Our Big Boy

Joel is now officially a big boy who is potty-trained! We had a feeling Joel was ready for this big step, and probably has been for awhile. After seeing the success our friend Joanna and her son had with a three day potty-training program, we decided to give it a try. It's a very intense program, and includes three entire days of not leaving the house and being completely focused on your child so that you can catch the accidents happening and take them to the bathroom. So we cleared our schedule, bought all natural M&Ms, some little gifts, lots of Cars underwear, and juice boxes.

Quite honestly, I was prepared for the worst. I was prepared to deal with 20 accidents a day and clean up pee and poop all day. I had a lined garbage can to throw all the soiled underwear in to be washed. I wore old clothes. I prayed very very hard that I would have patience. Thankfully, this was a time when the worst didn't happen! Joel was amazing. I put him in underwear right after breakfast, gave him lots of juice, and told him to tell me when he had to go potty. About twenty minutes later, he started to go. I rushed him to the bathroom and he finished in the toilet. From that point on, with about one exception, he told me "I have to go potty!" ran into the bathroom, and went. I seriously couldn't belive how well he did. Clearly he was ready! He loved all the attention, the treats, and the praise. He was very proud of himself and smiled so big when he would go. He's been doing great since then, too with very few accidents.

I have to admit that I felt quite a bit of sadness for this big step. Potty-training is a definite sign that my little boy isn't so little anymore. As with so many other milestones, it's very bittersweet.

We are so incredibly proud of Joel and a bit relieved that potty-training is behind us. Next on the agenda is a big boy bed. What are the chances it'll be as easy as this?!

Happy Chuseok!

Chuseok is an important Korean holiday similar to our Thanksgiving.

Koreans celebrate by spending time with family and friends

 giving thanks for this year's harvest

walking at dusk to view the full harvest moon

visiting ancestor's graves

competiting in sseirum (Korean wrestling)

eating songpyeon (rice cakes) and drinking rice wine

and dressing in hanbok.

We certainly enjoyed being outside on this beautiful day and had a delicious Korean meal to celebrate. We thought of Joel's birth family and foster family celebrating this special holiday in Korea and wished them many blessings. Happy Chuseok to you!

Four Boys and a Rainy Day

We made plans with my cousins and their kids and my mom and aunts to enjoy a picnic at Lockwood Park in Rockford for some Labor Day fun. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate!

It hadn't started raining when we arrived, so we quickly set up under a picnic shelter and hoped for the best. The rain started soon after we finished our lunch, but the boys still had a great time! It doesn't take much to entertain four boys under the age of ten.

This huge cow was a source of interest for everyone.

The bubbles were a hit!



Who needs the park when there are puddles to splash in?



Some playground fun was still managed in between the raindrops.

We don't get together with my side of the family too often due to busy schedules and distance, so it was great to spend some time with them. The boys are so sweet, and always watch out for Joel and include him in their fun even though he's so much younger. Hopefully the next time, we'll enjoy sunny skies and even more fun!

Good-bye, August...Hello, September!

I can't believe September is here already! Although we had a great summer, I am really ready for fall. I'm ready to enjoy cool, crisp weather, hear the sound of leaves crunching under my feet, enjoy pumpkins and apple cider, and do fun fall things with my boy.

We definitely made the most out of the last moments of summer! We enjoyed a trip to Millenium Park in Chicago, and Joel and his friends had a fun time splashing in the fountain!

Our Goddaughter turned four, and Joel's favorite part was decorating cookies at her party.

Joel worked on his cutting and gluing skills.

Our friends treated us to a great playdate at Make-a-Messterpiece, and Joel and his buddy explored their creative side.

We continued our tradition of attending the Chicago Korean Festival, but we were rained out after only 15 minutes. We decided to head to a Korean restaurant and H-Mart with our friends instead, and it turned out to be a great night! The boys even ended up with matching Pororo house slippers.

Joel and I enjoyed a Mommy and Joel day at the Arboretum. We go there quite often, but usually with friends. It was really special to just be able to focus on him. He really loved it, too.

We're excited to see what fun this fall brings!