Cuey Pie

Audrey (now 19.5 months old) has had us cracking up with all of the hilarious things she is saying and doing these days.  Her vocabulary is astounding and it's to the point that I can't keep count or remember all of the new words.  There are at least half a dozen being added a day, which means we have to be super careful about what we say.  We are doing a lot of spelling-it-out lately!


I know I'm going to forget this stuff if I don't write it down, so below is a list of examples of what comes out of our "Cuey Pie's" (as she says) mouth:

• New words/phrases lately that have taken me by surprise: magazine, trip (as in stumble), plenty, refill, genius (learned from her grandparents, no doubt), SUV, one more time (we get this a lot!), neighborhood, and coupons.

• We were sitting on a bench at the mall the other day, watching for the little train that kids can ride around the loop in.  (It cost too much to ride each time, so sometimes we just watch for it and wave.)  As we were waiting, a couple walked out of a store.  The man was very tall.  Audrey looked up at me and said, "Hi Mommy" as she occasionally, randomly does.  I said, "Hi Baby."  Then she looked at the man and said, "Hi Giant."  Thankfully he didn't hear her, but I have no doubt he heard my laughter.

• "No peas" (please) means "No thank you."  

• When she whines, I guess I usually tack "honey" on to my reply.  So now, she'll whine and say, "Drink, honey." or "Help me, honey."  I hate to reward her crying, but must admit that it usually works.

• David asked her if she could do a thumbs up.  She extended her thumb on her hand and then held it high in the air.  

• We were out and about one day and having a particularly good time.  She kept repeating a word I couldn't recognize (not unusual) until I finally got it:  Obyent = Obedient.  She was telling me she was being obedient...and indeed she was!

• In the grocery store, she'll usually request the parent that isn't currently pushing the buggy to push the buggy.  When we were recently there on a weekday, she said "Daddy push you" (Meaning, Daddy push me).  I said "Daddy push you?!  Daddy isn't here!" and she replied, "Daddy's [at] work, siwwy goose!" and laughed her head off.

• She likes to play a game where she'll call us by names of other people.  She'll point to me and say, "Jenny" or "Bian" and just giggle.  However, when you point to her and say "Carson" or "Annelise" she'll get kind of offended, point to herself, and firmly say "Audrey."  

• Another "trick" she thinks is funny is to call something by a different color and laugh.  This works well until she accidentally blurts out the right color.  You should see the confused look on her face as she realizes she's ruined her game! 

• She's big into telling people where they need to be, so you'll often hear her say "Sit down" or "Stay here".  The funniest is when she yells it at the neighbor's cats in our backyard.  "'Tay here cats! 'Tay here cats!"  

• As I was preparing her breakfast the other day, I could hear her squirming in her highchair.  I could tell she was struggling with something, but not saying anything.  Finally, she let out a little whimper and said, "Patient."  She's heard us say it a thousand times while fixing her food and I really believe she was trying to be!

• We had calzones a few weeks ago for dinner.  She kept mooing and I finally realized she thought I was saying we were eating cow-zones.

• Just in the past couple of weeks she's learned how to truly hug your neck.  She'll wrap her arms around it and squeeze so tightly that she'll shake.  Best. Feeling. Ever.  Even if you can't breathe for a second.

• At least once during every meal, she'll want a hug.  If she's covered in food (as is usually the case) we'll extend our arm and get a giant arm/hand hug.  The other day, I leaned in for one not caring about the yogurt all over her.  She put a hand on each of my cheeks and said, "So bootiful."  And man, did I suddenly feel like I was...even if it was post-workout, pre-shower.  

• We sing a lot around here, and a fun one she likes is "Barbara Ann".  Except that she thinks it's a song about the boy named Brandon who lives across the street.  Her version goes, "Ba Ba Brandon.  Ba Ba Brandon."  

• Speaking of singing, lately she's been doing a medley mix of Happy Birthday, Jesus Loves Me, and Away in a Manger. 

• For awhile, she was very bad at pointing at things or people and making an "Uh?" noise.  We must have finally gotten across about how to ask because now she says "Whazzat called?" (What is that called?) or "Whose it?" (Who is it?) Which is much better, until she speaks it loudly as she's pointing to a sales clerk in a store that we do not know.

• She almost always says "different music" when I turn the radio on in the car.  I think she's actually requesting one of her two favorite kids' music CDs, but I foresee a lot of music battles in our future.

• She likes holding hands (or a finger, at least) while walking now.  It feels so sweet!

• Now that she's mastered counting to 10, we are working on getting to 20.  She'll name 11, 12, 13, and then it's 17, 18, 19, 20.  Who cares about 14, 15, and 16 anyway?

