Milestones

We have had several milestones in the last few weeks. They happen very subtlety and I'm trying to pay attention and mark their arrival or departure. My girls are growing up and I am too!!
~We are done with pull ups at night. Wow! Seven plus years of high tech absorbing technology and we are done...
~Riley has tennis shoes that are lace up, her first pair.
~Mallory is now wearing bows in her adorably short curly hair. Her hair isn't growing long, it curls up. For four years, nary a bow has lighted her head. She wants long hair like her big sister and once she said she wasn't potty training until it was long like Riley's. George joked that we would cut Riley's off and Riley nearly flipped out.
~The girls now have separate bedrooms, again. We have picked out wall colors, new bedding, window covering, bath stuff. Riley is already kicking Mallory out of "her bedroom." And thus Mallory wanted a sign made to keep Riley out of her room as well.
~The neighbor called for baby stuff for a dress up day at school, and we didn't have anything to give: no bibs, sippy cups, or bottles, nothing. We have slowly evolved. We can run and jump in the car and go, and it is so freeing. I have even gotten to the point of telling Mallory that she has to hold it, when she says she "has to go" when we are in the car. When children say they are hungry or have to go potty, a mom just springs into hyper mode to get that child what is needed. I think she can hold it longer now. A new place to be in!!! : )
~the fog related to parenting children under the age of 5 is lifting. It IS getting easier as they put on their own clothes and go to the bathroom on their own. (and then will come peer pressure, driving, dating, etc. so I am loving this little safe bubble going on.)
~I'm not stressing out about school vacations or summer vacations and what am I going to do with them. They are becoming more independent and I am relaxing more and more. It is actually fun to have extra time with them and no strict schedule (carpool at 2 different schools.)
~I have let go of drinking CC's mochasippis. I drank one nearly every day for a years or two. Towards the end of my run with them, I had always looked forward to it as my special treat and then I would get it and it didn't do the trick anymore. It became just too sickeningly sweet. I have moved towards green pomegranate teas and I satisfied by that and it is surprising to me. And I have learned to treat myself in other ways, without food. It is a gradual process.
These are our milestones for early 2010...