New Milestones in Our House

Life has been crazy in my home lately.  Hence the lack of blogging.  I did want to share a few new milestones.

1.  Griffin started preschool!

He is going to the same preschool that Nolan attended.  He even has the same teachers, which makes my heart happy (they are amazing!!).  This is good for Griffin because he is familiar with the classroom and the teachers.



Griffin has a great deal of difficulty separating from us (me and Jared) and adjusting to new environments.  I was worried about how his drop-off would go.  The parents and kids have to line up in a tiny stairwell and wait for the teachers to open the doors.  Then the parents give hugs and kisses, and the kids have to walk into the classroom.  It's a very tight space and if he would've had his usual meltdown, we would have blocked the flow of traffic and the noise would have filled that tiny space.

But he was amazing!  He gave me a hug and kiss (which in itself is amazing since he doesn't show much affection), smiled at me, and walked right into his classroom.  Unbelievable!!  I was beyond proud of my boy.

2.  Nora is potty trained!

All of Nora's peers have been potty training for months.  For ONE YEAR we have been putting Nora on the toilet before her bath to see if she could pee on the toilet.  Not.  One.  Drop.  Seriously.  When we talked to her about being a big girl and going potty in the toilet, she said, "I'll go potty on the toilet when I'm three."  And we believed this determined girl.

The day before Nolan's school started, I took the kids to Walmart for some last-minute items.  I also let Nora pick out some big girl underwear (just to have on hand).  The next day she wanted to wear them.  I figured it was a step in the right direction, so I let her put some on.  Later that evening she had an accident (luckily on the kitchen floor and not the carpet).  She was devastated.  She had STILL never ever not once peed in the toilet.

The next day she had her first ever successful pee on the toilet (is anyone else bothered by my repeated use of "potty" and "pee" in this post?).  That was the real milestone.  She hasn't had an accident since.  This girl has unbelievable bladder control.  She refuses to use public bathrooms (can you blame her?).  She FINALLY used my mother-in-law's toilet and today she used the toilet at church for the first time.  I suppose I don't need to make her use other people's toilets as long as she holds it until we get home!

{Side note:  What was I thinking when I started potty training Nora during the first week of Nolan's school??  Talk about mama overload.}

Nora's potty independence has led her to feel powerful and independent in other ways.  She is especially enjoying choosing her own accessories.  I get frustrated at how long it takes to get shoes on and get her "look" just how she wants it.  But I also love her girliness.

We refer to the look above as Nora's 1980s workout look.  She INSISTED on wearing this headband on her forehead.  She's also wearing a pearl bracelet and stick-on earrings.  She keeps choosing these super-dirty pink shoes, whether they match her outfit or not.  She also apparently had a recent growth spurt because many of her summer clothes are suddenly too short.  Just hold on until fall!

On this day, she requested pigtails (she usually doesn't let me do her hair), more stick-on earrings, and her sunglasses (indoors).

I think this "independent woman" attitude is only going to get more intense with time.

3.  I've been busy with stuff I can't tell you about. :)

I have been doing some work on Christmas gifts.  I don't actually have anyone's gift finished.  I've been shopping, reading, browsing, and even practicing to get ready to make some cool new gifts.  

I also spent some time making gifts for my Secret Sister at church.  We exchange cards with our information (name, birthday, anniversary, hobbies, favorites, address) with other women at church.  Then I pray for my Secret Sister, send her cards, and occasionally give her gifts (there's a drop off/pick up spot at church).  I can't show you what I made her without giving away her identity, and she doesn't know that I am her Secret Sister.

I've also been busy mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  God is trying to help me grow in several areas, and I'm trying to let him.  It's exhausting though! 

4.  I've started working on Halloween costumes.

I've just begun this process, and I'll tell you more in a future post.  I actually usually buy the kids' costumes because I can generally find what they want for cheaper than what it would cost me to make it.  This year, however, Griffin and Nora have chosen costumes that I think would be cheaper for me to make.  Once I have it all figured out, I'll tell you more.

Jessica