Discipline

Most likely due to her sickness, Little Miss has been extra sensitive and cranky (read this as a giant pain in our backsides).  She was either bratty or super sensitive.  So, Husband was at the end of his rope.  He was tired of her crying constantly over mundane tasks.  So, in order to save both of their mental well-being, I told Little Miss that if she works at being a good girl and works at her listening skills, she can have 3 books each night before bed.  She generally gets 2 so this is a slight treat.  However, if she wasn't listening or acting up, we take away a book until she gets nothing.  The first night was a giant success, and the threat of taking a book away this morning was enough to change her behavior.  I'd like to move to a reward system, but this system is working on a short-term basis for quick, focused behavior change.

Weekend Update - Thanksgiving

As it turns out, Little Miss was napping because of all the activity at the water park. She was coming down with a mini flu. Late Monday night or Tuesday morning, she woke up all congested and was sick to her stomach, mostly due to the congestion. She stayed home with Husband on Tuesday. On Wednesday, school was a half day, and she really wanted to go and had no fever. However, by the time she came home Wednesday evening, her fever was back up high and she was listless. So, we were definitely playing Thanksgiving by ear. Thursday, her fever was much lower, but she was still exhausted. Morning was her best time and she was in high spirits. When we got to Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law's apartment, she was so happy to see Nephew and the rest of the family. We watched the video of her Thanksgiving show, and she performed it live along side of her digital self while Nephew gave her a round of applause after each number. Then, later in the afternoon, the poor thing just curled up in a ball on the couch. She slept through dinner.

Nephew was perfectly content playing with my iPad and watching his favorite show. He felt the strain of entertaining the entire family and went to bed after giving up on the New York Jets. On Friday, Little Miss still wasn't 100%, but she begged to go for a walk. Instead, she took a 3-hour nap, but she wanted to take a walk afterwards. So, I took her out. She asked to go to Macy's so we did and picked her up a Christmas outfit. 15 minutes into our walk, she said she was really tired and wanted to go home. Saturday was very similar except she really wanted to go to the Inlaws' apartment so we dropped her off for a sleepover. Saturday was the first day that she didn't have a fever though she was still exhausted. Husband and I met friends out at a local bar to watch a football game. Little Miss was still worn down on Sunday but kept the fever off at least. We kept her home on Monday, but she's back at school this week. Her cough finally let up a little, but the fatigue is taking awhile to disappear. I think she'll be good after this weekend. She's had trouble sleeping and this is the first week after 2 partial weeks so it takes a bit of time to get back into a routine.

Weekend Update - Great Wolf Lodge

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, Little Miss and I met my parents, Sister and Nephew and head down to Williamsburg to Great Wolf Lodge. We had the KidCabin Suite which meant that the kids slept in bunk beds in a separate "room" with Sister while my parents got a comfortable bed and I got the most uncomfortable sofa bed ever. Still, the pros far outweighed not the cons. If you have not visited, Great Wolf is a resort. It's a gigantic hotel with arcade, interactive features, people dressed as animals, mini golf, and a water park, the majority of which is indoors. Little Miss had a blast. She is so brave going down the slides but especially liked the slide she got to go down with me and then the other slide that she rode with Sister and Nephew. She's much braver than I was as a kid. I thought it was unusual that she took a decent nap each day, but it was a lot of activity.

She and Nephew played so well together. They hid out for a long time on the top bunk just talking and playing. They ran all over together in the water park, played on the big water structure and in the wave pool. It was just adorable. Funny coincidence that friends of ours were also there so we got to see some familiar faces 3 hours away from home.

Weekend Update - Girls' Weekend

The weekend before Thanksgiving, we had a lovely Girls' Day. On Saturday, Little Miss and I painted pottery with her class. Little Miss painted an "L".  It was really pretty - and then she kept painting.  I painted a Christmas ornament.  Then, afterwards, we went to the mall to spend a birthday gift certificate. We had limited funds that particular day (or, rather, Husband told me not to spend a lot of money), but we were very succesful. First, we went to Godiva where I get a free piece every month. Then, we went to the Disney Store. We spent $2.51 after the gift card was used. Then, we went to Pinkberry where I had a gift card. I was plenty full, but Little Miss deemed frozen yogurt and a truffle a snack and asked as soon as we were leaving what was for lunch. We had a fantastic day together though.

The next day, we met up with my parents, sister and Nephew and went to Great Wolf Lodge. More on that in the next post.

