First Tooth

Tuesday was a big day for Natalie - she rolled over for the first time AND got her first tooth! First the "Where's Waldo" picture:(see the tiny white spot?)

The up close blurry but more noticeable version:(that blue thing is a sippy cup)

I started her on solids a week or two back - that just sort of happened because I really wanted to wait until we finished all our travels, but once she got some actual food, she really liked it!

Gingerbread ManHunt

Found him!


We had our Gingerbread Man-hunt playdate today. I invited too many people, but just the right amount showed up. This was really an easy party to plan, plus the kids LOVED it and the moms LOVED it, so I thought I'd share what we did:

The kids and I made the big gingerbread man yesterday. Overnight, I hid him upstairs. Today the kids came and we read a version of The Gingerbread Man. After the story I told the kids we had made a big GB man and got C & A to give details about how big, so it was clear they had really seen him. We all went to the oven, but inside there was an empty pan - with a note. That note led us to the neighbor's house. Rob was going to be working at home, so he and I worked out for him to sneak the GB man downstairs when everyone left the house. The neighbor (one of the kid's dad) told us that the GB man had been there but left and gave them the next clue. (If Rob had not been home, I had planned to have the neighbor we visited bring the man back.) There were 5 total clues with the last one leading us back inside. It was extremely fun to see how surprised the kids were to find the GB man on our table! And my kids were just as baffled. :)

Christmas Just Seems to Get Earlier Every Year!

Especially at our house! I compared with other years and having Christmas on the 18th is not really that early. Usually we have it right before we leave on our Christmas trip, but this year we wanted to have it while Grandma and Grandpa were here and there are still 5 days until we leave - so I have had to warn Caleb about how most of his friends haven't opened gifts yet. Some highlights:

Tradition:I've mentioned before that, while she only made it once, my Nanny made a cinnamon roll Christmas tree that made a big impression on me! I like to make one on "Christmas" morning and it always reminds me of her.

Our t(h)ree:

At our house, Santa only fills the stockings - I don't think either Rob or I had it like that as kids, but it really simplifies things for us. Trust me, they get piles of gifts even without stacks of Santa presents. Caleb said, "My own sunglasses! Finally!"

Annalise's present from Daddy - a pink fishing rod:

Caleb's dress up gift - a suit of armor (from Annalise - but the inflatable sword was in his stocking - the sword was his favorite gift, and I got it for $.10 at a garage sale)

O Elendil!

Annalise's dress up gift - a princess dress (from and made with love - if not skill - by Mommy - the crown was a garage sale find too)

It just tastes like Christmas!

Before we leave, I planned a playdate with some friends for Tuesday - I had this idea to have a preschool level mystery party - A Gingerbread Man-hunt - Usually if I am having a themed playdate (and yes I occasionally get a wild idea and won't rest until it's played out), I'll send out an evite to say 5 friends and 2 of them will come. Well this time, I really wanted about 4 or 5 friends, so I invited about 13 people...and 10 of them are coming - along with 18 children. Any of you who have been to my house are probably laughing uncontrollably, but this is kind of a crisis. Fortunately, I can delegate and have enlisted help and really only have to make the gingerbread men and figure out how and where 18 children are going to play and or do crafts, while their moms sit on the couch, the rocker, two wooden chairs, 2 plastic chairs, and a metal folding chair - I, for one, plan to stand.

Fight for the Last Leaf

These things are sturdier than I thought - they made it through 2 nights with a low of 38. Their perseverance is rewarded, today it's high 70s.

Baby Doll and Doll Baby

I cannot count the number of times people have asked me if Natalie is a doll - and usually it is clear that they a perfectly sincere - I guess they think I'm carrying around one of Annalise's toys. Maybe it is her lack of hair, I don't know. Regardless, I'm pretty sure I haven't bragged on her enough - she is such a great baby! She sleeps well, has such a warm smile, and is so flexible.

Garden-y Things

Pretty black skipper with shiny blue spots, can't find a match online:
*Sigh* not my garden, but I finally found a neighbor growing passion vine! All I want for Christmas is...

Male Io Moth:

I like this picture a lot:

One of these days I'll get back to mentioning the kids again, I know every mom has those days where she feels like hiding in the bathroom, I have had more of those days than usual lately. A friend of mine at church recently found out she is pregnant - unexpectedly - and she is overwhelmed emotionally about it. She said someone told her "God doesn't give you more than you can handle." And I have said that before too. But sometimes I wonder if God does give you more than you can handle when you start thinking you can handle what you've got! At least then you realize again how much you need Him!

Somebody's Peeking!

This picture reminded me of an inside joke I have with the kids. They have a mystery book about a pig whose necklace is stolen. All throughout the book there are faces peeking around edges and in windows (none who turn out to be the thief), and Annalise especially loves to find one and say, "Somebody's peeking!" So that led to us peeking around things and saying "Somebody's peeking!" and for some reason both of them think it is hilarious!

