Pictures are up!

I finally posted the November and December picture albums! There's still some odds and ends photo uploading that I want to get caught up on but those are mostly for individual posts. This was the big to do! So use the link over on the right to check them out!

Post Christmas Ramblings

The tree is put away for another year. Is it just me or did the last few weeks just seem to fly by? I'm not sure if I ever really had a moment to realize what season it was.

What a weekend! Santa arrived as scheduled and Katherine made out like a bandit. It took her a few minutes to get into things, she was still a bit groggy when we turned on the tree. And like last year each present had to be inspected before moving on to the next one. I was looking forward to her opening her "choo choo train" which until a couple of days ago was the consistent request from Santa. Two days before Christmas the answer very suddenly changed to a "dolphin costume". I had to scratch my head, where did that come from and where does one get one of those???? Besides that, the shopping was DONE. So when she opened her train on Christmas morning, instead of a big "oooo" type reaction, she said "I wanted a dolphin costume." Maybe next year sweetie. The iffy relationship with the big guy continues. But overall she was enthralled with her goodies and has asked each morning since if Santa has come.

The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying the company of Papa and Gram Meagher. That's who she's with today as well. Yesterday, they took a trip to the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, which was a big hit, especially the train ride I hear. Today a visit to Marbles Kids Museum is planned if Miss K is up for it. This has allowed Ted and I to go out for a bit and to catch up on some work around the house.

Pictures??? Yes, there are tons of pictures and I really need to get cracking on the uploads around here. Looks like it may be a combined November and December album at the rate I'm going.

Cookies and Milk Ready for Santa!

The big guy may be extra hungry so she put out a lot.




-- Post From My iPhone

Dancing Feet

It's been a while since we've had some video around here. These two videos were shot somewhat steathily while we up at Ted's parents for Thanksgiving. Katherine loves to dance and what better way to dance than in your Cinderella nightgown!

The Christmas Festivities have Started!

A few of the posts that I have on my list involve some picture or video uploads which makes me realize how behind I am getting in that area.  It's almost Christmas and I still need to put together the November picture album.  I just need to take an evening and upload everything so that I can get going.

Unfortunately/fortunately we didn't see any snow from the big nor'easter.  We were just south of the line and had a day of rain instead.  I didn't tell Katherine that is was going to snow (need to know!) but the kids in daycare filled her in on the details.  There's no secrets around that place.  She informed me on the drive home of Friday, rather matter of factly, that it was going to snow and she was going play outside and make a snow angel.  She'll have to wait to the next storm for that.

We celebrated Christmas this past weekend with Ted's parents and sister (and yes there are more photos here that need to be uploaded...I promise I'll get to them very soon!).  Katherine was VERY happy to see Papa and Gram but I think Aunt Carrie stole the show.  Thankfully they all arrived safe and sound from snowy Virginia after a much longer than usual drive.  The funniest moment happened right after they walked in the front door.  Katherine had helped me wrap their presents and although I thought she didn't pay all that much attention to what was going in the boxes, I was wrong.  She ran right up to Aunt Carrie:  "Carrie we have a surprise for you!  It's a camera case and a new hat!"  She was quite proud of herself too.  Seems we'll have to work on the subtler points of gift giving, like you don't tell the recipient what's in the box before they open it.  All in due time I guess.

Katherine got a good trial run for Christmas morning on Sunday after breakfast.  She started out slow but by the end, not only was she ripping into her presents, she was offering to "help" open everyone else's presents too: "Daddy this is for you, I'll open it."  She made out like a bandit of course and I think the hands down favorite was the Disney Princess ball pit from Aunt Carrie.  We've know gone from cleaning up random buttons all over the house to cleaning up random balls from the ball pit.  At least their bigger and easier to spot.

The Grinch

Our office did our annual Holiday walk yesterday. You may remember that my section won for best decorations last year for our can sculpture of the Old Man's Major Award. Well we've kept the title again this year with our Grinch theme! Check it out!

To paint or not paint?

