First the great news from Guatemala....nothing like making a deadline under the wire, but my friend's attorneys and investigators were able to find Nidia's birthmother and get her to Guatemala City late last week for the required interview before the Monday deadline! YEA!! Still waiting on a final "Out" from PGN, but this is HUGE! I promise to let you all know when I hear more updates. Thank you so much to all who have been praying for them - and asking me for updates. I know Nidia's mom, Damaris, reads this blog too, and I know she is being held up by all of your prayers! THANKS!
Onto Lilly...
First...the story of my child's amazing mind & incredible will power. The backstory: As I have shared, she loves her "school." She loves her teacher, Ms. Stacey, and REALLY loves spending each day with Jackson (or, as Lilly often refers to him, "my Jackson friend." She is in the "Two's" class now and will be there until late spring. I have also shared with you how she has been basically potty trained for several months now. An accident here and there - but for the most part she has been great. So, when Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday brought accident after accident after accident (both at home and at school) I knew something was going on. Tuesday I wrote off as a fluke. Wednesday I started to get concerned (asking if her bottom hurt, etc to try and rule out a UTI). Thursday morning I mentioned it to her teacher, who had noticed the trend but didn't know what to make of it. Thursday afternoon I picked her up from school, and Lilly was careful to let me know she had "tinkled and poopied" in her pants. Hmm. We talked about it on the way home, and aside from ruling out any medical issues, I couldn't figure out what was going on. Then she was standing on chair at the counter "helping" me cook when she tinkled all over the chair and floor. When I got her cleaned up, she announced to me "Mama, I need diaper. I not big girl." ???WHAT??? I kept probing, telling her she was a big girl, she did know how to use the potty, did wear big girl underpants, etc. She kept avoiding my direct questions, changing the subject, etc - just repeating that she wasn't a big girl and needed a diaper. Finally, to one of my questions she says "I not big girl, I stay with Stacy Jackson." AHHHH!! I got it - she thought that as soon as she was potty trained she would have to move up to the three year old class room and she didn't want to leave her beloved Ms Stacey or Jackson. I called the day care to confirm my suspicions and talked to her evening teacher. I was right! There were a number of kids getting ready to move up to the 3s that week (& you can't move until you are potty trained), and the teachers had been telling those kids "you can do it, you can go potty and then you can go to the 3s!" Lilly heard it, slightly misinterrpreted it, and came up with a game plan! I sat her down and had a long talk about how she could be a big, potty trained girl AND stay in the 2s - that she couldn't move up until she was 3, which was still a long way away! Seemed to work...and the next morning she used the potty at home before school. The teachers at school all agreed with my theory (& were amazed at the deductive reasoning abilities of my little 2 year old). I was dying to hear how Friday went - and chased Ms Stacey down in the parking lot as she left before I went to get Lilly...IT WAS A SUCCESS! SHe had pulled the same thing on them, telling them "I not a big girl" when they told her to go potty. But, the wonderful Ms Stacey told her "You are a big girl. You are my big girl. You have to stay here with me in the 2s, and you have to go potty." YEA MS STACEY! It worked. She is a reformed gal who now knows she can wear underpants and stay with Stacey & Jackson. Phew! But lordy lou - this makes me very afraid for some of the years to come!!!!
Finally - fun pics from Friday evening. Lilly has been really (and I mean REALLY) into musical instruments lately. Her favorite "game" is for us all to pretend that mosquitos have taken our instruments (trumpet seems to be her favorite) and we have to run around the yard and capture them back (no - I have no idea where that comes from). So, when I saw there would be a free Virginia Symphony concert outside nearby, I thought it would be fun. It was later than I usually let her stay up - but we went early and had ice cream and watched them set up, tune up and warm up.
She loved it. We were able to be right up at the stage, and several of the musicians were nice enough to stop and talk to her and the bass player even showed her his instrument. We made it through 3 songs before she had to go potty (and as you know from the story above- the fact she is telling me means I am off like a jet to find the nearest potty). The concert was all latin music, so we got to hear marimbas, etc. Very fun.
