Life Lessons at the Drinkall Home

I wouldn't quite say I'm potty training Max in full force these days.  I more so pick a time of the day I don't mind sitting....for eons...and place Max on the pot.  What do we do then you ask?  Oh, the opportunities are endless...

We play Dr. Max

We watch "toons"

Heck, we even eat snacks...

Alright!  Alright!  What life lessons have we learned, you ask?  Allow me to share:

1.  Don't allow your naked son to grab his own snack.  The cool breeze from the fridge may result in the following:

(Yes, folks.  That's a piddle in my fridge.)

2.  Don't leave your naked son alone in a playroom while you clean pee from your fridge.  It may result in this:

(Let's just say I had to use some of this to get turds off the rug... not to mention books, socks, the potty itself, etc. etc.)

3.  Always take time to explain to your son that it's okay to eat corn from a cobb or a plate but NOT okay to eat it after it's been "processed".  On second note, maybe it's best to keep corn off the menu during potty training.  (No, he didn't eat it.  I caught him before that happened.  Gross?  Yes!  True?  Unfortunately.)  

Due to the graphic content of this nature, no photograph will be displayed.  

You're welcome!  :)

4.  Take time to relax and enjoy your son's company.  Talk about dinosaurs, practice your colors and shapes.  Read books.  Let him listen to your heartbeat and check your ears.  Feed him applesauce.  Allow him to drink on the pot.  (It may speed things up!)  It worked for us!

(Yep!  We got a pee in the potty!  Yay!)

5.  Most importantly, CELEBRATE SUCCESS!!!  

(Might we recommend a little Olive Garden dinner?!)

Way to go, Maxer!  We are proud of you!

There you have it!  A few life lessons learned at the Drinkall home this past week!  

Love,

Lis

Potty Like a Rockstar

"oooooooooooo!  I smelt it... therefore I must have dealt it!"

My friend, Abby, sent Max a BOON potty.  I immediately put the potty in our bathroom in hopes Max would gain interest in the idea.  Hey, I'm all for potty training the little guy.  Buying a 20 dollar box of diapers is NOT my idea of fun!  Well, Max DID show interest.  He caught on to sit on it.  He even caught on to make the "pssssssssssssssssssssssssssss" noise as he sat on it.  

Not long after the potty arrived, I purchased this movie:

Max loves Elmo so I thought he might get some pointers from the furry red dude.  The movie definitely entertained Max.  He'd laugh and watch it on repeat all the while running back and forth from the bathroom to the playroom (where his DVD players is).  I decided to make life easier on Max and place the potty in the playroom so that he could have a hands on experience with the potty and Elmo's encouragement.  I am not sure if this was the proper thing to do but I think we started to make some progress today...

It was right after dinner tonight when Mike and I heard Max yell, "ELMO!" while he was tugging at his bottom.  It appears he is associating Elmo with the potty now.  Ha!  We raced Max to the playroom and yanked his clothes off in hopes to catch him before he went potty.  No such luck.  There were Lincoln Logs already in his diaper.  Oh well, baby steps.  Right?!  We still put him on the pot just to follow through and to maybe catch a surprise.  Nope.  We did get a "psssssssssssssssssss" out of him though.  

A perfect ending to a night geared toward the potty included some free play with a prank ap on my phone.  "Pull My Finger".  Max thought it was hilarious.

Appropriate or not, we agree with Max.  It IS hilarious.  Enjoy the video!  :)

Love,
Lis

Body Sculpting: The Drinkall Way

After numerous people asking Mike, Max and I , "How do you do it?  How do you keep in SUCH great shape?!  Why your whole family could be featured on the cover of In Shape magazine!!!"  I've decided to post our family secret to our rock hard bods.  Please take note.

Step #1:  

Cover your body with BOON bath toys after a messy dinner consisting of burgers, carrots, apples and cottage cheese.  Don't forget to splash about.  This is a great water aerobic exercise, especially for the upper quadrant of your body.

