Everybody Poops...

Or at least tries to. Wow, we had a crazy weekend. Audrey had to poop....badly, but it was just not coming out. Sorry for the graphic imagery. So, Saturday, we stuck her in the bath with a little lunck. Sunday, was worse and we almost headed to the ER. But, Jim drove to the Pharmacy and our pharmacist said to try stool softeners, after an hour, they worked. Thank goodness.
So for now, potty training has had a bit of a back slide( not too bad though) for the lil girl that says she "doesnt want to go potty, cause it hurts!"
My mom was here, and of course, she hates to see her girl in pain, so she went to Weis and bought all things fiberlicious! What worked: Bolthouse farms carrot juice, it seems. All 100% carrot juice. I mixed it with orange juice( cant hurt to have a little vitamin c).
Now, I have switched to fiberlicious natural smoothies:

She was on a smoothie strike for a few weeks, but she seems to like these.

Hopefully we are on the road to poop happiness!

Its Potty time...gotta go with the flow

At least that is what Elmo told me.
For the last week, we have been in the midst of potty training. She is ready!
Very Ready!
The first day, I loaded her up on juice. Set the timer for every 10 minutes...and we were off! We watched Elmo Potty Time and she was lavished with MM's and coins for her dinosaur bank. A few accidents, but overall a success!
The next day, was food and drink as usual, and she was doing great. She had an accident every once in a awhile, but so far so good.

The 3rd day, we took a walk in the mall, and actually did great.
It is pooping on the potty when it is a little more firm than she likes, that is the hard part.
Now, 1 week into training, she has very little accidents, but still occasional problems with pooping. she says it hurts. But, I would say Potty training, although it has taken over most of our day to day has been a pretty good transition.
Yeah for big girl panties!

Holiday Fun

WOW, did we ever have a great time between Christmas and New Years: family, trips, games, and just plain ol fun!
Christmas Morning was filled with presents and good times, at our house and then later with Nana and Pap and the rest of the family at their house.
Audrey got some wonderful gifts and as always everyone was so good to her.

She especially loved her Horse( Smores aka Snores) and her microphone.
Two days after Christmas Amanda and the kids came to visit. She enjoyed her time with her cousins, as always!
On the 29th, we headed to the PA State Museum for Noon Years Eve, a celebration for kids for New Years. We had a wonderful time!

Then, we headed to Intercourse, PA yesterday, amish country, for some pretzel factory touring/rolling dough and some site seeing and shopping.
Of Course, Audrey liked the Amish biggies best of all.

Twas the night before....

And this house was a mess, filled with present and cookies, it is surely the best!
What a day!

Up to Breakfast casserole....yum!
My mom and I spent 2 hrs at Heel Your Sole, dunking our troubles and getting Happy hands. That place is heaven on earth. RUN there!
When we came back, we got ready for our evening excursions.

After a cheesesteak dinner, we headed to meet the UAFD team to travel around our neighborhood and hand out reindeer dust to guide the reindeer into our houses and candy canes. Santa ( aka my amazing Santa husband) sat on the front of the engine and we got to watch the kids faces light up as Santa rode through our neighborhood. What a great idea my husband had. He makes me so proud,

But, not as proud as he made me during our second evening excursion, which was to take Christmas ( groceries and gifts) to our adopted family of 7. My parents and I and Audrey piled in the car to watch as the fire trucks pulled into the apartment complex where our family lived. The dad and his boys were waiting outside and so humbled and gracious.
If you want to feel what Christmas is really meant to be like, pack up your loved ones some Christmas eve and go give Christmas to a family who needs it. WOW, will it ever make you feel blessed, especially when you do it for a 14, 12, 7, 5 and 3 year old family of boys.
We came home and threw our reindeer dust all over the lawn.

Then, we got in our Christmas jammies.

and then put cookies and milk out for Santa.

w

We opened our Advent Tree and placed the Baby Jesus on, our last advent activity.
We sang Away in the Manger.
and now my Dad is reading Twas the Night Before Christmas.
Best Christmas EVER!
Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night.

For unto us a child is born, a king!
Thank you Lord....for everything!

Baking Cookies for Santa

Today is my Mom's birthday. She's 39, so that makes me 16. LOL!
My parents arrived at lunchtime, just in time for us to enjoy a good lunch together and for my mom to open some presents.
Directly after lunch, Mom Mom got to work on cookie making for Santa with Audrey.

She had aprons for herself, Audrey and I. She came equipped with her new cookie press and some sugar cookie dough. Audrey was in charge of the sugar...which she only made 1 crazy "mistake" with. I am not sure who is eating the entirely green sugared cookie...Santa I guess.
What a fun time we all had!

