more animals
November 30, 2008
November 27, 2008
November 23, 2008
November 21, 2008
Christmas meme
Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper! I love having piles of pretty wrapped gifts under the tree 
AND wrapping paper smells like Christmas to me :-p (more during the wrapping of gifts than the unwrapping though) Kinda like the smoke from just blown out candles smells like birthdays.
2. Real tree or Artificial? I love real trees, but haven’t had one in many years. Quite the allergen they are apparently!
3. When do you put up the tree? I would have it up the day after Halloween if anyone would let me but I generally hold back till right after Thanksgiving- that night, if I’m not in a tryptophan daze.
4. When do you take the tree down? ugh, sometime in January. Really begins the holiday letdown.
5. Do you like eggnog? Yes! Though I’ve never tried it with alcohol. Ooh, and there’s nothing better than an eggnog latte from Starbucks. Are they back yet??
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Oh wow… hm… following Niki’s answer, I remember one Christmas that I got a Walkman and a New Kids cassette- I was in heaven
7. Hardest person to buy for? Ryan’s dad
8. Easiest person to buy for? Sam
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, we got a really cute Little People one for Sam last year
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I’m a big snail mail card fan, but I love ecards too!
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Not something I could mention here probably… but let’s say I’m not big on religious sculptural knick-nacks
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Charlie Brown Christmas, easy. Also love Garfield Christmas, Claymation Christmas, It’s a Wonderful Life, and The Santa Clause is pretty good too. I do NOT like (hate even) A Christmas Story. Ugh.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I start planning out gifts when my Christmas spirit hits, usually around August. Usually don’t actually start buying till mid/late November though.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nope, I don’t think I’ve ever regifted something. I have possibly given someone something I’d received if I already had it or somesuch? But the new receiver was aware of it.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Mmm, fudge, turkey, gingersnaps, eggnog, hot chocolate… there’s a lot!
16. Lights on the tree? Colored, twinkling… I love a full tree
17. Favorite Christmas song? There’s hardly a Christmas song that I don’t like! Jolly Ol’ Sant Nicholas is one I’ve always been rather partial to though.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? We never traveled when I was growing up, but Ryan and I have for the last several years. This year we’re coming home for actual Christmas day though!
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer’s? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen & Rudolph. (don’t ask me about the 7 dwarves though, I always miss one… Sleepy, Dopey, Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sneezy, Bashful… unless I proclaim to the world that I can’t do it, then I can)
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? 1 on Christmas Eve (something to “play with”), the rest Christmas morning. plus all the Christmases at our families houses beforehand!
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Not getting snow in Austin 
23. What theme or color are you using? Old fashioned Red & Green is my favorite
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I always have a list at TheThingsIWant.com … such a handy site, and I love using it, because I know how hard it is to shop for people when you have no ideas!
November 17, 2008
November 12, 2008
November 11, 2008
18 months of learning
Today my little Sam is 18 months old, a full year and a half! He’s grown so much from the tiny baby we brought home, into a sometimes mischievous toddler, who less often toddles than he runs. And as much as he’s learned in the past 550 days, I think I may have discovered even more; about myself, and being a parent. Here are the highlights, as they’ve occurred to me today.
5. Loud restaurants are best. We used to have normal, adult criteria for our favorite places to eat out; reasonably priced yummy margaritas, good queso/salsa and free chip refills, and enough variety for my husband to frequently try “something new”. Now though, our basis is a lot simpler. A normally loud (but not scary loud) atmosphere, and a kids menu with chicken on it. The adult menu and amenities are barely considered in lieu of us not being embarrassed by my son’s tendency to loudly announce (scream) when he sees a familiar object- “BALL!” (anything round or circular in appearance) or “CAR!” (anything with wheels).
4. Friendly to strangers does not translate to friendly to family. Sam will grin, say “hi” and “bye”, wave, and sometimes even “converse” with perfect strangers in stores. However, when our family comes to our house, whom he hasn’t seen in at least several weeks, he will not even look at them. Only several days of seeing them will loosen him up enough to not cry when spoken to, or allow himself to be held.
3. I will do anything to make my toddler laugh. As an introvert, I’m not the type to do a silly dance, or sing loudly, or generally call attention to myself at all. In order to get my son to giggle though, I will do all of the aforementioned and more. I am not above odd noises, weird faces, or general slapstick. I dare say my rendition of a forgetful “Old McDonald had a Farm” would bring many audiences to their knees. So long as they’re not much taller than mine.
2. There are worse things than being thrown up on. In my pre-parent days, I couldn’t be within hearing distance of a retching sound without feeling ill myself. Nothing was more disgusting to me. After my son’s bout with a stomach bug though, I’ve found I am now immune, not only to the sound, but even to being covered shoulder to waist with “tossed cookies”. Not only being able to keep myself from flinging the spewing child to a safe distance, but cleaning him up before gingerly handing him to my husband and going to scald my skin with hot water in the shower. As it turns out, my immunity from the “ick” factor lessens as soon as the offending child is no longer in the same room.
1. My child is the best kid ever. He didn’t walk sooner than other kids, he doesn’t have a huge, understandable vocabulary, and he doesn’t eat everything we put on his plate. He knows things he’s not supposed to do, and runs to do them whenever he sees a 10 second opportunity. But when I’m on my knees, playing mommy-monster, chasing after him, he turns back towards me, and gives me a big hug around my expanding belly. He brings me books and sits himself in my lap to read them. He loves to hide around corners and be found. And he’ll dance around in circles for ages, as long as you’re clapping him a song.
I can’t even imagine what the next 18 months of Sam’s life will teach me, or what additions to my knowledge his little brother will bring. I do know that I’m looking forward to it though, with all my heart.
November 10, 2008
pictures!
Lots o’ pictures uploaded in the Picasa albums… Nov, Belly pics, and all the ultrasounds we’ve had this time.
Sam not helping Daddy open his birthday present…
the mostly happy family…
my new haircut…
and me at 22 weeks…