That is the question.  We are at the tail end of the Great Room Rearrangement of 2009.  The only project that is left is to set up the nursery once again.  Before we found out whether the baby was a boy or a girl I had lots of thoughts that I would like to repaint the room, depending on the sex. The room is currently painted a shade of light green. It was that color when the room was an office and we kept is the same for Katherine's nursery. Well, once we found it was a boy I dreamed of the classic light blue bedroom.  I dreamed it all the way until last weekend when I opened the box of crib bedding and nursery decor, all of which has a Classic Pooh theme.  I pulled out the lampshade, took a good look at it and said: "Hmmmm, I'm not sure baby blue is going to go with this stuff." I held it up to the light blue blade on the multicolored ceiling fan and was not that impressed.  Yeah, I could get away with it but honestly, not ideal.  So now I am torn.  What is definite in this situation is that we are NOT buying new bedding and decor.  I know it is easier to just leave everything as is but anyone can tell you I never take that route.  And either way there's work involved because the walls could use a wipe down so I'm either painting the walls or washing them.  But the more I think it over, I have a feeling I'm going to be carrying a bucket of water and Mr. Clean into the room rather than a paint roller.  The blue may have to wait until the baby moves into his big boy bed and gets new big boy bedding that matches blue much better.  But the final decision still awaits, don't be shocked if you see pictures of a blue room up here at some point.  Heck, maybe I'll post some pictures and let you all decide.

Staying in the lines

Take a look a the picture below:


I'm finding it pretty significant that in the past week or so Katherine has started coloring IN THE LINES.  Yes we still have many toddler scribbles but give her a picture or shape to color in and she meticulously colors within the boundaries.  I find this both an amazing developmental milestone and a bit sad too.  This probably doesn't phase some parents, everyone has their "things" that they find significant.  For me coloring in the lines, while small,  was one of those big moments.

What has also sadly developed within the last week or so is that Katherine is now too big for me to carry.  It's a combination of the pregnancy and her growing.  I can pick her up briefly to check things out, get her out of the tub, etc...  But when it comes to actually carrying her for any length of time I just can't to it.  I find this really sad because there's still plenty of moments where she will look up and say "carry me".

We received big news from the daycare about a week ago.  They are doing some room rearranging with the kids and they feel that Katherine needs to move up to the next room.  Being a pretty small center, children of multiple ages are grouped together, so Katherine is currently in a room with two and three year olds.  Even though she is still a good eight months away from turning four they would like her to join a room with older threes and four year olds, so as they put it "we can see more progress for her".  This makes me extremely happy because her birthday is a mere 10 days shy of the school cut off for Wake County.  This means that she will always be the youngest child in her class.  Knowing that she can hold her own with the four year olds gives me peace of mind.  They are transitioning her at her own pace, I guess last week she had no interest in joining them and the staff did not force it. I know that she loves Ms. Wanda, the lead teacher in her current room (as do I!). However when we picked her up today she was happily playing in the "big kid room" and the teacher reported she had a great day. 

My baby girl may still be little but she sure is growing up.

Jackpot!

So it’s Sunday night and I’m finally getting a few quiet moments to write a post.  We’ve been busy this weekend with the usual house chores, getting everything ready for our Christmas guests (Ted’s parents and Carrie next weekend and my parents arrive on Christmas Eve).  Now I know it’s family and I can hear my mother saying right now “Don’t clean on our account.” but I still feel the need to get everything in tip top shape, it is our Mommies and Daddies that are coming to visit after all! 

I’ve started keeping a notebook that I use to jot down tidbits here and there that I want to make sure I include in blog posts.  The current unchecked list is getting rather long, enough for multiple posts so it’s time to get cracking.  I find that I have most of the thoughts of what to post when I’m nowhere near the computer and by the time I sit down to write a post those thoughts are long gone.  So the notebook helps a bit with that.  Still, I think my real witty stuff gets lost in the recesses of my brain.  You know when I write the best posts??  Just as I’m drifting off to sleep, always with the thought: “you need to remember this in the morning.” HA!  That rarely, if ever happens. And even when I do sit down to write a post it is guar-un-teed that I will be interrupted by various parties multiple times (case in point, as I wrote this sentence I had to kick the cat off of the kitchen counter AND table). 

