Thanksgiving, etc

 Another Thanksgiving come and gone.  It was so wonderful to have the break from work - especially since Kyle also had a break.  It is rare that our vacations line up the same, so it was just really nice to have several days in a row to all spend together.

In years past, we've always joined other families for Thanksgiving, but this year - since we have Brittany and the girls, we thought we'd just do it ourselves.  To make matters more fun, Karen and a friend of hers came over as well.  It was, I suppose, the first time we've hosted a Thanksgiving meal.  I was excited about trying my hand at cooking the turkey all by meself (as Abby would say). 

Everything went well.  I spent the morning cleaning the house and cooking and watching the Macy's parade with Kyle and Abby.  The Macy's parade always makes me tear up because it is so nostalgic of my childhood - waking up on Thanksgiving morning and watching it with my siblings is a fond memory.  This year, I sat in front of our TV with Abby in my lap telling her "look Abby!  Santa is coming next, here he comes, do you see him?" And I (of course) had to hold back my own happy tears as I watched her face Light Up and excitedly say "Yes! I DO see him!  Hi Santa!"

I love this age.  

So, the rest of the day was great.  The bird came out well, the food was all tasty, and Karen came over dressed as a giant turkey - which added a unique dynamic to the dinner table. :)

my 1st turkey 

Karen, portraying an emotional moment.

We all enjoyed the meal and the company.  It was a nice time.

Because we thought it would be fun, we decided to also start potty training Abby on Thanksgiving.  She has resisted training for so long, and we've tried not to be pushy, but to be positive; to offer incentives, but not punishments, etc.  But, as she approaches 3, Kyle and I both felt she needed a little push.  This was the first chance we've had to be home for more than 2 days in a row, so we decided it was time to try it and see how it went.

Abby was telling us all the time "I can't go potty, we still have diapers"  So, Kyle and I hid all the diapers.  We then told her "Sorry!  We're all out."  She was Not happy about that.  She threw a little fit.  Then, she begged me to "pwease mommy, PWEASE can you go to the store and buy some more diapers? Pwease?"  So, 2 accidents later, she finally successfully went on the potty.  This was the first real time ever, so we made a BIG deal about it.  She got skittles, a prize from her treasure chest, stickers, lots of cheering and hugs and kisses. She stayed dry the rest of the day.  It was a much easier day than I thought it would be, all things considered.

The next day, she threw another fit about putting on panties, but she got over it quickly.  Only 1 accident that day (during nap time)

Every day since has been better and better.  She still puts up a small protest about putting on panties in the morning, but it's just a token whine, really.  I'm so proud of her.  We're no where near being "potty trained"  But, considering a week ago she had never really gone on her own, and this week she's had very few accidents and seeks out the potty when she needs it?  We're headed in the right direction.  It's a great start, if nothing else.

I'm out of time for now, thanks for reading.  Talk to y'all soon. :)

Here, have a cute picture of E

PS: I've noticed that sometimes my pictures get crazy on here.  My apologies - they always look normal when I post, but sometimes when I go back and look, they are really big or misplaced.  So, if that happens, feel free to tell me - and I'll fix it. Thanks.