Sippin' Sweet Tea

Sweet Lil' Mommy

2012-02-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

My Maggie is (mostly) a good little mommy to her babies. She especially cares for Baby Emma. She and I are often found on the sofa, me holding Baby Emma and Maggie administering all manner of necessities, like medicine, taking her temperature, giving her a bath, changing her diaper, and, of course, feeding her.

She worries me a bit with the shots she gives Baby Emma in her forehead.

And how *ahem* gently she puts Baby Emma to bed. (Can you say 'bonk'?)

And that she has on occasion held Baby Emma by the leg while trying to unbuckle her baby stroller.

And has tossed Baby Emma when said buckle proved too difficult for the one hand of little fingers Maggie was using to undo the strap.

But hey, it's not like she will be babysitting for real any time soon. Thankfully J

I snapped the picture below with my cell phone so the quality isn't the best, but I just love how mommy-ish she looks. Watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and feeding her Baby Emma - so sweet. Too cute for words!

Maggie Words

2012-02-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

These are some of my girl's most frequent conversations. She still refers to herself often in the third person which cracks me up. And yes, I realize it is February, but Christmas is still being sung in our home J

I go ta Aunt Ashwee's weddin'. Aunt Ashwee get maow'ded. I dance wif Mommy and Daddy. I dance wif Nina Maowy. Santa Cwaus dance, too! (I go to Aunt Ashli's wedding. Aunt Ashli get married. I dance with Mommy and Daddy. I dance with Nina Mary. Santa Claus dance, too!)

I go on a woadtwip! (I go on a roadtrip!)

I p'yay wif Jack. I jump ona twampo'yine! I go bouncth! (I play with Jack. I jump on the trampoline! I go bounce!)

I get sick. I fwo'wed up. (I get sick. I throwed up. Incidentally, it was all over her Nana.)

Mommy, Mo-mo baw'eefed on the steers. (Mommy, Mo-mo barfed on the stairs.)

I wanna watch Pwep n Yandin'. (I want to watch Prep & Landing.)

Mommy, I wan' some hhiman-hims (Mommy, I want some M&Ms. We don't keep these in the house but Maggie loves them and will randomly ask for them, in the hopes they appear. I think Christmas spoiled her J)

Way-ya my tickas? I need a make a val'yen'tine. (Where are my stickers? I need to make a valentine.)

Mommy, you wanna pay wif my ki'schen? (Mommy, you want to play with my kitchen?)

I nee my tool! (I need my stool! - usually hollered when I'm in the kitchen and she wants to 'help')

When singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town": Need ta watsh out. Better not cwy. I tell you why. Santa Cwaus is comin' to town!

When singing "Frosty the Snowman": Fwosty a No'man, a ha'wee ja'wee souldt. Wif da corn in da pipe and a but-tin nose and two eyes made out a coaldt.

Maggie loves to request Dashin' ina 'No (Jingle Bells) and Deckin' ina Haws (Deck the Halls). Woo-doff (Rudolph) is also a favorite.

When singing "Jingle Bells": Jinga be'wls, Jinga be'wls, Jinga be'wls all da waaay! Wha' fun a wide ina horse swaaay!
We have this conversation frequently, with regards to her birthday:
Me: Maggie, what do you want for your birthday?
Maggie: I haf a Fwosty buff'dee pawty. I haf 8 bee'yoons at my pawtee.
Me: You want 8 balloons for your birthday party?
Maggie: Yeeaah.
Me: What else do you want?
Maggie: A gif.
Me: What kind of gift?
Maggie: A yittle one.
Me: What do you want in your little gift?
Maggie: Toys!
Me: What kind of toys?
Maggie: Yots of toys!

That's about as far as we get. She never comes up with specifics - although she asked my mom last week for an iPod. The thing is that Maggie totally knows what it is and how to use it, so it's not so far-fetched a request. She uses my mom's iPad by herself better than I do. Crazy!

Mass-ive Fun

2012-01-30T10:01:00.001-07:00

My girl cracks me up, y'all. And in church, no less.

At Mass last night, Maggie was surrounded by babies (or chi'dwens, depending on how 'big' they are), so I had an entire service filled with oh, yoook, he's key-uuute as well as trying to keep her from constantly touching them all (I looked over once to see her petting the fingers of the little girl in front of us).

All I can say is she really, really likes kids. All of them. No matter their ages.

Plus, she's just a social butterfly. Maggie has never met a child she didn't like, or say 'hi' to, or ask their name (wha' you name?), or try to hold hands with. When Hubby takes her to the park, she attaches herself to whatever group of chi'dwens is playing there.

(Preschool is going to be fun - I'm already bracing myself for the reports of "Maggie is a delight in class but she talks too much". That's her Daddy coming out. We always say she looks like me and acts like him J)

She was thrilled when she had the good fortune to run around with Norah and Stella after Mass. One of the drawbacks of being an 'only' is the lack of built-in play pals. Hubby and I are going to have to be better about making playdates with her friends. She asks about them often so I know we need to give her more opportunities to see them.

Aside from the baby-ogling, Maggie also did some staring at our behind-us pew-neighbor. She would just stare at him while he was singing during Mass. No smiling. Just staring. It seemed pretty rude and I tried to get her to stop but it also tickled me a bit, which probably isn't a good thing. I don't know what he thought about it, but hopefully he just chalked it up to toddlerhood.

If Maggie wasn't staring at our friend, she was swaying around singing with us. Well, almost with us. She was singing at the same time, but while the congregation was singing the 'Alleluia', I distinctly heard the first verse of 'Frosty the Snowman' next to me.

'... witda corn in da pipe and da but-tin nose and two eyes made out of coatd ...'

Y'all know that Jesus likes Frosty, too, right?

Joyful and Joy-fill: Part Deaux

2011-12-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

After all the fun (including the best wedding reception party EVER - it included a high school marching band!), we packed up and headed back to our home in the southwest to celebrate Christmas.

We are so thankful for a healthy family this Christmas. Maggie and I were sick off and on the entire month of December last year, and Maggie was still sick on Christmas day, but this year everyone was well. Joy!

Maggie had so much fun, and Hubby and I enjoyed her Christmas enthusiasm. She made us laugh so much because when she got downstairs on Christmas morning and saw her Santa gift – a play kitchen – we couldn’t get her to open any other presents! I would ask, “Maggie, do you want to open this present from Nina Mary?” and hear in response, “No. I pyay wif my ki’shen.” When we could finally get her to open a gift, she would pull it out, say she liked it, then run back to her kitchen. At least Santa scored big points this year J

(I just noticed how unladen our Christmas tree looks. Seems awfully bare under there, I know, but the bulk of our gifts were wrapped and waiting under my momma's tree. I figured there was no sense in hauling gifts down to her place when most of them were shipped directly there, but that does make for a sparse picture at home. Ah well. The girl didn't notice.)

The other big ticket items she got this year were from the grandparents: a huge dollhouse from Grandma and Grandpa, a v-tech InnoTab from her Pop, and a drivable, battery-operated Ford F150 from Nana and Papaw. Maggie wanted me to get in the truck with her and ride, but after explaining there was no way Mommy would fit, she settled for Cinda’gweya. Everyone needs company when cruising around the driveway.

A cute thing has begun happening pretty frequently at home. My folks gave me a Kindle for Christmas and, as I am not only an avid reader but one who often reads 1200 pagers, I love it! The Kindle is much lighter and easier to hold than The Sunne in Splendour (I am currently on my 5^th or 6^th journey through that monster). In the evenings, when Hubby is watching sports or flipping channels, I will sit on the couch with my Kindle and Maggie will climb up there with her InnoTab and turn her books on (it reads to her). She commented that “Mommy haf you computa and Maggie have her computa, too!” She loves sitting on me while we both read – such sweet little moments together. Joy!

Thank you, Jesus, for our joy-filled life!

Joyful and Joy-filled: Part One

2011-12-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

We have experienced so much joy during the Advent and Christmas seasons this year, it’s almost too much to relate, but I’ll give it a try J

We travelled to Louisiana two weeks before Christmas for the wedding of one of my two best friends, Ashli. Maggie did so well on the road trip! It took us 3 days but she could not have been a better traveller. The only issue we had was that she would not go to bed at night in the condo timeshare we were staying in. Many tearful nights, including one with my mom driving Maggie around until she fell asleep at midnight, made it a little hard, but other than that, it was a great time.

(It was awful that Maggie so disliked the condo we were in. So many tears at bedtime, which is not like her at all. She would just cling to me when I tried to lay her down. Maggie is usually the easiest child to put to bed ever, but not at that condo. The only thing we can figure is that she watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse that first night and saw the sleepover episode where Goofy tells a ‘scary’ story about the Silly Gilly Gumble, and it freaked her out once bedtime rolled around. Maggie mentioned SGG a couple of times during the week, so that’s what we think happened. Needless to say, the sleepover episode will not be replayed at our home any time soon.)

Every moment in LA was joyful – seeing friends I had not seen in years, spending time with my two best friends who are more like sisters, hugging my godsons and their grandmother (my second mama), hanging out with my mom, spending so much time with Maggie.

Most of all, watching my beautiful friend as she and her love were bound together in the Sacrament of Marriage. Ashli made a stunning bride, and I am beyond thrilled for her and Lee.

picture credit: Mary Mechler

We all worked a lot while we were there, helping Ashli with whatever she needed, driving her around as she checked things off of an every-growing to-do list, but just being there with her and Mary made it joyful.

We did have some family fun while in Louisiana. Joy! Hubby flew in Wednesday morning, and we spent that day in the French Quarter. I had not been there since I left the South in 1998, and Hubby never, so we were all excited. Maggie’s grandfather, Pop, drove over from Alabama to meet her and spend time with her, and he walked the Quarter with us.

We ate an early dinner at Pere Antoine’s, and I was so disappointed that their Monte Cristo was no longer on the menu (not so much joy). Don’t get me wrong, I had a great meal, but y’all, their Monte Cristo was to-die-for good and I was so looking forward to it. Apparently I should visit more often than every 13 years.

On our way back to the parking garage, we passed back by the St. Louis Cathedral and heard music, so we went inside and listened to the last few songs of a free Christmas jazz concert. Joy! It was so fun, and Maggie really enjoyed herself – the girl loves music! It would have been nice to attend the entire concert, but I am thankful for what we did hear.

We stopped by Café du Monde before leaving. Joy! Joy! Joy! I cannot visit the French Quarter without indulging in beignets and café au lait, no matter the time of day or night. I miss those beignets – fresh and hot with powdered sugar sticking to them. Mmmmm. So messy and good. Hubby and Maggie ate beignets for the first time and enjoyed them quite as much as I. I may have to try making them at home, though I doubt they will turn out the same. Atmosphere contributes so much to the experience of a meal, and Café du Monde has elevated beignet-making to an art, and I just think our Arizona kitchen is an unqualified substitute J

I miss the South, y’all. I didn’t realize how much until I was there, but it just felt so good to be there. However, I will admit that, as it was unseasonably warm up until the day of the wedding and my Arizona-acclimated body is no longer used to Southern humidity, I may or may not have been vocal about all the sweating J I invested in an $8 deodorant because I was so worried about being icky in a taffeta-ish bridesmaid dress (Secret Clinical Strength Waterproof WORKS – I’m saving it for the Mary’s wedding in May!). Of course, then the weather got cold. Figures!

I am so thankful to have been blessed with a mom who loves my friend's enough to drive across country with me and my child, a Hubby who understands how important it was for me to be in Louisiana a week before Christmas even though it meant a quite a few days apart, sister-friends who I love so much and who know me so well, family and friends who make it feel like I never left the South when we're together, travelling mercies and beautiful weather on the road (thank you, Jesus! We couldn't have asked for better!), In-Laws who generously care for our furry kiddos when our family is out of town ... our lives are truly joyful, and joy-filled!

Coming soon: the conclusion of our Christmas festivies in Joyful and Joy-filled: Part Deux

2011 Christmas Card

2011-12-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Reading:
Isaiah 52:7-10
Hebrews 1:1-6
John 1:1-18

Reflection:
During the first and second centuries, the Roman Empire enjoyed a period of relative prosperity and tranquility. In one of the great marketing campaigns of history, Caesar Augustus was hailed as a "god" and the "savior of the world" for the peace he enforced.

