Greta has been ready to use the potty for a couple of months now at least (or so I think). Now that the holidays are over and life is back to it's regular pace, I decided to take the dive and work with her to learn to use the potty. I was nervous. The parents have to be mentally and emotionally prepared to potty train. It's tough work! But, good news. Greta is a rockstar and has taken to it like a champ. She even woke up with a completely dry diaper this morning! She's been so good at already letting us know when she has to go. We still have a lot of work to do, but I'm so proud of Greta! She's such a clever little girl. And I'm super excited to have no more diapers to change (and buy!). Today is day three, and I'm hoping she keeps progressing at her current pace. I don't feel totally comfortable leaving the house yet!

I made very little this year for Christmas, in part because I was busy making a truckload of quilts for my etsy shop, Lucky No.7 and also because my girls don't really appreciate the handmade and I wasn't prepared to go there. They both had Christmas dresses that fit, so they didn't get new dresses. I didn't make them anything at all for Christmas. It was a smart decision. What I did make, I wanted to share. I crocheted my sister-in-law some mittens (no pictures) and I made cross stitch families for each of Conor's siblings (the how-to is from Martha Stewart). I need to make one for us! And I made some doll carriers for some little friends, and a couple for my girls, but they weren't wrapped and under the tree.  My big project was making a collared shirt for Conor which is totally too big - I didn't think it would fit right, so it came with the promise of a shirt that does fit right. Overall, it was such a relaxed, stressl-free Christmas in the making department. I had time to make some little things for around our home and I don't feel burned out. However, I do like to make more for Christmas. Just had to experience making less!

Already another year gone! 2012 didn't have very many big moments in it, but it was a really big year for our family. We grew and changed a lot! Here's a list of all the bigger things that happened:

• Holly became free of diapers!
• Greta turned 1
• We started budgeting, seriously
• We spent a weekend in Tahoe
• We went to LA for a wedding
• Greta learned to walk
• We moved to a new apartment (same city)
• Holly turned 3
• We visited Calgary
• I ran my first-ever half marathon
• Holly and Greta took ballet lessons

Last year, my broad, "not too personal to share" goals were:

• take better care of myself (ie: get more than one haircut in 2012)
• grow my testimony
• sew more for myself and my home
• have FUN!

I did get more than one haircut (I think) and I took much better care of myself physically, my testimony is a million times stronger, I didn't really sew more for myself, but I did sew a little more for my home, and we did have a lot of fun. Doing more crafts with Holly was so fulfilling to me as her mother and we are stronger in our relationship because of it. 

In the last week or two, I've been thinking about what I want to accomplish this year. I had a lot of personal victories of 2012 that were so sweet and so precious. I feel like 2013 holds a lot of unknowns for me, but I hope I'm ready for it. So here's what I've got so far in terms of goals:

• Pay off all our debt (this is a family one and we've sacrificed and scrimped but so far we've managed to pay off an impressive amount in a short amount of time and I'm really proud of us!)
• Find a new rythym for physcial exericse
• Sew more for myself
• Experiment with some "extreme" diets, for example, vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan
• Mother with intent and purpose
• Find happiness, regardless of my circumstances
• Keep some plants alive
• Become a citizen of the USA
• Laugh more

What are your resolutions?

PS: I found this talk by President Uchtdorf to be really thought provoking. 

On Boxing Day, we packed the girls up in the car and headed to the Oakland zoo, even though as were were leaving our home it was pouring rain. The girls had been crazy leading up to that moment - the consequence of Christmas I guess and there was no way I was going to spend the morning with them in our apartment. So we pushed forward, and made it to the zoo at opening time. We had a little bit of rain and it was nippy (it's been a cold winter!), but we had the best time. We went up and down all the hills and saw all the animals at least once. We rode the skyride (special treat) and were able to see the lions perfectly. We ended our trip with lunch in the empty outdoor theater and our own family's performances. It was a beautiful day. 

Conor and I have an open conversation about gifts and giving going almost all the time. I feel like we nailed it this year. The stockings had the perfect amount of things in them and nothing that's just gonna get tossed in a few days. And the other gift we gave them was a play kitchen. And that's it. And I know they feel loved. Holly knows the kitchen is from Momma and Papa and Greta has already gotten an amazing amount of play. It's so rewarding to have at least one child who loves toys. I feel really good about how this Christmas went. The girls get so many gifts from grandparents and aunts, that us giving them one big gift was perfect. Obviously we won't be giving them a play kitchen each year, but I like the idea of giving them one bigger, more expensive gift, or giving them each one individual gift of higher quality. We received so many thoughtful gifts this year. It was really lovely.

I loved opening gifts at our leisure with no time table, no expectations. Just relaxed family time. We opened toys and played with them as we went and got to enjoy each gift in the moment. It was a major win-win! The girls exchanged gifts too, which was adorable. Holly was so excited for Greta to open her gift, she even blurted out what it was as Greta was opening it. Fortunately Greta was oblivious! 

Our second Christmas tradition we began this year was a souvenir from Santa Claus left by the milk and cookies. This year he left chocolate coins from other countries. I'm excited to get creative and maybe add a little learning (for me and the girls!) about Christmas traditions in other countries as I think of small treasures for Santa Claus to leave. This tradition was a happy accident and I'm so happy about it!

Our tree has come down, but I haven't taken the play kitchen out of our living room and put it in the girls' room yet. I'm enjoying their happy noise so much! When we came home from an outing yesterday, Greta exclaimed in a gleeful, excited voice, "my kitchen!"