A party indeed...

Wednesdays are great nights anyway, but this week there was an added party :).  In the last of the potty training posts I mentioned an upcoming "potty party".  Last week we had that party. 

On Wednesday nights a few friends gather for dinner and then to watch Tuesday night's LOST episode.  As a side note, I do love these nights.  We all bring something to contribute to the dinner, everyone talks and hangs out, and kids play around us.  It's a great mid week get together.

Last week Evee and I made cupcakes and we hosted the dinner at our house.  I must say, what I love about our friends is that they actually engaged in the moment.  To be honest, I was thinking, "is this silly?"  But, I had told Evee that we would do it when her chart was filled AND it truly is a thing worth celebrating.  Our friends went above and beyond though...  One friend brought her balloons and two little girls brought her pictures they had made and a pair of panties each.

Here are some pictures of the evening (and the cupcakes)...

 

  

  

 

Grateful

With a kid in tow, I often think about how wonderful it would be to have family nearby.  Living on the far east coast of the US, our closest immediate family member lives in Indiana.  Other than that most are overseas (all of Clint's family and my parents).  My other 2 siblings are on the far west coast.

Lately I've just felt so blessed at how God provides people, though, when we need it.  Last year we did a lot of swaps, which was wonderful.  Swapping tends to come and go in seasons.

I'm enjoying a swap right now, in fact.  It's Sunday, it's been a weekend of lots of activity, Clint has been away since Friday (it's now Sunday), and a friend (who's husband is also away) and I are swapping this afternoon. 

So even though Clint is gone, right now I'm sipping on a drink, enjoying some time alone and writing this post :).  It's a beautiful thing and was wonderful timing.

Moreover, in the last few weeks each of the following has happened...

• We were coming home from church trying to decide whether we should go out for Valentine's day and thinking about who we may be able to swap with to save some money.  As we were walking to our apartment a friend called out of his apartment, "Can we take Evee tomorrow night so you guys can go out?"  Um, yes.  I think my answer was "seriously?". 
• Then I was in a wedding 2 weekends ago and there was a last minute get together of all the bridesmaids.  I had a friend who offered to take Evee for the 6 hours or so that Clint was in class so that I could leave a day early.
• Last weekend we went to a prayer retreat and that same friend (above) and another friend helped us out for a good portion of the day (8:45-3:15pm) on Saturday.
• I have a conference at the end of April, but it's during the week.  So, hard to find childcare.  Our backup was to have her in daycare all 3 days, but we were hoping for something else, but not sure how it would work.  Last Sunday a friend comes up to me and says that she has been thinking about it and would really like to offer to keep Evee as much as we need during that time.  

Isn't that amazing!  That each of those literally happened?  I just feel so amazed and blessed by people's generosity.  So many blessings...

For Joni

I always wanted my sister to send us pictures while she was pregnant so we could see her little belly in process.  She never did... :)

Now, she has been asking for some and I feel the same hesitancy.  I don't know why it feels like a vulnerable thing to post pictures while in process of getting bigger.  Even though it's such a beautiful thing...

Well, here are some pictures for Joni.  Maybe then next time she's preggers I'll get some sent my way :).  Not that it's my motivation, but...

(note: I took pictures on 2 consecutive days thinking that maybe I'd look smaller in the blue shirt that's not as tight.  right.  Also, it's ironic that both of these shirts are ones that Joni passed on to me from her pregnancy.)

We are right around the halfway mark...

 

 

Going slow

I saw this quote on another blog...

Loving yourself has a lot to do with slowing down…
Rather than adding one thing more every day, why not try adding one thing less?
…Try editing your days; craft them to sing concisely like memorable lines of poetry.
…Rushing is anxiety in motion.
- Mike Mason, Practicing the Presence of People

How true the words are...at least in my own life.  "Rushing is anxiety in motion".  I've never thought about it like that, but it makes sense.  And rushing creates more anxiety in my own life as well.  

This is a lot of what I was getting at in this post.  Things that require me to slow down, be present, and remind me of the simple beauties of each day.  

More winter meanderings...

From Friday...

Today turned out to be another snow day (this winter has been amazing, really).  Although, for us, this is a normal Friday.  Fridays are the beautiful day of the week that is completely free...where we usually have a clean slate each week.  And we enjoy it.

The only thing that the snow meant this morning was changing a date to play with friends.  It didn't end up snowing too much and now it's just beautiful outside, so it seems a bit silly now that we canceled.  But at 10 am, when it was snowing, it was hard to make that call.

After a quiet morning with a quick visit (Evee and I) to friends, Clint came home for lunch and then headed out again to class.  Evee and I got to work...

I wanted to finally finish a "craft/play" blanket that I'd started last spring.  I'd made one for my sister (since I knew she'd appreciate it and a lot of it was her own leftover fabric - thanks Jules!), but still needed to finish Evee's.

Evee and I did it together as she likes to do with most sewing projects ("let's do it together").  Then we used it straight away to make a long time intended thank you note that can finally go in the mail.  Painting, drawing, writing of notes, putting on of stickers...lots of fun.

 

 

Evee then saw a friend playing out in the snow.  She, this friend, and the friend's 2 older sisters have now been very happily playing outside, sledding, for a good chunk of time.  I'm so amazed at the moments I am having.  And, all when I had wanted to start on this project - perfect timing!  I've been cutting out fabric, listening to music, and glancing out the window for awhile now.

Clint just called to check in and I told him that I'm alone, doing whatever I want.  He was so happy for me...which is ever so sweet since he has been working all day and was checking in before working again until he comes home for dinner.  I wonder if I'd be jealous if I was him...but he was just excited for me.

I think I see Evee making her way back...should go now :).

Potty talk...this may be the last post on this!

So, after random posts about this over the last year and a half - yikes - this may be the last one.  Mostly because the posts are so random, but also because we may be well on our way to no more diapers!

The progression of the last 2-3 weeks has been...

• lots of talk about going on the potty.
• a wonderful book from the people I work for - The Princess and the Potty
• reminders for me that it works best when the kiddo is ready and to have a more laid back approach (not that I'd been intense at all, but I thought intensity at some point  was needed...not the case for us).
• lots of encouragement for Evee to go naked or in undies.  That had been the biggest issue, in fact.  Not that she was having lots of accidents but that she wanted to wear a diaper.
• a special trip to the store to pick out whatever undies she wanted (turned out she wanted Dora).
• sometimes deserts for wearing undies for a long period of time even though she'd rather wear her diaper.
• long amounts of time with regularly going on the potty.

It's been a lot easier than expected actually, although we are still in process.  Today, though, is our 4th day of wearing underwear and no accidents!  And, just with the reality of our life, we are out and about a lot of the days.  It's a wonder to me that she's catching on and I'm not fearful of being out...

One thing that has been awesome, that I didn't expect, was a sticker chart.  When we tried potty training at 18 months, I used treats.  But this time it was just a simple chart we made that has 60 slots for stickers.  She is thrilled about it.  After about 10 stickers were on the chart I told Evee that maybe we could have a potty party when it was all filled up.

It is truly amazing to me how little ones can adjust from one mindset to a completely different one.  Can you imagine just going whenever necessary and not even thinking about it...then one day you have to start thinking about when you need to go and where you make it happen.  You're supposed to hold it in and only go at certain times and in certain places.  I think about what it must be like for little ones - physically, emotionally, and psychologically.  It's pretty amazing...kids are a wonder!

Winter looks like...

 Lots of crafts and indoor play, outdoor gear, baking, book and books on tape (loving the library!), and cozy moments on the couch or snuggled in bed.