And enforce it he did. "Peace" meant everyone in their place, everyone bowing to the power and authority of the emperor. The celebrated Roman peace was built largely on intimidation and violence against the vulnerable, the poor, and the powerless. It was a tense, anxious, costly "peace."

And then, one night in a backwater of the great empire, a new vision of peace appeared. It was peace centered on that perfect love between a mother and her newborn child. It was peace that brought together heaven and earth.

The song heard over the village that night proclaimed the peace that would be the nucleus of the kingdom this child would initiate.

Peace is not just the absence of strife but the presence of compassion and forgiveness. Peace is not fearful passivity but loving perseverance to reconcile and heal. Peace is not enforced by one's power but celebrated in mutual respect and generosity. Peace is not the province of the powerful but the responsibility of all "men and women of good will." Peace exalts humility, poverty, simplicity, service. The economy of peace is built on justice for all and the dignity of the most vulnerable.

Today the peace of God dawns. God's love takes on a human face and heart and body. The work of building God's kingdom of peace begins on Christmas Day.

Meditation: In what concrete ways can you transform "peace" from an absence of conflict into God's peace of generosity, forgiveness, and humility?

Prayer: Welcome, O Child of Bethlehem! Fill our empty hearts with your Father's peace. May your Spirit make us ministers of that peace, enabling us to become God's "people of good will."

from "Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas: Waiting in Joyful Hope 2011-12" by Jay V. Cormier

4th Sunday of Advent

2011-12-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Readings:
2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38

Reflection:
There is an old Jewish folk tale about a king's son who goes mad: the boy believes he is a bird. He removes all his clothes and goes to live in a tree near the nests of robins and starlings; he refuses to eat normal food or return to his warm, safe room in the castle, His distraught father summons all manner of experts to come and cure the boy, but no physician or sage can help the sad prince.

Then one day a rabbi, a man of great compassion and humility, hears about the plight of the royal family. He comes to the castle and offers his help. The king, desperate for a cure, takes the rabbi to see the prince. The rabbi then does something that no one else had done: he climbs the tree and joins the boy on one of the highest branches and declares that he too is a bird and has come to live in this beautiful tree.

Over time, the rabbi and prince become friends. The prince begins to trust this old "bird" living in the tree with him; the boy comes to realize that the rabbi is a man great wisdom and grace.

Gradually the rabbi is able to convince the bird-prince to put on his clothes and return to his home and family.

In today's gospel, God breaks into human history in the birth of Mary's child. God puts aside divinity to climb the tree into which we have escaped in our "madness" and fear. In becoming "birds" like us, in taking on our human condition in all its complexities and challenges, God - in the person of Jesus of Nazareth - shows us how to live fulfilling and grace-filled lives of compassion, forgiveness, and justice.

Meditation: In what ways do you see God affecting the decisions you make?

Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus, Light of God's grace, and illuminate our road to the Father. Come, Lord Jesus, Mirror of God's love, and teach us to reconcile our world in justice and peace. Come, Lord Jesus, Bread of God's life, and feed us with manna of wisdome and righteousness.

from "Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas: Waiting in Joyful Hope 2011-12" by Jay V. Cormier

3rd Sunday of Advent

2011-12-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

Readings:
Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28

Reflection:
Under orders from the king, the English armies occupying Ireland in the seventeenth century enforced the suppression of the peasants' "Roman" religion. Priests became outlaws, forced to minister on the run and celebrate the sacraments in secret.

When Christmas came, some Irish families would place burning candles in their windows and leave their doors unlocked. The suspicious English demanded to know the purpose and meaning of this custom. The Irish would explain that the candles were lighted and their doors left open so that Mary and Joseph, looking for a place to stay on Christmas Eve, might find their way to their homes where they were welcomed. The English considered this just another silly Irish "superstition" and thought no more of it.

But the lighted candles were actually a signal to any priest in hiding that this was a "safe" house where they could come and offer Mass on this sacred night.

We continue to mark this holy season with lights in our windows, as well as on our doorposts and Christmas trees. But let our lights be more than mere decorations. Let our lights announce the dawning of the Christ - the light of God's own "work" that shatters the darkness of the long night of sin and alienation; the sacred light that illuminates our vision to realize God's dream of a just world of peace and compassion; the holy light that heals us of our blindess to the pain and anguish, the poverty and suffering of others.

Meditation: What decorations in your home are the most meaningful to you? How to they express the true meaning of Christmas?

Prayer: Christ our light, may the candles and lights we use to decorate this Christmas remind us of your love in our midst. Let the brightness of your love and mercy shine brightly in every season before us; may your light be reflected in our hospitality to all who come to our home during this Christmas season.

from "Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas: Waiting in Joyful Hope 2011-12" by Jay V. Cormier

Away in a Manger, Maggie-style

2011-12-07T10:54:00.001-07:00

Sung with gusto, often from the carseat as we are driving home each evening:

away in da manger no cwib fu a bed
but a yittle yord Jesus yay down fwee' ted
a 'tars in a 'ky yook down way-a he yay
a yittle yord Jesus a'shweep on a hay

Come On, Christmas!

2011-12-07T10:15:00.001-07:00

Maggie is getting really excited about Christmas. Our conversations nowadays are most often about three things: kwis'miss is Gee-zas burfdee, a king comes! (that's in reference to the 3 wise men - Maggie latched onto the whole they-brought-presents thing pretty quick, plus she is really into princesses and such, so a king fits right into all of that), and Santa comes. She and Hubby have called to 'talk' to Santa a couple of times now, mostly just to verify that he is indeed coming to see Maggie :)

(Last night as I was buckling her in the car, we were talking about Santa and how he only visits the good little boys and girls, and she piped right up with "And Maggie!")

We continue to build on her understanding using her nativity, though when I hear her and Hubby playing together there are a lot of pshews and pows and grawrrs and oh-nos ... makes me worry about that Baby Jesus :)

Maggie's nativity is quite open to visitors - the regulars include Fwosty and the yittle ponies. Frosty does duty as the abominable snowmonster when Hubby is involved, which would account for all the kapows I hear when he's involved :)

Our girl is having fun with Christmas, and Hubby and I are so excited about celebrating with her this year. I have a feeling it will be a memorable one :)

2nd Sunday of Advent

2011-12-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Readings:
Isaiah 40:1-5,09-11
2 Peter 3:8-14
Mark 1:1-8

Reflection:
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the renowed Lutheran pastor, preacher, and theologian, was one of the most outspoken Christian voices raised in opposition against Adolph Hitler and the Nazis during World War II. His adamant resistance led to his arrest in April 1943 and his execution two years later. He was thirty-nine.

Shortly before his arrest, Bonhoeffer became engaged to Maria von Wedmeyer. During the two years of his incarceration, Dietrich and Maria exchanged hundreds of letters. Facing his first Christmas in prison in 1943, Dietrich wrote to his beloved Maria: "A prison cell like this, in which one watches and hopes and performs this or that ultimately insignificant task, and in which one is wholly dependent on the door's being open from outside, is a far from inappropriate metaphor for Advent."

In another letter, Bonhoeffer wrote of celebrating Christmas in his new circumstances:
          I used to be very fond of thinking up and buying presents, but now that we have nothing to give,
          the gift God gave us in the birth of Christ will seem all the more glorious; the emptier our hands,
          the better we understand what Luther meant bby his dying words, "We're all beggars, it's true."
          The poorer our quarters, the more clearly we perceive that our hearts should be Christ's
          home on earth.

From a prison cell, a young pastor proclaims the uncompromising hope and unconditional love of Advent. Christ comes to release us from the fears, doubts, cynicism, and despair that imprison us; his Gospel of compassion and forgiveness are the keys to the cell doors.

These days of Advent also invite us to embrace the poverty of the Christ Child who comes to illuminate the poor stables of our own lives with the light of God's hope and grace. Before God we are all "beggars" who have been given the gift of life, not because of anything we have done to merit it, but only because of the limitless love of God. In embracing Christ's emptiness to become of us, may we make of our homes and hearts a dwelling place for the God who comes with compassion that heals and peace that liberates.

Meditation: What gift can you give to another person that comes from your "poverty" rather than your wealth?

Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus, and release us from our prisons of fear and disappointment; fill our empty spirits with your compassion and grace. May forgiveness and reconciliation be the gifts we give this Christmas; may justice and charity be the songs we sing to welcome your birth in our midst.

from "Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas: Waiting in Joyful Hope 2011-12" by Jay V. Cormier

It's About Time

2011-12-01T07:32:00.001-07:00

Maggie has been very interested in time lately. She will be playing, completely absorbed in what she is doing, only to run up to me and ask Mommy, what time is it? I also get this question a lot in the car (or Mommy's Jeep-Jeep, as Maggie calls it).

Well, last night as we were driving home I hear from the backseat Maggie's second favorite question*: Mommy, what time is it? To which I answered It is five-twenty-eight. She asked me again, and I replied again. Then I hear Mommy, I don't have a cwock. I don't have a cwock fu Maggie's aawm or Maggie's woom. I asked her if she wanted one and heard Yeeaah. Then I asked her if that was something she wanted for Christmas and was told Yeeaah. Santy Cwaus bwing a cwock fu Maggie's aawm and Maggie's woom.

So last night, Maggie and Hubby called Santa Claus on her cell phone to tell him. Mrs. Claus answered the phone, but it turns out Maggie is super important to Santa so he took a break from his work to talk to her (Hubby is very good with pretend phone conversations). Maggie usually enjoys 'talking' to her buddies on her cell phone (grandparents, Minnie Mouse, etc), but didn't say anything to Santa - she just sat 'listening' with a sweet little smile on her face. Hubby was sure to convey her message, though. I'm sure it's because she doesn't really 'know' Santa like she does Mickey and Donald and Goofy :)

I purchased a little kids watch for her about a week or so ago for her stocking because I knew how interested she had become with this whole time thing. Now I will be shopping once more to find my girl a clock for her room, as well.

She is funny because whenever she asks me for the time, I always tell her exactly what time it is currently, but if I ask her what time it is, I usually get an answer like It's forty-ten.

(Forty-ten and eighty-ten are often used to describe Baby Emma's temperature when Maggie is doctoring her.)

I am constantly amazed at how Maggie is always learning and how (brilliantly!) smart she is. It is such a joy to watch her figure things out. I'm pretty sure she's going to keep Hubby and me on our toes!

* Her very favorite question is: What (insert family member, Disney character or inanimate object here) doooin'? As in Mommy, what you doooin? or Mommy, what Fwosty doooin'? or Mommy, what kwis'mis twee doooin'? or Mommy, what Cindygwey'ee doooin'? You get the drift - we live in a question asking world :)

Maggie's Christmas Tree

2011-11-28T15:09:00.001-07:00

Maggie is enthralled with our Christmas tree.

Actually, she calls it Maggie's Christmas tree. Her favorite question to ask is Maggie Kwis'mus twee dooin'? I usually respond with something like oh, just sitting there looking pretty for you, at which point she runs over and stops just before her feet touch the tree skirt and just stares at it.
She knows not to go past the tree skirt, and not to play with the ornaments - though she really, really wants to. Sometimes I look over and ask her what she's doing and hear, "I not toushin', Mommy. I just yookin'!" (I'm not touching, Mommy. I'm just looking!)

Now, after all the ornament-protecting reinforcement, I feel a bit Grinchy when my sweet girl looks at me and says, I just yookin', Mommy. Like I've taken something fun away from her for no reason.

Not that Maggie is complaining, or even pushing boundaries. It's just me.

*sigh*

Next year I think we will be investing in ornaments for the bottom half of our tree that aren't breakable or sentimental.

Or Maggie will just get her own little tree. My girl just wants to enjoy her Christmas tree, after all J

1st Sunday of Advent

2011-11-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Readings:
Isaiah 63:16-17, 19
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:33-37

Reflection:
Most of us shudder remembering the "all-nighters" we pulled in college - cramming all night for that eight-thirty exam, finishing that paper due to a professor by ten o'clock in the morning. Before we realize it, the fourteen weeks of the semester were over - and a mountain of papers had to be completed and exams passed. So, compelled by the fear of flunking out and fortified by caffeine, we read and memorized and typed and highlighted until dawn.

