Our Little Skier

In the above video, Little Miss put her skis on for the very first time. She did great! If anything, I think the helmet weighed her down or at least threw off her sense of balance. We only stayed out a short time and stopped when she wasn't having fun anymore (coincidentally right after she fell).  My dad spent time with her and we all went out to watch (Husband, Mom, Aunt and Uncle).  She'll be zooming down the hill in no time!

Weekend Update - December

I've been bad about the weekend updates.  During the second week in December, we hit a snag with our lights so the tree that we got in November still wasn't decorated.  So, the second week in December was spent trying to get lights to no avail.  Little Miss and I spent the weekend running errands and using every bathroom in northern Virginia. Small child = small bladder. Then, a friend and I went to see The Social Network. It was a fun evening.


Last weekend, Little Miss and I ran some errands including the library. She loves books and her favorites are any book about Max and Ruby. I believe she thinks the library is just filled with Max and Ruby books. It's been a fun month. The two of us have spent a lot of time together, and this month, she's become much more talkative and even more outgoing than usual. It's nice to see. (Don't get me wrong, she's still unbelievable independent - read as stubborn - but she can be really sweet on occasion.)

Jingle Bells

Little Miss has been practicing some songs for her winter concert at school next week. She's been singing Jingle Bells, Silent Night, and This Little Light of Mine. Jingle Bells is the one she knows the best and sings the most. So, last night, she was cooperative enough to sing it for my camera.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know it's after Thanksgiving, but I didn't make this discovery until Thanksgiving. We talked a lot about Thanksgiving before the holiday, but you don't wish people a Happy Thanksgiving until that day and the day is crazy and flies by so quickly. Little Miss has totally been switching her compound words around. She always had words that were tricky for her (like banana and doggy), but she corrects herself over time. That is why I had to video tape her (hm, record her, I guess as there's no actual video tape involved) because, by next year, her speech will probably correct itself. Anyway, without further ado, below is a video of Little Miss saying "Happy Thanksgiving" her way.

Weekend Update - 'Tis the Season

Last weekend, Little Miss was a little under the weather, and we pushed her hard. On Saturday, we took portraits with her little cousin. It went relatively well. She gets tired waiting for the proofs and sitting through lunch. She also got to go to the toy store. She fell asleep on the way, but I woke her up because I promised her we'd go. She perked up in the store and then went home for a nap.  I actually had to wake her up after her nap on Saturday because I didn't want her to sleep through dinner or not sleep through the night. She woke up and cuddled (her sign that she's sick). She did eat dinner and pretty much went right to sleep.

On Sunday, we woke up early to go to Breakfast with Santa. Little Miss was a bit sluggish and still not feeling well, but she did perk up once we got there. She split my pancake plate and, I'll admit, she ate most of it. She was really good with Santa and chatted quite a bit with him and Mrs. Claus. I painted her nails dark purple and she showed them off and asked for "presents". She didn't get specific yet so her wants are still attainable. Santa can definitely bring her "presents".

After Breakfast with Santa, she asked to go home and rest. We were supposed to go to a Baby Shower, but Little Miss woke up choking a little from her cold and it panicked her. So, we cuddled some more while she slept for another 2 hours. She woke up a whole new and healthy kid though. I think she felt much better because she managed to give her germs to Husband and me (though he contracted this round of sickness more than I did, but it is his turn). The evening brought dinner, coloring, and a bath. No big plans this week or next weekend though she asked to go back to the library next weekend for more Max and Ruby books so we'll do that. All pictures are from Breakfast with Santa.

Weekend Update - O Christmas Tree

Last Friday, Little Miss had a restless night which resulted in the two of us sleeping on the couch. We had grand plans to get up early and go to the tree farm. So, we all overslept. We did eventually get up and go to our annual breakfast at IHOP before driving to the tree farm to pick out our tree. We found a tree quickly last year, but it took us awhile this year. It is a nice tree though. Little Miss had a visit with some horses. She looks forward to the horses every year. Last year, a horse kissed her, but this year, she escaped the kissing. We brought our tree home and had leftovers for dinner. I also did some minor decorating for Christmas. It's a small place so I usually just put up some accents instead of making the place look like Christmas threw up all over it.