Hurling Insults

In my little quote book, I recently recorded a kid-quote that I'm not sure I will want to remember. It was innocent sounding, but it was an insult. I've never understood how some people think it is cute when little kids repeat profanity, but in my heart, I find my kids calling each other "poop" or "a dirty diaper" worse. It isn't just naively repeating something they heard - it's an expression of hatred - and while I really don't believe they hate each other (even when they say those exact words), I do know that they annoy each other sometimes, but I can't let them grow up thinking that when someone annoys you, it's acceptable to verbally abuse them, or giggle to myself at their little kid level insults.

Well the other day, Caleb's frustration boiled over at Annalise. I usually take him aside and ask him if calling her "ugly" will make her prettier or if calling her "stupid" will make her smarter - and he is old enough to understand it does not. But this time, I was not up to a talk, so I insisted he compliment her 3 times. Here's what he said:

Annalise, you are a flower,
and you smell really good,
and you kind of look like a bow.

It may not have been completely sincere, but Annalise was very pleased!

Thanksgiving Pics

Natalie's 1st exposure to cold weather:

Lap desks in use:

One of our on-road crafts (and one of 3 turkey crafts):

Caleb and Fall Leaves (he has been interested in fall leaves for a while and when we stopped at this park, he asked us all to "push the leaves into a pile so we can jump into them", but when that was voted down, settled for throwing them into the air):

Enormous night crawler!("I have an idea, lets put it in a cup and you can put it in the cooler and we can take it back to Miami!" "No."):

Great Grandma's Victrola:

Caleb's 2nd piece of pumpkin pie:

Annalise and the Cool Whip:

Snow!

Cousins! Natalie brought the total to 8 and moved Caleb into the older half:

Natalie doesn't use a pacifier at home, but took one some on the road, it helped...a little:

So very tired!:

Noteworthy Sightings from the Road

I will put up some actual Thanksgiving pictures soon, but first, some road-pics that fit into the "Only on a 20 hour road trip" category. I am disappointed that I couldn't get my camera out in time for the plywood house, you'll just have to trust me that it was unique.

So this is why gas station coffee tastes like to does!(Actually this was a clever marketing ploy - just an ad for coffee at a travel plaza, but it made us look!)

BIG tires! I'm sure they were taller than our van.

Won't find this in Florida: This stadium's bleachers are carved into the hillside!

These people seriously need a pick-up truck!

So Road Trip A was a success - we made it home with all our brightly colored pillows, no one used the tiny potty, although we did have one in-van accident and one gotta-go-so-bad-she'll-just-squat incident, and the crafts were a huge hit

Baby Faces

Road Trip to Come

With two separate road trips coming up, we are going to be experimenting with 3 new (to us) ideas.

1. Porta-Potty - Annalise is now potty trained (it happened overnight about a month ago) and with only Natalie in diapers, I'm expecting a few unplanned potty stops. So (on some friends' advice) we will bring along the tiny-potty. Our friends suggested lining the cup with a plastic grocery bag for easy clean up.
2. Crafts in the Car - I've prepped a few crafts to make en-route. Some holiday themed, some not, regardless I figured with all the crumbs, spilled drinks and (hopefully not) vomit, a little craft mess won't be noticeable at all.
3. Loud pillow cases - Rob and I discovered long ago that unfamiliar pillows = bad sleep, so we like to bring our own, but white or off white pillow cases blend in when you are scanning a room to see if you forgot anything. I got 3 brightly colored pillow cases and hopefully that will ensure they make it home with us!

Birthday Wrap Up

We are officially done with kid birthdays for the year! Here are the parts that happened 'after the fact'.

Annalise's snail cake:

When I asked Annalise what kind of cake she wanted for her birthday, she was indecisive. We finally settled on a Snail Princess.

It was hard to ice the head, but how do you like those Starburst lips!


She shared her cake with Grandma Ramsay.

Caleb's Glass Bottomed Boat Ride:

Yesterday it finally happened that the weather was perfect and Rob was not busy. As the dry season is getting settled in, the weather part was getting easier to find.
Caleb was the only kid on the boat.


Barracuda!
We do have one more birthday this year...mine. We will be in Arkansas for that and they have already called Grandma Ramsay to request a horse cake like the one Aunt Lori made!

Another Birthday

Mako says, "The things I put up with..."
Yesterday was Mako's birthday (Observed - we adopted him in early January of 2004 and made up a birthday of November 12). He is 7 year old...in people years! In honor of his birthday we did absolutely nothing, but the kids made him this bead necklace today and he stole a chicken bone out of the trash can, so don't feel too sorry for him ;)