Did you ever find yourself driving all night for an important meeting? Last minute complications or a cnaceled flight meant driving until dawn to be there on time.

Or you've had to be up early for an appointment or meeting. You're so afraid of oversleeping or so keyed up over your presentation or the meeting's outcome that you wake up every twenty minutes. You eventually accept the reality that you will not be getting much sleep this night until the meeting is over and done.

And many of us know the anxiety of keeping vigil all night at the bedside of someone we love: the couple awaiting the birth of their child, the spouse pacing anxiously in the hospital waiting room, family members offering what comfort they can as a loved one slips into eternity. After a long night, life is transformed as morning dawns. These "short nights" we have all kept are all experiences of Advent, the first season of the liturgical year that focuses on the last days. Our lives are a constant Advent: The precious and limited time we live is but a "short night" in which we have much to do and complete before the morning of eternity dawns. Advent calls us to stay awake and not sleep through the opportunities life gives us to discover God and the things of God. Advents calls us to "watch," to pay attention to the signs of God's unmistakable presence in our lives, to live every day of our lives as a gift from God.

Meditation: In what ways have you been most recently reminded how brief and precious life is?

Prayer: Come, Lord, into the Advent of our lives. Come, open our eyes that we may see your hand in all things. Come, fill our hearts with a spirit of humble gratitude that we may realize the gift of our days. Come, illuminate the paths we walk with the light of your wisdome as we journey to your dwelling place.

from "Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas: Waiting in Joyful Hope 2011-12" by Jay V. Cormier

Theology with Maggie

2011-11-21T19:57:00.001-07:00

I purchased a Fisher-Price Little People nativity for Maggie a few months ago, and have been looking forward to the day I would begin really explaining Christmas to her. I also liked that she could have her own nativity, as mine is ceramic and was painted for me by my mom when I was a little girl.

I decided tonight was the night I was going to teach my daughter what Christmas was all about. I sat down with her and talked to her as I unpackaged the pieces, telling her about each one as I pulled it out of the box. I explained that Christmas is when we celebrate Jesus' birthday. I told her who his mommy & daddy & step-daddy are, and explained that he did not have a fancy hospital with doctors and nurses around when he was born, just his parents and the dirty stable and all the animals that lived there. We set up her nativity and went over everything a few times, and she repeated my words back to me. I was so thrilled and proud.

Well. I don't think I'll be invited to teach Sunday school any time soon. Apparently my theology lesson went awry somewhere, because when I asked her to tell Hubby what she had, she looked back at her nativity then at Hubby and said, "I haf elmos."

Yes. Her nativity is filled with Elmos.

Maggie is currently sliding the Baby Jesus down the top of the stable because he is in a sled, not a manger. The angel has been flown all over the room, and Maggie is very interested in the pwesents from the three wise men.

She just redeemed me a little - when I asked her who the presents were for, she said, "fa Gee-za burfdee" (for Jesus' birthday), then ran off to fly her yellow giraffe around the room.

At least some of the story stuck :)

Maggie Words

2011-11-20T08:23:00.001-07:00

Heard from the back seat on the way home tonight:
As I stopped at a red light on the way home earlier this week, then began a right turn, Maggie yelled at me from back seat:

Wed yight, Mommy! Wed a 'top! Yoo, a gween one - gween fa go! (Red light, Mommy! Red is stop Look, a green one - green for go!)

She doesn't yet grasp the right-on-red concept J

I Go Twick-a-Tweatin'!

2011-11-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

Maggie is an official fan of Halloween.

Her biggest excitement leading up to the day was getting to wear her Cinderella dress. My mom made it for her, and after Maggie had a heartbreaking little cry after being fitted and then made to take it off (due to the fact is wasn't finished and had a few pins in it), we made sure to keep it hidden until I took it home with us Friday afternoon.

Doodlebug tried to convince me all weekend to let her wear the costume, even pushing my arms away when I was trying to dress her Saturday morning, saying, "No, mommy, no. I wear Cindy-gweyee dwess. I pincess." I agreed that she is, indeed, a princess, but that we needed to save her special dress for Halloween, to which I received a bowed head and muted, "Oh. Okay," in reply. (I admit, she kind of made me feel like a mean mommy at that moment but I didn't want her costume to get messed up by hard playing or the cats that currently claim our domicile as their own private kingdom.)

Finally, Halloween arrived, and once Maggie was in her dress, she twirled and posed to her heart's content. Actually, that's not exactly true. When I was putting my camera away after taking (a bajillion) pictures of her, she said to me, "Mommy, Mommy! Takey pic-tur a Maggie!" My girl can be a bit of a show-off when it comes to her pretty dresses :)

We all went to my parents' home for chili, cornbread and trick-or-treating. As went walked with Maggie to the first couple of houses, you could see the wheels in her head turning as she was figuring out this whole Halloween thing. For her it basically boiled down to this: I get to dress up like my favorite princess AND people give me candy. This holiday rocks!

Once she got the hang of it, all we heard was "I go twick-a-tweating" and "I get tweats". Of course, after we were back at the house, she wanted to eat the tweats. She had that daggum treat bag every time I turned around. The girl's reach is long, y'all. Tabletops are no longer off-limits to a tippy-toed pincess on the hunt for tweats.

All in all, a fun day for everyone, especially the Doodle, I mean, I'm sorry, Cindy-gweyee.

By her permission, you may also call her Princess Maggie.

P.S. When Hubby dropped Maggie off at my mom's this morning, the first thing she said was, "Nana, I go twick-a-tweatin'!" The girl was all ready to do it again!

Hey Diddle Diddle

2011-10-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

Maggie and I have been reciting this poem for quite some time now. I was so thrilled that Grandma was able to get it on video (you may remember that Maggie is not always cooperative about performing for a camera).

So without further ado, may I present Maggie reciting the classic children's poem "Hey Diddle Diddle"

Maggie's 1st Recording Session

2011-10-20T07:23:00.001-07:00

She's gonna be a star! :)

A Little Lie-In

2011-10-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

Maggie slept in until 9:15 this morning. I do not remember the last time I slept in like that! Thank you, Candyce and Matt - y'all need to throw amazing parties that tucker out my girl more often :)

Mommy! I Haf'in Fun!

2011-10-16T21:23:00.000-07:00

Maggie had the opportunity to play with all of her little friends this weekend, and y'all, the girl had some serious fun.

Friday evening our monthly dinner group got together, so Maggie, Ty, McKenzie and Kaleb all played together and ran around the backyard enjoying, well, running around. Maggie is so happy the weather has gotten better here because she loves nothing better than being outside. At one point she was running in random circles with Ty and as she took a turn past me, she looked at me with her breathtaking smile and yelled out, "Mommy! I haf'in fun!" Indeed, she was. The girl slept like a log Friday night.

Today, we attended Stella's 1st birthday party. I love little kid birthday parties, but I have to hand it to Stella's mommy - she is so imaginative, and creates the best spaces for her parties. The ideas she comes up with are simply stunning.

Not only was the party amazing to see, Maggie had a blast. Mostly, she played with Norah and Jack. Maggie and Norah played with toys so nicely together, then once Jack arrived, Maggie attached herself to him and Norah and followed them everywhere. If they went running through the rooms in a big circle, Maggie was right behind them. If Norah and Jack jumped off the step in the foyer, their little shadow was next in line. They could not get rid of her if they wanted to!

I went looking for Maggie and Hubby at one point and found them outside on the swing set/slide with, you guessed it, Norah and Jack. Maggie was dirty from tip to toe and couldn't be happier. The three of them were alternately sliding and swinging, and generally having a grand time. I hope to have more opportunities for Maggie to buddy up with them - she enjoys playing with them so much.

(By the way, I had my first real "Maggie's mommy" moment today. Jack was going down the slide and he called out, "Hey! ... um, Maggie's mommy! Look at me!" It cracked me up - I'm sure it's the first of many over the next few years.)

The birthday theme was "in the garden", so for their activity the kids painted little terra cotta pots. After the pots dried, the kids scooped potting soil into their pot and planted seeds to take home and watch grow. With the seeds and pot, the kids also received a little cup for watering, and an adorable magnifying glass to watch the seeds grow. Maggie (as is the theme for this entire weekend) had a lot of fun with it :)

After all the playing and painting, the sliding and cupcake-eating, we finally called it day, about 2-1/2 hours after Maggie should have had her nap. I knew it was time to leave when she starting getting weepy over toys. She was asleep in her carseat before we were ten minutes away. When she awoke from her nap, about an hour and a half later, I had to give her a bath. Never has this girl been so dirty! I had to scrub her up good (though carefully - her legs were a little skinned up from the day), then drain the water and refill the tub so she could play.

Tonight, about 8:30, Maggie told us she "nee' takey nap", which means she is ready to go to bed. There is no better indicator of a hard-played day than a child asking to sleep :)

Where's Maggie? A Blanky Tale

2011-10-04T08:58:00.002-07:00

Do you see my child?

Look closer.

Did you find her?

She is there, I promise, buried under her pink Blanky (yes, with a capital 'B'). It makes Hubby nervous that Maggie sleeps this way. She wraps her Blanky around the back of her head and covers her face with it. We used to quietly creep in to her room and unwrap her, but when I would check back in a few minutes, Blanky would be right back where it started, so now I pray for safe sleeping. I don't know what else we can really do ... and do not suggest taking away Blanky. Bad bad bad!

Here is a cell phone picture my mom took about a year ago ... note Blanky's placement. Apparently, it is very important to the Doodlebug's ability to sleep well :)

My girl loves her Blanky (b'yanky, in Maggie-speak). Or as I like to think of it, the "magic sleeping blanky". Maggie has taken her naps without it but those are not times we like to recall. Naptime and Nighttime are made infinitely easier with the presence of the Blanky - Nana has even driven to our home to get it when it was left behind, and Hubby and I were at work. Heaven help us the day Blanky goes missing or disintergrates from extreme use and chewing. We are all in trouble then :)

Maggie Words: A Continuation

2011-09-23T08:06:00.001-07:00

I want to jot down a few more Maggie pronounciations, for posterity's sake :)

Pokey-nono (Pinocchio)

Peeeeas (Please - drawn out with a little lilt at the end. Totally cute and makes it hard to say no when I should.)

Bon se-wa (Buona sera, which is "good night" in Italian. Papaw is teaching her bits of Italian.)

Khaky-none (with a long 'o' - Chiacchierone, which is Italian for "chatterbox" ... it applies. It's one of her nicknames from her Papaw)

Der-chi (Arrivederci - Italian for "farewell")

Goo job! or Vewy goo job! (good job - she a very encouraging little Bug)

Goo wook, Mommy (Good work, Mommy - see: goo job! I usually hear this after a particularly well-done book reading)

I do it (no translation needed, I just wanted to note that Li'l Miss Independent says this one A LOT, especially when putting on her pj bottoms. I don't know why it's so important for her to put those on herself but it is, so she does (with a tiny bit of help getting the first leg in the right hole), and she is so proud of herself when we're done. It's amazing to watch her learn.)

One-toooo-fweee ... seven-eight-nine-six! (this is Maggie counting to ten - she will repeat it after you correctly in sections, but this is how she counts them together all by herself)

Ty 'gin (with a hard 'g' - Try again, which she says when she wants you to repeat a song or book or silly dance)

Bigga bigga! (Bigger bigger! - for everything from describing the size of trees to asking to have a song turned up louder, usually Elmo's "knocky-knocky-dupitee" song)

Knocky-knocky-dupitee (ABC-DEF-GHI ... the song where Elmo says the alphabet as a single word. I'm totally fine with this pronunciation because I can do no better)

Pitty dwess ... and Cindy-gwey-ya shoes (Pretty dress and Cinderella shoes - Doodlebug has taken to stopping random people at church whom we do not know to point out this important fact. She gets lots of smiles and laughs for this one - she's not vain, this child of mine, oh no)

Maggie's Pizza

2011-09-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned that Maggie enjoys helping us cook. Today, we decided to have homemade pizza for lunch, so she helped Daddy cook his sausage and onions, and later helped me load the pizza up for baking. It can be challenging for me because I tend to want to just get it all done and out of the kitchen as quickly as possible (cooking isn't my favorite thing to do), but I'm learning to be more patient because Maggie wants so much to be a part of it all.