• David was changing her diaper and realized he was out of wipes.  I went to get him more and then, a few seconds later, he realized he didn't have a diaper in the bin.  As he got up to grab one, Audrey exasperatedly says, "Oh my goodness, Daddy."

• As we were stopped at a red light, Audrey pointed to the car in front of us and from her car seat in the back loudly proclaimed, "'Scuse me, car!"

• She has a book in which Elmo has to share his blanket with Zoe.  This makes her cry.  Like, full-on sobbing because she hurts so badly for Elmo.  She closed the book, pointed to the cover where Elmo was holding his blanket, and sobbed, "Elmo has it.  Elmo's blanket."  I don't know whether to be thrilled with her tender heartedness or worried about her reaction to sharing.

• David has been working with her for quite a while on her very first joke.  Now, if you ask her where a sheep gets it's hair cut, she'll proudly answer:  "A baa-baa shop!"

• I love listening to her figure out how to say what it is she's trying to get across, but it can definitely get frustrating for both of us.  The other day I was supervising her as she fed herself breakfast while I was also trying to empty the dishwasher.  She kept saying "Audrey turn round. Turn 'round" and pointing at the kitchen.  Finally, she sighed a big sigh and said "Audrey go this way!" and a lightbulb went off as I realized she wanted me to pull her highchair into the kitchen so she could watch me unload the dishwasher.  Shew.  Get with it, Mom.

• We were walking out of the grocery store and Audrey was looking for the birds we saw on the way in.  I said, "I don't see them" to which she replied knowingly, "Must be bush hiding."  Seriously?!  Now you're just showing off.

I'll try to keep 'em coming, because there is definitely no shortage of hilarious stuff from that girl lately!

Thankful Thursday

1.  My brother Brian, whose birthday was Monday.  I'm so glad he's there to share and relate to the good, the bad, the ugly, and the hilarious parts of parenting, our family, and life in general.  Happy Birthday, B.  I love you.

2.  An amazing date night.  Last Friday, David and I went to see the Blue Man Group with the tickets I gave him for Christmas.  Before the show we had a fancy dinner that included the best Fettucini Alfredo I've ever tasted...and my lips and hips consider me quite the connoisseur.  We had over an hour of glorious, uninterrupted conversation and I was able to enjoy my food while it was still hot instead of cutting up pieces and serving a certain Little One (no, not David).  The show itself was very entertaining and way more comical than I expected it to be.  Afterward we stopped by the Krispy Kreme mothership before driving home amidst the gorgeous downtown buildings and lights.  (Man, I miss the city.)  It was a lovely evening full of new sights and experiences, which are always a breath of fresh air.

3.  The book "Feathers From My Nest" by Beth Moore.  Written a few years ago from her fresh empty-nest perspective, it gave this rookie mom a lot of great ideas and encouragement.  Sometimes in the midst of the daily grind, I lose sight of the big picture.  Thinking about the kind of young woman I want Audrey to become and the kind of relationship I want us to have is important so I can do the million little things along the way that it takes to get there.  (Thanks, KC, for blessing me with this book.  It only took me a year to get to it, but it was well worth the wait!)

4.  The whole house being clean and tidy at once.  This never happens.  Like, never.  It's always either tidy or clean...or neither.  Mostly neither.  But, this week, I just decided that I really needed it to be both so I could spend a few days focusing on some other projects.  We worked our tails off and we know it won't last long, but for the moment, I'm off the hook.

5.  I've decided I'm going to start a new tradition (for now) and post a song I'm currently digging for my #5 TT item.  Years from now, assuming Audrey will actually read this boring ol' stuff, it'll give her a little taste of the pop culture and what I liked.

So, this week is Sara Bareilles' "King of Anything."  Thankfully, I do not think of my dear sweet husband when I hear this.  But, even though he and I were high school sweethearts, there were boyfriends before him.  A few were great.  One or two were...well...not.  (What girl can't identify with knowing a guy like this?!)  I'm sure blessed that I ended up with Prince Charming who lets Someone way more qualified be King.  Enjoy the song!

(Sorry I couldn't find a version without the music video.  I would prefer just to hear the song, but didn't have time to figure out how to do that. I'll try to do better next week!)

Thankful Thursday

1.  A ridiculously busy social calendar lately.  It made up for last week's snow captivity!  This week there were play dates, a ladies' night out dinner, a brunch, and a double date.  Coming up this weekend we have a big date night, dinner with family, and lunch with friends.  WHEW!  We weren't that social before AJ, so this is way out of the ordinary for us.  We'll take it when we can get it and have so enjoyed the time with friends!

