Potty Training

Well, after 2 weeks of training Holland, I think she's getting the hang of things. I really thought with her that I would have to write and write about how she was such trouble to get trained and how awful it was. She has done so great for being as young as she is and even tells me when we're out and about if she needs to go, which is a huge step. The one thing that drives me crazy is that there is no telling her what to do. For example with Rowan we always took him to the potty before we got in the car to go somewhere, but not her. She only visits the potty when she wants to. It can be pretty frustrating, but hey, she doesn't have accidents so why do I worry? I can't believe she's out of diapers (well, during the day). The next step for her will be to get her in a big girl bed. She and Rowan share a room, so that should be interesting!

More Christmas

We actually took lots of pictures this Christmas and my parents contributed a few of these, too. Rowan is back in school and the rest of us are trying to get back into a regular routine. Potty training Holland is on the list of to-do's this month. I'm not so much looking forward to it, but she is. She already talks about how she wants to wear her underpants. However, she is still very iffy when it comes to following directions and she has a mind of her own. Sooooo, this could be a longer process than with Rowan, who was totally trained within 2 weeks! We'll keep you "posted".

Christmas in Chicago

We did it! We took the family up to Chicago during the winter and had NO delays or bad travel experiences. Our time there with Mom, Dad, JuJu, and Matt was too quick, but much enjoyed. We spent a lot of time inside as the temperatures were rather cold for us thin-bloods. One morning we went to the children's museum and really enjoyed all the interactive play there. JuJu and Matt were available for play and reading books. It's really such a shame we don't live closer to them all! Mom and Dad gave Holland a stroller for her baby doll and Rowan got some legos to build. We had a perfect visit and are sad at the thought that it may be our last as Mom and Dad prepare to retire at the end of January and have thoughts of moving south.

I finally figured out how to put a title on...CHRISTMAS

Here you will find a few things we did right around Christmas. The first is Rowan's BIG Christmas program he put on at church with all the 4 year olds. They all did a wonderful job and I couldn't believe they memorized about 15 short songs with actions and all. It was very impressive and although he was quite nervous walking down the aisle, he made sure he sang loud so everyone in the back could hear him. This was a big step for him, as he DOES NOT like to perform or be in front of even just a few people. My heart was leaping for joy as he smiled at us when he first got up on stage.