CHRISTMAS SHOW

Everyone could hear/see Joey!

 Joey's Christmas Show at CRUMK was delightful again this year. 

I like how they only have the children perform a few songs on stage, and then join the parents in our seats to watch a video of pre-recorded songs from earlier that week in the classroom. 

BARBIE ENGINEERING MASTERPIECE

It took a general contractor and a computer engineer over an hour, using the directions, to put together Joey's Barbie dream house... and there were still 11 pieces left over.

HAVE A COKE AND A SMILE

At our house, we leave milk and cookies for Santa... and a glass bottled coke. 

I went to Joey's school this past Thursday and read Twas The Night Before Christmas to her class. But of course, I have a Coca Cola Santa illustrated book. (Yes, I am fully aware of the subversive lesson I was teaching those 3 year olds.)

If you read that poem carefully, you will realize that Santa is elf size. As in miniature and drives a miniature sleigh. (He smokes too. Disgusting!)

The image of Santa Claus that Americans know and love today was created by Haddon Sundblom for the Coca Cola company's advertising in the 1930's. 

So perhaps you can pick up a new old holiday tradition at your house and leave a glass bottled coke out for Santa. 

SIT! GOOD GIRL!

Sam can sit for about a minute or two before falling over now. 

She can sit for a while if she supports herself with her hands (tripod style).

She really loves to explore. More than play with toys. She can caterpillar across the floor with a quickness and also loves to "walk" in her little red corvette. Unfortunately, she wants to explore the garbage can.

SAMMY'S FIRST PAYCHECK

We got a call from the FIU infancy development lab. They wondered if Sam and I could come in a watch some videos (only 10 minutes worth) and they videotape Sam to record her responses. 

Okay!

The whole process from parking lot to parking lot took less than 1/2 hour and Sammy got a certificate of appreciation and 10 bucks! (They out November, instead of December on the certificate, but that's okay.)

CHAPEL LESSON

ENGLISH, AS TAUGHT BY A 3 YEAR OLD

You want to make the English language make more sense? 
Take grammar lessons from a 3 year old.

When I hear the grammar mistakes that Joey makes, and I supply the correct word instead, I find myself thinking she's right and Webster is wrong. 

English is a mixture of Germanic and French languages (mostly). And our rules are a hodgepodge. 

"Funner" should be a word.
It should be "winned" not "won."
It should be "thinked" not "thought."

Joey is speaking in a logical fashion. That is her mistake, bringing logic into a English conversation.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

WORKIN' HARD

When Sam visits the office, she doesn't effect productivity at all. No, not at all!

 "She's sooooo big" (You can hear my mom playing that game through the whole office. And just wait till she starts in on peek-a-boo.)

GUN SHOWS

I have included a link to a Wikipedia page on gun shows. Please read the controversy bit especially.
It is important for everyone to be informed right now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_shows_in_the_United_States

GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Joey & Daddy made a Gingerbread house!

Joey learned some wonderful new phrases. I could hear Daddy clear cross' the house he was having just oh so much fun trying to put this together. 

(Don't ask why he didn't punch the windows out. I made that mistake.)

But Joey had a blast anyways!

DADDY LOVES ME!

We are still working on the photogenic thing.

SAM LEARNS TO EAT

NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP

My children couldn't fall asleep without Mom-Mom.

She makes them loveys. (Dish towel size Afghans.)

She also makes them crib blankets, aprons for eating (a bib just isn't enough), toys, car blankets...

We couldn't function a single day without Mom-Mom!

LITTLE RED CORVETTE

Sam LOVES her little convertible!

I remember I put Joey in it at around 3 or 4 months, her toes couldn't touch the floor.

Sam is flat footed, and I don't even have it on the lock mode, but jump mode, which means its a little taller with a bit more give. She pitter patters around the kitchen, pulling down towels and taking off fridge magnets. She isn't 5 months old yet!

SHE COMES BY IT HONESTLY

Grandpa Higgins was a plumber.

So the plumber's crack is a family trait. 