2.  Grandparents that make a ridiculously busy social calendar possible.  Not only is it the best childcare we can get for Audrey, but they come super cheap. ;)

3.  My little shopping buddy.  Audrey and I took a trip to the mall today to hit their winter clearance racks.  (Don't worry, we went armed with a budget and coupons.  Check out imperfectperfectionist.com soon for some tips on stocking up for next season!)  She was so well behaved and only had one miniature melt-down that was quickly remedied with a nutri-grain bar and a book.  I have always enjoyed spending time with her, of course, but as she's getting older and becoming easier to take out and engage, I am really having a blast.  Who cares if the Gap lady looked at us funny for dancing around and waving to our shadows?!  Then there was the sunglass try-on marathon.  We checked ourselves out, laughed, and called each other "siwwy" (silly).  The most hilarious moment was in one store when she ran up to the rack and said, "Oh!  Cute outfit!"  She had the whole place cracking up.

4.  David's presentation today at Georgia Tech going so well.  As part of their career fair, they offered "Tech Talks" for students and professors.  He spoke to a group about bringing satellite imagery to Earth for over an hour.  That takes some major knowledge and skill.  My brain hurts just hearing the title, but I'm super proud of him and thankful for such a smart hubby.  I know he did a great job!

5.  The song "MoneyGrabber" by the Fitz & The Tantrums.  I heard it on the radio a few days ago and liked it immediately.  It's nothing special lyrically, but the style, elements, and arrangement are fresh and unique.  It's circa-1960s style and I love the retro sound. (I must forewarn you that there is a psuedo-foul word in one of the lines.)  I've only listened to one other song by them, so I'm not comfortable endorsing them as a band yet, but you've got to hear this particular song:

Snowmageddon/Snowpocalypse/Hothlanta 2011

It all started last Wednesday when I first heard about the potential of snow flurries.  Like most native Atlantans, I didn't get too excited.  I figured we'd be lucky to see a couple of flakes, especially since we'd just had a white Christmas.  As the week wore on, however, the forecast looked more promising (or scarier, depending on your take).  By Saturday morning, every meteorologist in the city was forecasting 3-6 inches of snow starting late Sunday night with snow and sleet continuing on Monday.  I knew what had to be done and set my sights on the critical matter at hand: obtaining milk, bread, toilet paper, and junk food.

I stocked up on enough food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for 3-4 days.  I made sure Audrey had healthy snacks and David and I had "we're-stuck-inside-and-snow-day-calories-don't-count" snacks.  We spent Saturday evening at church and most of the day Sunday out and about in order to preempt cabin fever as much as possible.  We closed the stores down and then came home, ate dinner, and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Finally, around 9:30pm, we looked out and saw the most snow falling from the sky that our southern eyes had ever seen.  By 10:30pm, there was at least two inches on the ground.  I was downright giddy.  We stayed up and watched it, then David went to bed but I was too excited to sleep.  We were going to get to keep him home the next day and make a real snowman!  I sat in the playroom and looked out the front window, watching it fall and reading my book until I finally climbed into bed around 12:30am.

On Monday, we (okay, I) rushed downstairs and opened the back door to see the gorgeous piles of pure, white, fluffy snow.  I got out a ruler and measured the amount on a table on our back deck - 6 inches!  I took some pictures, we ate breakfast, and then Audrey and I played inside while David worked from home (stupid integrity).  He finally took a break and we suited up and went outside.  Audrey was less than impressed, just like with the last snow we'd had a few weeks ago.  She didn't want to walk in it, and had to be held while David and I threw together a small snowman.  Before we went inside, David tried to sled down the hill in the backyard using a cardboard box.  Audrey burst into tears, assuming he'd either lost his mind or been seriously injured.  We went in, warmed up, and built a fort out of blankets.  We spent the rest of the day playing in it, and then napping, eating, and playing some more.  

On Tuesday, David's office was unofficially closed again and we were determined to make the most of the rare snow.  We put on our layers and dragged the laundry basket outside to pull Audrey around in.  As soon as we put her in it, she said "All done! All done!" and began to cry.  We stayed out a little longer, walking around and showing her all of the pretty sights.  Both David and I made multiple attempts at sledding down the hill again using a storage container lid, a cardboard box, the laundry basket, and a door mat.  The door mat worked best, but even that was pretty pitiful.  We went inside to thaw out, feeling like snow day failures.  I couldn't sit around and be unproductive for another day, so I set about cleaning out and organizing a closet and two junk drawers.  When Audrey went down for her nap and David worked, I began planning her second birthday party (yes, it is five months away, but I needed a creative outlet!)  When she got up, we played, cooked a big "brinner"(breakfast for dinner), and ate.  After dinner, I made brownies and then we went on a stuffed animal safari with flashlights.  When we'd recovered all of her bears, lambs, and the camel (from David's Israel trip), Audrey had a brownie (her first taste of chocolate) and milk before heading to bed.  It was an awesome, fun, semi-productive day.