Step #2:  

Hop in the family car and mosey on over to your local ice cream establishment.  (Our family favorite is Tastee Freeze.)  Order one small vanilla shake and one small chocolate shake.  Make sure everyone shares these shakes so it appears you aren't drinking the whole thing.  This is the portion control of our diet plan.  Oh, and the key to success is to keep one family member in the back seat.  You'll burn twice as many calories constantly straining your arm to the back to allow for equal shake sharing opportunities.  

sugar low?!

sugar high?!

sugar content :)

Step #3:

Make sure your mind is still in the game.  Willpower is a necessity when it comes to staying in shape Drinkall style.  Go home, put your itty bitty to bed, and plop down on the couch.  It's important to cool down from your strenuous activities.  Do so by turning the television on to your favorite infomercial channel.  Kick your feet up and watch others work out on the big screen.  It's much more motivating to know you aren't alone in your quest for the perfect bod.  

(Repeat daily for best results,)

View from the Drinkall couch 

Well, there you have it folks.  The cat is out of the bag.  The Drinkall secret to staying sexy and svelte has been unveiled.  We wish you luck with your body makeover challenge!

Love,

Lis

Lazy/Crazy Day

Mr. Max woke up at 6:30 this morning.  It was my turn to get up early with him.  It's much easier to do this when the sun is shining (which it was) so I couldn't complain!  I got to cuddle my little man on the couch while we watched "toons" and waited for dad to wake up.  Max saved some cuddles for daddy too!

While I cleaned out and organized Max's closet due to the massive amount of new clothing he has gotten for summer, Mike and Max took a wagon ride around the neighborhood.  Max looked so cool in his new wagon with his "sun g's" on.  We've spent months trying to get him to wear the darn things so he wouldn't scream "OW! EYES" in the backseat of the car.  He finally decided he likes them.   After the wagon, Mike took Max out back to swing a bit.  Check out our ultra cool swinger!

Remember how I said I was cleaning out Max's closet?  Well, today was that kind of day for me.  I was very busy.  Even on my hands and knees cleaning the kitchen floor!   I credit this to my excitement for summer which starts for Max and I on Friday afternoon!  (Pending I get my classroom checked out in time!)  Anyhoo.  I usually am working on homework, school work, or, well... let's be honest... creeping on Facebook.  I haven't been the most thoughtful housewife when it comes to preparing meals and keeping up with cleaning or laundry since I started teaching full time with Max in the picture.  Mike has been AWESOME at helping out.  Today was his day to slack. (He did mow the lawn and make lunch though!)

   Me:  working hard

Our TV:  soccer on all day

Mike:  knows I want to kick him :)  (love ya, babe)

Max was full of it after his bath tonight.  We snapped some pics of him using his bed as a jungle gym. Enjoy!  

"Hmmm... doesn't look so far down from here!"

"Oh, snap!  I forgot the floor is hard!"

"No worries, I'm okay!"

"ENOUGH, Mom!"

"No photos, please.  This isn't my best hair day if you can't tell!"

After a nice relaxing weekend with my family, I'm ready to get the show on the road for this week.  I've got 23 second graders to love up for a final week and then Max is ALL MINE for summer!  Best feeling ever!

Love,

Lis

Wedding Bliss...Hit or Miss

Today the Drinkall Family was invited to a wedding... 

Miss:

Max clearly was NOT compliant while exiting the car to the reception. After a promise of some "snackies" when we got inside, we were able to scrape our scowling toddler off the parking lot floor.  

Hit:

Max, Mike and I enjoyed numerous trips to the appetizer table.  Max's favorite:  Cheese.  Mike's favorite:  Shrimp (eww)  Lisa's favorite:  Fruit that actually tasted delicious!  (I have a horrible time picking out decent tasting fruit.)

Miss:

Food only entertained the young for so long.  After the two person restraint collapsed (Mike and I were too exhausted to hold Max down...) he ran loose.  It was only a matter of time before someone got hurt with him running around the place weaving between unaware guests.  (I got anxiety at this point, by the way.)