I’m writing this post to you from our kitchen table thanks to Carrie and the wonders of modern technology.  Over Thanksgiving she was EXTREMELY gracious and offered us her old Macbook.  She was running out of music and photo space and had recently upgraded to a newer model.  Since our current desktop computer takes care of all of our music and photo storage needs and this would serve as a second computer, it was perfect (and even at 3 years old, it is also newer that our current computer).  AND even better, it has wireless capabilities.  A small wish of mine has been to have a laptop in the house with wireless so Ted and I are not fighting over computer time.  Not that we really fight about it, it’s just that my free uninterrupted computer moments at home are few and far between and if I can sneak away to a quiet corner to get something accomplished, even better.  Plus I really missed my having my own laptop like I did in my grad school days when Ted and I were dating, engaged  and first married.  There’s something about having it all set up just the way you want it. Honestly, when Carrie offered us the Macbook I felt like I had hit the jackpot (little did you know Carrie). 

So one (ok two cause the first one was defective and made us pull our hair out for the better part of a week) wireless router later, not only am I online and mobile but Ted is also sitting pretty with a wireless Xbox 360 adapter (our two Christmas presents to each other a bit early) and back to online gaming.  We attempted to go the second cable modem route for the Xbox first but who knew that Time Warner cable will only let you have one IP address per account??  Two modems equals two IP address…the nerve. We made sure to get a router powerful enough to accommodate both uses and we are extremely please with the outcome. 

I haven’t used an Apple computer since Middle School (who here remembers playing Oregon Trail on an Apple IIe?) and I’m wondering if this experience (plus the beloved iPhone) is going to convert me to the “dark side”.  Right now I’m still getting used to the subtle differences (hello, where is the right mouse button? I’m a very frequently user of that little gadget) so I’ll get back you with a final assessment later. 

So, what else is on my list?  Stayed tuned this week to find out…like I said, I’ve got some catching up to do.

Oh and that Twitter application STILL isn't working.  I checked on the Blogger help page and it suggested adding it via the Live Feed application while they work on the Twitter app problem.  That didn't work either, I got some weird job search feed instead...those of you out there with working Twitter feeds, how are you doing it?

Wrapping paper and light bulbs

I see from the weather reports that both of my parents have a snow day today…this morning was quite nasty down here, just rain but now the sun is coming out. We had some thunder in the middle of the night last night which co-workers tell me means snow is on its way in 7 to 9 days. Weather.com actually shows a chance of snow showers and a nightly low of 27 degrees on December 16th so who knows!


My previous post on wrapping brought on a brief discussion at work of whether presents from Santa Claus are wrapped or unwrapped under the tree. Growing up, they were always wrapped and I never thought of doing it any other way. Their presents, you wrap them. However, I have heard that many people ran down to the tree on Christmas morning to find a toy display instead of a pile of wrapped presents. I was told that wrapping the presents must be a “Northern Thing” but since we weren’t doing an official poll, I can’t be sure of this. K’s presents will be wrapped (in the chosen snowman paper of course!!). So, what say you?

Charlie Brown was on last night and we did not miss it! As with other ones, K loved it and was quite sad when it was over and she realized it was time for bed. She fell asleep within minutes of hitting the sheets however, so she was definitely tired. Bedtime lately has revolved her taking a pile of books under the covers with her and “reading” to herself by nightlight until she falls asleep. It is hilarious listening to her reading to herself. One of us will go in later and usually find her sound asleep, hugging a book. Last night she took the books but I don’t think any of them were cracked before she was out.

