Holy Zoe!

As Shannon's already written, today was the day that we decided to say Julia is potty trained. She's had no serious accidents (though as Julia would remind me, repeating a line from a song on an Elmo potty-training video, "Accidents happen!"), she's using the potty chair in all the ways it's supposed to be used, and more than anything, she is acutely and cutely aware of what needs to be done and when. I'm really amazed. Monday night, she even interrupted her swimming class to tell me that she had to go, and then was able to wait until we reached the bathroom.


And but so, today was the day that our big girl - I always think I sound condescending when I say it, but it's just so true - received the Zoe doll which has been promised to her forever, which has been wrapped in a bag in my closet since March, and which we even pretended was asking about Julia's potty-training progress. (Until this weekend, she was very sad to hear every day that no, Julia hadn't used the potty.) When I brought the doll down to Julia and gave it to her, she was as happy as I've ever seen her. She ran around the living room, clutching "my Zoe" and shrieking with delight. It was so clearly just elation embodied that Genevieve, normally a bit shy of sisters making loud noises, laughed. Honestly, it was just wonderful. Julia said it best (in her guilelessly self-assured way), "I am so proud of myself!"

Forecast: Significant blowing and drifting, with the possibility of heavy accumulation in rural areas.