Finished!

Okay I did it. I finished the Olson Family Cookbook. A week before Thanksgiving I realized that my mom wanted me to "do" the cookbook and realized I had better start if I wanted to finish it before Christmas. What I had only an inkling of is what it would take to "do" the cookbook. Actually I knew what it would take but I was hoping it wouldn't take me as long as it did. I think the most time consuming part was making sure all the recipes were complete. There were a couple times I forgot things like bake times and things like that. This cookbook should prove to be the cookbook to end all cookbooks and there are some really great recipes in there.

We HAD Elijah potty trained for about two weeks. Well, peepee trained anyway, then he decided he didn't want to do it anymore. I have tried everything I can think of to get him to do it, but he does not want to do it anymore. So we took away candy unless he goes peepee in the potty. He has one of those golf peg toys that he really wants to play with waiting if he decides to poopoo. It has been sitting on a shelf since Christian's birthday. He wants nothing to do with it. I honestly am not sure what to do. We won't back down and he is being stuborn about it. But he really has cute Spiderman underwear he keeps peeing in. At least he doesn't do the deed in them.

Despite the control issues he seems to be having (figuratively and literaly) he has still been very cute at times. Yesterday my family celebrated Heather's birthday by going to Red Robin. After the meal he wanted to run around and so I took him to the place with the umbrella girls standing in the fountain by the doors to the parking lot. He kept running from door to door pushing the button to open the doors for random strangers. I'd hear, "Gee, thanks little guy." as they looked at him in surprize. Then he would run to the next door.

Christmas is a very tricky season when you are trying to hide presents from an active toddler. Especially when he knows he should be getting presents. He has found our gifts to him a couple times and I have had to explain, "I'm sorry honey, that is for someone else." He always looks so crushed, "No mommy that's Elijah's." It makes me feel very mean. Once he found a toy I had purchased and he ran up the stairs saying, "YEAH! Look mommy A TOY! A present for ME!" This is really sad. We took him and Ally to see Santa and he was so excited. He ended up suffering from performance anxiety at the last minute though. Santa suggested a car and now if you ask him, he says Santa is bringing him a car. I just wish that was on the original list...

Ally has been growing by leaps and bounds. She has out grown the 0-3 month size clothing.