My alarm clock went off Wednesday morning and I heard the DJ say "today's commute in was far worse than Monday's or Tuesday's."  Great.  David had already decided to give it a while before making the call about going to work, so we got Audrey up, ate breakfast, and I put together some "fun" educational games (look for details on Imperfect Perfectionist later) while David worked.  At 10am I finally caved and let Audrey watch some Little Einsteins for a minute.  I was proud of myself for not resorting to television before, but  enough was enough.  I needed 20 minutes of peace.  Around 11:30, Audrey and I walked into the office and asked David what he'd decided.  He said his big afternoon meeting had been cancelled and that most of the people at work he'd talked to said they'd wished they hadn't come in because the roads were still so rough.  He'd seen several neighbors attempt and fail going up the big hill outside of our house, so it was official:  Day #3 of staying indoors.  I must not have hidden my reaction well because he asked why I wasn't happier about it.  I tried to explain that his not getting out meant that Audrey and I weren't going to get out.  In addition to that, it's hard to keep Audrey away from him and quiet while he's trying to work!  But, alas, we fixed leftovers for lunch, played games, and read books.  When AJ went down for her nap, David went outside to scrape off the driveway.  I caught up with some phone calls and then realized that I could no longer hear the sound of the shovel.  Worried that he had busted his tail, I went out to check on him and found him with a dozen other neighbors working on the huge hill leading out of our neighborhood.  When he came in almost an hour and a half later, he explained that people just kept coming out and joining the group.  At first they were attempting to clear the whole road until David pointed out that they could probably just focus on one half.  They agreed that was a good idea and finally made some progress.  That's my genius husband for you.  Of course he also admitted to me that he wasn't sure it was going to do any good because they were just breaking up large chunks of ice into smaller pieces that would melt and then refreeze, but he was trying to be a good neighbor.  Audrey woke up, and we played, ate dinner, and watched Wheel of Fortune until her bath time.  When she went to bed, David did some work and I read for a little while before we gave in and scarfed some brownies while watching tv.  We are going to weigh 400 pounds before this is all over.

So that brings us to today:  Day #4 of Snowmageddon 2011.  David decided he was making a break for it and left for work around 9am.  He got there safely and said the worst roads by far were the ones in and around our neighborhood.  Since he took my car, that meant another day indoors for us girls.  I decided I needed to clean out the refrigerator and spent two hours doing so, removing and scrubbing every shelf and drawer.  Of course, it took that long because everything takes that long when you're simultaneously entertaining a toddler.  I pulled out one of the big produce drawers, washed it, filled it with water, and let AJ play and splash her bath toys around.  The amusement wore off quickly, and the remaining mess was part of the two hours it took to complete the job.  I fed her a snack, let her watch another tv show (gasp), and started cleaning the downstairs.  It didn't really need it, but I needed to do it.  We had a dance party, a crawling race, and practiced jumping for a solid five minutes.  All attempts at exercising/wearing out an 18 month old usually just result in making the adult feel tired and old and today was no exception.  I took a shower, fed her lunch, and worked on cleaning some more before putting her down for a nap.  The first hour of her nap was spent cleaning, the second catching up with a friend and blogging.  David got home just as she was waking up and we - are you ready for this? - WENT OUT. That's right, we escaped.  We broke free.  We busted the joint.  As I mentioned on Facebook, I hadn't been that excited since....well, since seeing snow fall on Sunday night.  Funny how that works, huh?  Anyway, we went to the store and got back before dark with a car full of replenishments, including coke and bread for the single lady who lives next door.  (I'm proud to be married to a man who thought to go ask her and I had to brag on him.)  She was so excited to make grilled cheese sandwiches.  I imagine she's been jonesing for a Coke for days, poor thing.  David parked at the bottom of the driveway and ferried up the bags while I fixed AJ's dinner amidst her hysterical cries for the "yellow one" (the lemon juice bottle from the fridge).  David, who was still outside at the bottom of the driveway thought something was horribly wrong as her wails filled the cul-de-sac.  Yeah, I'm pretty sure we're headed into the terrible twos a little early.  After her fit was over, we sat down and ate dinner, played, did laundry, put AJ to bed, and are now getting ready to go to bed ourselves and dream about a warm beach.

It's been a good week and, jokes aside, it hasn't been TOO terrible being stuck indoors.  Anything is better than the Valentine's Day from Hades last year (David was on the other side of the world for 2+ weeks, Audrey and I were snowed in and sick, and she wouldn't nap.  I remember sitting on the bathroom floor bawling while begging God for patience and endurance.  He heard and provided, because she's still alive.)  After that snowed-in experience, this week seemed like a breeze!  We had to cancel a few play dates and plans, but we got to spend a lot of time together in a safe, warm house. I hope you and your families enjoyed it and have stayed safe and warm!

