketch our designs, stencils, and different kinds of paint for writing.


I had chosen a cross and the example they had was zebra printed with the word "Faith" in the middle.  I liked the idea of a word but I decided I wanted our last name.  I did not like the idea of zebra print so I asked Amanda for some ideas.  She said I should do stripes on the outside and polka dots on the top. I picked my colors-pink and purple, of course. And I got to work.


I think it turned out okay.  Next time I will really take my time. I might also take advantage of their handwriting skills.  You can pay $1 a word up to $5 for them to write for you.  I think our name is the worst part of my cross.  All in all, it went fine.


At the end we checked out and that was the only part I was a little put off about.  Ally had reserved the room on her card. They told her if 8 people paid, she'd get her money back.  The cost for each person was $6 plus the pottery. Ally had chosen a plate and her total was about $21.  Amanda informed Ally that they couldn't give her the $4 back on her card that she didn't spend, but that she wouldn't owe any more that day.  Of course Ally would've picked a larger piece had she known they were going to keep her money she fronted.  Lesson learned.


I'm excited to pick my piece up next week all glazed and fired!  I will definitely be going back because you can take your baby before his or her first birthday to make a piece with their hand or footprints for free!  I can't wait to go back.  I have already asked the Mommies if we can have another MNO here again and they're all for it!  Thanks Painted By U for a great night!!

Mommy Freak Out Moment

Have you ever gotten something in your head that something has happened to your child and then you rush to find that everything is as it should be?
Yeah, I did that yesterday.  Emmett was staying with his grandma for the first time overnight.  I knew from experience that there was little to no cell reception there, but that just left my mind.  I couldn't reach her and I was just conviced something crazy had happened.  I had visions of house fires, flipped car, home invasion, and I don't even know what else.  They live over an hour away so I threw clothes on Robbie and myself, jumped in the car with no gas, and started driving.  Of course I had to stop and get gas along the way, but I was freaking out the whole time I was pumping it.  I got there and she just looked at me like I was crazy.  She understood, of course, because she has 3 kids, 3 grandchildren, and one on the way.  I felt a little dumb, but it satisfied me to know that he was just fine.  He was super happy to see me and I was elated to see him.
Who wouldn't be? Look at this cutie!

I hope everyone else has had a moment like mine.  I'd love to hear about them.  Post below!!

KitchenAid Artisan Mixer Giveaway!!

I know I just posted a bit ago but I really want one of these!!
Go here to try to win one for yourself!

Thanks to Commercial Industrial Supply for the chance to win!!

Projects, Projects, Projects

I let this go by the wayside, but I'm back!


I have so much going on and I'm so excited to document it all!


First, I started selling Tupperware!  Visit my Facebook page here!  I am really excited about this, because not only will I be able to make some money to help my family out but I will also get to spend time with my boys.  That's the best part.  I have loved being home, and I don't know that I'm ready to give that up yet.  So hopefully (with everyone's help!) this will work out.

Second, I am going to be creating a scrapbook for Robbie's PK class.  I'm just waiting on the CD of pics so I can get started.  I have done scrapbooks before, but this one will be shown to anyone that goes to Robbie's classroom.  So I have a lot on my shoulders with this one.  I'm hoping it turns out GREAT!


Lastly (well, probably not lastly, but lastly for this post), I am working on Emmett's 1st Birthday.  It is going to be Very Hungry Caterpillar themed.  I am going to try to post all the decos, food, etc that I am making.  This is going to be the most fun of all of my projects.  I'm super excited, because I have the location down.  I just need to start buying all the supplies for my decos and crafts!

That's all of my projects for now. 
Except...Robbie is in soccer and I'm the team mom so I'll be planning the party.  Also his graduation from PK is the actual day of Emmett's bday.  So I'll have a TON going on the month of May.  Oh, don't forget that I'm now the Chapter Manager of BirminghamMommies.com.  I have been busy planning so great events like a firestation tour, a trip down to the BlueBell factory, bubble parties, and more. Whew! I'm exhausted thinking about all that...
For now, I'm going to go start getting ready for Mom's Night Out tonight with the Mommies!!  Can't wait to paint something awesome!!  Painting, food, friends, and maybe a little wine.  Can't get much better than that! :)