Let's Pretend It's Still Near the Holidays, Shall We?

I have no idea what happens to the last half of December and most of January every year. Poof, it's gone. I know I work my way through January, but that doesn't explain December. And no Holiday cards this year. They were so late they turned into New Year's Cards. We had so many wonderful, positive comments, that they will now be New Year's Cards moving forward. For now, let's pretend it's not MARCH now and see some Holiday related things.

Thanks for this idea from our friend Mark, we had a Holiday Book tree. His was less book and more ornaments, but we all work with what we have.

I enjoyed them a lot. SuperGirl was in charge of lights and there were plenty. WonderBoy didn't get the whole lights thing, but sitting next to SuperGirl in the back seat, he knew to say "Look, Mommy, look," until he got a response from me. I'm pretty sure he wasn't looking at anything, but knew if it was dark and there were lights, that's what one says to his Mommy.

And then there were the annual Nutcrackers. We browsed the nutcrackers everywhere we  went. SuperGirl knows that  they are expensive (and frankly, they were less expensive than last year, but still not dirt cheap, at least at our local Target). The first time we were in Target after Christmas, she said, "Is it time? Can we get a Nutcracker?" Of course, I replied, heading for the crowded after-Christmas sale aisle. We looked and looked, only to find that there were only three left and they were gone by the time we got there. I distracted SuperGirl with something and we left and I was worried. Could they have ALL sold out? We're lucky that we have three targets 'fairly close to me' as Siri would say. 

So we headed to the next one, me hoping that there was something left she would like. When we arrived, I wondered why I worried....... at 70% off, we found several she liked. Phew. Disaster averted.

SuperGirl's Personalized Water Bottles

Aren't these just great? :)

Quite the Week.....

There's a lot going on this week. We're getting new flooring (photos at a later date) and everyone is discombobulated since essentially the living areas upstairs are off-limits until the railings are put back in (so no-one falls down the stairwell).

1. Anyway, despite our long talks with the smart children that live here, safety isn't their major concern (understandable for WonderBoy due to his age, but I had hopes for SuperGirl).

In her FIRST foray out of bed with no warnings, she appeared upstairs, traversing the rail-less dining area (and not falling down the stairwell). She missed me sleeping in bed and knocked on the bathroom door where her Dad was. I heard the knocking, thinking, 'that's weird, it doesn't sound like it's coming from the monitor.' Of course, that's because it was live knocking. Scared me to death!

2. WonderBoy climbed out of the crib for the first time. He seems to understand 'stay, STAY,' now when I put him back in, but we'll see. The beginning of the end.

3. I washed my rings and earrings. Happily, platinum and 18K are washer safe and I lost no little stones out of the settings. Yes, I'm an idiot.

Thank goodness that's all for now. Plus both kids are sick. Joy. And the week isn't over yet.

Bears, Anyone?

Going to the local Build-a-Bear was a special treat for SuperGirl. Ok, sure, I'll admit it -- it was a bribe and it worked. So there.

We had a lovely time picking out a bear, stuffing it and dragging it home. Yes, the box was as big as she is. I'm a little torn about the bears. They're expensive but you do get the joy of building one and getting to 'bathe' it and it is pretty memorable. I think they're reasonably priced until you get to dress them, then they can get a little pricey. Oh and the shoes aren't worth it -- ours never stay on! :)

Oh What A Night....

So we all went to the Fresh Beat Band Concert this evening. The two girls in front of me stood and jumped/danced throughout the whole thing. The girl directly behind us stood and sang loudly to each song; thank goodness she knew the words and mostly could carry a tune. The guy next to me videoed the whole thing and kept elbowing me. 

Just like every other concert I've ever been to, except the entire audience was eight years old and under and they were there with their parents. 

When we left, about 10% of the audience was in tears from over-stimulation. Oh what a night!

http://freshbeatbandlive.com/

Knock, Knock

Sleep (for me) can be fairly elusive. It's not that I don't sleep. It's that others do not sleep and those others need/want/absolutely must have my attention.

