The magical Thomas shirt

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads and Dads-to-be out there.

We were invited for a lovely sounding dinner for Father's Day but Eammon had plans to catch-up on and watch European Championship footie for the day. Since it's his day that's how we'll spend it but trust me, he would have received a much better, than I'm planning to serve dinner, had we accepted the invite.

Maisie and I continue to be super busy with camp, gymnastics, play groups, the pool and lots of playtime together.

We're always busy it seems. For example, on Wednesday I went for a haircut and my stylist commented on just how long my hair had grown. When she looked up the last time I was in, we were both surprised to find that it was back on January 22nd!! Twenty weeks between haircuts, yeah got to do better with that and get in sooner next time.

Maisie is doing fabulous with her potty training. During the day and even through nap time, Maisie has been dry since last Sunday when we did our potty boot camp. She stresses over doing a poo in the potty but is getting better about it. Over the course of the week she's only had 3 poopy panty accidents and the rest have been in the potty so we are doing great there too.

The best thing we did as far as potty training was to have her gather and throw away all her diapers because it made such an impression on her. When she would ask for a diaper I would remind her that she threw them away and she realized that she had no choice but to be in panties. Elmo panties are her favorite.

For many, many months at night I've had Maisie in overnight diapers as she's always wet huge amounts even when we've stopped all liquids after dinnertime. When she threw away all her diapers I tried putting her in "sleep panties", the heavily padded training pants topped with the all-in-one training pants but she completely wet through them all soaking herself and the bed. As she hasn't been able to make it through the night without wetting herself and I'm tired of doing her sheets every day, I've started using an overnight diaper on her again. I can't wake her up during the night to take her to the bathroom as she's a super light sleeper and once awake it's an hour or two before she'll go back to bed so I'm just not going there. Honestly if she can stay dry during the day that's all I really care about at this point and as long as she needs to be in night time diapers, so be it.

Almost every night since Maisie started sleeping in her own room, she would cry a bit when I put her to bed. Within minutes I would go back in and she would ask for one more song. I would take her out of her crib and we would snuggle together as I sang to her before putting her back into bed.  Generally one or two times doing that would make her happy and within minutes she would be sleeping. Then all of a sudden 2 weeks ago when we started our busy schedule of camp and gymnastics and I thought she would be extra tired, everything changed. I would do our usual routine of stories and songs then I would put her to bed only to have her singing and telling stories to herself for a good 1.5 hours before she would fall asleep. She did start sleeping a little later in the morning and when she woke instead of immediately crying and calling for me she would sing to herself or I'd hear her playing with one of the toys in her crib.

Back on Wednesday night after a full day of camp and gymnastics Maisie couldn't keep her eyes open so I figured she would sing to herself a bit but would be asleep rather quickly. WRONG!! After our bedtime story and song I tucked her in and within minutes she was screaming bloody murder. Not her usual cry of come-sing-me-one-more-song but all.out.blood.curdling.screaming. I went in to find everything okay but she was beside herself. She asked for her Thomas the Tank Engine shirt which I told her was in the dryer. She then asked for a song. We did our song and I put her to bed only to have her all out screaming again. She never asked for the shirt again but after three times of her all out screaming I pulled the Thomas shirt out of the dryer, draped it on the chair next to her crib, tucked her in again and left the room. Sure enough she started chatting away and singing happily to herself before eventually falling asleep. I thought back and figured that the shirt had probably been draped over the chair for good while and for some reason it's become her night time comfort item. Since that night the Thomas shirt has been draped over the chair next to her crib and like magic each night she happily sings and tells stories to herself before falling asleep.

For the past week as soon as Maisie wakes up she asks for her Thomas shirt and I'll put it on her for breakfast and until we get dressed for the day. Having to wash that shirt when she's not napping, sleeping overnight or wearing it is becoming difficult! If anyone is going to one of the Day Out With Thomas events, please let me know as I really need to get a duplicate shirt.

For my third season in a row, (I missed season 1) I'm totally addicted to SYTYCD. Eammon and Maisie don't really watch the show but they did have a favorite dancer during the auditions. So I have Robert Muraine's audition on the dvr and Maisie will ask for the dancing man and the two of them watch the video over and over.

Well that sort of sums up our week and we're on to yet another fun and busy week. Hope everyone is having a great Father's day weekend.