Adventures In Potty Training...

Nathaniel started show all the signs that he wanted to start potty training, so Lauren and I figured why not. Lauren read about this method that would have your child potty trained in three days. That was 3 weeks ago, and we're still working on it. It was going really well at first. He was telling us when he had to go potty. I was so impressed that he was doing so well. Success...NOT! The second week came around and he had a few accidents, but I figured that's to be expected from time to time. Let's be real, he's only two. As we went into week 3 I found that he flat he no longer wanted to let us know when he had to potty. I've had to just randomly place him on the potty and hope he goes. He also likes to give me a hard time when I do this, he does go and then we do all over again later. It's been this way for the last few days, but not today. Today was different. Today was the day that Nathaniel would manage to get poop on his brother, the couch and me. It was so comical kind of like a scene from a movie. There we where sitting on the couch, Mark2 on my lap and Nathaniel by my side. I thought I smelled something so I checked Mark2's diaper. There was nothing so I chalked it up to gas. At this point Nathaniel got up and moved and I thought nothing of it. I placed Mark2 where Nathaniel was sitting and continued to watch tv. There it was again, that smell, that lingering smell of poop. I turn to check Mark2's diaper and that's when I saw him standing in it. It was poop and it wasn't his. I quickly grabbed him off the coach and cried out "Oh no, he's got it on his legs" and then "Oh no, it's all over the couch. Mark2 had spread Nathaniel's poop all over the couch. Mark2 had manage to placed a huge blob of poop on his head. Yes, that's right...his head. Lauren and I cleaned up the boys and the couch and had a good laugh. We soon discovered that the couch incident wasn't the end of it though. At some point Nathaniel decided to use his toy box as a urinal. And so, the adventure continues 

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Kid Approved App Of Week...

A STORYBOTS HALLOWEEN by JibJab Media

This app is really fun. You can cast your children in a Halloween themed story video for them to watch. Nathaniel got such a kick out of watching himself and the rest of the family on the screen. The app is free to download and comes with one Halloween themed story video. Other video can be unlocked through an in-app purchase. Sharing your video via email or social media is available but requires parents to enter a security pass code witch is picked by the parent during the initial setup of the app.

Download A STORYBOTS HALLOWEEN in the App Store now 

One and a half weeks in...

So it's been 1.5 weeks into my new role as the stay at home parent in our household. It's been a huge adjustment for Lauren and I. I see how much Mark2 developes throughout each day and I suddenly feel like I miss so much of Nathaniel's development during his first year. For us the biggest realization is that we both get a taste of what it is the other one did, and how things the kids did affected us both in different ways. For instance coming home from work. Knowing that as soon as I would walk in that front door Mark2's face would light up and Nathaniel would rush to greet me would fill me with so much joy. I could also see how that same scenario may have affected Lauren. Spending your entire day with the kids only to be pushed aside when the other parent gets home (not such a good feeling). That's just one example but there is so many more. I'd like to think that this will give us insight and make us appreciate what the other does and feels, thus hopefully strengthening our love. On the other hand there is also a matter of how other people/parents perceive fathers. When I'm out with the boys women feel the need to do things for me like I'm helpless because I'm a man. Please don't. Do not get me wrong,as a parent I welcome help from other parents because we should have each other's back. There are moments though when people overstep their bounderaries. Just yesterday a grandmother in the waiting room felt the need to aggressively lecture me on properly parent my kids. I wanted to yell and tell her to leave my children and me alone but I remained polite. When it came time to leave Nathaniel didn't want to put his jacket on. She at this point tried to take the jacket from me. When I didn't, she insisted that could do it for me. Once again I politely refused but she kept insisting. All the while her grandchild looked like he was punched in the face and not by another child's fist but by an adult fist (probably hers). I couldn't get out of there fast enough. There are also those moments when we are getting stared at out in public. Not disapproving stares but ones of encouragement approval. Those are very, very welcomed.

To My Dearest Wife...

When Lauren and I had Nathaniel we found ourselves facing some difficult choices. After several conversations we both could agree that one of us should stay home home with Nathaniel. Then we faced the most difficult choice of all. Who would be the one to stay at home. We mutually agreed that she would.  Now the roles have reversed and I have become the stay home parent. I always thought that I understood how hard it was. Boy was I wrong! It's so much tougher than I thought. Babe if your reading this.... I'm sorry for ever underestimating how hard it was for you. Your my hero! 

Kid approved app of the week...