On Saturday, Little Miss slept in which was a nice treat. We then got up and went to the playground and the library. She took a much-needed nap when we got home and that was pretty much the day once you calculated in bath and bed.


On Sunday, Husband woke up and made Little Miss pancakes. I had one as well before meeting a friend to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. It was a nice afternoon and a great movie.


I forgot! When Husband went to replace our Christmas lights last week, Little Miss wanted red lights. It was all she would think and talk about. Then, at the tree farm, she wanted a Little Miss-size sapling as our tree. So, we bought her a tree just for her room. It is a table top tree that we decorated with red lights and a few stray ornaments. I wrapped dish towels around the base to be a tree skirt and some gold garland that I used to use as table decoration. She loves it.

Holiday Update - Thanksgiving

The above photo is our Thanksgiving table. I always take a picture of the table at holidays because, let's face it, that's as good as it's going to get before little hands and food touch it.

This is a picture of what Little Miss had as an appetizer.  Actually, she only got the fork in.  She never got a taste.  I see the temptation, and I suppose none of us have self-restraint on Thanksgiving (that doesn't mean she didn't get a little slap on the wrists).

So, all in all, we ate a lot and had a nice day.  Here is some cousin bonding between Little Miss and her little cousin.  It's so cute how he follows everything she does with his eyes and how she talks with him and listens intently to all his baby babble.  It's just how she was with her older cousin.  It'll be interesting to see if they grow and bicker like Little Miss and her older cousin, too.  For now, it's still cute. 

Hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving!

Weekend Update - Take Me to the Zoo

Last weekend was a busy one! On Friday, we had the In-Laws over for dinner. Little Miss loved it so much that she invited the In-Laws to the zoo with us on Saturday. Little Miss has been obsessing over elephants for over a week so I told her we could go to the zoo if the weather was nice.


On Saturday, the weather was perfect. I got Little Miss up and asked her what day it was and she responded, "Zooday!" I told her it was Saturday, but we were going to do the zoo. We left the house after she had a gigantic breakfast of 2 1/2 eggs and a bowl of Cheerios. We got a teensy bit misdirected going to the zoo so, by the time we pulled into the parking lot and parked, Little Miss was sound asleep. She did perk up while we were walking through the zoo. She loved the elephants and the cow. We did a quick tour, but next time I think we'll do the different houses so she can see the reptiles and small mammals. We picked up sandwiches for lunch on the way home. Little Miss took an immediate nap, but we ate and then napped as well. After, I met a friend. We had dinner at Chick-Fil-A and then saw Due Date. After the movie, we picked up some Coldstone Creamery and watched the DVD, The Girl who Played with Fire.


On Sunday, we had a nice day at home before heading to my parents for Nephew's Gotcha Day (the day he was adopted). It was a nice evening with my grandparents, parents, sister and nephew. We were more than happy to get home and relax last night though. Next week should be a relatively relaxing weekend before Thanksgiving so I look forward to that.

Weekend Update - Happy Birthday

Nothing like ringing in your third year with two birthday parties.  Little Miss celebrated again last weekend.  Food to come in a separate post.  We had a nice afternoon.  Little Miss really loved her gifts and of course she loved the cake.  She also was really good with her baby cousin.

On Sunday, we met Sister and Little Miss's big cousin.  The cousins got along and plotted against having a good portrait session for their annual holiday portrait.  We settled on a couple of photos and left with headaches and stress.

Weekend Update - Trick or Treat!

On Friday, we cleaned the apartment, and I did some prep work on food for Saturday. On Saturday, we had one of two birthday parties for Little Miss. My family and friends came over. We had lunch and then opened presents and then had cake. The photo above is what Little Miss wore for the first part of the party. I wanted her to wear a birthday hat she has. No such luck. I suppose I should be lucky she wore her birthday shirt.

