The V's Love Each Other

I have so many things I want to write about, but I am finding it really hard to make time for blogging. However, I have been thinking about the last post I wrote being about potty training and that picture of grouchy little Tino at the very top of my blog. So I am writing a short (by my standards) post here, but with a more uplifting photo.

First, about the potty training. I must report that my five-day program has not exactly generated the results I was bragging about in my last post. Since that day, we have not yet had another "accident-free" day. Also, Tino's great attitude about the potty disappeared for quite some time and we have had some serious battles of wills (all of which I have won) and we are down to only one accident per day on most days now, but I am exhausted from the effort. Today was a pretty good day though, with some new excitement generated by our new "outdoor potty." My Aunt E gave me a potty chair which has never been used because he knows how to use the grown-up toilet. Since the weather has been so nice lately, we have been spending a lot of time in the back yard and today Victoria discovered the place I was storing my potty chair and dragged it out onto the patio. I made an instant decision and told Tino, "This is your OUTSIDE potty chair. You can pee in it whenever you want." I have never seen him drop his pants so fast! He used it six times today without me prompting him at all. It is just so much more CONVENIENT than going inside to pee...

But I digress from my original intention for this post. My babies love each other. Every now and then I catch them doing something really nice for each other. If one is crying over a scrape on the knee, the other comes rushing over to make sure they are okay. In the store the other day, out of the blue, Tino stood up from his seated position in the grocery cart and kissed his sister. So of course I said, "Tino, that is so sweet! What a loving big brother! Now do it again so Mommy can take a picture!" And he complied. (You won't catch me writing about his compliance too much)

This morning, Victoria was a bit tired and cranky as naptime approached. They were enjoying blowing bubbles together and she decided to get up and take the bucket of bubbles away from Tino, who had been playing with it first. I told her, "No no Victoria, we're going to keep the bucket here," as I gently restrained her. Her little face crumpled and she sat down and started crying real tears. So Tino reached over and patted her shoulder sweetly. Then he gently brushed some tears from her face and gave her a kiss on her cheek. I didn't get a picture of it this time, but the memory is burned into my heart forever.