Magic Piano by Smule

Although this app was not designed with small children in mind, it does help them with development. My first son Nathaniel and now Mark both enjoy this app. While Mark thinks he's creating melodic tones, he's actually working on his coordination skills. Hours of entertainment for your little one.

Magic Piano is available to download for free in the App Store.

Official description: From Bruno Mars to Mozart. play the hottest songs effortlessly on the at piano game, also available in HD for iPad and Pad mini! Get free songs every day and enjoy the largest catalog of songs in any piano app. Turn on game mode to unlock achievements and free songs, or just relax and play your favorite tunes. Join the over 25 million Magic Piano players and experience the fun of playing piano - no lessons needed! Featured in the New York Times. TIME. MacWorld. as the Apple iPhone App of the Week and one of Apple's "Amazing Apps on iPhone 5.• Magic Piano lets you experience the joy of making music and sharing your performances with the world. OVER 700 SONGS-NEW SONGS ADDED EVERY WEEK! 

App of the week...

  Sprout Games & Videos  by PBS KIDS Sprout

Nathaniel loves this app. He is literally hypnotized by app. He's is all about the PBS Sprout channel and loves having all Sprout tv shows readily available. Although it only plays clips and not entire episodes it doesn't seem to phase him. He also likes playing the included games from Sproutonline.com This app is definitely a must if kids are little Sproutlets.

Sprout Games & Videos is available for free in the App Store

Official Description:  Sprout is the 24-hour preschool channel that parents and kids share together — for shows, activities. and adventures! Now you can enjoy Sprout on this app with the Sprout Games & Videos app, which recreates the interactive playtime of SproutOnline.com with these great features: Play two games. Lotsa Pops and Picture Maker, featuring beloved Sprout characters, Watch fun clips from Sprout shows with the video player. New videos are regularly added and automatically stream to the player each time your child launches it. Check out cute animations. funny voiceovers. and hidden surprises, sure to delight your Sproutlet! Get show times for your favorite Sprout TV shows. Link to other downloadable Sprout apps. including Send to Sprout, Tap. Pajanimals Play Time, and Super Sproutlet Show — Super Gear Adventure. Your child's privacy and protection are important to us! This app contains no Web links, no socrel-rnedia sharing, and no location-tracking functions. For detailed info about our privacy policy, please visit SproutOnline.com. 

Suggested videos to watch...

Convos With My 2 Year Old on You Tube
Check out this you tube channel... Although I don't have a daughter, I do have a two year old boy. I can definitely associate. They use an adult to reenact what the daughter has said to the father, making the visual affect even funnier. Extremely funny, a must see! 

http://youtu.be/zdtD19tXX30

Getting Mark2 to nap with a little help from Phish...

So my youngest Mark2 tries to mimick his big brother when it comes to everything, including not napping or sleeping. The no napping front is progressively getting worse. It wouldn't be so bad if he would just be calm. We all know that with no sleep comes the onslaught of crankiness. The battle to get him to nap had begun and I losing the battle. My bobbler would nap; I was determined. I tried cradling him, rocking him, swinging him nothing worked. Finally I had an epiphany... I should try using music. If music could tame a savage beast, well why not a cranky bobbler. So I began to sing to him... FAIL! Next I tried playing some lullybyes, that began to make him act up more...  EPIC FAIL!  I wasn't giving up, he will/must nap. I began playing some songs on iTunes. "I'm so Tired" by the Beatles seemed to be working but he was still a bit restless. It was then that I remembered that when my first born Nathaniel would be restless, I played music by Phish. It worked every time, specially when I played Phish's cover of "I'm so Tired". Would this work? I switched from the Beatles to Phish's cover of the song. About 5 minutes had past... SUCESS!!!

You download a copy of I'm So Tired (Live Phish Vol.13) on iTunes 

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Coming soon watch us on...

Lauren & Mark Plus 2: NO NAPS!

Lauren & Mark Plus 2: NO NAPS!: So, Nathaniel's moving into no nap territory. He does NOT want to take any naps, he's only two years old. I didn't think this wo...

Freebies...

Here's a freebie from HomeMadeSimple.com  Order a free cabinet safety latch starter kit. Just click on the link to request the offer...     https://pgconsumercare.secure.force.com/ContactUs/PGSafetyContactUs?siteid=US-PGSafetySite

Read this post on the Huff Post blog regarding 20 things the author doesn't regret as a parent. I can agree with all 20. Here's the link, check it out...
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/3999578