Thanksgiving Show

I'll say it right now. Nothing is cuter than Little Miss's Thanksgiving show at preschool. The kids were adorable. It was quite the show, too - singing, dialogue, dancing. The kids remembered everything and did so well. I brought in a "turkey" for the reception afterwards. It's basically a cantaloupe, pear, red pepper, grapes, cheese and raisins. And it looks like a turkey. Husband, Mother-in-Law and my parents all came to support Little Miss. She even had a solo in one of the songs. We were all so proud.

Work Thanksgiving

Work Thanksgiving is always fun.  It's so much food.  I love that it's pot luck because we really great a great variety of fantastic food.  Some of it is even warm.  Actually, a lot of it is warm, but it's just difficult to heat up all of those dishes and keep them all warm for the entire office to sample.  As with one of the years past, I made cranberry sauce.  Most people dislike cranberry sauce or, at the very least, are indifferent.  I love it, but it has to be whole berry. 

Here is my recipe:

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

12 ounces fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 tablespoons Cointreau liqueur

Directions:

1. Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. 
2. Bring to a boil; add cranberries, return to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  (Cover so the cranberries don't spit at you while they pop.)
4. Remove from heat. Add orange zest and Cointreau (or Grand Marnier) and stir. 
5. Let cool at room temperature. 
6. Refrigerate until cold, or serve at room temperature.  The longer it sits or chills, the more it turns to jelly which is nice.

Weekend Update - Lazy Weekend

The second weekend of November brought another birthday party. Including Little Miss's birthday, we had 5 birthdays in 6 weeks. It was a little crazy. This particular birthday was a bowling party. It was controlled chaos as every child birthday is. Afterwards, Little Miss had a sleepover with the Inlaws. She fell asleep in the 2 mile drive from the bowling alley to my Inlaws. It was cute. She came home for dinner the next day, and Husband and I enjoyed sleeping late and being lazy.

Weekend Update - Party On, Little Miss

I'm so behind on my blogs, but here goes my effort to catch up. In the first weekend of November (yes, I'm that behind), we had Little Miss's last soccer practice of the season. It was very, very cold. She was a trooper, but it was just very, very cold. After, we ate a quick lunch and drove to a birthday party. Little Miss had a blast. She would have done karaoke non-stop if you let her. Afterwards, because we were so close, we went to Ikea. By now, it was dinner time so I picked up some food and we bought new bedding for Little Miss. She has a bed from Ikea which only Ikea sheets fit. Then, as we were on our way out, she discovered the play area. I didn't realize that you left your kid there for a half hour. So, I had a half hour to kill while she attacked the ball pit. She absolutely loved it. On the way home, she fell asleep which was good because she was jumping on my last nerve.

On Sunday, we went out to my parents' house because my grandparents were in town. Little Miss really enjoyed her time with her cousin, but she was having some trouble keeping up with the big boys. Later, after Sister and Nephew left, she really enjoyed having her great-grandparents' attention all to herself.

Sexy Friday

Robert Downey Jr. gets better with age. Seriously, who knew he'd still be around this long? I mean, there was no question he could act, but his career had a little quiet spot right there in the middle, and now he's a superhero! He's always guaranteed to make me laugh as Tony Stark even if I'm not a huge fan of the franchise. I told Husband that Tony Stark was a rich, egotistical, pompous dick and that he reminded me of him except he wasn't rich. He looked a little offended. *g*

Sexy Friday

I'll admit it. Arrow is my new guilty pleasure - or it would be if I felt guilty for watching it. It is in no small part to Stephen Amell. He's been in many shows that I've watched - though I've abandoned the shows before he made an appearance. An interview has him discussing his issue with nudity in his guest-appearances in Hung so I may have to find that later.  Either way, very pretty.

Tidbid

Last night, while I was reclining on the couch, Husband took the lead with Little Miss.  She took out her crayons and paper to draw.  Husband wanted to tell her something.  Without looking up, she says to him, "Not right now, Daddy, I'm working."  

Further tidbit, she was working on a family of 12 ghosts.  So cute.  She's been quite the little artist lately and really starting to draw things that look like objects.  Her work from school is very impressive.  Tomorrow is our parent/teacher conference so I'm really interested in what the teacher has to share.

Show and Tell

Show and Tell is usually on Friday.  We generally forget.  This week, because there is no school Thursday and Friday, Show and Tell was moved up.  I told Little Miss to remind me last night so we could get it all together.  Then, I wasn't feeling well.  And, well, we forgot.  We pull into the school parking lot, and she goes, "Mommy, we don't have Show and Tell."