While, we baked, Dad and Pop napped.

Eventually, Audrey decided to nap too, and while she was down Mom Mom and i went to go look through the stores...no deals. we came home soon enough with only a few things we needed.
We enjoyed a nice dinner for Mom Mom's birthday and some pumpkin cheesecake.
Then, we decided to cut off Audreys scraggley long hair into a cute little bob! Her hair is so cute short.

and she can still can wear sweet barrettes.

Then, we piled in the car to look at Christmas lights.
We opened up the advent tree and placed an ornament.
Whew, is it Christmas yet?

And although i didnt know him....

Today, we did a whole lot of well lot!
We woke up nice and early before Jim and Audrey and enjoyed myself a cup o joe...gingerbread, yum!
I have cleaned this house from top to bottom except for closet, one closet in particular...the hoarding closet...LOL! No, I am certainly NOT a hoarder, although I do play one in this closet. Whew-E! I have everything from luggage, an inversion table, my wedding dress and a mattress in this closet. It is utter and total disarray...and it is connected to the room I call my parents room. If they open the door, it will be like an old episode of that show where everything flies out of the closet...I forget the name. Anyway, I have exactly 12 hrs to make that room shine. It is the last of my christmas worries. So, I worked on it a bit today, but found other things that were more important.
This year UAFD adopted a family of 7. 5 boys and 2 parents. WOW! The food drive was a huge success for this family, and even more so, our members just opened their hearts and their pocketbooks to give this family a good Christmas. The boys: 14, 12, 7, 5, and 3, have no idea that we are coming via fire engine to their home to deliver gifts. My job today was to wrap the gifts that still needed wrapping. As I wrapped I prayed for this family. I prayed for the parents and I prayed for each boy by name. I thanked God for the gifts that have always made it under my tree and for the gifts that will be under our tree this year for our little girl. The wrapping is done and I am so excited to tag along and see the surprise on these boys faces.
Before wrapping, I went on a small excursion to buy the boys some hats and gloves and a few more toys.
I had something else I set my mind to do today. I found a wreath that I made this summer on a camping weekend and I decided to take it and place it on the grave of a veteran for Christmas.
I drove into the cemetary and I explained to my little passenger that when people go to heaven we bury there bodies to give us a place to remember them and that we were going to remember a stranger today. I made 3 loops and I finally saw a grave that didnt have a wreath, but did have a flag marker.

Edward Smith was born 1908 and died 1982 and he was a WWII veteran. I placed our wreath and said a prayer for this stranger I didnt even know and then we drove away. Humbled.

We stopped at Paulus Farm Market and snagged 2 sets of our favorite barrette maker, Sunny B's barrettes for the holidays. We stopped by Bed Bath and Beyond and got a popsicle maker( which so far stinks)since Audrey wants popsicles everyday now.

After a nap, we opened up our advent tree and inside was the Angel ornament from the nativity. We hung it on the tree, still 2 more to go.

And, Audrey opened up one of her special advent gifts: a santa music box. She was so excited, and so was the cat! LOL! It plays Jingle Bells, and she is a super Jingle Bells Singer, so she sand along.

I would hope she can keep it safe so we can create a heirloom of the music box.
My parents come tomorrow and the chaos escalates a little, but in a good way.
Our scripture comes from our max Lucado devotional today:
Luke 1:33: His Kingdom will never end.
I believe.

The first to say his name

Today, we open up our advent door and add Joseph to our advent tree ornaments.
I know this because I realized when we opened Mary last night, I put Joseph next. It wasnt the order I wanted, but whatever...she'll get the point of it all.
Ironically, my devotional today with Girlfriends in God was kind of lackluster. so, I went to Max Lucados site and read his devotional...and low and behold...it was about Joseph!
http://www.maxlucado.com/articles/daily/he_called_his_name_jesus/
Take the time to read it. It is awesome.
Joseph, an ordinary, blue collar working man, puts aside his plans and puts God's plan in his plans place. Amazing, right? I can't do that. I try and I must admit I stink at it.
Today we are preparing our house for my parents to come on Friday. As much as I feel like I keep a clean house, I realize that I have so much "stuff" that I need to get rid of or find a new home for after the holidays. Out with the old, in with the new. I get it.
Right now, in the mix of Christmas shopping and cookie baking for the next 4 days, I just want to put God's plans for my holidays ahead of everything else, ahead of my mom's calendar of events, ahead of my cleaning, and focus really on where God wants me.