Hit:

Max became entertained once more at the safe haven of our table.  I say safe because his super hero buddies were there to protect us.  Heck, they were even there to protect Max's snackies from any hungry food snatchers. (Mike and myself)  We wouldn't dare steal from Max's super heros.  He's been practicing his "KA-POW!" sounds to intimidate.  

Miss:

Appetizers and super heroes could only last for so long.  Dinner hadn't even been served yet but Max made it clear to us that it was time to go.  He was exhausted and no longer wanted to partake in the wedding bliss. We left, put on our jammies, cuddled, and threw a cardboard pizza in the oven.  

Hit:

The Drinkall fam got to spent some much needed and deserved time TOGETHER!

Love,

Lis

Life's A Beach!

Aloha!  Today was beach day at school.  Funny they call it beach day.  When I think of a beach, I think of the calming sounds of waves, the warmth of sun, and smells of fresh water.  None of these were true today.  I heard 23 second graders constantly fighting over floaties to read on.  I felt a cheap grass skirt tickle my ankles each time I sat down where I would instantly smack my legs fearing spiders or ants!  Fresh smells?  Nope.  Try hot and humid bodies mixed with peanut butter from our beach picnic lunch.  Either way, I wouldn't trade my job for the world.  (Except maybe for the chance to stay home with Maxer.)  It's funny how attached I have become to these little critters.  Especially those extra tricky ones.  Happy beach day, kiddos.  You deserve it!

Update:  Mike was home with Max again.  He took Max to the doctor.  What a good daddy!  Max's temperature was still high as of late last night.  Ears checked out okay and no strep.  Just a virus.  Luckily he has maintained a temperature under 99 degrees for the majority of the day!  Yay!  I'm ready to have my energetic little man back!

Love,

Lis

The temperatures are rising...

...and I don't mean the weather, folks!  Nope.  Max is sick.  This all started yesterday right after bubbles and chalk.  Max was completely dandy watching t.v., eating a banana, and laughing at his own toots.  I decided to check his drawers after all those "hilarious" toots.  While he was getting his diaper changed he began to shake.  Luckily (depending upon how you look at it...) this had happened before back in November.  At that time Mike and I rushed Max to the clinic down the street where they told us he just had a fever and to give him Tylenol.  Apparently small children can shake when they spike a fever fast.  Their body responds to the drastic change in temperature by shaking.  I'm still skeptical about this but he ended up okay.  I was convinced he was dying.  Seriously.  Ask Mike.  He is my calm half.  I am naturally full of anxiety.  I'm fairly certain they red-flagged me at the office that evening because I was freaking out.  Is it too much to be seen when you think your kid is dying?  Anyway...back to yesterday...
Like I said, this had happened before.  I immediately assumed Max had a fever.  Most people grab a thermometer when they assume this.  I freaked out instead.  I swooped him up to take him to the doctor but then decided that it'd be a better idea to take my child to the doctor with a diaper and pants on so I finished that duty.  Meanwhile Max is still shaking.  I decided (against my will) to calm down for Max's sake.  Mike wasn't with me (can you guess where he was?  Yup!  Soccer!)  I grabbed Max's blankies and he began to settle down.   I couldn't find the thermometer so I called my dad and simply said, "Max is shaking again."  My dad was on his way.  Not knowing if I was going to wait for my dad or drive my little dude to the doctor again, I went outside.

...Not to sound ADD or anything but have I told you what wonderful neighbors us Drinkalls have?  Well, if not, they are AMAZING!  You see, when I went outside, I was able to walk down the street and everyone was helpful with advice and finding the neighborhood nurse to talk to.  We are so blessed to live where we do.  My anxiety level went down completely and Max actually stopped shaking.  (I'm sure him stopping the shaking helped my anxiety level as well!  (...or maybe my lower anxiety level made him stop shaking?  Eh.  Tomato, Tomauto)  At this point a loud screeching noise could be heard on all of Crandall.  AHHH!  The arrival of my equally anxiety-ridden dad!

My dad and I took Max inside.  He seemed to be doing better.  We couldn't get a good read on his temperature since he wouldn't sit still for the thermometer under his armpit but we could feel heat radiating off his body.   Amazingly, Max still wanted to play.  We finally got Max to settle down for a little movie with his grandpa in the playroom before bed.