Here are a few pics Hubby snapped while Maggie and I were topping the pizza, and one of the Doodlebug enjoying the fruits of her labor ...

As I was sitting down with my plate, Maggie said to me, "Mommy eat Maggie pizza." She had done all the work, you see, so it was Maggie's pizza. I suppose Hubby and I should be glad she's a good sharer :)

Maggie Art

2011-09-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist displaying this card. Maggie is getting so much better about coloring in one area, as opposed to all-over scribbling :)

This is "M for Maggie". Not just "M", mind you, but "M for Maggie". (The small "M" was drawn with my hand over hers but please note the large "M" by the Doodle. What can I say? She's a genius!)

This card was sent to the mother of my step-siblings. She was on the bad end of a car accident with a drunk driver earlier this week and is in very critical condition. All that on top of a serious heart condition. Please pray for Pat's healing, and strength for her heart to endure the journey ahead.

Maggie & Mommy's Baking Adventure

2011-09-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

While on vacation last week, Maggie and I had fun baking together one afternoon. Ever since, she has wanted to 'help' with all the cooking! Thankfully she listens pretty well, so I have been able to cook while also allowing instances of helpfulness from the Doodle. We've had such sweet moments together this week.

How to Enjoy SEC Football with a Toddler

2011-09-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

... and everyone is happy :)

Playing with Picnik

2011-09-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Even without access to my photo editing program (due to desktop death), I enjoy fooling around with Picnik to 'fix' my pictures.

Here is 'Li'l Miss Hollywood', before and after. Don't ask me to tell you how I did this - I tend to use the Random Click approach to photo-editing - but the main thing I wanted to accomplish was adjusting the color, and it turned out much better than I thought it would :) I really enjoy messing around like this, when I have the time, anyway, between work and enjoying Maggie. Most of the time you get photos straight out of the camera.

You're the Parent of a Toddler When...

2011-09-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

... your iPod includes the Sesame Street Alphabet songs, and you've heard them so much you have favorites that you hum to yourself even when your child isn't with you. (Ditto the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song.)

Maggie's top request is the song Elmo sings where he pronounces the whole alphabet as a single word. She wants Mommy to sing it, too, but I just cannot manage to say that 'word'! She calls it "knocky-knocky-dupe-itdee". That's good enough for me :)

Maggie Visits the Dentist

2011-08-31T10:52:00.002-07:00

Today was Maggie's first official dental exam. I say 'official' because she spent the better part of a year in that dental office with my parents when my mom was having a major mouth overhaul, so she's well known by the staff there and had already had her teeth looked at a couple of times.

Here is Li'l Miss Hollywood outside Dr. Dale's office...

...and here she is showing off her 'Cindy-gwey-ya' shoes (that 'Cinderella' for those without a Maggie translator available).

(Note that the sun went behind a cloud and I ended up with a blue-toned picture. I have got to get a new computer so I can start fixing that stuff. Anyway, back to Maggie.)

Maggie was wonderful at the dentist's. She took her blanky with her and let Dr. Dale tickle her teeth (that's what we call it at home). We then counted her teeth, in order to get her to open up again. Her teeth all look good, though Dr. Dale did mention that she is delayed in getting some in (which isn't a bad thing, according to him). It's easy to forget that Maggie is a preemie - it's the usual explanation for why she may be behind in anything growth related.

She was very quiet the whole time, and obedient, but I could tell near the end that she was getting upset, and as the dentist was finishing up I saw two little tears in her eyes and decided she was done. I picked her up and she just cuddled in with her blanky for a couple of minutes. Then she got back in the chair and started watching their "Puppy Goes to the Dentist" movie and rifling through her goodie bag (she scored a Cinderella toothbrush). She also hit up the treasure chest on the way out and got a tiny squirt gun and a small stuffed elephant (she watched Dumbo last night for the first time and loved it!).

I called my mom later in the morning to check on Maggie. I wanted to be sure she was doing well emotionally. My mom told me when Maggie got to their house she came running in the door saying "Doc-y Dale checky teef". When my Mom asked her how her teeth were, she said, "ok".

All in all, a very good start. Thank you, Dr. Dale!

My Tired Girl

2011-08-26T07:50:00.001-07:00

Thursdays can be long days for Maggie. Breakfast is earlier than usual because she has a swim lesson every Thursday morning, so consequently lunch and naptime are usually earlier as well, but bedtime doesn't usually change. Add in the fact that the girl expends a lot of energy while swimming, and you could have a pretty tired girl on your hands by the end of the day. She has been known to fall asleep over her "second breakfast" bowl of oatmeal or bananas :)

Last night, she was wired, but wired in that "I really haven't had enough sleep and am now zooming around the room like a crazy person in an effort to stay awake awake awake!" kind of way. Parents of toddlers, you know what I mean :) Maggie didn't settle down until I put her in the carseat for the ride home.

She started chatting the minute I started driving. Maggie is a chatterbox on a regular day but when she's tired and chatty (so as to stay awake) she is very repetitive, and it can be frustrating to answer the same question ten times in a row. I had to ask her four times last night if she wanted me to sing her a lullaby because she didn't register my question - she was tiredly, completely focused on Frosty's wellbeing (Fwosty sad?), and wasn't hearing either my answers or my questions to her. 'Zoned out' may be the best description.

She finally heard me, though, and began requesting songs. Singing always quiets her down. Our drive is about thirty minutes, so we do this every day.

Last night, right before the singing, my sweet-voiced little girl said, "Mommy, I sweepy. I nee go bed."

We got home, did our nighttime routine, and when I laid her down and covered her with her blanket, Maggie rolled right over on her side and said, "Niy-niy, Mommy. Yuv ooo," and was asleep seconds later.

A tender moment to end our day - I can't ask for better.

Mommy, I Wan' Collie!

2011-08-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is one of Maggie's favorite things to do ... color. Or collie, as she says.

There isn't usually a chance for me to take a picture of her coloring because I wan' collie is often followed by the demand Mommy, sit! Sit down!. She likes to have a companion with her when she plays (or p'yays, as the girl says).

~*~

Lately, whenever she laughs, Maggie has started covering her mouth with her hand. I don't know why she does it but it is seriously funny and cute. She's turning in to such little lady {smile}.

Um, and can we talk about those legs? When did they get so long?! Like Auntie Jan says, I've got to quit blinking. The girl is growing up too fast.

3rd Cousins

2011-08-21T18:26:00.002-07:00

Maggie had fun a couple of weekends ago with her 3rd cousins, Kaylen and Keira, who were in town with their family.

Maggie had two willing playmates with as much energy as she has, which gave the parents and grandparents a little reprieve from the constant demand of p'yay (play).

Except maybe Grandma. I seem to recall Maggie leading her around a bit. The rest of us had a relaxing visit {smile}.

An amusing story about these pictures: Keira (on the right) made a point to tell me that she did not move the whole time I was taking pictures. She froze until I told them I was finished. She was very proud of herself and I told her how helpful she was for doing that. Such a cute little moment {smile}.

Random Thoughts

2011-08-13T22:56:00.006-07:00

It's after 10 p.m. My girl is sound asleep, Hubby is at his mom's packing up gear from the recording session he had today, and I am enjoying the benefits of wireless internet (I'm sitting on my sofa in my pj's as I type).

I have a lot of random thoughts clogging my head these days, so I thought I'd take a minute and get them out:

* Maggie is trying to potty train herself, it seems. This past week she has asked to go poopy on the potty almost every day. I should note that we have not technically started potty training yet. She's growing up so fast. It's like I blinked my eyes and she sat up ... crawled ... walked ... talked ... potty trained. Where did all that time go? I still can't believe she is two.

* Our seminarian friend, Scott, was in town last weekend and we saw him at Mass. He looks so fantastic, the best I've ever seen him.

* One of my friends from high school emailed me last week about our 20 year class reunion coming up next summer. Am I really old enough to have been graduated from high school for 20 years? Bah.

* Regarding the reunion, my friend added me to the reunion facebook page, so I guess now I am track-downable. I tend to fly under the radar where all of that stuff is concerned. Don't get me wrong - I loved high school. I didn't want to graduate (though I did, with good grades and everything), and would randomly go back and visit a couple of favorite teachers during my college years. Now, though, I like my memories of high school, and don't want to tarnish them by tallying them against current reality.

* The one person I did think of when I heard about the reunion is Eric Motley. I wonder about him from time to time - he is one of my all-time favorite people. He's one of those friends you couldn't help but love. Just thinking about him makes me smile. I remember him being so kind and generous and genuine, and hope that life hasn't changed any of that. I know he's a success - I can't imagine him as anything else.

* My two best friends - Ashli and Mary - are engaged and planning weddings. It's so exciting! I love these ladies so much, and miss them all the time, and am thrilled to be a part of each of their special days. I wish I could be there (in the South) to help with all the shopping and running around. Since I can't, I have a new appreciation for email and the internet. I can still 'ooo' and 'ahh' over everything, just from afar :)

*We are road tripping with Maggie for both weddings - one is in Louisiana in December, the other in Alabama in May. I'll have to let you know how that goes.

* Our friends, Steve and Jess, are expecting their second baby (a boy) on our wedding anniversary, which I think is fun :)

* Our newlywed friend, Joe, was deployed to Afganistan about 3 weeks ago. He and Lisa have been very much on my mind and in my prayers.

* Hubby and I both want to go see HP7.5 again. We saw it a couple of weeks after it came out and I wanted to stay in the theatre and watch it again right then, so hopefully that will be a date night sometime soon.

* I am so ready for fall to get here. This endless heat is exhausting. The lows are about 89, so there is not much relief at night. Add in the humidity and it can get downright miserable. Come on, October!

Well, I hear the key turning, so Hubby is home. Hope y'all have a lovely Sunday tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

2011-07-24T21:03:00.003-07:00

We celebrated Grandpa's birthday this evening - Hubby's parents had us all over for a fabulous steak, scalloped potatoes and veggies dinner, followed by yummy birthday cake. I'm still full.

We took some birthday pictures of Grandpa and the Doodle but getting both of them to look at the camera at the same time was a bit like trying to get your cat to come when you call :) We got some cute ones, anyway.

When it came time to cut the cake, Grandpa said he didn't want to blow out candles but, well, Maggie knows how this birthday thing goes now. So, Grandpa had candles. Maggie just watched, but once it was all over she insisted, "I b-yow cand-yull" (I blow candle). I have photographic proof otherwise but the girl had fun, so what does it really matter. We all just agreed with her, anyway :)

Happy Birthday, Grandpa :)

My Little Chatterbox

2011-07-21T07:50:00.013-07:00

My girl is a talker. A talk talk talk talk talk talk talker. She has the sweetest little voice but I must admit that sometimes I just want to put my hands over my ears and beg for 2 minutes of quiet. The girl has a lot to say, y'all.

Often she just repeats what you say, which means you better think before you speak around her. She has been known to say way go toopid (way to go stupid) when someone got irritated with a fellow driver, naaaaa (instead of no ma'am or no sir) and doo (dude) - both of those thanks to Daddy - and ah pete say (for pete's sake). If nothing else, she keeps us on our toes!

These are a few others we hear around the house:

Check ee ow (check me out)

See you too-ma-toe (see you tomorrow)

Kawen cwyin - Fwosty mel 'way (Karen's crying - Frosty melted away ... we are obsessed with Frosty the Snowman right now and watch it often. She can also sing the song, which I hope to capture on video soon.)

I fee berry! (I feel better! She had a cold and pink eye and was cutting teeth, so she was constantly being told to take her medicine because it would make her "feel better".)

Yucky sad? Yucky happy? (Lucky sad? Lucky happy? Lucky is her grandparents dog, and we watched him when they went on vacation at the beginning of the summer. She was very concerned about his well-being and still randomly asks about him even though it's been 6 weeks.)

I go up'tay-uhs (I go upstairs - did I mention she's a climber?)

Kick kick phwim phwim (kick kick swim swim - what she says when she wants to go swimming, as well as I phwim in poo, or 'I swim in pool'. She vacillates her pronunciation of 'swim' between hwim and phwim.)

