It's Been a Long Time!

I can't believe how much time I let pass. I find it hard to believe I've neglected for almost 3 weeks! Truthfully, it's because things are going along just fine and we're counting the days until we leave for Maui on Sept. 6th. For a while, it was so hot I just couldn't sit long enough to write something. We then had record cold temps right after that and our trees started turning. Now, we're back to hot (80's & 90's) for the next week or so.

I have been spending most of my free time hiking and hitting the gym. On the days Shawn is out and about, Ian and I have been going to the pool after school. Monday becomes Friday and is Monday again before we know it... one week after another. I'm glad for life to be routine after such a long time of milestone after milestone. It's quite relaxing to have the routine we have down to a science... and it makes for such an easy little guy.

After months of feeling like it was never going to happen, Ian is finally *mostly* accident free at home. He still has his occasional moment and still wears a pull up to bed, but he is in underpants full time now. Unfortuntately, his school is a pull up school and he was required to be pull up free by the time his class moved up from Early Pre to Preschool...on Sept. 8th! He has consistently been horrible at school with pretty much no potty success whatsoever. Every day, it was a progress report of frowns in the potty section. I was so frustrated. I felt like it was the pull ups sabatoging things. He knows they're glorified diapers and he doesn't *have* to stop playing if he doesn't want to, because there will be no mess and only a small amount of disappointment.

I told his teacher last week that we're going to try it my way for a while and she reluctantly agreed to let me bring him in underwear. Well, we're 2 days into MY WAY and he has had exactly ZERO accidents. Today, she said to me "wow, he really is ready". Umm, yeah. Great observation! I love his teachers and his school, but she was being lazy and just didn't have a good system for pottytraining. I am so glad I put my foot down!

It's lame, but below are a handful of recent pictures. Not much, but I haven't been behind the camera as much as I should. That will change soon with the upcoming Maui trip, followed closely by Halloween and Ian's 2nd Family day. I'm already thinking ahead halfway to Christmas! My, how time flies!

Ian with my brother Rex over an 18 month period... Jan 08 thru July 2009.

Ian sleeping on his first day with us and now. He has grown so much. I wish his first pic showed just how short his legs were compared to now.

Polli trying to wake up Ian. I could not get him to wake up. When he finally did, he sat up and said "The yellow train forgot to pick up the kids!" and then laid back down and closed his eyes again. It was SO hilarious!

Once he was finally awake...

Still attached to his blanket. He sometimes says "I need my blanket. It calms me down". Sniff away, kid!

Arriving to Tom & Trish's from a long hike, I reached the porch and in unison, all 3 raised their glasses and said "We're having Happy Hour!". He's definitely a Mrzena!

His favorite thing to do after swimming is to watch the tennis players at our gym's restaurant.

Oh crap, he's already interested in video games. This is in the Red Robin lobby.