Weekend Update - Happy New Year!

For New Year's, we head out to the parents' mountain house. Uncle, Aunt, Cousins, Sister, Sister's Boyfriend, Nephew, and the parents were all there already. Sister and her boyfriend left the first full day we were there so we celebrated Christmas that day. It was a big orgy of presents as Christmas should be. Then, we had a big dinner and played Scattergories. Later, we all rang in the new year (well, the kids had gone to bed).

The next day, we all got up to go skiing. It was raining, but we pushed on. Little Miss was great. We took her up a couple of times, but Mom and I were poor teachers and she's a giant lead weight. So, then, Dad had a moment and took some time with her and she progressed much better. When she had enough, she and Nephew went home with Uncle while the rest of us skied.

The day after we head home.  A big storm was heading in so we all got up and got going.  Then, it was school and work the next day.  It was a good time even though time goes by quickly!  Video below of Little Miss showing the slope who's boss.

Weekend Update - Merry Christmas!

I worked a full day the Thursday before Christmas, but after work, I met friends and went to a movie.  It was nice to get together before the holidays hit and it was going to be weeks before we could get together again.  I did have Friday off. It was a nice relaxing day. On Saturday, we lounged around the house and then got ready to host Christmas Eve dinner. We went to church and then had the In-Laws over for dinner.


On Christmas morning, Little Miss woke up and came into our room to whisper, "There are presents under our tree!"

So, of course, we had to get up and open presents. It was nice. We had time to open presents and play with all her new toys. Santa didn't give her too much because she was going to be spoiled by the family, but she was happy. Then, she and I took a nice nap before we went to the Inlaws' apartment for dinner. She was thoroughly spoiled as expected.

The day after Christmas, we were off from work. We took Little Miss to the park to blow bubbles and play at the playground. She had a blast. Then, we went grocery shopping which is one of her favorite things to do. After, there was naptime and dinner.

All in all, it was a nice holiday and relaxing. I think Little Miss had a good Christmas, and that's all that counts.

Oh, in regards to that second picture, she's obsessed with Pinkalicious.  So, she wore her new Pinkalicious t-shirt and dressed in pink from head to toe.  This was the only way to convince her to wear clothes on Christmas.  As a bonus, Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law and Nephew bought her the book and stuffed doll as a Christmas present.  She's been sleeping with the doll every night since.

Weekend Update - A Little Bit of This and That

On Friday and Saturday nights, Husband and I made hundreds of potato and cheese pierogi. Saturday, during the day, Little Miss and I went to the library, I think. We did something in the morning. Then, we took a very lengthy afternoon nap. That part I do remember. On Sunday, Little Miss and I went to brunch for book club. Afterwards, we walked to the bakery where they had a free decorate your own cookie activity.

You'll remember that we're trying to get Little Miss to try new foods. Last Sunday night, she tried pierogi and kielbasa as a nod to her Polish half. The kielbasa (or hot dog as she called it) got a thumbs up. The pierogi did not pass muster. Still, our experiment has been going well so far.  The picture above is Little Miss eating kielbasa on seeded rye. 

On Monday, school was cancelled.  Little Miss has had a productive cough for about a week now.  On Monday morning, she threw up all over Husband.  I swear I didn't laugh.  Much.  So, I took her to the doctor as a precaution.  It turns out her cough is nothing.  It turns out she wasn't quite herself because of a diagnosed double ear infection.  So, she's on an antibiotic.  She's a bit easily worn down and extra sensitive, but she is mostly back to herself.  She did go to school on Wednesday after staying home Tuesday.  We figured it was important she go today because there is no school until January 3.


So, now it's just a mad dash to prepare for Christmas!  Little Miss has already started getting the first of her presents.  She's definitely embraced the spiritual and commercial side of Christmas this year but with a good balance, I think.

Weekend Update - It's All a Blur

Seriously.  It's all a blur.  I have no idea what we did.  On Friday, Husband and I went grocery shopping.  Little Miss came home and we hung out.  I fell asleep on the couch watching tv until Husband noticed and told me to go to bed. Saturday kind of flew right by.  Seriously, I can't remember a single thing we did on Saturday.  On Sunday, Little Miss and I walked to CVS to run some errands and took a picture with Santa.  Well, her picture was taken with Santa.  I watched and paid.  That's it.  It flew.

On Tuesday, I took off of work to help out at the preschool. The kids were cute. They all called me Little Miss's Mom the whole time. After school, Little Miss was excited when I picked her up. We then went to the grocery store, she took a very long nap, and then we walked to the library. Little Miss has been really enjoying our trip to the library though sometimes, she is sad to return the books.

This weekend, we have a busy one planned - Christmas cooking and book club. So, I'll have more to report over the next few weeks than I did last weekend.

Weekend Update - Living Like it's 2006!