Moosh, MoMo, moosh! (Move, MoMo, move! She just randomly yells this our cat, Cosmo, even when she could easily go around him - probably because Hubby and I have to say this umpteen times a day when Cosmo lays completely across one of the steps whenever we try to go up or down. She also says get out a'way! which is 'get out of the way')

I waat Seeping Boody - or Fwosty - or Tink'abell - or Yady Tamp - Tee Y'il Peeg - Cinee'gweya - Mickey Mouse Cwubhouse (I watch Sleeping Beauty, Frosty, Tinkerbell, Lady and the Tramp, Three Little Pigs, Cinderella, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse - no more Yaya, which makes me a little sad because it was just so cute)

From her carseat behind me on the way home I often hear "Sing, Mommy, sing! Sing Fwosty" or ABC or Tee Y'il Peeg or Jees-ah Yuv Me (Jesus Loves Me)

Daddy, I put-ee on a pitty dwess (Daddy, I put on a pretty dress - she will also tell me that I am wearing a pitty dwess, usually when I'm in a nightgown)

Mommy, hay-ya booful (Mommy, hair beautiful - I usually get this right out of bed when my hair is all over the place ... apparently she likes it that way)

Tee Y'il Peeg 'fray Bee Baa Woof (Three Little Pigs afraid of the Big Bad Wolf - she wants to hear that story all the time, too, and sing the little Disney song "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf". We also hear y'il peeg yet ee in (little pig let me come in) and I huff huff bow house from this story, as well. She's got a good memory, this kid!)

Incidentally, tonight during her bath one of toys banged up against the side of the tub and Maggie stopped, looked at me and asked, "Uz zhat?" I told her it sounded like knocking, was probably one of her toys hitting the tub. She said, "Knocky? Bee Baa Woof knocky? Bee Baa Woof baff?" I assured her that the Big Bad Wolf was not knocking and was not in her bath, but I guess she wasn't taking any chances because she stood right up and said, "Gee ow". I should point out that Maggie loves her bath and has never voluntarily stood up after less than 5 mintues and asked to get out. So, I picked her up and swaddled her in towels. Needless to say, the Three Little Pigs story is off-limits for the foreseeable future. She talks about the BBW alot but I don't want her developing any kind of fear because of that story. When she asked about him on the way home last night, I told her he had gone bye-bye. Let's hope that's enough :)

I Wish...

2011-07-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

... cutting teeth didn't hurt my girl so much.

Happy Birthday, America

2011-07-04T14:55:00.001-07:00

We had a lovely full-family get-together for the 4th. I say "full family" because, as with all holidays, Hubby, Maggie and I celebrate with both sets of our (grand)parents at the same time. It's wonderful not having to split holidays. Truly, truly wonderful, and Maggie is surely in hog-heaven with all those grands around :)

We had a fantastic and healthy cookout this year. It was so delicious and we have my dad's new uber healthy living to thank for it. What's not to love about a plate that looks like this...

Maggie had a blast in the pool with all the menfolk. Daddy, both grandfathers and her uncle Dink - and she has every single one of them wrapped around her finger :)

All in all, a good day for everyone.

My Girl is a Hwimmer

2011-06-30T07:49:00.000-07:00

Maggie loves the pool. A lot. She takes swim lessons on Thursdays and last night Hubby asked her, "What are we doing tomorrow?" Maggie didn't have to think, just blurted out, "Hwim!"

Yes, in our home, we "hwim", go "hwimmin" and wear "hwimsee-utes".

It's fun to watch how much she enjoys the water. She gets the biggest grin on her face - that's all you need to see to know she's having a blast!

Happiness is pool time with Daddy :)

Talking in Circles

2011-06-21T09:23:00.003-07:00

This is a frequent conversation in our home. Actually, I think this conversation occurs most often in the car, as we are nearing a certain intersection on the way home each evening ... I declare, Maggie knows where her friends live!

Maggie: Baby Gay-bee-uhl?

Me: Gabriel's not here right now, honey.

Maggie: Home?

Me: Yes, he's at home.

Maggie: Home Mommy?

Me: Yes, he's home with his mommy.

Maggie: Miss Ow-ee.

Me: That's right, Gabriel's mommy is Ms. Ali.

Maggie: Daddy?

Me: I'm sure his daddy's home, too.

Maggie: Daddy? (she thinks a minute) Missy Jaa-ee?

Me: Yep, his daddy is Mr. Johnny.

Maggie: Jack! (always with enthusiasm) Pay Jack! (play with Jack - it's a demand, not a request)

Me: Jack is home with Gabriel, honey.

Maggie: Baby Gay-bee-uhl?

...and thus the cycle begins again. We'll have this same basic conversation about 3 times before she gives up her hopes of seeing them. She will randomly ask for her other friends - Ty and Norry being the most frequently mentioned - but she always wants to see Baby Gabriel.

My girl is simply enthralled with Baby Gabriel. I'm sure those are the first words she says whenever she sees Ms. Ali - not "hi" but "Baby Gabriel?" She has her priorities :)

Cupcakes

2011-06-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

One of Maggie's favorite gifts from her birthday party ... cupcakes! We sing "Happy Birthday" to Daddy a lot :)

Maggie's 1st Hair Cut

2011-05-30T18:52:00.000-07:00

Maggie had another first this past Saturday ... a first hair cut. She did pretty well. Amazing what a cookie bribe will do :)

Maggie wouldn't let me get picture of her after J was done. What can I say? She's 2. This is Maggie showing me her haircut later after her nap...

"I gaa hay cut!"

...and this is the best picture I got all evening. The stinker :)

Reading with Grandma

2011-05-29T09:00:00.011-07:00

I think I have mentioned before that Maggie loves books. Her favorite thing to do is climb in your lap umpteen times in a row, each time with a different book to 'ree'.

This is one of Maggie's top picks:

The Doodle & The Mouse

2011-05-22T17:42:00.002-07:00

Maggie met Mickey Mouse yesterday. We had driven to my mom's that morning, and after breakfast she asked Maggie, "Do you want to go see Mickey Mouse today?" Normally, the girl answers "no" to everything, but she stopped and pondered that question before nodding once emphatically and saying "Yes!".

So, of course, I dressed her up in her birthday outfit, complete with ears, and off we went to meet The Mouse.

I was a little concerned when we got there and were told that, at our place in line, we had an hour and half wait. I didn't know if I had it in me to wait that long, much less Maggie, but we were determined to give it our best try.

I gotta give it to the Disney Store people: they were all unfailingly polite, made sincere conversation with all of us waiting in line, and had the whole "Meet Mickey Mouse" thing down to an art form. That line moved.

(For the record, we were told our wait would be about an hour and half, and we meet Mickey at the one hour and twenty-three minute mark.)

Maggie was completely thrilled the first time she got a glimpse of Mickey - she was actually twitching with excitement and grinning from ear to ear.

Minnie Mouse was there also, and she and Mickey would switch off every 30 minutes, and when Mickey left, Maggie put her hands to her mouth and called to him "Bi-ckey! Bi-ckey!"

I'm sure he would have heeded her call had he only heard her :)

By the time it was our turn, Mickey was back on stage. The hilarious thing is, Maggie was pulling at me, trying to free her arm so she could run across the stage, and once I let her go, she turned around, saw how big he was, and hit the brakes. The girl would not move! Mickey was very sweet, and got down to her level, but she was having nothing of him - she even pushed him away at one point. No high 5's, no fist bumps, nothing. She totally left Mickey hanging {smile}

Once our turn was over and we were heading off the other side of the stage, she started pulling against me again, and didn't want to go down the stairs, trying so hard to get back to Mickey. I think if she had had more time to acclimate, she would have hugged and kissed Mickey all day long, but it was all so fast, she just didn't have the chance to settle down. The smile on her face was worth it, though - she obviously had a good time.

Afterwards, we went to check out the Disney Store, where my girl became enthralled with a 3-tier display of stuffed Disney characters, topped by a propeller that swung buckets of those stuffed animals high overhead. She kept running around and around, pulling out a doll and saying "Yook! Bickey!" or "Yook! Dondull!" (Donald Duck) or "Yook! Manny!" She ended up choosing Handy Manny, so Nana bought her one to take home.

All of that excitement wiped her out, and she crashed not 5 minutes later.

Mommy and Nana crashed for an hour or so once we got back to the house. A fun and exhausting day for all!

Later in the evening, Maggie and Manny had tea and cupcakes :)

PS: Today she has talked about "Big Bickey" ... maybe next time she gets the chance to meet him, we should better prepare her for his size :)

Bess 'ee Haar

2011-05-13T12:03:00.003-07:00

Ya’ll know I’m an uprooted Southern girl. (If you weren’t aware of that fact, the first word in the prior sentence should be a dead giveaway.) I’ve always said that I wanted to raise my children as Southerners whether or not I lived in the area. I just believe that our child rearin’ ways are more respectful than many I see here in the Southwest and on the West Coast. You hear more ma’ams and sirs back home, ladies still have doors held open for them by strangers, thank yous and your welcomes are expected and usually received, and everyone is honey and darlin’ with nothing bad meant by it. It’s just a sweeter place to be, and I want to instill those mores in my daughter.

Plus, I love the South. It’s still home in my heart.

Well, we have seen signs of success in this area of manners and Southern-isms. Maggie is getting better at saying “tink oo” (thank you) and “way-come” (welcome), but one thing she picked up without any instruction at all: bless her heart. All y’all Southern folk out there know that this is a staple phrase, and covers all manner of things, from tragedy to joy.

Apparently, my mom and I say it a lot {smile}

Maggie will put Baby Emma* on her shoulder, pat her back and say “bess’ee haar”.

It’s just about the sweetest thing ever.

~*~

*Baby Emma is Maggie’s favorite baby doll. Her full name – Baby Emma – is almost always used. Maggie has started taking her everywhere and now sleeps with her (and “bee-yanky”, her blanky … don’t leave home without it!) When Maggie wakes up in the mornings or from her naps, she usually talks or sings to Baby Emma for a while – which is also the sweetest thing ever {smile}

I'm Married to a 40 Year-Old

2011-05-07T16:45:00.001-07:00

It's official. Hubby turned 40. Does that automatically make me old, too? haha :)

I didn't think he'd let me, but in a moment of weakness, Hubby agreed to a 40th birthday party. He's not big on parties for himself, so I kept it was low-key. Our friends and family got together for a potluck party, with our pulled pork bbq as the main ingredient. It was such an enjoyable evening!

This is Maggie and Gabriel (or "Baby Gay-bu-wrul"). Maggie is constantly looking for him, and anytime she sees or hears a baby, she looks at me and questions, "Baby Gay-bu-wrul?" When she saw me holding him Friday night at the party, she reached up and said "Hold it", so we sat on the sofa to allow Maggie to hold Gabriel. Which she did for approximately 1.2 seconds. Then she just wanted to be beside him and pat him. It was a sweet little moment :)

Hubby wanted a Boston Creme Pie for his birthday cake, so that's what we did (my mom helped ... a lot. Thanks, Mom!). Yes, it's in the shape of a guitar. We managed to fit 40 candles on there, although I became concerned when we were lighting them because the first ones were halfway melted by the time the last ones were lit, but it all worked out!

Thankfully, due to all the singing he does, Hubby has great lung capacity and blew them out in one breath :)

I also made Boston Creme cupcakes, which are WAY easier than assembling the cake.

As you can see, they were a hit ...

Happy Birthday, Honey! We love you :)

Easter is Here!

2011-04-24T17:48:00.002-07:00

He is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

This was a difficult Holy Week for me. Difficult because Maggie has decided to act 2. (For parents of 2 year olds, I doubt I need to say more.) I just felt very disconnected at the services on Holy Thursday and Good Friday - probably because I missed so much being out in the vestibule with the 2 year old. (She has learned to talk, so now we talk all the time ... and her volume is either ON or ASLEEP.) We have been talking a lot about being at Jesus' house (or "Jeezy Hoos") and using our quiet voice there but she's 2, so the lesson has not yet been grasped. In her defense, I am asking her to be at church for an hour and a half, at 7:30pm on a weeknight, so it's completely off her normal routine. Still, it was disheartening to have missed so much good church, ya know?