Long post today...thanks for sticking with me!
We had a great Christmas. Her hesitations on Santa seem to have disappeared with seeing the loot her left for her...a Santa Convert! (The pics are of her playing with Santa's gift - "Diego's Animal Rescue Center" which was THE hit of Christmas....)She did really well through the church service - to my relief and delight. 
And thanks to balmy weather around here - 
I have been able to get her outside every day and run her into the ground to burn off the lingering sugar high. And...I am trying hard to get her back to her normal sleep times as she has been staying up late (on purpose on my part for Christmas Eve & Christmas Night...but it has been taking a while to undo it!). Enjoy the pics...
Round and Round...."
d redecorate again! And - we got out our Advent Calendar that Lilly loves (a doll from a different country each day goes on a wreath...very cute). 
My dear friends Rhonda and Jerry after dating for some 15ish years and being engaged for a year FINALLY tied the knot on Wednesday
at my house! It was sort of a secret wedding as I wasn't allowed to tell anyone until afterwords! Anyway - it was at my house and there were 
about 30 people there - mostly all their family. I got to do the flowers and the cake, and I had a great time doing it. It was great fun...thought Wednesday night I pretty much collapsed into my bed and put off making the Thanksgiving desserts to the next day.
And - here are two HILARIOUS pics of the exhausted Lilly and Didgy imitating each other's yawns.
OK - appropriate title & the first line to the Georgetown fight song (not to mention one of only about 3 lines in the whole song that I know...but I digress). Since I last wrote...the quick summary: shingles, sinus infection, lung infection and jury duty...and that's just me! Lilly has had Halloween, more monster battles, lots of sleep struggles, a lot of attitude struggles, but all and all seems to be doing much better. And, my company continues to go through its re-org. Its been months in the making. I keep reminding folks that if the new executive branch of the most powerful nation in the world can do it in about 10 weeks...we should b e able to hurry it up a bit. But, my cynical comments don't seem to be getting us anywhere.
(As Lilly pointed out..."with ketchup!")
started back down the "terrified to sleep" mode. It was a very long night, and she was up about 10 times, and then we had to get up at 5 for an early meeting. SO, I didn't get to watch Obama's acceptance speech that everyone is still raving about (even friends who voted for McCain). But, I watched it later that week online. 
turning each scary monster into a silly monster by gluing, taping, coloring, stickering, etc each page that we cut out of the book. Seems to be working some, but now she is just mad at me and in a bad routine since she is used to bein up a lot at night - and mad since I won't let her sleep in my bed. Additionally, part of the fear seemed to be the issue of feeling "trapped" in her crib, so we have moved onto a "big girl bed" (aka toddler bed).
We did night 2 of it last night. She is doing better at going to sleep, but not very good at staying asleep. last night she (& therefore we) were up at 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, 5:30 and then 6:30. About a year ago I had the stamina and conditioning to handle this sleep schedule - but not anymore! The fact that I still have a fever just stinks too. So, I am practicing patience. 
already have the light on, music on, calm routine, and the water bottle "stay away monster spray"). Last night I even duck taped the closet doors shut. Ugh. Definietly having flash backs to when she firt came home and we didn't ssleep for all those months. 
down & was running bath water ...and I turn around and find her with the toy hamper on tope of her head, with only her really cute butt showing!
Lilly loved riding the John Deere tractor at one of the road side farm stands. Hap...this one's for you.
She loved it. We were able to be right up at the stage, and several of the musicians were nice enough to stop and talk to her and the bass player even showed her his instrument. We made it through 3 songs before she had to go potty (and as you know from the story above- the fact she is telling me means I am off like a jet to find the nearest potty). The concert was all latin music, so we got to hear marimbas, etc. Very fun. 