I noticed two nights ago that the light bulb for one of the North Pole buildings is out. The Reindeer Barn to be exact. Where is this located in the display? Why in the middle, near the rear of course. Meaning I would need to get on the ladder and precariously perch over the display trying not to interrupt anything else as I lift up the building, take out the light, change the bulb, put it back in and place the building back down. I’m trying to decide if that is worth it and currently I’m airing on the not worth it side of things. Visions of me knocking an irreplaceable building over the ledge with my elbow (or more likely my stomach these days) down to the foyer below help reinforce the thought that this is a smart move (even though seeing that building out bothers this Type A). That bulb can get tossed when I take the display down. The reindeer will just have to live in a dark barn for a while.

Opening the Advent Calendar

With Daddy



-- Post From My iPhone

Waiting for Santa...

Apparently the Twitter feed feature is broken on blogger.  I tried to put my feed back in today and again I some other random person's feed instead.  But one of the messages in the feed was that they are trying not to Twitter until blogger fixes the Twitter feed.  Considering my main use of Twitter is for quick blog updates, I won't be using it much until they fix it either! So, whoever you are, thanks for the info!!

Maybe it's the cool, cloudy weather around here but it's definitely starting to feel like Christmas.  With the exception of cookie baking the weekend of the 19th, we are DONE!!  Santa shopping completed, family shopping completed, Christmas cards in the mail...time to enjoy!  Miss K help was very excited to help me wrap up presents for family this weekend.  I turned on the holiday tunes and she got all into it...until...she looked up and told me: "I want my presents."  My response went something like: "Sorry sweetie, we have to wait until Santa comes at Christmas for presents, the elves are still making them. Even Papas and Grams and Aunts and Uncles aren't getting these presents until Christmas."  She knew she didn't like the man for a reason.  A minor, bordering on major, meltdown ensued...not just once but a good three times during the course of the day as she repeated her request only to learn that she would have to wait. One of those meltdowns found her face down on our bed sobbing, unconsolable that Santa hadn't brought her presents yet.  I need to find a spot to tuck away those family presents, although I think the damage is done.  Katherine is smart and just because those presents are out of sight (and not for her) doesn't mean she won't bring them up from now until Christmas.

I told her that Santa liked cookies and asked her if we should leave some cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve..."No."  Ok then.

I also neglected to pull out the roll of wrapping paper that I was planning to use for the Santa presents.  I let Katherine pick out which paper each family present should be wrapped in before this little fact hit me.  I still think she is too young to notice that the wrapping paper is all the same but I saved the situation by asking her which paper was her favorite (Snowmen) and then asking her if I should tell Santa to wrap her presents using that same paper (yes!...PHEW!).  Her next response was..."I'll help Santa wrap my presents."  You know where things are headed with that one...

The trials and tribulations of being 3 at Christmastime.  I might feel like Christmas is practically here but to a preschooler it must feel like an eternity.

One thing Katherine definitely is enjoying this year is the Advent calendars.  We have 4 chocolate calendars in our house right now, one from Aunt Colleen for K. and one for each of us from Papa and Gram Coberly.  Katherine eagerly asks to "open the doors" each day and the last couple of days has even remembered what door number needs to be opened.  She likes to scan each calendar looking for the appropriate numberOf course after we open the doors for that day, she asks to open the next set so tonight after we open the number 7 doors, she'll say "Let's open number 8."

True to form Katherine has no interest in eating the chocolate in the Advent calendars but we have finally found her two weaknesses in the world of sweets.  Skittles and Gummy Bears.  She gets the love of Gummy Bears from Ted, as I think they are kind of gross myself.  Skittles came from school where she has gotten some as a reward for good behavior.  Should we have either in the house she will ask for them in place of every meal, she may have arrived late to the candy party but she's catching on quick.

New shirt

K and I had to run over to Carter's today to return a pairs of pants for her in the wrong size. They didn't have any more of those pants but they did have:



She's very proud of it.

-- Post From My iPhone

I blew it

The whole world knew Obama was speaking last night; I KNEW Obama was speaking last night. What never crossed my mind was that this would have an effect on the TV schedule (duh!!!). Obviously ABC would not be showing Charlie Brown because they would have the president’s speech on instead. How I failed to connect Point A to Point B I have no clue. Katherine got over it pretty quickly, there is Noggin after all. Santa Claus 3 AND National Lampoons Christmas Vacation on as well but after the disappointment of no Charlie Brown, Miss K was insistent on watching Noggin.