Mass this morning was AMAZING, and totally got me back on track. Maggie was busy (and tired) but never got out-of-hand, and I felt totally connected to worship and community. It was fantastic! I do love the Easter service - it is such a joyful celebration! Plus, Eddie James and crew were here celebrating Easter with our parish, and I always enjoy it when he is in town.

After Mass, we all gathered at Hubby's parents' for lunch and Easter egg hunting. This was Maggie's first time and y'all, she had a blast! Those eggs were hidden multiple times because she didn't want to quit!

Once she figured out there were marshmallows inside the eggs, oh the joy! (This is Maggie with her mouth stuffed with "marsh", still hunting.)

This is working backwards, I suppose, but here is a picture of Maggie and me dying eggs yesterday (she's wearing one of Hubby's old t-shirts as a smock).

Didn't they turn out pretty :)

Two songs really touched me at Mass today, so I'm sharing them with you. Of course, they are both favorites of mine ... enjoy, may God bless you, and Happy Easter!

Happy Birthday to Maggie

2011-04-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

Even though Maggie had a fun ole birthday party, we still had family-only dinner and cake on the actual day. I just couldn't let that day go by unacknowledged. This video is of us singing to her ... I love her grin :)

"Yay!" for the Yaya Party

2011-04-14T08:13:00.006-07:00

Maggie's 2nd birthday party was a rip-roarin' success. Up front, mucho mucho thanks to Nana (my mom) for all her hard work leading up to the party. She is so great at taking an idea of mine and making it reality (all the characters were done by her). Grandma and Grandpa are also appreciated for letting us turn their front yard into a 2 year-old playground, and for all the help they provided that day. I couldn't have done it alone, that's for sure. Oh! And before I forget - thank you so much to our friend, Joe Mac, for the documenting this day for us - your pictures are amazing!

So, onto the party. Here's the Birthday Girl, complete in her Ode-to-Yaya outfit (she calls Mickey "yaya"):

Y'all, these kids had so much stinkin' fun. (We had a few neighborhood kids drive by multiple times while we were setting up, asking questions and checking things out!) The kids all brought the rose petals I sent in their invitations to pay admission to Mickey Park - it was so cute watching them!

Bubbles are ALWAYS a hit!

I made a cinnamon chocolate loaf cake. Mmmmmm. The ears are modeling chocolate and edible, though the day was so warm they got really soft and we had to cut them in half to make them stand up. Still, I thought they came out really cute. And they were yummy :)

The chickadees were all helpful when it came to opening presents. Little ones crack me up with how excited they are about presents, no matter whose they are! For the week following this party, Maggie would periodically come up to me and say "open presents". She definitely got the hang of it :)

The hit of the day was Maggie's tricycle. Hubby and I gave her a Schwinn trike for her birthday gift, and the kids were all over that thing once it was revealed.

This is Maggie's Intended ... aren't they cute :)

All in all, a very fun day for the kids ... and the adults, too, I hope. The weather was pretty breezy but so lovely, and perfect for 4 hours outside.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Doodle-bug! We love you!

My Binky-less Babe

2011-04-05T08:08:00.001-07:00

I don't know why, but I have been dreading the process of breaking Maggie of her binky addiction. I have nothing to base those jitters on. Maggie has been so easy to transition with everything we've done thus far, but for some reason I was building up the binky issue to dramatic proportions.

If I'm completely honest, I will admit that some of the fear was because I didn't want to lose sleep. I am selfish where my sleep is concerned. I am not a nice person without adequate sleep, y'all.

Anyway, my mom and I were talking last week about it, and I wondered what Maggie's reaction would be to not having her binky for her nap the next day. My mom said she'd try it and see. So, when naptime came around on Thursday and Maggie asked for her "binky-blanky", Nana gave her the blanky but told her the binky went bye-bye. She questioned it a couple of times, but then accepted it and napped beautifully without it. Ever since, whenever she asks (which is less and less often), we just tell her the binky went bye-bye. Maggie has been binky-less since last Thursday, March 31st.

No crying. No drama. No issues whatsoever.

The side effect of no binky? 7:00am wake-up calls from the crib.

A Zoo-tastic Day

2011-03-24T09:07:00.001-07:00

So, Maggie has added a new word to her morning requests. Every morning with Hubby or I get her up, Maggie always starts with "Pool?". She repeats "pool" a few times and when she gets nowhere with that entreaty, Maggie switches to "Park?". It is usually a 5 minute morning ritual until she either accepts that we won't be doing those things right then, or is distracted by something else, usually breakfast.

Well, Hubby and I took the Doodle to the zoo this past weekend, and now when she wakes up, "Zoo?" is also in heavy request rotation. The girl had a blast.

I love that she wipes her hand off after touching the goat. She is so my child :-)

I think the zoo is going to become a regular outing for our little family. I know Maggie won't complain.

P.S. I love my new camera!

We've Got Ears...

2011-03-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

...say 'Cheers'!

Maggie the Music Maker (in training)

2011-03-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

Our girl loves music. Singing it, making it, dancing to it, Maggie enjoys it all. One of the things we gave her for Christmas was a little Mickey Mouse drum with sticks, maracas, harmonica, recorder and a clapper inside. Maggie’s favorites are the recorder and the drum. Tonight, she made her very first “drum kit”: 1 drum head and 1 empty mint tin. She would bang on one, then the other, then back to the first, and so on, making her own little beat. It was brilliant.

Maggie also enjoys playing guitars with Daddy. She has a grand ole time strumming those strings from top to bottom, making all the different sounds she can.

Also fun are the knobs and switches, though (warning!) this can happen:

I suppose accidents come with the territory with an almost-2 year old :) I’m glad our Doodle Bug enjoys music so much. Hopefully it will make those mandatory piano lessons 3 years from now fun :)

The Invitations Have Been Mailed

2011-03-03T16:33:00.000-07:00

I'm Pretty Sure My Girl's a Genius

2011-02-21T08:03:00.001-07:00

The weather the past few days here has been rainy and cold ... right up my alley. Since Hubby and I had a rare weekend with no weddings, Maggie and I had a pajama day on Saturday, and it was fabulous. Lots of playing and fun and giggling and talking. My word at the talking. The Doodle's turning into quite the chatterbox. Or chiacchierone, as my Italian relations call her.

One of Maggie's favorite toys is her doodler. You know. Those magnetic-y boards with the attached pen that you can erase and doodle on until your toddler steps on it and cracks it? (Ours is still totally usable, but it took her less than a month to walk right over it and put a nice chink in it.) Usually, she asks Hubby or me to draw either Frosty or Ya-ya, but lately she has started doing it all on her own. Lots of scribbling and circlescirclescircles then erase and begin again. She loves it.

Well. On Saturday, Maggie drew this:

Then looked at it and said "M!"

Because she's a genius.

The Pink Hat

2011-02-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

The Girl & Her Blanky

2011-02-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

Don't leave home without it :)

Two

2011-02-14T21:06:00.001-07:00

Maggie is getting ready for her 2nd birthday which is coming up in a little less than 2 months. I love how she does her fingers when she shows you "2".

Rediscovering Toys

2011-02-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

So, I finally culled the overflowing toy bin downstairs. It just got to the point that Maggie had so many toys to play with, she couldn’t seem to settle on any one thing for any amount of time. I know she’s not quite 2 and may have the attention span of a gnat at times, but still, it was just too much stuff. She would dart from one toy to the next and never really play with anything. There was no engagement of her imagination, just flit flit flit like a bumblebee.

And now that she has a significantly dwindled selection? She actually plays with her toys and enjoys them for more than 30 seconds, and is having a blast. It’s fabulous.

These are her current favorites:

The girl loves her mega-blocks! We got her a big ole dump-wagon full of them for Christmas and she is really enjoying them. I’m working with her on building foundations first, but the Doodle just wants to make them stack as high as possible, so that’s what we do.

(Note that the foundation for her tower has wheels … she’s an optimist!)

She also has a set of ramps with a couple of mega-blocks cars to race around, which she finds just as entertaining as any of the boys. Even Daddy enjoys playing with them, though I will say he is good about playing with the baby dolls, too :)

A side bonus of paring down the toy box? Clean up takes a lot less time :)

The Girl Likes Dirt

2011-02-10T05:00:00.001-07:00

This just goes to show that, though Maggie may look like me, she's got her daddy in there somewhere, because I would never get my hands dirty as a child. Or as an adult. It's an issue I have :)

Pray for Kate McRae

2011-02-09T07:11:00.001-07:00

Please, please, please ... wherever you are right now ... take a moment and lift this child, Kate McRae, up to our Heavenly Father. Your prayers are most fervently needed.

For those who don't know, Kate is a local girl who has been battling brain cancer. She had been doing wonderfully and hopes were so high, but her PET scan yesterday came back positive for cancer. She is 7 years old.

This hits me close because one of my dearest cousins, Matthew, lost his life to brain cancer in his twenties. I still miss him, and it's been 5 years.

You can follow Kate's journey at www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate

Please, whenever you can, pray for Kate.

Pretty Flowers

2011-02-07T09:55:00.001-07:00

Cayik

2011-01-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

This ...

Plus this ...

Equals this ...

What can I say? The Doodle loves cake.

She picked up that word lickey-split, by the way. No need to repeat it multiple times, just "you want some cake?" followed immediately by "cayik!". Now we hear it all the time, in a very hopeful little voice. It's unbelievably adorable :)

I Stuck!

2011-01-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!

2011-01-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

This picture is for giggles ...

And this one's for cuteness :)

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

She Takes After Her Momma

2011-01-17T07:21:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you leave your climbing toddler alone for approximately 3 minutes to get dressed for church and forgot there were chocolates on the end table. Were being the operative word.

A Morning at the Park

2011-01-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

We took Maggie to park this past weekend. The girl was thrilled. This is only notable because, with All The Sickness that occurred in our home during December, the Doodle has only seen the outside going to and from the car for weeks now.

She LOVED the slide, and like any kid, she wanted to do it over and over and over ... and over and over and over ... and, well, you get the drift. She only quit when Daddy put the kibosh on it, which just shows that her energy can wear down anyone.

She napped really well after all that running around. Mommy was very grateful :)

National Champions, baby!!

2011-01-11T08:39:00.001-07:00

Updated:
I wanted to share with you that I just had a War Eagle Moment at the Wendy's - totally made my day ;)

Original Post:
I was literally jumping up and down, holding back a scream so as not to wake up my sleeping child, as Auburn won last night! How freakin' exciting was that game?!!

I'm just gonna wallow in this win for awhile :) Congrats, Auburn family! War Eagle!

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaar Eagle!!

2011-01-10T04:00:00.002-07:00

War Eagle, fly down the field,

Ever to conquer, never to yield!

War Eagle, fearless and true,

Fight on you orange and blue!

Go! Go! Go!

On to vict'ry, strike up the band,

Give 'em hell, give 'em hell,

Stand up and yell, Hey!

War Eagle, win for Auburn,

Power of Dixie Land!

Go Tigers! Beat the Ducks!

Words, Words, Words

2011-01-06T07:21:00.004-07:00

Our Doodle is a talker. Much like her daddy (or 'da-ee', as she prefers to say). Since I use this blog as a baby book, I want to record here what my girl is currently saying, so here goes:

Uttszhat? (what's that ... her very, very favorite thing to say. We hear it about a kajillion times a day. Multiple times for the same thing.)

Ooozhat? (who's that ... another favorite)

Ah-pool (apple - so glad she's starting to speak some of the words she knows how to sign! This one she says constantly - she loves apples and the freeze-dried apple treats)

Muk (milk)

Eat! (said with gusto!)

Kok (clock - she is actually referring to our watches but calls them clocks)

Up

Re-ee? (ready - always a question)

Yaya (Mickey Mouse - she has always called him this and I think it's because I would ask her "do you want to watch Mickey Mouse, yeah? Yeah?, so she calls him Yaya. It's quite adorable!)

Monny? (Handy Manny, her new boyfriend - the girl's in love {smile} )

Elp it or Elp ee (help it or help me - used interchangeably)

Hat

Hot (for all things, hot or cold)

Jack (one of her play-buddies and honorary cousin - she loves his play room!)