Well, Thursday, I took a half day from work, got a pedicure and then drove Little Miss to my parents. We celebrated Sister's birthday and then Little Miss spent the night. On Friday, my parents took both grandchildren to NYC for the Radio City show and other holiday sights around the city. So, we had the whole weekend to ourselves, without a child, to do with as we pleased.

So, on Friday night, I went to a friend's house for a Jewelry and Chocolate party and sipped a chocolate martini and laughed and shopped. Then, on Saturday, I slept late. Then, I slept some more. Then, I pretty much showered and went to dinner with a friend. We had a few cocktails and then went to a late movie.

On Sunday, I slept late again! Then, I met Sister for lunch and we had a cocktail and did some Christmas shopping. After, we met our parents and kids, had dinner, and closed up the weekend. I know Little Miss had fun, but I think she was really glad to be home.

Little Miss has her own Christmas tree. It is her favorite because of the red lights and is an extra night light as well. So, her punishment after last weekend's behavior was that she lost the Christmas tree for one week. Plus, there was a lot of communication between all of us and apologies all around. Anyway, after a glowing report on her behavior in NYC, she got all her Christmas toys and tree back.  So, good weekend all around!

Weekend Update - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, we woke up when Little Miss woke up. We all got ready and left the house to get our Christmas tree. Per our usual routine, we drove halfway and stopped at IHOP for brunch and then drove the rest of the way to the tree farm. After Little Miss introduced herself to the owner's kids and horses, we searched out the perfect tree.  The tree above is the one Little Miss picked out.

We chose the one above which looks small in the picture, but it is not.  We trimmed the top a bit, but it is much fuller than trees we've gotten in the past.  I'll post a picture later all decorated.  We had some last minute fixing throughout the last week or so.

On Saturday, Husband went to hit some golf balls and run some errands. I'd love to say Little Miss and I took advantage of the time and did lots of things. In the morning, we had breakfast and walked to the library. Then, we ate lunch. Then, we napped until 6:30. Seriously. I actually woke up earlier, but I read in bed while she slept. It was glorious.

 

On Sunday, Little Miss and I met a friend for lunch at Cafe Deluxe. It was really nice, and everyone treated Little Miss very well. We walked around the area and then watched Little Miss play on the playground. Then, we settled in to watch The Muppets. As expected, Little Miss slept through a bit of it. Then, she woke up and watched a little. Then, she flipped out. So, we left the theater early and she was punished. Still, it was a learning/teaching moment. It also came in handy the following week. She took the punishment like a champ though.

Weekend Update - Thanksgiving

That's Toby. He's my parents' cat. That's what he did all through Thanksgiving - until he nibbled at Little Miss's cupcake, but I get ahead of myself.

We had a very relaxing Thanksgiving. I woke up with Little Miss at 8:30. Then, we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. In between, I showered and got ready. Then, after the parade, Little Miss helped me make cranberry sauce and roasted butternut squash. She loves to help in the kitchen, and I try very hard to let her help even though my inner neat freak goes a little crazy.

At 1PM, we went to my parents' house and hung out with them and my grandfather. Little Miss liked having 100% of the attention and 100% of the use of nephew's toys. I think she missed her playmate and cousin though. We had an early dinner and left in time for Little Miss to make her bedtime.

When we got home, Little Miss went straight to sleep. She actually fell asleep in the car and then slept on the couch for a little while before we carried her to bed. In the meantime, we cleaned the apartment and got the Christmas decorations all ready because Black Friday is when we get our Christmas tree every year. (See next post.)

Weekend Update - Super Saturday

On Friday, Husband and I did our grocery shopping before Little Miss came home so we would have a nice, quiet evening with her. On Saturday, we had a big day.

Little Miss and I got up early and met Sister and Nephew at the mall for holiday pictures. Then, we picked up some lunch and went to my Parents' house to eat. Little Miss and Nephew played and then we met Husband at our friends' house for their son's birthday. They have a daughter who is Little Miss's age, and Little Miss loves them. Also, Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law and Nephew showed up. Little Miss had a blast and then passed out cold on the way home and didn't wake up until the next morning.

On Sunday, I slept gloriously late. We had a family breakfast. Then, Little Miss and I took a walk to the library. After the walk, Little Miss and I took a nap. Then, we woke up, had dinner and pretty much went back to bed. A perfect Sunday.

Weekend Update - Wedding Bells

Last Friday, I left work to drive Little Miss from one set of grandparents to the other where she spent the whole weekend which included a sleepover with Nephew.  So, she had a blast.


On Saturday morning, Husband and I drove to NJ for a wedding. We made good time, had a quick lunch at a diner and then attended the wedding and reception. It was a really good time with good friends. Unfortunately, Husband wasn't feeling well on Friday and got worse on Saturday, but he made it through the wedding and 3/4 of the reception.


