Happy Birthday Don!

Its been 36 years.

(if my scanner worked, I'd insert a photo of sweet little Don here)

A wise, younger Don once said a man really only needed a few things in life to be happy.

A truck

A good dog
A boat

A bike

And a nice wife :)

Everything else is icing on the cake!

Camping
Baby girl

Swinging

Saturday morning coffee

Surfboards

Skipping rocks in far off places


Clemson Games

Building sandcastles.

Not only have you been blessed, but you are a blessing. We love you!!!

Monsters!

I picked Kate up from Nanna's yesterday. "Ma ma ma ma" she says. Then she begins to point. "Mon! Mon," she says. The n's are mostly silent. It was definitely not Ma ma. "What's that sweetie?" "Mon, Mon," she says. And then I see him. The Monster in a book on the floor. "Oh yes," says my Mother. "We've been waiting all afternoon to show you the Monster in this book."

As I'm changing her this morning she looks over into the toy basket. "Mon! Mon!" And so I hand her the pink monster. Lets just hope Monsters remain a happy thing at our house and don't start hiding under beds and in closets....

*special thanks to Sean and Winnie for the pink and green monsters. What a hit!

Not Me! Monday!

In an effort to banish my lazy Monday ways, I'm going to try my best to post a respectable Not Me! Please remember to check out MckMama's website for more fabulous not me fun. She did start this whole thing. She even manages a Not Me! With 4 kids? What's my excuse? That's right. I don't have one.

Kate is quite the little reader. Now she's figured out that if she brings the books, we will read them. I did not, after having read her favorite book 3 or more times, whisper: "You know who loves to read this book? Daddy. Yep, I think its Daddy's favorite book." Because if I did that she would take off, toddling along holding her book up in the air for Daddy to read. And like a good Daddy, he would read it.

I did not go to pour yogurt out of the large yogurt container and spill yogurt all over the counter top. I've learned that lesson before and would never repeat it!

I did not leave Kate in her crib the other night whining and fussing because I really, really wanted to eat one of those hot, gooey chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven - with a glass of cold milk. No way, I run in there right away when she begins to fuss.

And here are a few Kate pictures to start your week off right!

Monkey Flamingo on my back!


Maybe she's getting tired of me taking her picture standing in the dog food bowl. What do you think?

Full

My brain and my weekend. Both. Full. So much to think about after the last few days.

1. I love you Netflix, but I think I may have watched too many documentaries.

Food Inc. left me motivated to boycott high fructose corn syrup and eat all organic. Don said he might become a vegetarian. Granted, it is a documentary, so its pretty dramatic, but there is a lot of truth there that really made me think twice about the food I put in my body. I do like to buy organic when I can. I don't like the idea of feeding Kate food with lots of preservatives and meat with hormones and antibiotics. Did you know that cows are fed an all corn diet? Did you know that they shed most of the E. coli in their intestines if on an all grass diet for a short period of time? E. coli makes around 73,000 people sick every year and kills around 60. Seems like a no brainer to me. Good film. Big business rules. That stinks in a lot of ways.

Then today Don and I (and Kate) watched Hotel Rwanda. Not a documentary, but a "based on a true story" film about a Rawandan Hutu that risks his life to save over 1800 Rwandans (both Hutu and Tutsis). I couldn't help but walk through my house, holding my sweet child, and feel lucky that thug rebels weren't beating on our door threatening to kill us or pulling our neighbors into the streets and attacking them with machetes. I'm aware of so many things we take for granted, but death at the hands of our own citizens in a brutal civil war isn't one I think of most days. Since I don't like to get too political on this blog, I'll stop here. :)

Here's hoping that our next Netflix film is brainless.

2. Andre Bower is NOT a nice guy.

And I'm sad to say that I voted for him once, before I knew much about him (you know, before he was above the law and everything). Anyway, Andre has taken to comparing the poor to stray animals and suggesting that we stop offering free lunch and feeding the poor. Yeah, because the best way to help the poor get out of the hole they live in is to punish their children. You know, because feeding poor children nutritious meals so that they can actually get something out of school might just lead to them getting an education. Yeah, yeah, I know people live off of the system. I also support welfare reform. BUT guess what? Not that I speak from any direct experience, but being poor has got to stink, even if you are living off the system. I have no faith that Andre Bauer (who is running for Governor) would support social programs to help these people after he takes their food. It does take money, afterall, and politicians are scared to death to raise taxes $1 in this state. Sad thing is, he said it knowing that such a bold statement would get him more votes. Its easy to say you agree.. especially if, like Andre, you've never missed a meal because you couldn't afford to eat. Enough about that. Here's the link to read it. Is this guy for real? Has he been sharing Joe Wilson's Kool-Aid again?