Fraa-tee (Frosty, as in Frosty the Snowman. She says it like she's singing the song - it's totally cute)

Ah-oh (uh-oh, which may not actually be a word but it's totally cute because she says it all sing-songy)

Grandma (only once so far and I can't remember how she actually pronounced it, so no phonetic spelling)

Jesus (just said this morning, clear as day!!)

I'll get a video on here as soon as I get one with her babbling away :)

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T17:49:00.001-07:00

Otherwise Entitled: We Survived December

I hope y’all had a wonderful Advent and Christmas, and that 2011 brings you many blessings!

December was rough month for our little family. I got a cold, then Maggie got a cold; then I got the flu, and Maggie got the flu. Then another cold piggy-backed on the flu, and Maggie still has a slightly runny nose from it. Hubby got a bad cold/mild flu as I was recovering from the flu and Maggie was getting it, but as he had been downing airborne like his life depended on it, his bout with illness did not last nearly as long as mine or Maggie’s – the two of us were unwell in some fashion or another for 4 solid weeks.

Needless to say, the Doodle and I are sick of being sick.

Just this past week, though, both of us have taken a good turn toward being completely well, and once we both do kick this lingering cough, we’ll be A-OK.

All that illness made for a hard Christmas for the Doodle, unfortunately. Her fever finally broke that afternoon, and she was able to open presents and have some fun, though you can see in her face and the darkness under her eyes that she didn’t fell well.

The really stinky thing is, because she’s still a little one, there is nothing I can do for her other than crank up the humidifier to help with congestion. I can totally dose myself up with all kinds of medicines to hold some of the symptoms at bay and get at least some semblance of sleep, but with sick, congested babies, there is nothing to give but sympathy and love, and that doesn’t get rid of a snotty nose.

And if the baby don’t sleep, mommy don’t sleep. It was very fortuitous that I had fully 10 days of PTO in December – it couldn’t have happened at a more opportune time and cut down on the sick time I would have had to take.

Thankfully, all the illness looks to be behind us and our first days of 2011 have been wonderful. Maggie is playing and laughing and talking up a storm, as well as sleeping and eating well again, so all is right in our little world.

Wishing you a blessed 2011!

PS: I should give Hubby credit here! He heard my pleas and got me a new camera for Christmas – a Pentax K-x, my very first DSLR. I have lots of experimenting to do now :)

Just Catchin' Up

2010-12-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

Hello, there. How are you? Things here are pluggin' along, vacillating between crazy-busy and peaceful. (I prefer peaceful, in case you wondered.)

It occurred to me earlier today that I haven't been here on me ole blog much lately. Oh, there have been pictures of Maggie and videos of Maggie and quips about Maggie, but I haven't spent much time here since before Advent other than to keep up a few "baby book" type things. Which are important to me, of course. I just mean I haven't really chronicled our little family very well (or very much), and I'm of a mind to change that now.

At least until my next lapse :)

I'm just going to list a few things to get them out of my head:
* One of my Super-Friends, Ashli, got engaged over Christmas. Yay! She and her honey are tying the knot next December, so I get to travel to the South - finally! I cannot tell you how excited I am about going home. For the past 4 years every time Hubby and I would try to plan a trip back, I got pregnant, so (3 pregnancies later), I'm finally getting to take a very long-overdue trip to the land of sweet tea and "y'all". I can't wait! It's been years since Ashli, Mary, and I were all together at one time (and big sis, Misti!) I also get to see my godsons when I go home in December, the oldest of which has apparently grown taller than me since I last saw him - I'm having a hard time seeing Ian as a teenager. Where did all that time go? And the youngest still owes me a drawing - he's told me he's the best artist in the family but I have yet to see proof, so I plan to collect on this trip (heads up, Noah!)

* Hubby and I attend 3 weddings in February and took out a 2nd mortgage to pay for all the gifts. Kidding! But man, it was a lot of weddings for one month! Two of them were Catholic, and really, there is no liturgy more beautiful than a Catholic wedding Mass. They just fill you up inside with Jesus. It was wonderful.

* Maggie's 2nd birthday is coming up so fast! What's up with that! She's having a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse party, and I've been throwing ideas around for months and months, and now it is upon me and I must get busy!! My Mom has done sooooo much to make this event awesome - one thing I can't wait to do is share pictures with you. In less than a month. Good grief, where's my list?

Christmas Card 2010

2010-12-23T14:07:00.001-07:00

Samantha's Sweet Li'l Tree

2010-12-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

5QF: 12.10.10

2010-12-10T07:20:00.001-07:00

1. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Christmas Day. Hubby works as a musician at our parish so Christmas Eve is too busy and late a night for our family.

2. What is your favorite Christmas cookie (or candy)? Divinity and chocolate crackle cookies ... mm-mmm!

3. What's the worst Christmas gift you've ever received? Hmm. I really can't think of anything. I got no gift from Hubby, our first married Christmas, so does that count?. He assumed that because we returned from our honeymoon just 2 weeks before Christmas that we weren't exchanging gifts (*ahem* I made sure to enlist his parents' help getting him the PS2 he wanted while we were away *ahem*). Well, you know what the say about assuming. His mom totally got on to him about that ... and if he actually reads this he'll be upset with me for sharing :) Hi, honey!

4. Christmas song that you love? O Holy Night. I never get tired of it. It's the reason I bought the Celine Dion Christmas cd.

5. How many trees do you put up? Just one. It's all we need.

5QF: 12.03.10

2010-12-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

Can y'all believe it's December? This year seems to have flown by. Of course, I'm pretty sure I say that every year :)

1. What's on the top of your holiday wish list and why?! A new camera. I haven't taken many pictures of Maggie since my camera went kaput at the end of October and it's driving me crazy.

2. What is your favorite Christmas gift from the past? Season tickets to the Shakespeare Festival back home in Montgomery. The best gift EVER.

3. If you had life to do over, what would you be when you grow up? A stay-at-home mommy. Or maybe a writer of some sort.

4. When do you put up your tree? Usually the Friday after Thanksgiving, but I have not been able to yet this year. Hubby and I are planning on dropping the Doodle at Grandma's tomorrow morning so we can work on getting that job accomplished.

5. What is your favorite Holiday? St. Patrick's Day. All the fun, no gift-buying stress :)

The Gift Giving has Begun, Though Possibly a Bit Earlier than Usual

2010-11-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

So, apparently Hubby and I aren’t very good at keeping Maggie’s Christmas gifts a secret. This could really be a problem as she gets older.

It’s the end of November and so far Maggie has already gotten her “big” item:

A Maggie-size chair. She needs it now, you see, because she loves to read her books and didn’t have a little place of her own to enjoy them. Needs it. We couldn’t possibly wait another 4 weeks. It wouldn’t be fair to us. I mean her. It wouldn’t be fair to her. *ahem*

Incidentally, she is really enjoying it.

And without the Maggie-size chair, I would not have caught my angel doing this just a few minutes ago:

Yes, my girl reached up and turned off the camera. Smarty pants ;-) She was jumping on the chair after this. How do they think up the idea of doing something that, technically, could give mommy heart failure? The girl is fearless and that terrifies me.

(Oh goody. I just looked over to check on her and Maggie has now climbed from chair #2 to chair #3 and gotten a hold of my cell phone. It’s like ‘Goldilocks and the 3 Chairs’. Hang on … sorry, I had to go rescue my phone because last time she got Hubby’s, she dialed 911. No, I am not kidding.)

Anyway, I’m hoping to get her talking on video soon because y’all, the girl talks all. the. time. This time around she was distracted by The Grinch Who Stole Christmas on TV, and who can blame her, it’s certainly a favorite of mine, but I want you to hear her sweet little voice. You can’t help but smile when you hear it.

Until then ,,, hope y’all have a blessed Advent!

**Updated** The girl fell and went boom about 10 minutes after this post was ready. Apparently Mommy potty breaks will have company until a certain Doodle learns not to climb on the rocking chairs. Lovely. :-)

An Update on Baby Will

2010-11-22T08:01:00.003-07:00

I wanted to update y'all on Baby Will. Below is the email my uncle sent me, along with new pictures. I know from experience how much prayer helps preemies, so thank you all so much for your faithfulness in prayer for this wee one.

Here are some photos of Cindy's son Josh and his wife Jackie's little boy Will.

He seems to be doing very well. He is now about three weeks old. He has been breathing on his own for a couple of weeks (with an oxygen hose up his nose). They have now taken the pick (?) line out of his heart which means that his heart seems to be doing good. He has had two head scans and one organ scan and they all have come back with good results.

He has been taking his mother's milk and has been gaining weight. He has been loosing some also which is what they want him to do so that they know he is not retaining it.

Jackie had an abscessed tooth that had to be treated and in doing so she became dehydrated and her milk stopped producing. They have now had to put the baby on formula and rice. I'm not sure if that is good or bad. Please pray that Jackie's milk will start producing again and for the health of little Will. They are hoping that he will be able to come home by Christmas.

Thanks for all of your prayers. I hope everything is going well for you, Jorde and Maggie.

All our love,
John and Cindy

Please remember his parents in your prayers, as well. I cannot imagine having to leave my baby at the hospital each night. Thanks, y'all. You're the best :)

A Little Hallelujah

2010-11-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Billed as a "Random Act of Culture" by the Opera Company of Philadelphia, singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" is actually praising God ... in Macy's! What a beautiful, amazing experience ... wish I could have been there :)

5QF: 11.19.10

2010-11-19T07:37:00.001-07:00

Well, I took a little unexpected bloggy break. Work has been crazy the past couple of weeks, and when I got home at night, the last thing I wanted to do was get on the computer. So, I didn't :)

Happy Friday, everyone!

1. What Christmas song do you loathe? Feliz Navidad. It's on repeat for the month of December here in AZ.

2. Do you and your significant other cuddle at night or sleep on opposite sides of the bed? Sleep on opposite sides. Both of us need our own space, so it works out nicely.

3. Have you ever had surgery? Yes, on my left arm. It was broken in a head-on collision with a drunk driver. Fun times.

4. When do you typically have your holiday shopping done? The first week in December. I usually start shopping in July, so by the time December gets here, I usually only need little pick-up stuff.

5. If money were not an issue (and you HAD to pick something), what would your ultimate luxury item be? Hmmmm. Probably a home library. I am always running out of books, or re-re-re-reading ones I already have, and can't seem to get library books back on time, so having my own library would be awesome :)

5QF: 11.05.10

2010-11-05T07:40:00.000-07:00

1. If you could have any talent and turn it into an occupation, what would it be? Hmmm...probably digital card making. I do for all card occassions now and really enjoy it.

2. Would you rather have a house at the beach or a cabin in the woods? A cabin in the woods. So long as the woods were located near civilization and shopping. Hubby would choose a house at the beach.

3. Is there any meaning or reasoning for the names you chose for your child/children? When Samantha was born (at 19 weeks), the name I *thought* Hubby and I had talked about/agreed on was Grace. But I was in recovery and our priest had come to the hospital to baptize her and needed a name, so Hubby chose Samantha, which apparently was his favorite girl name. Samantha's middle name, Michelle, is my middle name. For Maggie, Hubby gave me free rein since he named Samantha, so ... I really loved the name Maggie but also wanted to give her a "Chief Justice of the Supreme Court name", and so chose Margaret Grace. Margaret is a Saint and also the middle name of Maggie's godmother, and Grace was the name I'd wanted to use for Samantha and also in honor of Jesus' gift to us.

4. What is your guilty pleasure? (I know we've done this one before, but I'm guessing people's "guilty pleasures" change frequently. At least, mine do!) Starbucks Java Chip Frappacino. Mmmmm.

5. Do you live in a house that is deep cleaned or straightened? Straightened, although I do get an itch occassionally and we do a grand overhaul, pulling out couches and washing down walls. The itch doesn't last long, though, and if it doesn't get accomplished on cleaning day, it has to wait until the next time :)

Group Nap

2010-11-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

Hubby woke up from his afternoon nap this past Sunday to this ...

I have nothing more to say ;)

Little Bo Peep

2010-10-31T22:01:00.000-07:00

First, she was going to be Mickey Mouse, Then an Auburn Cheerleader. In the end, Maggie went as Little Bo Peep for Halloween, courtesy of Nana’s fabulous sewing skills. Maggie got so many compliments on her costume, I think my mom should go into business :)

Isn’t she adorable?