To wrap up, here is a Snowmageddon-related Thankful Thursday list:

1.  Safety and good health!

2.  That David is not paid hourly, and that he works for a company that values their employees' safety and integrity to allow them to call in when they need to and not penalize them for it.

3.  Our heat and power remaining on and steadfast.  I can't imagine dealing with this week if we'd had outages!

4.  Chocolate.  Because sometimes banging your head against a wall isn't an option.  I'll also add hot chocolate (and marshmallows) to this item, because I've consumed my fair share the last four days.

5.  The Toddler's Busy Book that my brother and sister-in-law gave me for Christmas.  We've pulled quite a few tricks out of it this week.

6.  Moments that will be sweet, funny memories down the road:  all of us curled up in our tent fort, Audrey crying because she thought David fell when he was sledding down the hill, brownies and stuffed animal safaris, dance parties and crawl races.

7.  Productivity!  I got some things accomplished that I've been putting off doing (cleaning out a closet) and some that I'll be grateful I got a head start on later (AJ's birthday party).

8.  Saving money.  Short of two large grocery trips and utilities, we haven't spent a cent in almost five days.  We've probably saved $75 worth of gas, eating out, and impulse shopping this week!

9.  Rock salt.  And the fact that I'm OCD enough to have restocked it so soon after using it up at Christmas.  It was completely sold out at the grocery store tonight!

10.  The beautiful scenery of snow that God gave us, even if we're anxious to view it from a different location.

Tomorrow is a new day, with a high temp expected to be in the mid-forties.  Look out world (a.k.a. Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby or Target), Audrey and I are coming!

 

Thankful Thursday

1.  A good 18 month check-up for AJ.  She weighs almost 24 lbs. and is 32" tall, which are both around the 50th percentile (meaning she's average in height and weight).


I almost laughed out loud when the nurse asked if she knew and could say six words.  I replied yes, but I was thinking "per minute, or what?"  We check that off before we leave her room in the morning, lady.  Just for the fun of it, I kept a running log yesterday morning.  Before we walked downstairs for breakfast, she said: "yellow blanket", "airplane" then "see it?", "bless you, mommy", "elfant" (her humidifier has an elephant face), "Daddy?", "tange diaper", "clock", "pig" (for her piggy bank) "pajamoms on", "robe", "hands", "up pease", "downstairs", and "yes."  I really need to start having a cup of coffee before I go get her.  I am SUPER thankful for such a great talker, but sometimes it's hard to keep up!


2.  Routine, routine...glorious routine.  Of course I would love to have the holidays last longer and David stay home with us 24/7.  However, knowing that can't happen, the last days of break had me feeling anxious and ready to get back to our normal schedule.  Play dates are scheduled, errands and chores are getting done, and I'm back to exercising and a more normal diet (meaning, not counting Christmas cookies as a food group.)  


3.  Being all caught up on both blogs and with pictures.  I get antsy when I get too far behind.  Life happens quickly around here and if I don't take a minute to record it, I worry I'll forget it!


4.  All of our shows being back on from winter break.  For me, it goes hand in hand with the second item on the list.  I only watch it about once a week, but it really bugs me when Live with Regis and Kelly isn't actually live.


5.  Fish at Wal-mart.  I can't stand shopping there, but every once in awhile it's a necessary evil.  Being able to bribe Audrey with a visit to check them out and then watching her excitement as she studies all of the tanks is definitely the best part of the trip.


At the risk of coming close to one of those annoying "unspoken" prayer requests, please say a prayer for someone close to me that's going to be having a major medical test tomorrow.  I want to protect their privacy, but I know prayer works, so please lift them up on my behalf if you think about it today.


Have a great weekend!    

Christmas 2010 - The Weeks Before, Of, and After

You would think that since David had so much time off around the holidays that I would've posted more...or written this particular post earlier!  Or maybe that I would've at least signed in for a Thankful Thursday post instead of skipping TWO in a ROW!


Instead, we were busy with prep, then celebrating,  and then, when all was over, we were mostly lazy bums.  And it. was. awesome.  Read on for the details, or go straight to the picture gallery and see what I stayed up until 2:00am last night doing.  Just be sure to come back and catch up.


Hmmm...where to begin?  I guess I'll start with the Saturday before Christmas, if I can remember that far back.  I did turn another year older while on hiatus, you know.  


