a great accomplishment

For the last month or so, Emma has been "warning" us that the teachers at school will soon no longer be tying any shoes so we should have been practicing more than we have. Anyway, grandma took her out yesterday to get her some cool snow boots and that's all she wants to wear especially to school.
She woke up this morning and put them on first thing. BUT, it's PE day and she had to pack her tennis shoes cause you can't wear snow boots all day anyway. She was so nervous going to school so I very loosely tied her shoes so she could slip them on after taking her boots off. :(
I assured her everything would be fine yet she was nervous.
When I picked her up from school today and asked how her shoes were, she said that they were ok except she walked around with her laces untied today but during "centers" she practiced tying with one of the teachers. (they are serious when they want the kids to be independent)
Anyway, we practiced and practiced tonight and she "got it." WHEW! Course then she had to demonstrate to anyone that would watch and then we had to have shoe tying races.
Glad that's overwith.

Lauren has been battling a minor stomach bug that Dave had last week. Today when I got her up from her nap it looked as if she had been rolling in the mud, except it wasn't mud. She will even tell you in her cute little voice, "I have yellow diarrhea!" What a mess. So, everything including the two Ernies and Curious George got TWO rounds through the washing machine. She is so good though, doesn't even complain.

I worked at the house today, still varnishing doors and doorframes. Our basement cabinets will be installed tomorrow (pending the weather) and Dave will be putting the tack strips down for the carpet and padding. We are getting SO close that it makes it even harder to wait. The paint looks great, especially the chocolate in our bedroom. They are doing the fireplace and then the sinks and deck! The lighting fixtures are almost all in and the wood flooring will go in on Wednesday followed by the plumbers and trim carpenter again. Hopefully the ice and snow tomorrow won't slow things down. We are tentatively closing on the 19th, so say a prayer that the weather is ok for those next few days. Can't wait to have a couple Christmas parties there.

Everything else is great, we are slowly healing from the emotions of this past week and have stopped watching the news and talking about it in front of Emma. She had so many questions that we decided enough was enough on exposing her to everything. The other day in the shower she asked me is God still loved the "shooter." "Yes, God still loves the shooter."

Obviously we are so thankful for everything and everyone we have this time of year and especially after last week. Please continue to say prayers for the victim's and their families as they bury their loved ones.