On Sunday, we had a nice family breakfast. Little Miss and I made a quick trip to the store. We both had a nice nap. Then, at 3PM, I had to wake Little Miss from her nap so we could head to my parents' house for a Halloween party and trick-or-treating. She was Snow White and her cousin was Dopey. She walked from house to house for hours and was a little trooper. This is the first year she's gone trick-or-treating. So, at the first house, she walked right in. After about 3 houses, she got the hang of it. She slept in her Snow White costume last night and is still wearing it today. I think the holiday was a success!

Weekend Update - Hanging in the ATL

Last weekend, Husband and I flew to Atlanta for his boss's wedding.  Little Miss spent the weekend with my parents.  We arrived in Atlanta around noon.  We had a quick lunch and took a glorious nap.  In the evening, we attended the wedding and had a great time.  Being giant losers, we pretty much went right to bed after the festivities.


On Saturday, we woke up and went to lunch at Chick-Fil-A.  It was super yummy.  Then, a bunch of us went to a sports bar to watch college football.  One of Husband's co-workers and I took a walk around downtown Atlanta through the Olympic Centennial Park and around the area with the aquarium and World of Coca-Cola.  I also bought Little Miss a t-shirt.  We went to a sushi place for dinner and then went to another bar before driving to meet up with people from the wedding.  We stayed for a brief time at the new bar before heading back to the hotel to pack.


On Sunday, we woke up early to head back home.  We picked up Little Miss, went grocery shopping and went home.  Husband watched football while Little Miss and I took a nap.  It was a long weekend, but it was a lot of fun.  We have a relaxing weekend coming up so, depending on the weather, we may do something local or just do nothing at all.  Both are somewhat appealing.



Weekend Update - Happy Anniversary!

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Last Friday, I believe I went to bed obscenely early. We tried to give Little Miss a bath and she pitched a fit and said she wanted to go to bed. So, we put her to bed and told her that she had to have a bath in the morning.


On Saturday, I woke up with Little Miss. She pitched a 2-hour fit over taking a bath. She woke up Husband on his morning to sleep late. Finally, she took a bath for him. However, because of the fit, we did not get a pumpkin as planned. She also did not get any morning television. In her thin defense, she has not been feeling 100%. Still, simmer down already. Saturday afternoon, Sister came over to babysit while Husband and I celebrated our 11th anniversary by seeing The Town. Then, we went to Ray's the Steaks for a nice dinner.


On Sunday, it was a comedy of errors as we ran around trying to get Little Miss up and ready and get the place ready for friends to come over. Husband's work department came over to watch football. It ended up being a lot of fun. We had good food and drink. Little Miss loved the new people and attention. Then, we had a quiet evening of watching a little tv while relaxing. The weekend may not have gone exactly as planned, but it was a good one overall.

Weekend Update - Fall Fair

Last Friday, we waited until Little Miss was home and then went grocery shopping. She was a little cranky because it was bedtime, but she was a trooper. She went right to bed when we got home. We did take out for dinner and settled in for a quiet night on the couch.


On Saturday, Husband woke up with Little Miss even though it's his day off (but he was up watching golf anyway). I enjoyed sleeping late and finally woke up and took Little Miss to Fairfax for Fall for Fairfax with Sister and Nephew. The kids had a blast. There were jumping structures, a petting zoo, junk food.  It was a lot warmer than I expected, but we still had fun. We had fun until nap time and Little Miss had a minor tantrum. At that point, we had some quiet time inside where she fell asleep. The binky doesn't always leave the house, but it's better than the public temper tantrum and it helped calm her down while Sister and Nephew played.  After, we went home, had dinner and went to bed.

On Sunday, Husband woke up again with Little Miss while I slept an obscene amount. Then, that pretty much summed up my day. Little Miss and I reclined on the couch and then we reclined in bed. In the evening, Little Miss asked to go to bed in the middle of dinner and ended up falling asleep on the couch. She woke up alert and hungry this morning. I suppose that's a successful weekend! Next weekend, we're onto the pumpkin patch and Husband and I celebrate our 11th anniversary.  Also, as much as I have little or no motivation, I will make an effort to decorate for Halloween.  I try to keep in the habit for Little Miss's sake.  She does so love the decorations around the holiday time.  I am pretty good at keeping up with them between Halloween and Christmas.