So, I figure I must have something in my bag, but I check the trunk first.  We decide a reusable shopping BAG starts with "B", but then I find a discarded, broken set of beads so she takes that instead.  While walking inside, I also remembered that she had a book in her backpack so I also convince her that BOOK and BACKPACK also start with "B" so she was more than set.

I felt a great sense of accomplishment in the last moment before being handed the Worst Mother in the World trophy.

Jokes

Over the last year, Little Miss has been mastering the art of joke telling.  Now, toddlers learning to tell jokes is probably the funniest thing ever.  They're very literal.  Plus, they find themselves hilarious.  It took Little Miss about 6 months to figure out the Interrupting Cow joke.

In case you didn't know it, it goes like this:
#1:  Knock, knock.
#2:  Who's there?
#1:  Interrupting cow.
#2:  Interrup - 
#1:  MOOOOOOO!

So, the other day in the car, Little Miss says a classmate came up to her and said, "Tangerine!"  She just started laughing and laughing.  Tears-in-her-eyes-laughing.  She goes, "Get it, Mommy?  TANGERINE!"  

I didn't, of course, but I laughed along with her.

Spilling Secrets

Little Miss made me promise not to tell anyone this, but since then, I've told like everyone I know.  So, Little Miss told me that her cousins are like her brothers, that she loves being a "sister".  It was so flippin' cute.  She told me she wanted a sister.  I did my usual nodding and smiling.  Yesterday, I asked what she'd like to name her sister (this response changes often which is why I like to ask).  So, she said "Sophia".  Husband's last name starts with an "S" so I asked her if she thought that sounded silly to have an alliterative name.  She said that wouldn't be her name.  So, I asked what her name would be.  She answered, "Sophia Tulip".  

It does seem like family tradition to have a name after a flower as my grandmothers are and were Violet and Fern.  Tulip seems too much, but what do I know.

Halloween

On Halloween, Little Miss and I met a classmate and his family at the mall for trick or treating while Nephew went around my parents' neighborhood. Little Miss declared it too cold to trick or treat outside. It worked out because she got far less candy that way and had a blast with her little friend. We all met back at the house for the all-important candy swapping and pictures.

Last Friday, Little Miss had a Halloween parade at school. Earlier in the week, I sent in cookies and goody bags for her birthday, too. We told her that we couldn't make it because we had to work, but we would make it to her Thanksgiving show. She was ok with that, but Husband surprised her at the parade at the last minute which made her so happy.

Above is photographic proof that she lives in her Snow White costume. I came home from a night out with a friend last Friday, and this is what greeted me when I went into Little Miss's room. I had to take a picture!

Reading!

Little Miss is doing a great job as an early reader.  She's not independently reading, but she recognizes so many words and is reading many simple books - namely Mo Willems's Elephant & Piggy books.  She has quite a bit of them.  Last weekend, she went so far as to read her birthday cards to my grandparents.  She's so proud of herself.  It's really adorable.  She loves books.  As much as she loves tv, she does love games, arts and crafts and books.  Mostly, she watches tv when it's most convenient for us.  

I'll try to get her on video reading soon.  I keep forgetting because I don't want to get her self-conscious or have her get too showy for the camera.

Sandy

Just to put it out there, we weathered Sandy just fine.  We made the mistake of telling Little Miss that, if she was scared, she could come sleep in our room.  The first night, we plunked her back in her bed.  The second night, when Sandy was actually supposed to hit, we blew up her air mattress.  So, she went straight there and slept on the floor instead of with us which meant we all got a good night's sleep.  None of us had to report to work or school Monday and Tuesday so we just hung out.  Husband and I had some light work to do.  Little Miss played with her new toys, and we did some arts and crafts.  On Tuesday, after the worst of the storm blew through, we took a walk to rid ourselves of cabin fever.  We had lunch and walked around the neighborhood.  

We did lose water for half the day on Monday.  We lost power for an hour or so while they tried to repair our water.  Overall, it was an adventure.  We snacked without the power.  Little Miss liked the flashlights and candles.  Then, just when the novelty was about to wear off, everything came back up.  I think she had the most issue with the fact we couldn't flush.  Then again, we all had a little issue with that.  Still, all in all, we can't complain when others suffered (and still suffer from) so much damage.

Weekend Update - Birthday Girl!

