Lots of New

I'm not sure if we've ever had a year without significant change and transition, since life rarely continues in a perfectly straight line, but it seems like this year there are a lot of shifting pieces.  And especially this month.

NEW: We have started potty training Gigi.  She showed a few too many signs of readiness, so it was time to jump in.  There were times we found her stripped down to her birthday suit in the bathroom of a friend's house, climbing up on the big toilets to practice her business.  When I've tried to help out she looks at me and says, "I need some privacy, Mommy".  

So I bought her some undies and panties and we've been using a potty chart.  She has filled two of the charts now with stickers, which means at least 40 rounds of successful #1 in her potty.  Her #2 has not been successful so far, but after my good evening therapy session the other day with google search, I discovered that I am only one of four trillion parents who struggle with their little ones going #2 in the potty.  Totally validated now, I've backed off significantly so that I don't inadvertently turn this into a real problem.  We're taking that second step as slowly as she needs.

NEW: We have two grandmas nearby now!  Marcos flew to Utah at the beginning of August to visit family and pick up his mom, and so our third bedroom is now occupied and we are loving having Vovó here with us in North Carolina.  We've really robbed the bank with two grandmas so close.  Gigi is in Heaven.  This is a particularly excitable, lovely, and social time in Gigi's life, so Marcos' mom gets a lot of Gigi love and affection...  okay, and maybe a little nudy Gigi sitting on her bed using her pillows as drums, but such is life with a two-year old.  For all of the fear that mother-in-laws can inspire in people's hearts, we have really lucked out to have two who are extraordinarily helpful and dedicated to serving and loving us and our children.

NEW: Marcos started full-time school this week at UNC.  If I thought we were busy before, I didn't know what busy could really look like.  The great news is that for the most part, he really enjoys his classes now that he's fully immersed in information systems classes, some computer classes, graphic design, etc.  He says it's funny to start talking with his new classmates, and watch their reactions when he tells them that he's 28... and married... and has a daughter.  On the surface he blends in so nicely with all of the other students, but when you go in another layer deeper, he's got a bit more living experience than most of the juniors at UNC.  On top of school, Marcos is going to keep up a modified work schedule, and despite our ward boundary shift he's kept his role as Assistant Scout Master as well as his calling in the Young Men's Organization, so it will be a challenge to figure out how to balance everything well.  I feel like I can take a hit for the team when it comes to personalized attention from Marcos, but it will break my heart if Gigi loses some Papai time in the shuffle.  I could see this when I married him, but he has really become such an extraordinary father...

NEW: Gigi is starting ballet classes in a few weeks.  This is the first time we've had her in such a formal class setting, and I am really excited and a little freaked out at the same time.  I have a friend who teaches really affordable classes, and it seems like it will be a good balance of fun,  movement, and learning how to follow instructions.  I'm curious to see how Gigi does in this setting, and I'm a little worried that she might stand around comparing everyone's tutus the entire class, but it has to be better than Bolshoi Ballet training via youtube videos, which is what I have exposed her to thus far.  (Hey, you  gotta start with what you got).

And I think I'll stop there.