We always celebrate with David's mom's side in Alabama on the Saturday before Christmas.  This year, we left the house around 10am and got there close to 11:30am.  We ate lunch almost immediately and, as usual, Grandma had outdone herself with ridiculous amounts of every meat, casserole, and side dish imaginable.  Audrey got to taste test a little herself this time and really enjoyed it.  But then, how could she not?!  We cleared the table and let Audrey begin opening her presents.  She enjoyed being the center of attention way more than the actual gifts, but those were appreciated too.  She got spoiled rotten by everyone:  A new baby doll complete with a full head of hair to brush, an Elmo doll that has buttons/snaps/zippers, a Sit n' Spin, a Raggedy Ann doll, a giant coloring book (that Mommy and Daddy later enjoyed too), a cookie cutter/baking set, and counting cookie jar were just some of the toys she received.  After she went down for a nap, David's cousins took turns opening their gifts.  The biggest by far was his cousin James' new truck!  It was such a sweet surprise and I'll never forget the look on Uncle Don's face when James nearly tackled him with glee.  After we'd all checked it out, we came back inside and the adults did our White Elephant game.  We did three rounds: one for girls, one for guys, and a gag one for everyone.  There was only minimal stealing, but there were a lot of laughs and we ended up with some great stuff.  Audrey woke up from her nap and, after an obligatory homemade roll, really started putting on a show for everyone.  We finally got her settled down enough to strap into the car seat and drove home around 5:30pm.  My only regret was that we don't get to spend more time with them.  How blessed I am to get to say that about in-laws!


On Sunday we ran some errands and then I spent a lot of time baking while David did yard work.  It has always been a Martha Stewartesque dream of mine to deliver cookies around Christmastime.  Since I was more on my game this year and actually had a spare minute on my hands, I decided to go for it.  I packaged them all up with a thank you note and a little info card from our church.  On Monday, I loaded Audrey and our cookies up and drove down to the local fire station about two miles from our house.  We gave the tins to a young fireman who seemed genuinely touched (and kept calling me "Ma'am", but I'm sure it was out of respect and had nothing to do with age).  We rushed back home in time to meet the garbage men and the mail lady to give them their treats.  They also seemed super grateful.  Of course, by that point, they hadn't actually tasted the cookies yet.  Still, though, it was exciting and fun.  I don't share all this to brag, but to remind myself and others how sometimes it is the super cheesy "does-anybody-really-still-do-that?!" kinda stuff that make the holidays so special.  I was way more blessed by giving that day than they were with my measly ol' cookies.


On Tuesday I had a dentist appointment, so David's mom came over and kept Audrey while I went to that and ran a couple of errands.  Lest I paint too stress-free of a picture of our holidays:  the printer at Wolf Camera was down when I desperately needed some pics made, the dentist didn't have my next set of trays ready so the drive and appointment were unnecessary, and I went to three stores trying to find a last minute gift only to come up empty handed.  Instead of letting it get to me, though, I cranked up the Christmas music and waved my white flag of surrender all the way to the nail salon.  I got a pedicure while writing Audrey's 18 month update.  That night, Audrey and I went to another Wolf and then tracked down that final gift.  The day turned out great.


Wednesday was nuts.  I woke up bright and early and spent 20 minutes writing out my two page grocery shopping list.  After we spent an hour at Publix, for which Audrey was an angel, we came home and I spent at least 45 minutes putting it all away.  All that time and I hadn't even preheated the oven yet!  I wasn't even making anything big or special!  How on earth do people enjoy cooking?  The planning, shopping, prepping, cooking, and then cleaning up....ugg!  After we got everything all put up, I began cleaning the house and preparing it for company.  When David got home we, laughably, ordered a pizza and packed for his parents' house.  


On Thursday we loaded up our sleigh and drove to his folks' to celebrate with them and David's dad's side of the family.  Audrey looked adorable in her fancy Christmas dress.  (There was no way I was going to let it get only twenty minutes of wear for a tearful Santa picture.)  We got there around 11am and played until it was time to eat. And eat.  And eat.  When she went down for her nap, the adults opened our gifts (we'd drawn names) and oohed over everyone's loot.  We got a card game going, pool was played, and stories were shared...some we'd all heard before, but those are the best ones.  I remember having a "it's finally here" Christmas moment.  After AJ woke up, it was more playtime and more eating.  After everyone had left, she opened her big gift from her grandparents:  an adorable little play kitchen.  She loved it and said "Oh WOW!"  We ate quite a lot more that night, but thankfully most of it was pretend food she cooked up for us.  After she went to bed, David and I exchanged gifts with his parents and then we crashed, feeling spoiled rotten.


