fun at the lake

we had so much fun at grandpa and grandma's house at the lake

the kids ran towards the neighbors very small sand beach
tyson licked his chops and barked at stewie

water, which was surprisingly warm was splashed on feet

a small princess stopped for a pose

sand castles were built by the hands of small children

the smallest found great fun in picking up sand

and throwing it into the water

3 men and a baby worked on putting the dock in

a 3 year old found a new love for the water, which he hated last summer

stewie showed us he loves the water too

grandpa made adjustments to the dock

we ate lots of food and lots of ice cream

someone stole my camera and got me...see

floaties blew away and a nice red and white speed boat fetched them and brought them back to us, but not before one blew out of the boat and they had to get them again

even small boys know how to have fun with a floatie, sand and water

he decided swimming in his new underwear was better than his swim trunks

lots of laughing, screaming and "look at me" were heard by all

flying in from the trees above, dalton arrived safely

sunscreen covered children floated in the water
a bucket of water sparked the interest of this boy
and in all the fun, all the water, this little boy potty-trained while at the lake

whiskey barrel

I brought this whiskey barrel home tonight from my parents house at the lake because they said they didn't need it or have use for it. I'm going to plant a tomato plant in it. I have zero experience in a vegetable garden, so one measly tomato plant should do me good. However, Miss Sophie thinks she might have a different use for this whiskey barrel.

Now, I wonder how well a tomato plant will fare when a cat uses it as a bed? Hmmm...

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We spent the day at the lake today. It was hot. And I mean hot. I really don't like hot, but I managed. The kids had a great time swimming and playing in the tiny beach like area we found next to grandma and grandpa's house. The lake has finally filled with water again and looks awesome, but the down fall with that is they lost all of their sandy beach. Seeing the lake full of water again is a wonderful sight.

And Mr. Jayden had another successful day of potty-training at the lake! He even pooped on the potty! I'm so proud of him for going from tantrums to trained in less than two days. I'm prepared for slip ups and accidents, but for now, he's mastering this perfectly. Tonight he had lots of poops...some made it to the toilet...and some didn't. But it was a genuine accident and he knew it was coming (running in place and whining all in 5 seconds). But wow, this little boy has made his mama one happy lady with the progress he has made! Way to go Jayden!

I've got some great pictures from the lake that I plan to share soon.

potty training--day 2

Yesterday I started working with Jayden on potty training. He wasn't enthused like I was. So today, I started again, this time in big boy underwear. Him, not me.

He threw a tantrum, screaming, crying, kicking the floor, for several hours this morning. He wasn't totally against the idea, but was definitely trying to exert his independence and take control of the situation. I, however, wasn't backing down for nothing. I kept my cool, stayed calm, and ignored the tantrum, all while checking him every few minutes.

The first half of the day we went through several pairs of underwear, but I could tell he was grasping the idea. He started telling me "I go potty" in his own sounds, which later became very clear to us. His underwear would be dribbled in. Many times, he would sit on the potty, but not go. Then all of a sudden...it happened. Pee was shooting out!

The day kept getting better. By evening he was running into the bathroom and hopping up on the toilet himself. We of course followed shortly behind. He peed on the potty at least 6 times today!

Now tonight he started talking about poop. Little Jayden usually poops 3-5 times a day and by 9pm tonight he still hadn't pooped. Well, he ended up going in and out of the bathroom over and over talking about poop, so we kept going in there. He pooped a tiny bit in the toilet. I guess that was it because then it was time for a diaper and bedtime.

We'll see what tomorrow brings since we're heading to grandpa and grandma's at the lake. Hopefully he keeps doing as well tomorrow as he did today.

Oh and I do plan on bringing the "potty treats" as an added bonus. I'm one proud mama for my little man accomplishing so much in one day. I mean wow, going from refusal and tantrums to peeing on the potty and being excited about it. A good day!

big ball

Dear big soccer ball...I don't know where you came from or how exactly you ended up in my tree, but after spending well over a day in it, I'm glad you chose to stay. Now if you wish to go back home to your original home, we will respect your decision, but let me tell you, we sure appreciate all the fun you have given us today. You are welcome to stay here and call our house your home. Sincerely, the Thielen family.

Dear big soccer ball...again, thank you for coming to our house to play or live. You had so much fun playing with us today and after getting quite dirty, we gave you a bath and placed you in a safe place to dry and rest.

sisters

Feisty or friendly. Hot or cold. They're sisters.

These girls are full of laughter and silliness. They have similar interests and similar friends. They play well together or not at all. There's usually no happy medium.

My girls are smart, excel in school and genuinely care about others. I'm told over and over what a joy they are to have in class. The youngest one will soon be following their tracks as she embarks in Kindergarten this fall.

The older two are now officially in middle school come this fall. Well, one already was in middle school, but now both are. Look out because here they come!

brotherly love

The other day I took all the kids out to snap a few pictures at different locations. It was fun watching them pose, or not.

Always brotherly love between these three. Well, usually. Of course the older two look out for the younger one, but then there are the days when the younger one is tormenting the older ones and well...you get how that cycle works.
But these two get along like true brothers. Most days. Each one has their own interests and their own passions, yet some are completely in common. However, both boys are so different from each other.

One has a love for the outdoors and the other loves being inside. One loves puzzles and thinking games where the other one loves science. One can focus on getting things done, one struggles. But either way, both these boys, close together in age, are usually inseparable.

pecan pie

My very first homemade pecan pie! Other than having too much crust on the top, it was delicious!

I can see many more of these pies in my future over the years. Maybe even for my step-dad, who loves pecan pie. Although I'm not sure I want to compare it to Grandma Dorothy's because hers is the best!

more to come

Alright blog readers, there are more than 3 posts coming tomorrow throughout the day. They are scheduled to appear at random times. Enjoy! All include pictures...and maybe one will make you drool?

D.A.R.E

Shawndra speaking at her D.A.R.E. graduation. She won the essay contest between the two classes and got to read it at the graduation.

Holding up her certificate, showing she passed!

changes to blog

Thank you to those who voted and helped me decide which picture to use. I had originally liked the picture I put up, but wanted some other opinions. Knowing me, I'll be changing it again at some point.

I am a bit perplexed tonight after I have worked on the that blog photo for well over an hour. I ran into the same problem I've had in the past except this time I don't remember how I fixed it. My picture is bigger than the border around the actual photo. Since I couldn't get it fixed, I changed the border color to white so you don't see it. I don't think it looks as good, so when there is more time, I'll keep working on some changes.

The other thing I don't like is the blog title "Thielen Tidbits". Because the picture is so busy and colorful, I couldn't find a color that made the title look good. Unfortunately, I have never hired someone to make my blog look nice and don't plan to in the near future. Maybe if I was a big time blogger, then I might, but I'm not, so I digress. Maybe some day I can find a nice lady (or lad) who would change the appearance....but until then, this will do.

which one do you like?

I took the kids out to take pictures today just to see how Jayden did with posing for pictures since we are having professional pictures taken next month. Plus, I'm really tired of the picture that is at the top of my blog. With that being said, I would love for you to vote on the pictures below as to which one should go at the top of my blog. Then I will change it! The number of the picture goes with the picture below it.

1

2

3
4

5

Yes, Jayden screamed through most of the pictures.

6

This one cracks me up...at least he's in the picture, right?!!

7
8

9

I had fun experimenting with some different locations. It is a huge challenge to get all 6 kids to look at the camera and an even bigger challenge for Jayden who really wanted NO part in picture taking. I'm so nervous for the professional pictures. I really want him to be good and look at the camera. Make sure you tell me which picture would look best at the top of my blog. Thanks!!