        Max and his Gramps (Yep!  Snacking!)

Not knowing what Max's temperature was bothered me so I sent my late arrival of a hubby to Target to get one of those fancy thermometers that you stick in the ear.  Look at my handsome shopper:

...moving right along.  We took Max's temp and got a reading of 102.9!  FREAK OUT MODE AGAIN!  Even though Max had been battling an awful temperature he was in great spirits. (Most of the time.)  Here's a pic of him the next morning at breakfast.  Please note his appetite has NOT lessened.  Nope!

Max ended up getting a "Max and Dad" day of the deal while I spent the day battling 8 year olds who desperately want summer.  Here's a glimpse of my sexy hubby about to take out the trash as I was to leaving for work.  Lookin' good, hun, lookin' good!  ;)

(Yes, these are my mary jane Crocs on his feet- hehe!)

Here's to a healthier tomorrow at the Drinkall home!

Love,

Lis

It's that time of the year...

Well friends, Mrs. Drinkall's monkey calendar is proof that the end of the school year is only a few crazy days away!  I only pray I survive.  The kiddos have been absolutely NUTSO!  If anyone needs a personal cop, I've got 23 eager 2nd graders that are great at monitoring what each and every person is doing!  (Including letting me know twice today that a certain someone had their finger up their nose...lovely.) Also contributing to my anxiety would be the many piles in my classroom that look like this:

These piles only mean one thing.  REPORT CARDS ARE DUE SOON!  It's not the report cards I'm so nervous about.  It's getting all the grades accounted for.  Making sure absent students have made up all the millions of tests that they have missed this trimester is just the beginning!  I don't think you'll have much difficulty guessing what my weekend plans are!  Boo.

How do I ease my stress you ask?  Simple.  Bubbles and chalk.

Love,

Lis

Mug Shot Tuesday

Happy Tuesday!  Don't be alarmed.  I didn't really get arrested.  I lost my drivers license the other day.  The picture above is the end result.  Scary.  I know.  They told me to make sure my lips were touching.  I must have thought they told me to roll my eyes at the same time.  Not sure what's going on there?! I am actually quite frustrated with the whole "losing my license" scenario.  The dang license fell out of my pocket somewhere between my car and the Hy-Vee Chinese counter on a night that my kitchen was infested with ants (eww, gross) and Mike was gone with soccer.   No one has turned the blasted thing in either!  NOT cool!  After a week of calling Hy-Vee's customer service desk, I gave in and called a friend to watch Max after school so I could venture out and get a replacement.  Anyway, to make a long story short I ended up with this fabulous mug shot.  As I was leaving the building I thought to myself, "Man I better check when my license expires so I don't forget!"

This is what I saw:

Yes friends, that is an expiration date of 06/16/2011.  Again, NOT cool!  I should have renewed the darn thing!  Now I will have to repeat today's experience in a mere few weeks.  Joy.  

Anyway, Mike was coaching again tonight.  You'll notice a pattern with my blog postings.  I'm sure many will say "Mike is coaching AGAIN!"  I can't complain though... (too much at least)  He loves it and it's allowing us to pay for my grad school without taking out loans. 

Here's a picture of the Drinkall calendar for the month of May.  Notice the red marks on the calendar.  That's all soccer folks!  (Yes, we do have a calendar that features a fresh new outhouse each month.)

I'll leave on a rather cute note.  I heard Max yelling "Nau Nau!" (knock knock) in the playroom.  I decided to check what he was doing.  He was knocking on Elmo's bathroom door.  Precious :)  

Love,

Lis

Hello Blog World!

For lack of any extravagant welcoming words, we'd like to just say "hi" and "thanks for checking out our family blog!"  We hope this will be a source to easily share our crazy happenings with family and friends.  Stay tuned for little ditties from the Drinkall household.  As my sister stated when coming up with a name for this blog, "...is the world ready for a daily dose of the Drinkall family?!"  I hope so!  :)