On Friday we got up and ate a delicious breakfast and then let Audrey finish opening gifts from her grandparents.  She loved it all - the new toy guitar, books, clothes, and the interactive stuffed dog that barks and sings with certain cues from a storybook.  She was more into opening things this year than she was last year, but still didn't quite understand the whole concept.  I was fine with that, as I'm sure the lectures on gratitude are coming.  We ate lunch, took a few more pictures, and loaded up our sleigh, this time with goodies for us to keep.  I pulled out every trick in the book trying to keep her awake on the ride home so she'd nap when she arrived.  It worked (barely) and David and I unpacked, put everything away, and if I remember correctly, took a short catnap ourselves.  


We woke up from our naps and played before cooking our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of tacos (I have no idea when or why this started, but sometime before we were even married, we declared it and have enjoyed it ever since.)  We set down as a family, thanked God for the sweet season, and stuffed ourselves.  After we gave Audrey a bath, we put her in her new Christmas pajamas and let her open one present:  a tiny "See and Say" replica ornament, which is another tradition we started with her last year.  Eventually she'll catch on that her Christmas Eve present is always going to be a boring old ornament, but hopefully one day she'll appreciate the thought that went into choosing something to commemorate her year.  We let her help hang up her stocking and put out cookies and milk for Santa, then we read the Night Before Christmas and the Bible story of Christ's birth.  We tucked her in and spent a little while tidying up and getting things ready for my family's visit so we wouldn't be so busy the next day.  We worked together cleaning and polishing most of the hardwood floors (why we chose Christmas Eve to do this, I don't know) and then sank into the couch, tired, but so glad to be home and warm and well.  Around 11pm, we got things ready for Santa's arrival and quickly went to bed...in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.


On Saturday morning, David and I woke up giddy.  The only thing that comes close to being a kid at Christmastime is having a kid at Christmastime.  We got ready and I threw some cinnamon rolls in the oven.  We went upstairs and got Audrey out of her crib, realizing that next year she'd likely be running in our room waking us up.  I sat at the top of the stairs with her, letting her snack on Cheerios while David started a fire and set up the video camera.  (My brothers and I always had to wait at the top of the stairs until we received the go-ahead from Mom and Dad.  I fully intend to put her through the same torture.)  When everything was ready, we came down and let her check out her loot from Santa:  a new just-her-size chair, the book How the Grinch Stole Christmas and a stuffed dog Max, a ride-on, a reusable sticker set, and a Matchominoes game.  She said "Oh Wow!" and began checking it all out.  We let her play a few minutes and then sat down for breakfast.  After we ate, we let her open her stocking.  There was a jingle bell stick, a Veggie Tales DVD, and a toy microphone with a recorded message from Santa!  She accidentally erased it and after the thousandth time of her asking "Clause?", we put it away and promised we'd try it again after her nap.  She "helped" us open our stockings and then we played with some of her toys for awhile.  


By the time lunch rolled around, Audrey had unwrapped the clock (see pic in gallery for details), books, and Rolling Acres small ramp toy from us.  After we ate, we let her open her biggest and last gift from us - a Little People house.  She loved it and we spent almost half an hour playing with it before we put her down for a nap.  We cleaned up, checked in with family, and opened our gifts from each other.  D gave me an iHome dual docking station alarm clock and some great camera gear including a lens hood and a remote to take pictures on the tripod.  I gave him a a Tech running shirt, a toy Blizzard maker, and tickets to see the Blue Man Group.  It was great!


I got started making dinner and dessert and before we knew it, Audrey was awake and my brother, sister-in-law, and niece were on their way over.  The snow had finally begun to fall at our house (it took so long to start that I wondered if we were really going to have a white Christmas) and it was beautiful!  They arrived safely around 5:30 and we visited, ate a big spaghetti dinner, and let the girls dance and play until bedtime.  We got them settled in, sat down with massive servings of my oreo cake, and watched Elf.  I started editing and organizing pictures and Kim fell asleep at some point, but it was wonderful to all be in the same room with a warm fire, a beautiful Christmas tree, and family.  We put ourselves to bed around 11pm and I fell asleep happy that our house was full and excited about the next day.


Sunday morning dawned and I went downstairs to find my brother and niece already awake (she's a very early riser, unfortunately for them).  Before long, the rest of the house slowly began to stir and we all got dressed while continuing to check weather and traffic reports.  We knew that if everyone could just get to the interstates, they'd be okay.  It was a slippery trip, but they made it.  The hours that followed were a frenzy of wrapping paper, food, laughter, and picture taking.  This was the first Christmas without my grandmother and we all felt her absence immensely.  Of course, there was hardly a dull, quiet moment to dwell on that with three toddlers running around.  The kids were so much fun to watch and we tried to soak it all in.  She would've loved it.  My favorite moments were watching everyone open their gifts, especially when my parents opened the pictures all nine of us had done at a studio without them knowing.  We got some wonderful things (really! No returns this year!), and greatly appreciate everyone's thoughtful generosity.  