3. Getting old isn't any fun.

My grandmother most likely has Alzheimer's. She's pretty paranoid and very, very angry at everyone around her. I've never known her to be a real ray of sunshine, but its sad to see. It is very hard on my Mom and her sisters. To see their mother held down and sedated. I've learned so much watching my parents care for their parents.

4. Teething and traveling don't mix.

A teething toddler and a 1.5 hour drive home from Charlotte is not a good thing. She did enjoy the shopping though.

Rode a lamb at PB kids.

Picked out a toddler bed.


4. We have the World's Most Patient Cat.

Cat hat hood?

Foot rest?

Cat or seat?

Truce.


How did it get to be so late? Off to bed. I'm hoping to curl up under my electric blanket and listen to thunder roll outside. And, if I get my beauty rest, perhaps there is a Not Me! Monday in our future.

Giggles

There's nothing better than coming home after a long day at work than this... nothing.

us

Its hard to get 1 picture of the 3 of us.

Here we are in 2!





And just in case you own a Graco stroller. You should probably click HERE. You know, just to be on the safe side.

World's Greatest Mysteries

The world is full of unsolved mysteries. I think there was even a TV show, or something, about them: alien abductions, crop circles, Stonehenge, Bermuda Triangle, feeding toddlers, Incan civilization. What? You were unaware that toddler mealtime made the list? Ok, maybe it didn't really make the list. But it should have.

I've had this kid for a little over a year now and I can't think of a single thing that is more perplexing than feeding a child. Babies are a piece of cake: breastmilk and/or formula. They take what they want and then they go to sleep. Honestly, I'd feel more comfortable in a physics class than I do when planning meals for Kate. If you knew how I felt about physics and what a complete mystery it is to me, you would probably be shocked to hear that admission. At any rate, I'm winging it here and she hasn't starved yet...

Mystery #1 - Exactly how much is she supposed to be eating?

I was comforted when my friend Kristy told me that some days her little boy "existed solely on air," and that at most they "could usually get him to drink milk, but sometimes that was it." So, I've decided not to worry. She does eat, so as long as she doesn't skip too many meals, I'm not going to be concerned.

Here was dinner tonight:


Doesn't it look tasty? I was quite proud of myself for fixing a well rounded, finger food friendly, yummy dinner. (note: she usually eats what we do, but tonight it wasn't kid friendly) Kate? Not so impressed. Some nights she gobbles stuff down like she can't get enough, and some nights you're good to get her to eat a quarter of what's on this plate. Thanks Kristy for suggesting the wagon wheels. She couldn't cram enough in her mouth last night, but tonight she tried to throw all of them on the floor. (side note: the cat is not a fan of wagon wheels and less a fan of peas) I even included her favorite standbys - cheese, peas and peaches. I find that feeling proud about the meal you fixed is a recipe for rejection.

Mystery #2 - When can she eat grilled cheese sandwiches?

I find that anything larger than a half of a piece of banana is frightening. I read someone's website that said that one of their one-year-old's favorite foods was a chicken nugget. Huh? So, I consulted a friend and took the plunge this weekend. It went ok. She didn't choke, but this leads to mystery #3.

Mystery #3 - Will she always try to cram the entirety of whatever she is holding into her mouth?

There is really no such thing as "taking a bite." As much of whatever she has in hand goes in the mouth. My grilled cheese experiment was a chance to "teach" Kate that you take bites of such large things. Eh. I guess we're learning.

She really is a pretty good eater, all things considered. It still remains a mystery to me whether she gets enough or enough of the right stuff.

In other news.

Kate loves balls, so we bought her this one at Target. She likes to carry it around.


Oh, and I'm so tired of poinsettias. Really tired of them. They're all over my house and you've got to water them continuously. I can really only handle fake plants or succulents. I might drive them all over to Mom's tomorrow and let her water them for as long as she likes.