We hooked up with Jack and Norah for trick-or-treating. Those three kids had the biggest entourage and, though this may sound biased, I’m pretty sure we had the cutest ones out there. Bo Peep, Tinkerbell and the Train Conductor were a big hit in the neighborhood.

View Full Album

After about the third house, Maggie got the hang of it and proceeded to run to the front door to meet people and see what they were handing out – quite funny for a typically shy little girl.Apparently, she is easily bribed :)

Peanut’s 1st Pumpkin

2010-10-30T16:10:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I took Maggie to Mother Nature’s Farm this morning. There were little piglets, chickens, sheep, goats, a cow, a duck (DUCK!), and even a hay ride, but what Maggie enjoyed the most were the pumpkin patches.

She spent a lot of time trying to pick them up.

The first one she had success with was the one we took home. I mean, check out the effort being made to haul that pumpkin up! How could we say no?

Decorating with Daddy will be later tonight :)

Meet Baby Will

2010-10-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Baby Will, the preemie I asked y'all to pray for earlier today.

I also received the following status report from my Uncle Johnny (Will's grandaddy):

Cindy (Will's grandmother) went to see him today and said that he is doing good. They took him off the breathing tube about four hours after he arrived at Baptist South which is great. He did fluctuate with his breathing a few times but the doctors said that he was just forgetting to breathe. They tried giving him some of his mother's milk and he was digesting it for a while. He stopped and they returned to the feeding tube, but now they are feeding him his mother's milk again.

The doctor's say he is doing really well, but that anything could still happen.
Thanks for your prayers.

Thank you so much for being intercessors for this child. I will be sure to keep y'all updated as I receive reports.

5QF: 10.30.10 & a Prayer Request

2010-10-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

Before this week's regularly scheduled programming, I would like to ask y'all to pray for my uncle's newest grandchild, Will. He was born 3 months early, and weighs a little over 2 pounds. His parents are hoping to have him home by Christmas, but Will has a long road ahead of him in the NICU, so if you would lift him up in prayer, I know his family would be grateful. Thanks in advance for your kindness.

Now, on to ...

1. If you could be a fly on any wall, which would you choose? I'd have to say the White House. You know there is soooo much going on that we never even get a sniff of.

2. Do you budget your Christmas shopping or just get it done without budgeting? I don't usually budger, per se, but I do shop throughout the year to lessen the burden.

3. What is the craziest fad diet you have ever done? I have never done a real diet, much less a fad diet, thus my current weight of ... ha! Like I'm gonna tell you! :)

4. Is there a TV show that you have seen every episode/season of? Friends, Gilmore Girls, and Hubby and I are currently catching up on NCIS.

5. What one song always pulls at your heart? Hmmm. I'd have to say "Unwavering" by Matt Maher ... it was sung at Samantha's funeral Mass and now every time I hear it, I get emotional. I don't even sing it, anymore. For happiness, it is definitely "Sweet Home Alabama" - that one always makes me smile and tap my feet :)

Soooo ...

2010-10-27T14:39:00.003-07:00

... do you know what happens when you try to stand on your picnic table seat instead of sitting on your booty?

A fat lip.

I may just let Maggie be a boxer for Halloween (jk!!).

I Have No Words for This One - It Just Makes Me Smile

2010-10-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

#1 Baby!

2010-10-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, I just have to do this ... WAAAAAAAR EAGLE!

My Growin’ Girl

2010-10-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe how big my girl has gotten. Sometimes I’ll look over at her and it hits me just how much she has grown in only 18 months:

This was taken her first week or so home:

And this was just a couple of weeks ago:

You’ve come a long way, baby!

5QF: 10.22.10

2010-10-22T07:24:00.000-07:00

1. Who is the better cook, you or your spouse? Hm. I think we're pretty evenly matched, actually, but Hubby enjoys it more than I do.

2. How often do you talk to your mom? Just about everyday. She's Maggie primary babysitter :)

3. Are you adventurous in the kitchen or stick to the recipe? For the most part, I'm a stick-to-the-recipe kinda gal, but sometimes, especially if it's a recipe I've cooked often, I'll start to tweak it here and there, just to see what happens.

4. Is your second toe longer than your big toe? No. Why?

5. Do you dress up for Halloween? (Bonus question: What will you be this year?) I love to dress up at Halloween, but Hubby doesn't, so I don't often get the chance to do so. The last time I dressed up for Halloween was for an adult party about 3 years ago: me, my brother and parents all went as Romans, and Hubby refused to wear a costume at first, and then consented only to wearing his "Peter" robe from the Easter Passion he is a part of. So, my family and I were the pagans and he was our Christian martyr.

Blue Sand Equals Messy Fun

2010-10-20T03:00:00.014-07:00

Maggie got to spend Monday with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa bought her blue sand.

Thankfully, the grandparents sent her home clean and de-sanded :)

Toys are Everywhere

2010-10-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

You can have fun with just about anything, as Maggie proves as she runs around with Uncle Randy's water bottle.

Back and forth.

To and fro.

Just goes to show you don't need the fancy toys to have a good time.

5QF: 10.15.10

2010-10-15T07:30:00.000-07:00

1. What is your favorite Halloween candy? Hmm. I love the Indian Candy Corn. And the fruity Tootsie Rolls. Chocolate is always good but you can usually get the chocolates used for Halloween throughout the year. (Unlike Easter, which requires me to make massive stockpiles of Cadbury Mini Eggs ... oh those are my super-favoritest candy!)

2. Do you fold your socks? I used to. Back before Maggie. Now when I get home from work, all I want to do is spend time with her, so the socks *ahem* when they make to the drawer *ahem* are just thrown in and I match them up as I go.

3. What is something that you wish you had been warned about? Did we answer something like this once already? My answer still remains thus: I wish I'd known that my 20 year-old metabolism would come to a screeching halt at 30, and that the fries I ate in my 20's would land on my butt in my 30's.

4. What is the most significant difference between you and your significant other? Hubby is an extrovert, and I am not. He's super social and talkative, and I tend to be quiet. We balance each other well, because his ability to talk to total strangers allows me time to acclimate to a new situation.
5. What are three words you would use to describe yourself? (And, just for fun...if your significant other is around, ask him/her what 3 words they would use to describe you!!) I guess I would say caring, helpful, dorky. I can't ask Hubby because he has choir and band practice tonight, so I won't see him until tomorrow.

I've Never Been Accused of Profound Thinking So This One Comes from the Holy Spirit

2010-10-14T08:45:00.002-07:00

Earlier this week, my husband was given a guitar by one of the guys in the RCIA class he helps facilitate. A very nice guitar, in fact, and when Hubby called me to tell me about it, he was all but stuttering in his disbelief. Especially since he works in a music store and knows the value of an item like this.

When he gave Hubby the guitar, the guy told Hubby that he doesn’t use it, it’s just collecting dust at home, and that he really appreciates what Hubby does each week with regards to music for RCIA and for Mass on Sundays, so he wanted him to have the guitar.

Hubby was stunned and didn’t know what to say. The one thing he kept asking me was, “Should I keep it? I think I should give it back. It’s too much.”

I did a little online research the next day and the unanimous opinion was that to give it back would be rude and would discount the generosity of the person giving the gift. You should accept it gratefully and sincerely - there are no other expectations attached.

(You should also send a nice handwritten card. The Southerner in me demands that.)

Anyway, Hubby has accepted this wonderful and unexpected treasure, and his conscience is somewhat soothed. He is taking a thank-you card to class next week and will again express how grateful he is to the generous soul who gifted him so abundantly.

And it made me think…

Don’t we do the same thing to Jesus?

He gave us a gift – an amazing, awesome gift that can never be reciprocated or earned. But we (or at least, I) spend so much time feeling unworthy of that gift, that I totally discount the generosity and love that was involved in the giving.

Jesus gave us eternal life because he is completely in love with us and wants us to be with him for all time.

The gift is incredible, but the reasons behind the gift are just as important. They are what give the gift meaning.

He wants us to have it so much that he died for us. Horribly. Barbarically. Died. For you and me.

So, take time to sincerely tell Jesus ‘thank you’.

He deserves at least that.

Wordless Wednesday: A New Favorite Toy

2010-10-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

Camera Demise is No Fun

2010-10-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

So, my camera is officially unusable. Totally hacks me off.

Basically, whenever I take a picture now, there is a big ole blurry circle in the bottom-middle of the picture. I have been semi-expecting something along those lines since Maggie's 1st birthday party when my niece jumped to catch the little cake Maggie was pushing off her table and had my camera in her hand, thereby coating the open lens and all with pink frosting, but I will admit to being super hopeful that it since we'd made it this long nothing would happen. I was wrong. And because it's a little Nikon Coolpix from 2004, I may as well replace it. Fixing the lens just seems a silly waste of money.

However, our family has a "no buying stuff for yourself" rule from about October 1st through Christmas, so I have to wait and hope. My mom has been generous enough to share her camera with me, but it's a learning curve and I don't know yet how to adjust her settings, so hopefully the pictures come out okay.

This one is from my cell phone:

Whenever she comes to my work, Maggie wants my Ya-ya (Mickey Mouse) pen. Why she has the doorstop is anyone’s guess. She’s such a funny girl :)

5QF: 10.08.10

2010-10-08T07:30:00.002-07:00

I forgot to tell y'all that Maggie had her 18 month check-up on Wednesday (can you believe she's a year and half already?!) She weighs 22.5 lbs and is 31.25 inches tall. The girl has got some legs on her! She only gained a half a pound since her last appointment, but that is apparently normal once kids start walking and burning off kinds of energy. The Doodle is in the 25th percentile for her weight, and the 30th for height, so she's doing extremely well for a preemie. Which we already knew :)

Now, on to our regular Friday feature:

1. What do you listen to while driving? Depends. Most mornings I actually prefer silence because, well, it's early and I'm not a morning person. After work on my way to pick up Maggie, I usually have the dial tuned to the local talk radio show (I know! I blame Hubby.) When I have Maggie in the car, it's KLOVE or the oldies station. Gotta fill the girl's ears with goodness :)

2. What is your least favorite thing about Fall? The fact that we don't have one here in Arizona. *sigh* I miss fall.

3. What does your dream house look like, inside and out? Two stories with a wrap around porch, painted a warm yellow, dark green trim and a red door (and to complete the hobbit look, a doorknob in the middle of the door - I kid! Sorta). A porch swing and rocking chairs. Old hardwood floors. A kitchen with lots of counter space. Big front and back yards (or just horse property). Crown molding. Flat walls (I detest textured walls and that is all I see here in AZ.) A formal dining room. A small library/reading room. I can't wait to live there.

4. Would you ever own a minivan? I have always said a very emphatic 'NO'. However, I have to admit that the new minivan we got at work is AWESOME. It's all that room!! It would sure make our California road trip easier, though the cool points would definitely plummet.

5. Do you wash new clothes before wearing them? Sometimes. For Maggie, yes. For me, it depends on the wrinkley-ness of the item and how quickly I want to wear it.

My Multi-Lingual Maggie

2010-10-06T04:00:00.029-07:00

I don't think I've told y'all that, in addition to working on speaking words, we are also teaching Maggie sign language to help her communicate. No, I am not fluent in ASL. I did take it in college, though, and remember enough basic signs that we decided to teach Maggie a few of them in an effort to help her better make her wishes known.

Most of her wishes are related to food, by the way.

Let me tell you, though: my girl is smart.

Yep, that is totally bragging but I don't care ... it's true! Not only is Maggie saying new words all the time, she picks up the signs we have taught her so quickly. Of course, with special attention paid to the food-related signs :)

'Milk', 'eat' and 'apple' are her current favorites. We are working on 'melon' and 'more'.

I'm pretty sure Maggie has hit a growth spurt the past couple of weeks because (1) have you noticed how long her legs have gotten? and (2) she uses the "eat" sign all day long and basically snacks her way to bedtime. The girl is putting away some groceries. 'Eat' is definitely the sign we see the most, followed closely by 'milk'.

The ASL has not hampered her speaking. It has only given her another tool as she learns to convey her needs and wants. The side benefit of that is fewer frustrations and little tempers :)