Before we knew it, it was dark and time for all to make their treks home.  When I closed the door after helping my Mom out (who refused to spend the night despite our nagging), the house was sadly quiet.  It had been an amazing day, but it had gone entirely too fast.  We fed Audrey, gave her a bath, read our last Christmas library book, and tucked her in.  We put our feet up and I tried to push away that awful "I can't believe it's all over" feeling.  All of that prep work for hosting...all of that excitement about having everyone over...and it was here and gone before I could even catch my breath.  Still, everything was amazing and I know it'll be a Christmas I'll never forget.  


The week that followed was full of fun and laziness, with very little productivity.  On Monday, we bundled Audrey up and played in the snow.  She was less than impressed and it didn't last too long.  She likes admiring it from inside a warm house, just like her Momma.  We had a blast playing with all of her new toys and only left the house for a quick trip to the store, mainly just to fight the cabin fever that was setting in.    


Audrey spent the night at David's parents' house on Tuesday and we had an early birthday celebration with a delicious dinner at Bonefish.  We were complete and total bums the next day, sleeping in until a whopping 8:30am.  We lounged around and played UpWords, watched some of the Band of Brothers BluRay set my brother had given David, and didn't bother going anywhere until we made a quick trip to the mall before meeting the three of them for dinner to get AJ.  It was luxurious.  She came home to two very refreshed parents!  


On my birthday, we got up and ate breakfast before heading out to stroll around the bookstore and craft store (two of my favorites)!  We ate lunch at Chick-fil-A (another favorite), stopped by the grocery store (later discovering it was for a cake), and went home for family nap time.  When we woke up, I'd gotten a sweet Edible Arrangement fruit basket that included chocolate covered strawberries from my dad.  After taste tasting a little, I opened my gift from David (a picture scanner) and when Audrey woke up, I opened a sweet card and gift from her.  She loves playing with my measuring cups and has misplaced my 1/4 cup, which happens to have a red "1/4 cup" label on it.  She now looks for what she calls the "red one" every time she opens that cabinet, to no avail of course.  When I opened the package from her, there was a new set of measuring cups with a note that read "Dear Mommy, Sorry about the red one.  Love, Audrey."  Melt my heart.  The day ended with delicious pizza from our favorite place, a ride in the car to check out Christmas lights, and Publix birthday cake.  Perfection.  


On Friday, we headed over to a friend's house to hang out and have lunch.  We met them a few years ago at church and reconnected at birthing class before our daughters were born (they have a daughter who is three weeks older than Audrey).  We talked nonstop, let the girls play while interjecting constant "share" reminders, and enjoyed a delicious lunch before driving home.  I can't remember, but I'm pretty sure that afternoon included another nap.  We knew we were going to be staying up until midnight, after all.  The warm weather was so nice that we decided to go for a very short-lived run before dinner.  It felt so good.  We ate together and after putting Audrey to bed, we started undecorating the big Christmas tree while watching another Band of Brothers.  We went upstairs at 11:45, watched the countdown, kissed, and were asleep by 12:10.  Last year we didn't even stay awake, so we're getting better.


New Year's Day was cold and rainy, which was fine for staying indoors and taking all of the decorations down.  We spent most of the day packing it up and got dressed for our first Saturday evening service at church.  Audrey didn't cry when we dropped her off at nursery, and we enjoyed a great worship service and message.  We picked her up and stopped by Five Guys for dinner on the way home.


Sunday was sad, with a giant "reality is coming" cloud looming over us.  We finished packing away all of the Christmas decorations and took a trip to the library to get Audrey some new non-Christmas books.  We snuck in one more nap (hopefully you're not counting, because I think we officially crossed the threshold of being bums) and then David and Audrey ran to the grocery store while I began the daunting task of uploading pictures.  I finished the Facebook album and paused for dinner, AJ's bedtime routine, and another Band of Brothers viewing.  When David went to bed, I stayed up and finished the Picasa gallery, so don't forget to go view them!


This morning dawned early and came on strong, but so did my resolve to get back into a routine, eat something other than total junk (I dare you to count my food references in this post), start my work-outs back up, and quit those afternoon naps.  I wouldn't call those resolutions.  They were more just requirements of getting readjusted to the real world.  The world where I don't have David's help all day nor eat leftover birthday cake every night.  Thankfully, I succeeded at all but one of goals for the day.  I won't say which one, but I must confess I'm not all that tired right now.  


It was a wonderful few weeks full of the people and things we loved and lots of downtime.  I feel so blessed to have shared it all with such great family and friends.  I'm especially thankful that we all stayed well and safe.  I hope you and your family enjoyed it as much as we did.  Only 11.75 months to go.  :)