chronicles of potty training

THE machine. i'm scared to use it.

z woke up with croup this morning at 5am. j gave him steroids at 6am, and he is staying home from school. a student of mine dropped off a christmas present last night - a starbucks barista italia. it is an espresso machine which grinds beans and makes espresso with the touch of a button. i didn't have enough espresso beans to fill the container, so i piled the kids in the car, pajamas and all (once s had peed), and went through the closest starbucks drive thru. i got a pre-made coffee to get me through the morning. i'll try making the first espresso when the kids are napping. for now, it's too chaotic. one kid wants one thing, the other kid wants something else. so far, z has read bob books to me; i've read to s; s has painted a picture; z is trying to paint but s keeps contributing; z has worked in his workbook; and we're about to practice rudolph the red nosed reindeer in spanish, which is the song his class is singing at school for the posada (which is totally the blind leading the blind here - doing my best with youtube). thank goodness this is makeup week for me - light schedule. 

do you see what is below the chair, and can you guess what it is?

potty training has not yet been effective. s keeps peeing, and then saying, "uh-oh!"
she can pee after waking, but hasn't been successful otherwise. i guess it will just take time. i need more patience. i have screamed into a pillow several times today so far.