Playing in the Snow

Here are some pictures from Megan's first time playing in the snow.

They are from 12/7/2007 (sorry for the delay.)

I love this picture. It is the first time she was outside to see all the snow.

Don't you just love the look on her face???

Megan was really afraid of the snow at first, but started playing after a while.

Lulu, the snowgirl we built.

This picture looks like I got the perfect shot of Megan placing the carrot nose. In reality, Megan is not putting the carrot in.......she is removing it (over and over and over) and trying to eat it. She just couldn't understand why we were wasting good food on a snowgirl!!!!

My 2007 Christmas List

Dear Santa ,
I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled Megan on demand, gone to the library, park, zoo, and science museum. I’ve endured multiple, public temper tantrums and my daughter throwing my food out of the shopping cart. I was hoping you could bring me just a few
small things, since I’ve been so good AND had to write this letter with Megan’s red crayon, on the back of a receipt, in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple,which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to push my screaming child into her car seat when she doesn’t want to leave the park/playdate/library/etc.

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint and (dog nose) resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music, a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals, and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes Mommy" to boost my parental confidence - one that doesn’t fart loudly in the library or run away from me in the store. As long as we’re being unreasonable here, may I please have three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools?

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Stop playing in the toilet" and "Ahhhh, quit throwing your applesauce all over the floor" and “Stop eating the dog’s food!” because my voice seems to be just out of Megan’s hearing range and can only be heard by the Mocha (who just ignores me anyway.)

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or take a shower without a toddler trying to climb in (fully clothed). I’d really appreciate the chance to actually go to the bathroom ALONE or without rushing through the process worried that one, Megan isn’t in here (very strange) and two, it is way too quiet out there. (This scenario is typically followed by a loud shriek, a dog yelp, a crashing noise, and me running out the bathroom with my pants around my ankles hoping TODAY isn’t the day Columbia gas is outside the kitchen window reading the meter.)
Seriously.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is calling and Megan just saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think she wants her crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold. (Twenty-five dollar co-pays can really add up.)

Help yourself to the organic milk and flaxseed cookies on the table.

Merry Christmas,
Lisa

P.S. You can cancel all my requests if you're able to convince Weight Watchers (and my thighs) that chocolate and whipped cream are on the "free foods" list.

Wildlights at the Zoo - 11/30/07

John's company had another event for the employees and their families. This time it was at the zoo, which was decorated with millions of lights for Christmas. It really was quite a beautiful display, even if it was freezing cold outside! John's company took care of everyone's admission to the zoo and provided a banquet room where everyone could warm up and eat snacks. They even gave out insulated mugs of hot chocolate to sip while walking around the zoo.

We bundled Megan up like a little eskimo. We ended up taking off the snowpants when we realized she couldn't bend at the waist, which was a requirement for sitting upright in the wagon. (Perhaps it was overkill to put her in two pairs of regular pants with snowpants on top. I was worried she would get cold.) Luckily we brought along a blanket to keep her legs warm! I should have thought to make sure my husband dressed for the weather. There he was, pulling the wagon with no gloves! The poor guy's hands must have been freezing but he insisted on pulling his little girl around the zoo like a proud papa.

Sesame Street Live - 11/24/07

We took Megan to see Sesame Street Live!!!! We were afraid she might be too young to really enjoy it. I had horrible visions of a tantruming (is that even a word?) toddler in the dark at a giant arena . . . yikes. My mom and Nana were going with Katie, Justin, and Colin and I really didn't want to be left out. I was really wrong........Megan absolutely loved it! She sat on our laps for some of the show, then moved to the floor where she could dance to the music. She clapped her hands and didn't take her eyes off the show for a second (except to look for crackers in her diaper bag - she calls them crack-crack.) Posing for a quick picture.

Having a great time watching the show from Daddy's lap.

Playing around with the balloon Nana bought. (Seriously, only a great-grandma would pay $8.50 for a BALLOON!!!!! I feel like we should send a thank you note or something.)

Learning from the Master

This year, Katie and I thought it would be fun to have my mom teach us to make her famous pies. We had so much fun baking and playing around. I can't believe we actually got a pie baked with all the goofing off we did!

My mom is the greatest. She can cook, sew, and decorate circles around Martha Stewart. Her apple pies look like they came from the cover of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Speaking of pies, I want to share this funny story about my Nana and mom. We retell this story every time my mom bakes a pie, and it just gets funnier and funnier.

When I was in high school, my mom went back to work after being a stay-at-home mom my entire life. My nana was very displeased with her decision and, in true "Nana fashion" did not keep this feeling to herself. She thought my mother belonged in the kitchen with cookies ready for us when we got off the bus every day. My mom found a job she really wanted and went back to work, despite how Nana felt about it.