WonderBoy has been teething so he's a restless sleeper. And since he shares the room with SuperGirl, once he wakes me up, I try to get him settled again ASAP so he doesn't wake her.

Recently, he woke up in the middle of the night. I heard him cry, turned off the monitor so that he didn't wake Hubby, and headed out of the bedroom. By the time I got to the top of the stairs, he had stopped. Good news, but would it last? I wasn't sure, so I laid down on the sofa. (Yes, I have developed the ability to sleep almost anywhere.) I think I slept.

Then I heard a faint knocking. Which was weird, since it was the middle of the night. Even in my sleep-deprived state I could figure that out. I thought it was Grandma. Knocking in the middle of the night wouldn't be the strangest thing she'd ever done.

I crept quietly downstairs and stealthily opened her door. She was snoozing away, clearly not knocking. Then I heard it again. It wasn't the front door; it was the kid's room. A little concerned, I opened the door to find SuperGirl standing in her toddler bed (a converted crib) knocking on the door.

A bit strange.

"What's up, Honey?" I asked in a whisper.

Quietly and seriously, she said, "I'm wet."

And I said, "So you're knocking to get me to come down and not wake up your brother?" She nodded. "Good job," I said. "It worked."

I grabbed a change of clothes and we headed upstairs to sleep on the sofas. Not the first time we've done that, either.

It happened again a few nights ago, when she woke up and couldn't sleep. I thought it was a nice coincidence that I'd been on the sofa the first time to hear the knocking. As it turns out, the baby monitor does pick up knocking. A bonus feature, no doubt.

As a friend pointed out yesterday, it was a very polite way to yell for help, without yelling.

That's my girl. :)

I'm Not Crazy, I've Been Tested

I love how on Big Bang Theory Sheldon is always saying, "I'm not crazy, my Mother had me tested."

Recently, I was tested also. I was sitting every so quietly in the Social Security office knitting away on my very pointy double pointed needles (DPN). It was my second trip in since I can never go just once when I'm on a mission. 

The very nice security guard came and stood over my shoulder. I looked up at him and he looked at me. I had a puzzled look on my face, trying to figure out if he was curious as to what I was knitting or if I shouldn't be knitting and was about to get busted for it. 

He reached down and touched the pointy point of the needle with his finger. I said something like, "Is this OK?" He smiled and said, "Sure I just needed to look into your eyes and make sure you didn't have the crazy eyes." 

Happy that I did not have the crazy eyes, I said, "No problem, My needles and I will sit here quietly until it's my turn." 

So, like Sheldon, I've been vetted. Not by Mom's experts, but by a Social Security Security Guard. So there.

This Is What Happens When SuperGirl Puts on Band-aids Without Supervision

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang....

There's nothing that four-year old SuperGirl loves more (right now) than Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the movie made in 1968. I randomly found it on the channel guide and marked it to record; that was about three months ago. Lately, I've been thinking she's might be able to watch the whole thing. CCBB is a long movie, almost 2 1/2 hours total. I think it's fabulous and I know if it were made today it would be much shorter.

Random facts: the movie is presented by Albert R. Broccoli and it's an Ian Fleming film (who wrote the novel for his son). No James Bond anywhere, but that info cracked me up. Come to think of it, I can see Q was hard at work to create the magical car, especially when it's floating it reminds me a lot of a Bond submarine.

SuperGirl is mesmerized when we watch it and we have watched it a few times, often a bit at a time. This is more due to our schedule than her interest level. If I have some work to finish and can't play, I'll put it on and sit nearby working. She comes and sits in my lap during one scene: the haircut scene. "It's a little scary," she says. Remember this?

I guess getting a bad haircut could be a little scary. :)

I did think she might find the creepy guy that rounds up and hides all the children scary (right, the child catcher!). He is ranked #7 of the Top Ten Evil Movie Characters here. But no not him. It was the haircut.

The Girl Can Climb!

 At our local park on a playdate. SuperGirl shimmied up one side and down another quick as can be!