ten smile wednesday...

as many of you noticed if you came to visit on tuesday...i decided to delay my smiles a day and share what we have been learning about training/discipline. if you haven't checked out that post, please do...and i would love to hear your thoughts...or any ideas, books suggestions, etc. you might have! :) also, and this is so random, but i would also love to hear any input or suggestions on potty training (mostly the pooping in the potty part of it...we have gotten the staying dry part down pat...just need some work on the "clean" part of the equation!). anyway...here are some smiles from this week!

1. sisters...no matter how a day might go, at least at the end of it i can be reminded that i gave them each other! one of my friends said this was a huge consolation for her at the end of some rather "rough" days when her two girls were little. i must say, it brings a huge smile to my face to see elizabeth interacting with her sister these days...and to see the smile elizabeth can bring to kate's little face!

2. daddy coming home in time to sneak in before elizabeth fell asleep and surprise her with some extra bedtime stories. mike has had to work late this week and didn't get to see libs monday night...so it was a treat for both of them when he snuck in for some bonus stories. what a treasured sight, seeing daddy and elizabeth all snuggled in her little bed...flipping through the pages of her "little loon and papa" book...the grin on her face a mile wide...and daddy's even bigger. this, dear friends, is what life is made of.

3. watching elizabeth lovingly tuck her dollies into bed (especially since that bed is the same crib my mom used to tuck her own dollies in at night--thanks to poppy, who fixed it up so it could be a special christmas surprise!). libs is such a little mama these days...going through the whole routine, surrounding her dolly with some animals, praying with her, singing songs, and then, of course, hugs and kisses! too sweet!

4. my new cleaning lady. yep, while i was wiping down the kitchen, elizabeth was scrubbing down her own kitchen...one of her new favorite activities. now lets just pray she can keep this love of cleaning as she gets older!

5. dry, dry, dry! holy cow...this is huge...we've been successfully dry and using the potty for over 3 days now! like i said in the intro, the "clean" part is another thing...but i know it will come as time goes by.

6. the blessing of friends. i feel like i mention this one again and again and again...but it bears repeating. we are blessed with the most incredible family of friends in the world. sunday after they all "invaded" our house (my parents joined us as well...which was so fun!--i simply love that my parents and friends know and love one another!) for some soup and togetherness. we have been trying to make it a habit of going to each other's houses for sunday lunch...much cheaper than a restaurant, more room to spread out and really have good conversations, and far more kid friendly. and you all know me...i love a house filled to the brim with friends...that's what a house is meant for...right!?

7. victory in the "bow" department. yep...elizabeth has decided to surrender in the battle of the hairbow...she has loved carrying them around and talking about them...just wasn't a fan of actually wearing them. apparently a side benefit of our new approach to training is a much more compliant peanut when it comes to her hair. since monday she has been proudly sporting the bow...and even asking for it when she wakes up in the morning! she's such a rough and tumble little girl, so i just love the touch of femininity.

8. clearance...clearance...clearance! i picked up some super cute clothes for the girls (for next winter) at a great price....75% at old navy...gotta love a bargain (especially when its A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!)...oh yeah, also the clearanced diapers...and homemade baby wipes (see monday's post for the "recipe"). saving money...isn't it great!

9. kate. she's a smile in an of herself. her giggles. her smiles (the kind that simply light up the world!). her newfound love of grabbing and holding. her recent graduation to sleeping without any swaddling. her wonderful sleeping habits...both napping and night-time. her facial expression when she encountered green beans for the first time (a quite disgusted one i might add...though squash did go over a bit better!). these are priceless moments!

10. watching elizabeth eat dry kix cereal from her suitcase (i can't make this up...really!!!). she dumped her baggie of cereal into the suitcase...then proceeded to scoop it out with a plastic spoon...she finished the entire suitcase full. what a card!

**bonus! 11. a renewed pug dog. yep, mugho is back to his playful, barking, loving self...he had dental work done friday...and we discovered the true source of his pain and "un-mugho-ness"...two rotten teeth (yuck!--no wonder his breath smelled like a sewer). poor guy...with a face so smushed in, it's no wonder he has such problems in his mouth! but he is SOOO much better!

i know this post has been somewhat "elizabeth heavy", but seriously, she has been a source of so many smiles in the day to day these days. if you haven't already...check out the last couple of posts...yesterdays is long, but i do think it is worth a read...for it is truly the "reason" behind many of the smiles we have been showered with this week! of course you all know how much we love our little kater-alligator...surely there will be many "kate heavy" posts in the weeks and months to come. apparently elizabeth is just the "star" of this one.