On the first Thanksgiving after going back to work, my mom asked my aunt to make the pies. (My mom figured she would be too busy to prepare the dinner AND make pies.) My aunt baked the pies, brought them to our house, and placed them on the counter.

Nana walked in and began investigating the spread my mother had prepared for dinner. Very loudly she said, "Debbie, things around here haven't been the same ever since you went back to work. Look, even your pies have gone downhill." My aunt was laughing hysterically, knowing Nana had NO IDEA that she (my aunt) had actually made the pies. Good thing she had a sense of humor.........my Nana really is a character.

More names......

A while back I published a list of names that are MINE, MINE, and all MINE just in case I ever have another baby........really, just in case. I am amending the list to include the following names I have recently decided are the coolest boy names on the planet.

Ashton
Griffin - when I told John I liked this name for a boy, he asked if we would name our other children Snape and Dumbledore. He is such a comedian.

Beauty and Brains!

Here is a picture I took yesterday of our little fashionista in the jeans I made for her. She was a hit at the library for story time. All the moms just had to know WHERE I got the adorable jeans. Maybe I should sell them on ebay! ha

Megan and I were in the computer room a few days ago and she was looking at her picture on my screen saver. For the first time ever... when I asked, "Where's Megan?" she pointed to the picture instead of pointing to herself! Wow! Then yesterday, I was taking pictures of her and she ran over to look at the image on the camera after I took the picture. It was as if she thought to herself, "I can do better than that!" She ran back over to the fireplace and gave me the cutest little grin and actually POSED for the picture. Then she immediately ran over to see it. Satisfied, I presume, she ran off to find something to climb. She has really learned a lot lately and has been coming up with new tricks every day.

It reminds me of a time about 6 months ago. Katie and Justin were at my parents' house showing off Colin's skills for everyone. They would say, "Colin, what does a cow say?" When he said "MOO" everyone rejoiced like he had just ridden a unicycle or something. John and I felt a little inadequate since, at the time, Megan just sat there silently eating with no tricks to show off. John quickly devised a clever plan to get Megan some accolades. He said, "Megan, what does a snail say?" .........insert long silent pause here ................ "Yea everyone, Megan knows what a snail says." My mom seemed confused and said, "John, a snail doesn't say anything," realizing what she was saying mid-sentence. Ha, ha, ha, ha..........our kid can do tricks too!

Only now she REALLY can do tricks! I thought I would list some of them for you. I'm probably going to miss a few, but here are the highlights............

Words She Can Say:

momma, dadda, dog, cat, duck, baba, TRACTOR (seriously), cookie, up, down, yes, no, help, ouch, ball, banana, mine, tickle

Completely Embarrassing but Hysterical Things She Does:

*Tries to run away from me in public and when I grab her, she yells "OUCH and HELP"

*Passes gas (LOUDLY) but only at the library; no one would ever guess a baby would make a sound like that so I'm sure I get the blame.....thanks Megan

Objects She Can Identify in Books:

firetruck, bus, tractor, wheels, cow, sheep, dog, cat, book, ball, slide, bug, caterpillar, butterfly, bubbles, flag, boy, girl, fork, spoon, cup

Physical Tricks She Can Do:

clap hands, snap fingers, tap toes

Can Point To Her:

head, belly button, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, hair, elbow, toes, foot, fingers

Other Cool, Brilliant Stuff She Does:

*Plays mommy with her doll, wheels her around in a doll stroller, and feeds her a pretend bottle

*Kisses and hugs her stuffed animals (us too!)

*Twirls around in a circle when she is dancing; sometimes she gets dizzy and falls over

*Begins dancing and swaying whenever she hears music. One day when we were getting ice cream , a car drove by playing loud music and Megan started dancing right there on the sidewalk. A lady pointed and said, "Look at that baby dancing. How cute!"

*Calls tangerines "ball" and asks for one every time I open the refrigerator

*Follows verbal directions like "clean up your toys, put this in the garbage, put your shoes away" unless she is feeling particularly DEFIANT and refuses.........we're working on that

*Pretends to cook with her own pot and wooden spoon while Mommy is making dinner

*Can wash herself in the tub (we catch the places she misses)

*She opens up her books and act out the story without anyone reading it to her (In one of her books, the words say "I love your top side, I love your bottom side. I love your inside. I love your outside........" When she picks up this book, she starts patting herself on the head and then on the butt.........We have read it to her a million times and now she knows what the words say even if we are not reading it aloud. It is the cutest thing I've ever seen. There is even a part that says, "I love your giggles" and she says, "tickle, tickle, tickle." Beauty......and BRAINS!

*Climbed up on the couch dragging her blanket, book, and sippy cup. Once she had all three and herself on the couch, she pulled the blanket up over her legs and started reading like an adult. Cute!