Big Things are Happening.

This past weekend was the Girl Scouts of America Camporee.  This was a three day event for Ella and a one day event for Evangeline (since she is a Daisy).

Evangeline would be driving up on Saturday morning and spending the day doing crafts and singing camp songs.  Ella was set to drive to the camp on Friday night and spend the night in a tent. Spend all day Saturday there and sleep over again, arriving home on Sunday afternoon.

(Insert picture of Evangeline here. Why don't I have any? Sorry, Eva.)

Of course, I was highly doubtful that our little Ella would be able to handle this trip with her anxiety.She never mentioned being nervous once.  She begged me to pack her duffel bag every day for 8 days leading up to the camp.  I kept waiting for a meltdown or some tears. They never came. I dropped her off at the carpool point, she waved goodbye and ran to be with her friends.  It started raining just as a pulled away from the drop-off.  Sleeping in a tent in a storm? I felt sure I would get a middle-of-the-night phonecall from her Troop Leader. But it never came.

We picked her up on Sunday afternoon, dirty, smelly and happy.  I wish I could figure out this Generalized Anxiety Disorder thing.  It's just so hard to predict, but I'm just glad she did so well.

Bianca suddenly started "getting it" this past week and we have now been 6 days without accidents and dry at night.  I am so relieved.  I am still pretty vigilant about making her go to the potty before we leave the house and twice during church, but she's doing great!

Bianca also moved to her Big-Girl bed last night and up into the Girls' Loft with Ella and Evangeline. I made her repeat the two rules about five times. (1) NO talking (2) NO getting out of bed.  

Before I went to bed around midnight I went to check on her. Clothes removed, blanket on floor, horizontal across the top, pillow for a blanket.  But she made it through the night and loved being upstairs with her girls.

Jude is eating stage 2 foods like a champ.  He is also sitting up for long periods of time, although he is still at the point where if he loses his balance he might just slowly fall in the direction like a tipping oak tree. he is SUCH a charmer at church. This kid loves people...especially women with jewelry. The ladies all fight over who gets to hold him and I swear I hardly touch the kid for the three hours of Sunday service.