On Sunday we had the worst possible noreaster hit us with about 8 inches rain, more in some places. It started out lite in the morning. Charles was just trying to clean the water as it came in from the walls and windows. Meanwhile I was alone upstairs with the kids. At some point, I noticed alex was not very happy with me, I am not even sure why, perhaps because I was going downstairs to read a story with Chloe. IT was a very a long store, about 15 mins. I could not hear Alex and thought maybe he had gone up to the Attic, I had heard his door slam so I knew he was there or in his room playing. After the book I went upstairs looking for him but could not see him anywhere and the attic door was closed, I looked in his bed, but nothing…but I could hear breathing! I looked around but no Alex, but I could hear his breathing very clearly like it was coming from next to me, I finaly looked under the bed and sure enough, Alex was under the bed curled up on the hard floor with a pacifier and sleeping!!! He probably went there to hide thinking I might come looking for him and he fell asleep!! poor little man! I ran down to get Charles and Chloe and video taped it. Charles was laughing so hard. Chloe was so funny because she was looking everywhere for him before we got up there and she was yelling ALEX where are you!! and he still did not wake up! He was way too cute. This was at noon too! so an early nap for him!

After this we had lunch with Chloe and then after Alex’s nap, while the watched a movie, the rain started to come down and would not stop! We started to get worried, especially when our drain was starting to back up! I started to panick and started take our files upstairs. Luckily the kids were in front of the TV but still Alex kept asking what we were doing. I finally called Jackie to see if they had a sump pump or something and I asked if she could take the kids for us so we could handle the mess. We were not exactly sure how bad it was going to get, but we needed both of us to take care of the water and alone Charles never would have been able to everything. Jackie came over with buckets and an extension to our shop vac which we placed outside to try and suck up water from the drain. We were also taking buckets of water out of the basement by hand and running hoses from the main problem areas like the back window and behind the furnace. DAvid came over and helped too, it was great to have the support. We were doing very well and then even with all the effort water start to back up again, but luckily, before it got too bad, the rain slowed down and we were able to suck it up with the shop vac! Anyway, we were VERY lucky. I picked the kids up at 7:30 and all was much better. There was another dose of rain around 11:00pm where we had to go back down and bucket water out, but not nearly as bad as before. Maybe people were WAY worse then us because they relied on their sump pump which just stopped working in many cases. The kids had blast at Jacies as usual. They got to watch the Volcano girl Backyardigan DVD which we do not own. Jackie had given her flowers to pretend with and she has been wanted to play that ever since!

OH and I weighed Alex yesterday. he weighs 35.5 -36 lbs! I weighed CHloe too and surprisingly, she is keeping up with the little man and is also the same weight! so amazing that they are 2 years apart and weigh the same and are going up at the same exact rate!

I love you Alex! moaugh!

It’s been a long while since I wrote, so much has happened, but first I have to talk about what Alex has done in the last week.

Last week we began talking about potty training. we are going to be joining a swim club this summer and there are not diapers allowed in the pool, so I decided we shoudl start trying soon since it could take a while.

Well last monday, I brought his potty out and got him to try doing it. I took off his diaper and put on underwear. He ended up peeing once in the potty and right away I gave him a toy car, he was thrilled. He then however pee’d in his pants three times in the following 1 hour! I was a little bit beside myself, but did not give up hope. I put a diaper on him to bring Chloe to school and he then napped in the car so he peed in the diaper, but after that I put underwear back on him and he peed again in the potty and we gave him another car. I told him that the next day we’d run out and get him new underwear and pullup underwear. we also told him that if he pooped in the potty he would get the BIG truck.

Well the bribing worked because the next day I tried it again, I put undewear on him and he peed in the potty. I told him we’d have to go out and buy him a new car since I Had no more left and new underwear. So we went to Target. We put a diaper on him because we had no pull ups, he was okay with this. Then when we got home we put him in pull ups and he did very well. That day was beautifal out and we went to Corell Park with everyone. I tried to get him to pee outside on a tree, but it did not work, he ended up peeing in his pull up a few minutes after trying, so I changed him and put a new one on and he did well the rest of the night. at night we put pull ups on him.

The third day, same thing, he was in underwear all morning and went potty every time and had no accidents, I gave him a car each time until I realised he was going every 30 mins just to get a new one, so we started a new rule that it was one car a day and that after that he’d get a treat like chocolate, which worked very well. He would sit on the potty while watching TV and didn’t care, for 30 full minutes! But never pooped. I tried that again in the afternoon but still no poop. He did VERY well all day and that night, I told him we’d put the potty in “la piece” and I’d close the door so he could do it alone in private ( this is where he typically went to poop in his diaper so I thought it would be agood place to start) and it worked! I peeked through the curtain and he sat there, played with a broom and woudl get up for a car every minute or so, but would sit back down and try. I was actually talking to Chloe in the dining room and accidently told Chloe to put her plat in the potty rather than the sink, and he heard me. I could hear him laughing to himself and say “maman a dit le pot, a fait erruer ha ha ha” he thought it was hilarious. I went to the kitchen for a minute and when I came back Chloe was with him and he had pooped! He was sooooo excited, he said “Maman, on direat un escargot!” and it did, it looked like a snail. it was sooo funny. This was right after dinner time, so went downstairs to go get him his BIG truck and he picked out the camion transporteur. I had bought 4 big trucks 50% off at Bed Bath and Beyond and was planning on giving him two for Easter and saving the others for his b-day, but giving it to him as a reward was the best idea ever, it worked like a charm. OH and that day at school, he sat there with Chloe on the benchs and Daniel said, Alex went on the potty and they all talked about it and praised him about being a big boy, he just lit up and had his mouth wide open and was sooooo happy that everyone was cheering him on, he just soaked it up!

The 4th day, I was worried because we had french with Lyvia in the morning. I put a pull up cullotte I called it, he thought that was funny. He took like it was a real underwear and never pee’d in it. He even went to the potty at the LLL!He was so excited. that day, no accidents again, except at night after path he had a tiny pee afterwards while in a towel, but it was nothing really.

On the 5th day, he was amazing. We were out all day because there was french in teh morning then we went to eat lunch at the Y and dropped Chloe off. He pee’d at the LLL and then twice at the school. I put a pull up on him for his nap, once again he was dry after his nap ( the 4th day too) and he would pee when he got up. That night be pooped and chose the Jeep as his reward. He was so thrilled.

So basically it took him 5 days to be fully trained! He still got a little car every day and a MM’s or something else as a reward for pee. He never asked for rewards when we were out, which was nice. He continued this success all weekend. Every two days he pooped, the 6th day he actualy pooed in the toilet and then again in teh potty later!! he got his Tow Truck as a reward. Then today, he wanted to poo, I suggested the big toilet and I said I’d close the door and leave him alone, and he did it, right there no problem and got his LAST truck, a recycling one. Hopefully he will not be devasted when he doesn’t get another truck. I am sure he will ask for a reward of some kind though, but that is worth it to me. Already he is not asking for anything when he pee’s maybe once today he did. so he is getting so good and doesn’t need the reward as much as before. I figure by next week we will be done with the rewards all together.

We are sooooooooo proud of him, we just never expected it to go so quickly because of how long and strenuous it was with Chloe. For sure, having Chloe there helped and we really really gave him a huge amount of praise and gifts, which totaly worked for his personality.

Alex, you are one amazing little guy! We love you so much, even though you are growing way to fast for my liking. My little man is wearing underwear, it’s unbelievable. At least we will be able to enjoy the summer at the pool!!

I will write a little more about the last 9 months in the next email.

Love Maman