IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS: 2013 VERSION :)

 

HO-HO-HO

Merry Christmas from all the Harts!

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS

I love the Christmas Season!  I really enjoy the traditions we have started with our kids! Here are a couple that we do each year and just started today, the first day of December.

I wrap 25 books and put them under our upstairs tree. Right before bed each night, the girls take turns opening up a book that we then read together snuggled in Punkin's bed. I always buy a brand new one that I make sure they save to open on Christmas Eve.

I used to do a separate Advent Calendar and Countdown Activity chart, but this year I combined them! My Countdown to Christmas chart isn't as elaborate or decorative as some I've seen on Pinterest, but I didn't have time this year to go all out. :) At any rate, I printed out the advent Bible verse cards from HERE and then also wrote a fun Christmas related activity on the back of each one. Each day, the girls take turns taking the card out and we read the Bible verse together (and then later put it up on our red poster...so each day we will read all the ones we have up there, adding one each day as we go.  By Christmas, we will have verses that tell the whole Christmas story.) After that, we turn it over and find out what the fun Christmas activity is for that day.

Here are a list of the things we are doing this year:

1. Handprint Trees / Wreaths
2. Make a paper chain to decorate bedroom door.
3. Christmas Candlelight Picnic Dinner (on the floor by the tree)  
4. Hot Cocoa Bar
5. Play “I Spy” ornament Scavenger Hunt
6. Make Ornament cake balls
7. Go to Toys R Us to buy Toys for Tots gifts
8. Christmas Party at Aunt Rose and Uncle Bob’s house
9. Make “Peppermint Cocoa Floats” (peppermint ice cream and hot cocoa)
10. Write a Christmas Letter to Great Grandma and mail it
11. Festival of Lights in PJ’s with popcorn
12. Make Snowflakes and decorate with glitter
13. Make gift for SS teachers, preschool teachers, school teachers
14. Make a gingerbread house with a friend
15. Church program
16. School program
17. Make Christmas Cookies
18. Have a “snowball fight” with wadded paper
19. Deliver Christmas cookies to neighbors
20. Sleepover at Grandma's
21. Help me wrap gifts for cousins
22. Unwrap 1 stocking gift early
23. Camp out under Christmas Tree in sleeping bags
24. After Christmas Eve service, give a gift box to the kids full of new jammies, a Christmas video, and snacks. Watch the movie in new PJs with the snacks in mom and dad’s bed.
25. CHRISTMAS!

I WOULDN'T HAVE BELIEVED YOU.....

If you would have told me a year ago that by Christmas of 2013 I'd be 40 pounds lighter, I would not have believed you.  I honestly didn't think it was possible.  But it was!  And I did it!  So excited!  So happy to be spending the holidays this year 40 pounds lighter!  I will update this post later with my Weight Lose Story. :)

HALLOWEEN 2013

POTTY TRAINING BOOTCAMP

Well, we started potty training with Kelsey yesterday.  She has been showing so much interest and always wants to sit on the potty, flush, and wipe just like her big sis.  We would find her sometimes with her diaper off just sitting on the potty!  She was to the point where she would tell me every time she went... after the fact.  So, since we had a few days in a row with no set plans, I decided to set those days apart for "Potty Training Bootcamp."

I let her drink as much and as often as she wants.  In fact, I push the water/juice/milk and remind her all the time to take a drink.  The more she has to go potty, the more opportunities there are to "practice" this new skill. :)

I brought her little potty into the kitchen so we could stay on the tile floor (easier to clean up accidents) and so it could be in close proximity for easier learning. We started off with "big girl undies" but then, just as with Morgan, I switched to having her just going around without anything on at all.  That way we could focus on going in the potty without having to struggle to quick get her panties pulled down in time.

So, here she is eating a "picnic" lunch on the floor so she could easily jump up and go if she needed.

Obviously, it took her awhile to get used to the sensations and what it felt like when she had to go and to learn the cues that told her to run to the potty.  We had accidents, I was cleaning the floor a lot.  But that's all part of the learning process.  As I pumped her full of fluid, I also set a timer and had her run to the potty when it went off. We'd count to 20 and then she could get up even if she hadn't gone.  At first, the timer was set for 5 minutes to give lots of practice and because with all the fluids in her, she couldn't often make it past that.  :)  But we kept increasing the time as she became more successful.

When she would happen to go in the potty, she would get a candy corn treat.  Wow.  That was motivation for her!  It took about one day for her to "get it" and then at the end of the first day, in the evening, something suddenly clicked. :)  Today, our second day at it, she is now going over to the potty on her own when she feels she has to go. Yea!  However, she is still without undies and has the little potty right close by in the kitchen.  And I am constantly asking her if she is still dry.  It will take time for her to "get it" when we are not actively reinforcing, reminding, and practicing.  :)

I will update in a few days with how it is going long term.  :)

DOWN ON THE FARM

We spent the weekend in Indiana with family. Morgan LOVED Uncle Dick's farm! In fact, she cried herself to sleep tonight because she wanted to go back so "her friend Skeeter" (the dog) wouldn't miss her too much. :)

This picture looks like she is running away scared, but in reality she LOVED the dogs and had fun running around with them all weekend!

Kelsey enjoyed the dogs, too, but didn't get as personal with them. 

They were spoiled by this awesome playset!

 

 We let the girls go out to the porch before bedtime to watch my Uncle Dick and Cousins Trevor and Trent harvesting the beans in the field. Something they don't get to see everyday. 

We also got to do a LOT of other fun things on Uncle Dick's farm, that we just don't get to do back in Illinois.  :).

 Riding around the farm in the back of a gator!

 They've never been up close with a combine before!

 Kelsey did NOT like being up in the combine!

 Found out tractors are pretty big, too!

 Saying hello to the "Moo Cows."

 Driving the gator!  She wants one now at our house.  LOL!

 Aww.......Love this picture!

 Taking it off road!

 Playing "Chicken" with the semi!!  LOL!

 We let her in the driver's seat once the battery wore out.

Waiting for her turn on the little tractor.....not so patiently.  :)

My Cousin Trevor's old tractor from when he was a kid.

 Uncle Dick had all sorts of fun things!

Kelsey was just as content, though, picking up rocks. 

Mom and her "baby brother."

 Uncle Dick's farm is the farm my mom grew up on. They just finished an amazing addition / remodel. What a gorgeous home!  It truly was an amazing weekend, and the girls can't wait to go back!