Another Christmas has come and gone

It seems like just yesterday I started playing my Christmas carols on the radio or with the CD's. The red and green were just beginning to pop up in the stores. Santa hadn't made it to the mall yet. Lights were starting to appear on front lawns. Now we've got trash cans packed to overflowing, there are Christmas dinner leftovers in the fridge, and there's a stack of "return" items waiting by the door.

This Christmas was different then any I had ever had before. My daughter is 2 3/4 and is learning what Christmas is all about. She knows now what the word "Christmas" is, she knows about Santa, AND she can semi sing her way through "Jingle Bells". She left out cookies and milk for Santa, which we were forgot to point out were gone the next morning, for the first time. She wore the big fluffy Christmas dress to the Christmas Eve Service at our chapel, got to hold a lit candle for a few seconds, and did her dancing at the front of the chapel to the verses of "Joy To The World". On Christmas morning we had to prod her along to keep opening up Christmas presents, because she would open one up, see what she likes and then want to play. When her daddy and I would start to open up one of our own, she would take possession of the gift and claim it as, "mine."

What is Christmas without friends and family? Since we live a good 2500 miles away from our closest relatives we had over some friends. People we've gotten to know in the past year and a half we've lived here. We then had three little girls running around giggling and screaming and just having fun while the adults spent there time talking and eatting and enjoying each other's company. This was a change from last year where many were invited and only one showed up. (But a very special one.)

All this to say that I'm sad that Christmas is over. It's now time to take down the tree (or in a few days), tidy up the house, and then make my new year's resolution. This year! I will lose the weight I gained when pregnant with my daughter who is now 2 3/4. *sigh*

Fa-la-la-la-la.... la-la-la-la

Have you ever had the chance...

to ride a horse? For me there is no other feeling than sitting atop a horse... it's pure heaven. There's no feeling to compare. I have found my passion. I love to ride. I would spend my whole day being with her. Just brushing her fur or smelling her nose. :) She gets this unique smell when the air is clear and the sun is shining. I get so relaxed as I brush her and rid her of the days mud. When I finally get on her I get to take her outside and let her have full reign. This is something I'm still learning. Yesterday was more than I imagined. Yesterday I got to let her run. I got to feel her as she had her way. She could run where she wanted and I was along for the ride. It didn't get to last very long, maybe ten minutes or so. But what a ten minutes. What an exhilarating feeling. I wasn't scared for a minute. I knew she would take care of me as we felt the wind in our hair.

Potty Training is for the birds!!!

You know how you get so frustrated you want to scream??? Try to add that to potty training a two year old. AGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am soooo over this process. Everyone I talk to says it takes time. EVERYONE!!!!!!! Then there's the people you hate who say their kid learned it in two months or something like that. I'm trying my hardest to ask her to go potty or to tell her she is going to tell me when she has to pee. It's just not working. I am so frustrated I could cry. My daughter is in daycare in the mornings and does great there. Then she comes home and it's like she turns into Mr. Hyde. I can hear her telling herself that "mommy is so much fun to mess with. hee hee hee Watch as I pee myself. See how mad she gets?" UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyone have ANY ideas on how to make this easier??? I'm stuck peeling pooh out of panties and whiping it up off the floor. I've had clothes to change as we're going out the door because she didn't tell me she peed herself. How do you survive this???

HELP!!!!!!!!!