July: summer break

In July, we truly started the summer holidays. We went to my in-laws in Cesenatico and took the kids to the beach. We also decided to give the kids a little push: we removed Tosca's diaper (during the day) and the training wheels of Auro's bicycle. 

When I left for Belgium some days later, Auro did not even want to try to ride his bicycle and Tosca did not look ready at all for being potty trained. I was almost happy to leave them in Cesenatico ;-)

Once in Belgium, I totally relaxed in a way you can not when there are kids in the house (not even when they are asleep). And then, when I was completely 'zen', I took a city trip to Rotterdam with my good friend Wendy. Three days of lazy shopping, undisturbed chatting and unworried relaxing in the pool and sauna of the hotel definitely did the trick!

After Rotterdam, me and my father packed the car and drove back to Genoa together. Some days later, we went to pick up Auro and Tosca and brought them home, where we spent the rest of July.

Cube house in Rotterdam

My beautiful niece in Belgium

My loud children in their swimming pool at home

My father insisted we'd have a barbecue

Dinner outside

One month into the potty training: number ones seem to be more or less under control ;-)

Success story

Potty-break during dinner

It's official: Auro is finally potty trained! It took some time and all the positive reinforcement techniques I could think of (from encouraging and complimenting to awarding every effort and result with little stickers, candies and presents), but it seems that the final step, and I'm not proud of this, was taken with an old-fashioned punishment technique. After he had 'soiled himself' for the 3rd time in one day, I lost it and slapped him on the hand (in my defense: I had warned him after the 2nd time). I then left him crying outside while I went inside to fight off the urge to hug him and apologize (no matter how angry I am, it's always heartbreaking for me to see him in tears). Anyway, more than 1 week has passed since this episode and I have not had to change his trousers even once! I'm going to relish this new-found happiness for another bit (and regain my powers) and then... that diaper he still wears during the night is coming off too!

I had wrapped all these Duplo blocks separately and every time Auro sat down on his potty and 'produced' something he was rewarded with a present (small present for number 1 and a big one for number 2).

Wet

Who needs to go to the beach if there is enough sand in the garden and a big bucket with fresh spring water to play with? And now that we are on the subject of 'getting wet', Auro has been 'dry' and without a diaper for 3 days already! It took a while and I was about to give up, but it seems he has got it under control now...