On Sunday, Husband drove us to the Parkway and then I drove the rest of the way home (so you know he was sick!) I dropped him home and then went to pick up Little Miss and spend a little time with my grandparents. It was a crazy busy and fast weekend, but it was a lot of fun by all.

Weekend Update

Last weekend, we had a good weekend with Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law and Nephew.  I forget what we did on Friday, but I'm sure it was low key. 

On Saturday, Little Miss and I went to the library and chose new books.  Then, we came home for lunch, and she took a nap.  Afterwards, we went to Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law's apartment.  We chatted and ate and watched the kids and ate and then got pizza.  We tried to keep Little Miss up later than usual so she could adjust to the time change the next day, and she handled it ok.

On Sunday, we met Sister-in-Law and Nephew at the mall for holiday portraits.  This is the first year that Little Miss was absolutely perfect.  Poor Nephew is entering the phase that his cousin just exited.  Still, I think the pictures came out well.  After, we grabbed some lunch and then head for home.  Little Miss napped on the way home and then wouldn't nap once we got home which is fine. 

Good weekend overall!

Halloween

Today was a long day. I took a half day from work to see Little Miss's Halloween Parade as I missed last year. I worked the other half from home. First, I helped some of the kids get ready in their costumes and then watched as they paraded around the parking lot area of the school. They were all just the cutest things ever. Then, there was a big party with lots of food and drink, but it was much more organized than I expected.

After, I took Little Miss home early from school. We ate lunch, and then she took a reluctant nap. After she woke up, I wrangled her into her costume. At this point, she decided she no longer wanted to be a pirate. She was quite cranky all day today. Once we got to my parents' house, she was all in pirate mood once again at least.

On the way to my parents', we stopped in my work to show off the costume (and beg for candy). So, she started the night with a nice bag full of loot. When we got to my parents' house, Sister, Nephew and Brother-in-Law showed up shortly after that. We all had dinner and then got ready to go trick or treating. Last year, Little Miss got the concept, but it was a lot of walking for her little legs and the big kids ran ahead so fast. This year, she could keep up with the big kids (well, nephew anyway). She was allowed one piece of candy and then I changed her into her pjs for the ride home. She couldn't wait to show Husband all her candy and tell him about her night. Then, she was pretty agreeable to brushing her teeth and going straight to bed. I have no doubt we'll all sleep well tonight.

The above photo is the best I could do especially considering those kids didn't sit still for a single second. Good thing we have some from the week before, and we have plenty of pictures of them separately.

Weekend Update - Birthday and Halloween

Little Miss's actual birthday was last Friday. Husband and I hurried to get grocery shopping out of the way so we could spend some time with her in the evening. You can see her evening here.

On Saturday, we had a big day. We got ready, bundled up and went to the bookstore to see Laura Numeroff. Her new book is If You Give a Dog a Donut. We met Mom, Sister, and Nephew for lunch and then the booksigning. When we left the booksigning, it was SNOWING! We got a little dusting, but it fell fast and furious for moments. After the booksigning, we met up with Sister-in-Law and the other Nephew at a birthday party. Then, we head home.

On Sunday, we had a well-deserved day off. I also wasn't feeling 100% so I spent a lot of time in bed or on the couch.

There's a Spider on Yo Head

Bonus points if you know what movie I paraphrased.

This year, we carved a pumpkin for the first time (I think Husband may have helped me with one when we were first together, but it was a poor attempt). You can see my efforts in this previous post, but here it is again:

I was pretty pleased with it.

Happy Birthday, Little Miss!

If you click here, you can see Little Miss Birthday first thing this morning with her birthday shirt and cupcake hat (though you can't see the cupcake portion of the hat).

When she got home, we gave her a cupcake and sang Happy Birthday to her.  Then, she sang Happy Birthday to herself.

Weekend Update - My Girl Wants to Party All the Time

Last Friday, we went grocery shopping to get prepared for Little Miss's birthday party. We did quite a bit the night before and still got to bed at a reasonable hour which is a first for us.


On Saturday, my parents and sister and nephew came over to help set up the community room in our apartment building and then the masses descended at 2PM. It seems like the kids had fun based on the noise and chaos. We had things for them to color and the kids could make their own bookmarks or decorate their own little pumpkin gourd. Then, we had cake (as seen below). Father-in-Law baked the cake and it was delicious!

We had friends coming from out of town so they and others came up to our apartment. The kids had a blast hanging out together. Needless to say, we all slept well that night.


On Sunday, Little Miss and I went through her gifts and set everything up. Then, we went grocery shopping where she fell asleep in the grocery store cart (you can see video of her drifting to sleep in the cart here). Amazingly, she was wide awake enough to get free ice cream at Baskin-Robbins. (You can see how much she perked up if you click here.)


That pretty much summed up our very fast weekend. Little Miss had a blast and then counted down to her "actual birthday party" which is what she called her birth date.

