Potty Time

I have a friend (I won't name names) who bought a potty for her two-year-old son, he sat down, tried it, liked it and never wore a diaper again. No offense to those of you who have potty-trained geniuses, but I hate people like that. Those are the type of people whose morning sickness is cured by eating a cracker-- or whose kids stay in time-out just because Mommy said so.

I, on the other hand, have been "potty training" Joey since November. We started out by buying a potty. He didn't like it. Then we bought a firetruck that he got to use only after he went potty. He liked the firetruck but not enough to sacrifice his diapers for it. We bought stickers. He didn't care. We bought jelly beans. I ate them before he had the chance (hey, I was stressed-- this potty training this is hard!).

So, now it's March. Potty time is part of our morning routine. We get up, have a glass (or two) of juice, have breakfast, then head upstairs for potty time. Joey sits (and sits and sits) on the potty while watching a DVD and I nurse Kate. Most days, he sits there for thirty (or even forty) minutes. He never pees. Without fail, he pees the instant I put his diaper on after he gets up.

This morning, the routine was going forward without a hitch (Joey sitting and not peeing, Kate and I watching while she nursed). About thirty minutes in, I saw a look of sheer panic cross his face: He couldn't hold it anymore. Before I could get up (ready to applaud), he whipped his little thing out of the potty, stood up and peed all over the floor. I didn't know whether to cheer (he went ouside of his diaper) or cry (he went on the floor). Either way, I'm looking at this as progress.

When you've been potty traning for five months, anything is progress. Baby steps, right? Baby steps.

Fix it and Forget It

Recently, we've had a lot going on in the evening time. Cam's had games, Joey's had playgroups and we've been trying to go to the gym and go swimming as a family at least once a week. That means that I'm having to find dinners that I can throw in the oven on time-bake that will be all ready when I get home. Sometimes I make things on the weekend and freeze it until I'm ready to use it. Other times I make dinner while the kids are napping and then all I have to do during dinner hour is throw it in the oven. I have lots of favorites, but here's my latest:

Chipotle Stacked Enchiladas:

Sauce:

1 onion (coarsely chopped)
3 anaheim peppers (coarsely chopped)
3 cloves of garlic (whole is ok)
2 cans tomato paste
2 tsp. salt
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (2 is pretty spicy so start with one.. or if you're cooking for kids, omit the chipotles)
1-2 tbsp. adobo sauce (once again, it can get pretty spicy to be careful).

Put onion, peppers and garlic in large skillet. Brown over medium heat about 10 minutes. Put warm peppers and onions and remaining ingredients in food processor or blender and process until smooth. You may have to add water to get sauce to the right consistency.

Enchiladas

1 recipe chipotle sauce (above)
2 cups cooked shredded chicken, beef or pork (I use leftovers!)
20 corn tortillas
1 can black beans
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 fresh tomato (diced)
1 bunch fresh cilantro (chopped)
1 bunch green onions (chopped)

1. Pour a thin layer of sauce on bottom of 9 X 13 pan.
2. Cover sauce with tortillas.
3. Cover tortillas with 1/3 of the chicken, 1/3 of the black beans and more sauce.
4. Repeat three times.
5. Cover entire dish with cheese.
6. Cover cheese with tomatos, cilantro and green onions.
7. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes until warm and cheese is brown.