SAM SITTING

THE RIGHT SHOES FOR THE JOB

Mark and I were putting lights on the Christmas tree and Joey was supervising. We got a big tree this year, an 8 footer.



Joey: "Daddy, you need to put your shoes on."
Mark: "Why?"
Joey: "So you can be bigger."
Mark: pauses. looks at her. "What do you mean... bigger?"
Joey: "You know, so you can be taller."
Mark: "I don't need to be taller."
Joey: thinks for a moment and then snickers "Yeah you do."

Then we got to the top portion of the tree. 

Joey: "Now you need a LOT of shoes Daddy!"

MUSTACHE KISSES

It takes Joey a good 10 minutes to kiss Paka Rick goodbye. 

She pretends that she doesn't want his "mustache kisses," then giggles and squeals while he gives her a mustache sugar attack. When he stops, she smiles up and says "do it again!"

MELLOW YELLOW

What is the best 1st baby food, after rice cereal?

A) serious vegetables
B) fruit
C) yellow vegetables

1st off, I have read that more and more the 1st food doesn't have to be rice cereal. Some pediatricians are steering away from rice cereal as a first, because it is calorie dense with little nutritional benefit. However, it is still pretty safe as far as allergies go, it is easily digested, and it doesn't have a strong flavor that baby might reject. It basically tastes like the breast milk or formula you use to thin it to the right consistency. It is also Iron fortified, a big deal for breast fed babies who need the extra source of iron (Formula fed babies get it through their formula.)


A) serious vegetables
Some suggest serving vegetables first not only for nutritional reasons, but also to better acclimate baby's tastes buds. If you serve sweet fruits first, the child might reject anything that doesn't satisfy her sweet tooth.

B) Fruit
However, you want baby's first experiences with food to be good. You want them to want to eat. You are setting up patterns for life, not just babyhood. And sweet fruit will get the ball rolling.

C) Yellow vegetables
This is the winner to me. Highly nutritious, sweet enough to pass the baby palate taste test (usually) but not so sweet as to sabotage all future veggie explorations. Remember: The "Yellow" vegetables can be orange too. (Sweet potato, squash-all kinds, carrots, pumpkin...)

I made the mistake, with Joey, of trying her on Peas first. Have you ever seen Exorcist?

Well, I didn't make the same mistake twice. With Sam, I started with Sweet Potato. She loved it. Actually, she's loved everything so far! Zucchini, Carrots, Squash... I went ahead and took the next stop and offered her full on vegetables, green beans, and she just loves eating!

IT'S CLEAN, I CHECKED!

I knew, as a mother of two, this day would come.
I was feeding Sam on the couch when I heard Joey shout across the house:

"Mommy, I went poo!"
"Good job baby. I'm feeding Sammy, you're going to have wait for me to help wipe you."

Many minutes later, I put Sam in her jiggle chair and went to the bathroom to wipe a dupey and found the bathroom empty.

"Joey, where are you?"
"In my room."
"Did you wipe?"
"Yep. My dupey's clean, I checked."
"How did you check?"
"With my fingers."

JIMINY F'ING CRICKET

I have a hypothesis.

I believe the Lord's name is taken in vain more times during "his" season then any other time.

I thought about this listening to Mark help me with getting the house ready for Christmas this weekend. If I were to count with my fingers, the number times I heard him say "Jiminy F'ing Cricket" (That is the edited version) or "G D it!" (also edited) I would need to use my toes too.

The holiday season, though my favorite, can be stressful. Traffic, shopping, parking, Christmas lights that don't work....

This happens to overlap football season. 

Between the two, I think there is no question. 

TOO COLORFUL FOR CRAYOLA

Crayola is missing out on a great marketing opportunity. 

Around Halloween, or Mother's Day perhaps, they need to come out with some Baby inspired colors:

My first poo black, I'm sick green, spit up white, slept-through-the-night-diaper yellow, dried spit up on the carpet gray, vaccinations screaming red, baby food poo orange...

I'm telling you, I have a box of 64 and have no plans of buying any more crayons any time soon.  But I'd buy a box of those!