Weekend Update - Goodbye, September

Last Friday was an interesting evening. Little Miss was still trying to get over her potty training issue. As with last week, she starts on Friday and the issue plagues her for an entire weekend. However, Saturday, she seemed in good spirits. As a precaution, I put her in a pull-up just in case. I know there are arguments not to, but it's a temporary fix we're using until she starts to go. The holding it in is the first step we're trying to tackle.

On Saturday, Husband went to play golf. Little Miss and I got up and got ready and headed to Clarendon for Clarendon Day. It was super hot. We walked to Clarendon and walked around the festival-type street fair. Then, we took the Metro into the city for The National Book Festival. As soon as we got into the city, Little Miss fell asleep. So, I walked around and then head on back. We made another stop in Clarendon where Little Miss enjoyed a cupcake (see photo above) and then walked home. At that point, I took a nap and then we went on with the evening routine.

On Sunday, Husband's boss came over to watch football. Little Miss woke up, took a nap, and then we left the boys to go visit Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law and new nephew. It was a nice afternoon. Then, we hit the grocery store and went home. Then, that evening, Little Miss pooped on the potty. I know this doesn't mean much to almost any of you, but this is a big deal because it's been a traumatizing time for Little Miss. She did bawl the entire time, but she stopped crying when she was done (usually, she cries before, during and after for hours). So, she got a candy reward and we praised her Lionel Ritchie style - all-night long. So, it was a long, tiring weekend, but it was fun. October weekends also have a lot of fun things in store so hopefully, we'll continue on a good path.

Weekend Updates - September is Almost Gone?!

The weekend after Labor Day, I went to a friend's condo for brunch. She's getting married in May and had her mother and bridal party over for brunch and then we all went out to try on bridesmaid dresses. We went to a store that should not be named, and we had a less than pleasant experience that resulted in no dress. So, we went to White Swan Bridal nearby and had a dress in less than an hour. It is the dress pictured. Well, it would have taken longer, but I had to leave to be home for Little Miss. After I got home, another friend, Little Miss and I went out to dinner.

The next day, we went to my parents' house. My dad had kidney stones so we thought we'd pop in and see how he was doing. While there, Little Miss showed off her amazing potty skills, and we took a nice nap. We also stayed for dinner.


Last weekend, we woke up and got ready and saw the Washington Capitals practice. We met Brother-in-Law and Nephew. Father-in-Law also met us. The kids weren't too amused so we took a walk while Husband and Father-in-Law stayed and watched the Caps. We had lunch in the food court and then head home.


A note on the rest of our weekend: for the extra-sensitive or those without children, you could stop reading now. Or, if you're on Facebook, you've probably heard all this drama already.


Little Miss has an issue. She really potty-trained overnight. She wears a pull-up or diapers when she sleeps, but she's really great at going to the potty. She also never has emergencies. She tells us in plenty of time to go which is thoughtful of her. We know that pooping on the potty is the last thing to really click, but she seemed to be having more difficulty than the average bear. Before, during and after, she'll scream and need to be held - for as long as an hour or two. Long story short, we went to the doctor on Monday who informed us that it is perfectly normal (and if you Google this, it seems everybody has this issue - but I don't care about everybody, I only care about me). She has some remedies we're trying so we'll see how it goes. It'll be a process.


On happier news, she really love school. I attribute her quick potty training to the fact she sees other kids doing it. Plus, she's so proud of herself which is nice to see. She comes home with pictures and paintings almost every day she goes to school. She doesn't talk about school, but she's excited to go so she must like it. We heard from other parents that their kids don't talk much about school either but love it. One noticeable change is that she is happily helping clean up her toys. She was always good about it, but now she has such a pleasant attitude about it.   Obviously, I've been horrible about taking photos, but I hope to take many this weekend.  I have an ambitious weekend planned so we'll see how successful I am at achieving all of it.

Vacation Update - I Tumble 4 Ya

First, I need to say that the above post is only cute when you're 2. I shudder to think what it would look like if you took a picture of me in that pose. Anyway, Little Miss likes sneaking up behind me, leaning over my shoulder and tumbling over me. I pull her over and she tucks and rolls. At the beach she worked her way through a bunch of somersaults - some more graceful than others. It was really cute so I took video... and posted below.

