Big steps

This last week we did nothing.

At least it felt a lot like nothing.  I started potty training Mira on Tuesday, and honestly, I am THRILLED at how well it's going, I just had to stay in my house for 5 straight days.  And I don't do well with being cooped up indoors.  Especially in the winter.

I am happy to say Mira is taking to it very quickly.  I think the key this time was that I prepared her for it.  I let her pick the day of the week she wanted to start and we marked off the calendar every day until it was the day she picked.  Each day we would mark it off and say only ___ more days until you get to use the potty! It helped that Emilia was excited for her to start using the potty, too.  If Emilia thinks its cool, then Mira is all over it. She went to church today wearing a pull up and we had an accident, but it was the only one of the day.  She did awesome. I'm very proud of her.

I also noticed this week that Emilia is getting really good at sounding out words.  She picks up library books and sounds out the first few words on the page. She picks words off signs, boxes, advertisements, buildings, and reads them.  She is doing amazing.

Cecily will not be outdone either.  She is rolling around like a pro.  So much so that she has knocked over plants and pulled stuff off shelves even though she started out at the other side of the room. She is also pushing up on her hands and knees and trying to go.  She's successful, only in the wrong direction.  She goes backwards a lot.

Friday Emilia didn't have school for SEP, so Haylee and Dylan and Lincoln came to visit.
Saturday was Steve's work "Christmas" party. We got sitters (yes, plural) and got dressed up in our best inexpensive version of 1930's nightclub garb.  We then set off for "The Underground" in Provo where they had a "mini" casino set up.  They were full-size tables, but not very many of them.  Five blackjack tables, three craps tables, one roulette table and one texas hold em table. They gave everybody $350 in chips which we could gamble with at the tables, and then at the end of the night, you turned in your winnings for entries to a raffle that will be held Monday at work.

Inside Sales where Steve works has grown a lot over the last year (probably quadrupled the number of employees) and I think this party was a product of some growing pains.  It was a terrible venue for 300+ employees and the fun stuff was under-staffed and over-crowded.  It was the same thing they did last year, and I would be happy to have them do it again next year if they get a larger venue and more tables.

Tonight we had the whole family at my parents house for celebrating January birthdays.

Although I had a lot of frustrations this week, I think overall, I can count it as a pretty blessed week.