Changes on the horizon...

Sunny Days!

70 degrees and sunny in April. We'll take that! We're coming off of a gorgeous weekend and are told it's going to stay that way for the balance of this week. Lexi and Hayden (our Persian cats for those of you who haven't met them) got their bi-annual groom on Saturday. This entails a bath, a "lion-cut" and comb. The first time they were groomed this way I laughed out loud. the pics below are from last year, but you get the picture. When you're used to seeing a big mass of fur, the picture of a shaved cat save the tip of the tail, face and feet, is shocking. We all got in the car to pick them up from the groomers and when Lexi meowed in her carrier, Greyson said "Shhh, it's OK Lexi". He's going to make a great big brother. This weekend was the first since before we left for Cancun over a month ago that we had very little on the agenda. We made the most of it by chasing bugs in the backyard, doing a little spring cleaning, grilling steaks with friends on Saturday night and having breakfast at "The Original Pancake House" (there's one in Brookfield and if you haven't been there, we highly recommend it) on Sunday morning. When the sun comes out in Seattle, the parks, sidewalks and beaches are packed. It's energizing!

This is Hayden. He's very masculine and not at all happy about the scarf. He loves Mike & Grey

This is Lexi. She's a total girl, very sweet. She'll snuggle with anyone, except Greyson :-)

Potty Time!

When I got home from work last Thursday night, Sara and Greyson were very excited about a new project- Greyson's potty chart. Together, they came up with prizes that can be won after 10 stickers are collected (1 sticker for every visit to the potty). Sara made the potty chart over the weekend and it's now proudly displayed in Greyson's bedroom. He's been pretty good about going on the potty for a while now, with reminders, but Sara wanted to take this approach to see if we can get him out of diapers for good. I'm all for it and Grey is pretty excited. He refuses to wear a Pull Up. It's either Spiderman underwear or his Pampers size 5s, so stay tuned for updates!

A big boy bed!

This month, we're shopping for a big boy bed. Most of our friends and family transitioned their kids out of cribs at a much earlier age and to them, I say "good for you". But, I will staunchly defend myself on our decision to wait for a number of reasons the least of which is I have enjoyed a restful night's sleep since Greyson was 4 months old (this being the official age at which he consistently slept 13 straight hours) due to the fact that he is unable to crawl out of his crib. He tried once, about a year ago, and it was enough to scare him from trying again. (His crib is a sturdy, solid wood model that does not "adjust" in a manner that allows the rails to come down- combine that with the fact that Greyson weighs about 30 lbs soaking wet and is not the tallest in his age group and we have a recipe for easy nights).

Grey & mommy before bedtime. He used to request 3 books. Now it's 1 book and some baseball

That being said, it's time to make the move. So, I'm looking for advice. Cute little car bed close to the floor? Full size bed with mattress that will take him to college? Bunk bed? Something else entirely? In addition to this, I'm also looking for the anecdotal scenarios to consider...what works to keep your kids in bed all night? Do they get up and go to the bathroom on their own? Did you change your nighttime routine to accommodate the new room arrangement?

Most of you know me well enough to know that I'm not good at asking for help/advice. It's a weakness and I'm working on it. So, I'm seriously interested in your feedback. Have a great week and if you're in the Pacific NW, enjoy the weather!