Vacation Update - the Boardwalk

The night Hurricane Earl visited, we had a nice, quiet dinner and ice cream (even if Little Miss didn't eat her dinner - hey, it's vacation). Then, we went to the boardwalk. She was so enamored by all the lights and sounds and smells. We narrowly escaped riding the tramcar which she stared at longingly. However, we didn't escape rides. She rode a kiddie ride with various vehicles (she rode the train). Then, she rode on a train with me. Next, she rode the boats (above) and the motorcycles. We finished the night on the Merry-Go-Round. She then pretty much said she wanted to go home and to bed which we did but not before we bought her a t-shirt which she promptly hugged all the way home. She loves rides. She's so good, sits still, holds on. On the boats, she loved ringing the bell. She's just so happy when riding the rides, it's hard not to be happy right along with her.

Vacation Update - Hurricane Earl

If you look at the above photo, you can see the walkway to the beach and how the water comes up over the walkway. This walkway usually only extends about halfway down the beach. In the photo below, you can see the walkway ends around where the lighter colored sand is. This is basically the only effect the hurricane had on our vacation. However, it is amazing to see the darker sand that signifies the water line the day before. The waves were pretty big during the entire vacation, but on Friday, the water was more violent and it was overcast. We didn't go into the ocean that day (and couldn't even if we wanted to as the beach patrol was pretty strict). Still, it is nice that Earl changed course and didn't ruin the weekend or even the day.

Vacation Update - Little Miss Sandy

On Thursday, we arrived at the beach and got in as much time as possible because, at that point, we weren't sure how much Hurricane Earl was going to influence our vacation plans. Little Miss just dropped straight to the sand. I took a picture, but I don't think it adequately shows how sandy she really got. It took Husband 3 washings to even get her hair to lather in the shower. That's not counting the fact that I could literally shovel the sand out of her ears.

Okay, if you click on the photo, it will enlarge it and it will show a fine layer of sand on her face, arms, and legs.

Weekend Update - Social Butterfly

Very few photos from this weekend as well. I slacked off this month after vacation. Let's see. On Friday, I read. I finished the book club book and then I watched tv (I cleared out 3 entire shows from my DVR during the last week). On Saturday, Little Miss and I had a pleasant day. We woke up and got ready. My parents came over for brunch where I made Baked French Toast with raspberries and blueberries. Then, Little Miss took a nap and spent the night with the In-Laws. I met my book club at Maggiano's to talk about the book, Eat Pray Love. Then, we all went to see the film. It was a super fun night. On the way home, I picked up some ice cream from Coldstone Creamery, and I've been eating it ever since. Little Miss did help me a little yesterday. I plan to eat the rest tonight perhaps. It's amazing how long a small lasts when I take it home.

On Sunday, I slept late which was glorious and finished a book. Then, I showered and got ready to pick up Little Miss. We tried a nap, but it was unsuccessful so we had to go to a friend's surprise party with no nap. She was a tad bit restless to say the least. So, after cake, we head home. She slept all the way which made the night a little off-kilter. She had a bath and then had some dry cereal for dinner and then went to bed. A half hour later, she stood up and said she was hungry and wanted an egg. So, I made her an egg which she didn't eat because she said she was tired and went to bed. After not strangling her, I settled on the couch to finally watch fast-forwarding through the Emmy's. I agree with many of the blogs and articles out there. It may not have been the best Emmy ceremony, but I was glad new faces were granted Emmys and to see the new faces act like they genuinely appreciates the recognition. However, I would have liked it if Friday Night Lights won something on the big night. (Funny sidenote: I told Kyle Chandler "I love you" when he flashed on screen and a tiny voice from a back bedroom replied "Love you" back. I didn't have the heart to tell her I wasn't talking to her but to her imaginary daddy.)

And thus ends August. Seriously, where did this year go? It's like a science-fiction film where time just is sucked out by a giant wormhole by a dying alien race. Also, good news - Husband is en route home after being in New Orleans since last Tuesday. I plan on celebrating by sleeping and not worrying about every little noise in the apartment.