Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera...

So, about my mention in the Swisher tribute-blog. We have a new addition to the household. BJ's friend Matt recently moved back to Tennessee after a brief stay in Georgia. It's a long story, and it's not really mine to tell, but the abbreviated version is that Matt's relationship was not working, and life at his father's left more than a lot to be desired, so BJ and I told him to come stay with us. BJ and Matt have been friends since they were 13 and may as well be brothers. Matt also helps keep me safe and sane, he was my first good friend here. I couldn't let someone who treats me like a little sister go back to a life like he was looking at in going home. He's family, and family is always welcome in BJ's home, and in mine.
In other news, Addison's potty training is going extremely well! She has very few accidents these days, and spends most of the day on the potty trying because she hasn't quite nailed down the "Gotta Go" feeling. I'd rather have her THINK she has to pee 50 times a day when she doesn't than never at all and have constant accidents. Anytime she thinks she has to go, she tells us clearly "Potty! Pee!" and off to the bathroom she goes, usually with her daddy. BJ stands in the doorway dutifully and waits with her until she's convinced she's done, and then playtime resumes until the next pee-mergency. Her vocabulary is slowly but surely expanding and becoming more clear. Everytime she's here, we work on new words and pay extra attention to helping her put words together. Things like "Can I have a cookie?" or "Can we watch Nemo?" We're very big on manners, so almost everything comes with a "please" or "thank you". We've also discovered that she has a FABULOUS time playing with Play-Doh! We got her Play-Doh for Christmas, and we left some at Sue's house for her to play with when we take her to visit. Addison, Sue and I sat at Sue's kitchen table and had some hardcore Pay-Doh fun for at LEAST an hour and a half! Sue is a true Play-Doh Mom, too...she broke out the cookie cutters, the same way she did for BJ and Stasia when they were little. We made cookies, angels, bells, icecream cones, snails, beds, pillows, blankets, cars, kitties, sandwiches...you name it, we made it with Play-Doh! You can bet we'll be having fun like this more often now that we know how interested she is!
Oh! Before I forget! We got a package from Mom today with the family's Christmas cards in them. Thank you all for the cards and Christmas wishes! Stacey sent pictures of the kids, and I know it shouldn't be so shocking, but I had to take a minute to think about it. They're growing up so quick! It doesn't seem like Christopher should be 14 already! He is the spitting image of Uncle James, and if I didn't know any better I'd swear that Evelyn was a little Stacey and Wyatt was a little Brett! I also got a picture of Miss Kindle Mae Gill, who looks like a cross between Aunt Mel and Jess. She's gonna be a gorgeous girl! Speaking of look-a-likes, I saw the pictures Mom sent of Cilla and Matt under the tree, and in the snow with Pap. They look so much like Ricky and me that I want to cry. Makes me miss the good old days. I got to talk to Cilla one of the last times I called home. Ricky and I talked for about a half hour, and he put Cilla on the phone, who told me "Hi, K! I love you, I miss you!" I asked her about Destind and she told me, very adamantly, "Desti-boy MY baby!"
Well, I suppose that's all for this installment. There will be more adventures, so keep your eyes peeled!