HAPPY 2013!
2012 turned out to be a pretty good, full of fun, laughter, milestones and memories. So, we are looking forward to seeing what 2013 has in store for our lil' family of us 2 girls! We started off by ringing in the New Year with celebrating a dear friend's birthday and then the fun continues on from there, including EJ's first day of "real" school! Enjoy!
A birthday party for Captain!
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| All three teenage boys sat huddled around the laptop with EJ watching a little kid's movie - I think it was TinkerBelle. We all got a kick out of it - they were totally into it. |
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| Awww...EJ is buddies with just about anyone she sees, isn't she? :) |
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| Guy time... |
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| Sweet boy holding a sweet and so-precious lil' girl. ..she was a doll the whole time |
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| My silly girl likes to play in my office with the spare lamp, turning it on...off...on...off (you get the idea)... |
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Really, I just liked her cute outfit we put together - pink tights, plaid purple flannel dress and a turtleneck.
Cute and cozy! |
So, one morning...
I heard rustling on the monitor and sat and listened, trying to figure out what EJ was getting in to first thing in the morning. Eventually, it dawned on me, and to my slight disappointment (and internal laughing that only a parent can do!), I was right - EJ had gotten into the giant, like 16"-long candy cane I had put in her stocking, that we hadn't opened yet, and had been EATING IT IN HER BED.
As soon as I walked in, she hid under the covers (and to a little bit of my delight), said something about [not supposed to be] eating her candy cane in her bed - I was glad that she felt "safe" enough to admit that she had done something wrong, which she obviously understood at some level or she wouldn't have been hiding under the covers. I had a GOOD "mom moment" for once and calmly explained that we don't eat food or candy in her bed any more and she seemed to understand that. We headed to the kitchen, full of stickiness, redness and broken pieces of candy cane to document - uh, I mean, clean up....
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See how big the candy cane is?
(see how big she looks, too!?) |
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| See the red lips? |
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| Completely red hands and corners of her mouth.... |
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| A close-up of the mouth, which we all know doesn't do justice in a picture... |
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| The glass was there as a point of reference of how big that darn thing was...and the pieces it broken in to. |
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| Sometimes, it's just more fun to stand on something in order to watch TV... |
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| ...and twirl a ribbon while we watch... |
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| It's hard to tell in this picture, but this adorable top is actually part of the coziest, snuggaliest sweater dress she came home dressed in one day. Not only did I want to look at cute and sporty in something like that, but I just wanted to snag her up, curl up with her and take a nap! She was like a cozy, pillow-sized blanket...except she doesn't sit still (ever), so that idea wasn't going to work. |
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| Concentrating on her new stamp set from long-distance friend Logan and another one that Mommy picked up. |
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| Hmm...can you see the object that doesn't belong here? He's hiding! |
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| The "object" got tired of waiting for someone to try to find him...and fell asleep. :) |
Another First Day of School!
So, since EJ turned 3 at the end of the year, she could now attend the 'real' preschool at the Early Childhood Center. Her dad and I went together to walk her to class, so we could both learn the routine and also because she was coming in during the middle of the day. They were allowing her to do a partial session of the afternoon class, just on Tues/Thur because she's at another place M/W/F. It probably wasn't that big of a deal, but I suddenly had a brief moment of what I remember our moms talking about for our first day of kindergarten: "They are just so big! The time went by so fast!"
Although I love the work I do, as hard as it may be sometimes, AND I have no idea how some of the moms I know are 100% stay-at-home mommas, there are moments, when life does seem to be going quickly over 3 year's worth of time, that I do kind of wish I could have spent more of my days playing with EJ, coming up with craft-y projects, creating fun activity days away from home,.... I don't have that option, and I try not to be bitter or get down about it, because I really am proud of the work I do AND my kiddo is SUCH an extrovert who loves learning (which I am SO thankful for!), that I'd fear for both of our lives if we were 'stuck' with each other every hour of the day (slight dramatization there...)...in some ways, I think we'd drive each other nuts, but then again, sometimes...just sometimes, I would have liked to have had the choice. BUT, we DO get out and do fun things, our days ARE jam-packed and we do try to hang out with friends whenever we can find time. Perhaps, though, if I didn't have to do the daycare since she was 9 months old, or ask people to babysit back a couple of years ago, and if I was home with her 24/7, perhaps I would have been a blubbering mess on this 'first' day of 'real' school....
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| On the second or third day of school, I walked over to pick her up - it was upper 30s, so I bundled her up. We had an errand to do and all of the sudden as I was walking along the busiest, loudest street, all got quiet and still in front of me. She was obviously warm enough (and worn out enough from school!!) to fall asleep in 30-degree weather. :) I think she even transferred to her bed OK! |
More Sleepiness
(why aren't there any pictures of ME sleeping?! Oh...'cause I don't get to sleep as much as anyone in my house! :D )
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| "Oh, Mommy, the work you do...just looking at it...makes me so sleepy...." |
And then a different day...
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| "Mommy, I'm going to lay down all over your computer bag...right here on the floor next to you. Do you see me? Don't you just want to reach down and pet me??" |
...and then just moments later...
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| "FINE. Since you're not getting the hint, I will come up here and LAY ALL OVER YOUR PAPERS AND KEYBOARD SO THAT YOU'LL PET ME!" |
My Sweet, Little Briggs...
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| This is "little" Briggs, who is terrified of life. I am the only person he will put up with - and I think it's just so he can get food. He rarely comes by people or sits in their vicinity, unless there is an easy exit route. This day, though, I guess he couldn't resist the fleece blanket on top of me, so he came and perched...doesn't his head look tired and heavy? |
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Moments later...
(I guess that little fur head WAS heavy!) |
Never a Dull Moment on My Street...
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| So, the apartment complex on the left often gets phone call on them due to noise, roudiness, etc. This day, I drove home to see all these police cars (a few more than 'usual,' sad to say that!) and all the police officers hanging out. Then someone asked me if I had a CHICKEN. Yes, a chicken (which are allowed in my town, with a permit). Turns out, someone's chicken (I'm not making this up), got lose and the officers were spending time trying to challenge the other to grab it before animal control got there. What you're not seeing in the picture is that a SIXTH police car was parked up the street (to the right) and another one rounded the corner with Animal Control. Seriously? This many men over a chicken? I did give some of them that I knew a hard time, and they readily admitted it was a slow day at that point. Clearly. |