Weekend Update - Fall Fun

Last Friday, we had our usual grocery shopping night and then a quiet evening in.


On Saturday, Little Miss and I woke up and got ready to go to Oktoberfest at her school. There were inflatable slides and obstacle courses, food, crafts and all sorts of fun. It was a nice way to spend a morning. Sister and Nephew joined us. Then, the four of us went to Silver Diner for lunch. After, Little Miss and I went our separate way and to the library for new books. Then, she spent the night with the In-Laws.


Husband and I took advantage of the free night and celebrated our 12th anniversary. My parents were nice enough to get us gift certificates to Legal Sea Foods where I had a lovely apple sangria, cream of crab soup and stuffed shrimp - I took most of the shrimp home which Husband and I shared for lunch the next day. Then, we went to see a movie on the parents. It was a great night.


On Sunday, I almost slept late but then Mom called me to chat. After, I got up and went shopping for Little Miss's birthday party and for her present. Never have a Halloween-themed birthday party and go shopping the weekend before Halloween. The party store was a mad house. Little Miss came home and we did her homework. Then, I went to Oyamel to meet friends for dinner. It was a great evening complete with a great margarita.


Quick week until a big weekend coming up - friends and family and Little Miss's friends from school all coming for Little Miss's 4th birthday party.

Weekend Update - Cousins!!!

Last Friday, we did our usual routine of grocery shopping after work. Then, we all were beat after a long week at work. Plus, we had a big weekend coming up.

On Saturday, we woke up at our usual time (8-ish) and had breakfast and got ready to go. We left the apartment to go to Butler's Orchard for their Pumpkin Festival. Little Miss had a great time sliding down slides, playing on jungle gyms, and just running all over the place. Then, in the afternoon, we met Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law and Nephew at the pumpkin patch to pick our pumpkin. We, of course, hit the store afterwards to get pumpkin seeds and cider. After we went hit The Kielbasa Factory for some kielbasa and then went to dinner at Matchbox. We were plenty beat after that, and I'm not embarrassed to say that I barely stayed awake past Little Miss.

On Sunday, Sister and Nephew came over and Little Miss and I joined them in walking to the playground. The kids played, had a snack and then we hit the library on the way home for some books and a DVD. The weekend went quickly, but we all had a lot of fun. Little Miss so loves her cousins!

Weekend Update - Family Time

On Friday, I picked up Little Miss on the way home and we met friends and their two kids.  We had dinner in our neighborhood at The Front Page and then went to our apartment for dessert.  The Front Page is really great with the kids. They bring them snacks as soon as we sit down and crayons and then serve them their food first. After dinner, the little ones get a little toy (Little Miss chose a bouncy ball which I'm sure we've already lost). The kids really had a good time.  Little Miss was sad to say goodbye and asked to see them again on Saturday.  We had plans to, but then the weather turned out awful. 


On Saturday, our plan was to take family pictures in the morning except we hit horrendous traffic and got there over an hour late.  The very nice people at The Picture People took us almost as soon as we got there regardless and were very efficient at taking the pictures.  Little Miss allowed herself to be posed and gave us mostly good smiles.  It was painless!  After, Husband went to get new license plates for our new car while Little Miss and I had lunch with Sister, her boyfriend, and Nephew.  Then, Little Miss and I saw Sister's new house and then hung out at my parents' place until after dinner. 

On Sunday, Little Miss and I ran errands and took a nap and did our Sunday routine - eating, sleeping, more eating, bath time.  I read quite a bit.  It was a relatively relaxing day which is rare this month.

Weekend Update Videos

Here are the kids climbing up the ladder to slide down the slide (sorry, I'm too short to get them sliding down). The second video is the inflatable obstacle course. They ran through that quite 3-4 times. Lots of fun in a short time. Plus, all of the activities (that we did) were free which is the best part!

Weekend Update - Clarendon Day

Last Friday, we went grocery shopping and kept the kid out way too late, but it made for a pleasant Saturday morning. I woke up with her on Saturday. We had a lovely morning. Then, Sister came by with Nephew. The kids played and then the three of us walked to Clarendon. They had fun on all the inflatable exhibits - jumping castle (well, barrel of monkeys), inflatable slide and inflatable obstacle course. They were great, and I knew it would tire them out considerably. It tired them out so much that we took the Metro home instead of walking. We met Brother-in-Law at the mall and had lunch and ice cream. After, Brother-in-Law took Nephew and Little Miss and I went home to nap.

On Sunday, I actually woke up with Little Miss (Husband had many weekend mornings because Little Miss preferred him and who was I to argue). Then, when Husband woke up, I went back for a little snooze. His friends came over for football which made Little Miss thrilled. Then, we had bath night, dinner and bedtime. Stay tuned for some short videos of the kids!