Two weekends ago, Little Miss turned 5. 5! My parents came out to watch Little Miss play soccer and then were a big help getting ready for the party. There was a very small amount of time between the two. We had chicken tenders, finger foods and those Mummy Dogs. There were 2 beautiful cakes made by my father-in-law. There was a movie playing as well as arts and crafts, a bean bag toss, decorate your own pumpkin (gourd) and ring toss. Mostly, the kids liked the run around though.

On Sunday, it was Little Miss's actual birthday which she declared would hold another party. She wanted decorations, cake, and basically an entire party. We told her she could have a party if she napped. So, while she napped, I hung up streamers and blew up balloons. She got to blow out the candles again on leftover cake. Husband made her her very favorite dinner.

 

Little Miss received many nice things for her birthday. She's played with a lot of things which is different from the past. She's declared dolls from her favorite show and a trunk full of dress up clothes were her favorite. As a matter of fact, she's worn her Snow White costume almost every day. I've had to hand wash it three times in the last week. She's even gone so far as sleep in it. I think the party was a success and much tamer than last year. 

Movies Watched in October 2012

1. Battlestar Gallatica
2. The Avengers

The new tv season always slows my DVD/streaming viewing. This month was no exception. Also, I’ve just been busy with various things. I’m kind of getting into BSG and can see why so many enjoy it. I haven’t made it through the miniseries yet, but I look forward to jumping into the tv show portion. I had no doubt that I would enjoy The Avengers, and it did not disappoint. I would like to see the sequel in the theater, but I said that about this one. Sometimes, things just don’t work out.

Movies Watched in September 2012

1. Finding Nemo
2. Scandal

I saw next to nothing this month - again. The kid and I did go see Finding Nemo 3D. We actually watched it on DVD first to see if she’d like it. Then, we saw it on the big screen the next day. She napped a bit, but she liked it. It’s such a colorful movie. I think she prefers the musicals, but there aren’t as many. So far, The Lorax is the only movie which kept her attention and awake the entire time, but she does like going to the theater. It’s a nice escape for me, too. I have only seen the beginning of Scandal. If I ever complete Season 1, I did record Season 2 on the DVR so I can continue watching if I get hooked.

Books Read in October 2012

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
2. A Fool’s Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is the first of the Fool’s Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
3. My Liege of Dark Haven by Cherise Sinclair (NOTE: This is part of the Mountain Masters/Dark Haven series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. Coming Undone by Lauren Dane (NOTE: This is the second book of the Brown siblings about the Brown siblings and their friends. The order of which can be found here.)
5. Inside Out by Lauren Dane (NOTE: This is the third book of the Brown siblings about the Brown siblings and their friends. The order of which can be found here.)


Gone Girl is the book that took me about 3 weeks to read.  That said, I sat down with it 3 times and each time read about 100 pages.  The last day, I just read half the book until I finish.  It will consume you and you'll want someone with whom to discuss it.  I thought Fool's Gold Christmas was very sweet and a nice conclusion to this portion of the series.  I haven't read many of the Dark Haven books because they are mostly short stories, but I may go back to catch up (which is rarely done with me).  I was more invested in this story than the previous books I had read, but I also liked that past characters made appearance.  Still, it isn't my favorite series of hers.  Lauren Dane is a recommended authors and, so far, I really enjoy her books.  I'm finding these last two were great, and I'm really liking the current book.  Her books haven't clicked with me in the past, but I'm glad I gave her another shot.

Books Read in September 2012

1. Changing the Game by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is the first of the Play-by-Play series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. Taking a Shot by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is the first of the Play-by-Play series. The order of which can be found here.)
3. Playing to Win by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is the first of the Play-by-Play series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. Laid Bare by Lauren Dane (NOTE: This is the first book of the Brown siblings about the Brown siblings and their friends. The order of which can be found here.)


Not a lot of books this month. At the end of the month, I started a book that took me a very long time to get through. You’ll see that one listed in the next post. I loved it, but I got busy and the book was really good so it was slow-going for me.

Sexy Friday

I can't admit honestly that I'm a huge fan of Zac Efron. That said, I'll admit that I no longer see him as a kid. I don't see him quite as an adult though. One of my many issues with The Lucky One is that I kept viewing him as a kid mixed in with all the adults. Still, if I was a little younger, I'd find him completely dreamy.

Roared Their Terrible Roars...

I saw a little boy who looked just like this picture. He was SOOOOOO cute. I wouldn't stop gushing over him. This is humorous because I've gotten over a bout of baby fever, too. Either way, he was adorable. Also, if I ever have a baby boy, he's totally going to be Max one day. More on Halloween at a later time - once I've loaded all my photos. Perhaps tonight.