So in light of this incident I’ve learned not to trust hearsay (as I was tipped off the Charlie Brown would be on thanks to KISS 93.9) and look up the information at the source before I inform the 3 year old (alright I always knew this but this just confirms it…need to know!). I’ve done some investigating on the various station websites and I now have this list:

• Dec 2nd (tonight!!) and 12th: Rudolph on CBS at 8
• Dec 6th: Elmo’s Christmas Countdown on ABC at 8 (not a classic but I know K will get a kick out of it)
• Dec 7th: Santa Claus is Coming to Town on ABC at 8 (also on 12/9 on ABC Family at 8)
• Dec 8th AND 15th: Charlie Brown on ABC at 8
• Dec 8th: The Year without a Santa Claus on ABC Family at 8

Of course there are lots of other specials on at various other times, so I am sure I will add to the list. But these are the classics that I would hate for her to miss. I probably could add Frosty too but I’ve never been a Frosty fan. Who knows, maybe Katherine is. And we may have missed the Grinch, it was on on Monday although I bet it’s being repeated somewhere. I know, I know, I can solve this problem by simply purchasing the stuff on DVD but since I haven’t done that and I find something magical about watching it the night it is on TV we’ve got the list above.

A Christmas Story is not on the list but it goes without saying that there will be multiple viewings (we DO own the DVD of that of course) throughout this month. It holds a special place on a list all its own.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

First things first, cute Katherine moment from last weekend that I forgot about. Dinner table Friday night, I go to wipe her gravy covered upper lip with a napkin… “That’s OK, I’ll use my tongue.” She proceeded to stick her stuck out and wipe her upper lip. We had to give the kid points for ingenuity, even if it is bad table manners.

December already??? I am feeling excited and oh my God I can’t believe it’s here already all at once. Being the anal retentive type, I can’t truly relax until everything is checked off my list. And this year I am happy to report that we’re doing pretty good, only one day into December. After Katherine recovered from her time with Santa, she had a blast helping us put up the tree and decorating. Keeping her out of the tree, literally, this year is going to be a challenge.  She's managed to find a way to wedge that little body in between the branches.

I realize that at this age, while she may remember bits and pieces from last year, a lot of it is new and exciting again for her. She got a huge kick out of putting up our North Pole Village, which my Grandma gave to me. “We’re putting up Christmas!” Little by little the collection is coming down to our house so we had a few more houses this year. And while she may not want to talk to the big guy face to face, she’s more than happy to give him a call on her Santa Phone, a talking cell phone Christmas ornament that Aunt Sue gave her two years ago. “I go call Santa.”

We are just about DONE with our Christmas shopping thanks to Ted’s brilliant idea of starting an Amazon shopping cart in the beginning of November. Really the only person we have to finish up is Katherine. This has been a challenge; we just don’t know what to get her. I wandered the toy aisles in Target on Sunday and didn’t see much I was impressed with. I am not usually like this in the toy section, once a Toys R Us kid, always a Toys R Us kid. So one more shopping trip is in order. Miss K and I also need to bake cookies later on in the month for her teachers at school. I was undecided on what to do for the teachers this year. We are so pleased with the new school that I wanted to do something to let them know how much they are appreciated. I thought a tin of homemade cookies and a Christmas ornament might be nice. Since K loves to help me make cookies I thought this would be a good way to get her involved, she can tell them that she helped.

I can't finish this post without making my annual public service announcement…Charlie Brown is on tonight!!! If you miss it, not to worry, ABC is repeating it again on the 8th. After watching the Halloween and Thanksgiving specials, I think I’ve turn Miss K into a fan…she seems to have a thing for Snoopy. The only thing she doesn’t like is the commercials… “Where did Charlie Brown go?” Which reminds me, I need to look up when all of the good specials are on and make a note of it on my calendar…yes I am that much of a holiday junkie.