Picture Perfect Weekend

This weekend was pretty darn close to perfect. A Friday off-day, Saturday in Hartsville, Sunday at home playing outside and Monday off for MLK (Jenny, not Don). And now, even though it is my bedtime, I am eating a peppermint patty and sharing all of the fun pictures I took this weekend. I considered blogging Sunday and breaking them up, but did not get sidetracked by my latest guilty pleasure... Netflix!

Kate has taken to climbing recently. I've caught her on the toy box and her little table. This was a fun series showing her climbing prowess. Future rock climber? Conqueror of Mt. Everest!?!







The weather was perfect on Sunday. Perfect for a ride outside on the new tricycle. It was, just like everything is with Kate, a hit.

Getting ready to ride.


Down the sidewalk


Playing frisbee with Foster.


And Soccer with Dad.

Don demonstrates hitting the ball off of his head.


Kate's turn. What? Dad? That will hurt my head!



Future soccer star.

Holiday MLK Memorial Tea. With Ragedy Ann. I didn't hear the whole conversation, but I'm certain I made out the words equal rights and something about judging people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. Little Democrat.


Kitty Cat hugs.


And more climbing.


We also managed to do some shopping and Kate played at Nanna's while I took a jog around the neighborhood. Now the house is clean and laundry done and baby in bed. And I'm out of Peppermint Patty, so I'm going to bed too.

Book Review

Kate loves books. In fact, she reads books more than she does anything else. So, I thought that for those of you who have little book-lovers of your own or know some, I would let you in on Kate's favorites. Here are two. Don't get excited. These didn't win any Newberry or Caldecott Medals. We're not quite there yet. I'm talking board books.


The Sesame Street set of 12 mini board books aren't so good for reading as much as they are for taking out, putting in, carrying, and chewing on. Kate has her favorites too. Hand her the box and she will go straight to "Grover's Opposites" or "Cookie Monster Shares." I think Don read Grover's Opposites (in character) about 10 times one night. He would try to hide it from her, but that little booger is smart. What a nice Daddy

Then, we have Peter Rabbit and Friends, a set of 4 board books that cover Animals, Colors, Shapes, and Counting. Again... I think that opening the velcro flap and taking the books out is 70% of the fun. The books are awfully cute too.

In other news, she now knows what a snake says, so there's a lot of hissing going on in our house.

And finally, I ran across a nice post today on MckMama's blog. She's the one who started Not Me! Monday and is the mother of 4 - soon to be 5. Its a great reminder to cherish every moment with our children. :) Click HERE and enjoy.

Lucky 13

Maybe you don't know. Thirteen is my lucky number! So, it makes perfect sense that I would blog about Kate's 13 month birthday! What better way to spend your birthday than a tea party with Mama and a bath with Da and the cat?

Kate continues to impress us more and more every day. Not to take away from all of her wonderful accomplishments, but we're pretty easy to impress. Here are some of the fun things Kate is doing now.

She can say: Ball, Mama, Kitty, Da, Cheese, Go Tigers, Ba Ba (bottle), tick tock (clock), Diaper, Hey (or Hi)

She can tell you what these animals say: Cat, Elephant, Duck, Monkey, and Santa, even though he isn't really an animal

She also knows:

Where a bracelet goes.. and a necklace and a hat

Body parts (hers and ours): eyes, ears, hair, nose, belly button, feet, toes (piggies), hand

To bring you a fresh diaper and tell you that she's stinky when she is (ok, taking my Mom's word for it... I've never seen this)

How to brush her hair (and mine, and Don's)

How to stir sugar into and sip tea from a teacup (right before she bites it)

She likes to:

read books

take a bath

stand/sit in the dog food/water bowl

put stuffed animals in the dog and cat food/water bowls

watch the cat eat

pet the cat

chase the cat

ride her tricycle

go to Nanna's every morning

eat cheese and bananas

meet new people

play peek-a-boo and hide-and-go-seek

swing and slide

take things out (much more so than putting them in)

did I say read books?

She's the best! And of course we aren't at all biased in our opinion. Happy Birthday sweet baby girl. You're more fun than we ever dreamed of.

Weekend

Fun times this weekend:

Kate enjoyed her first trip to the art museum to see an Ansel Adams exhibit. It was REALLY cold (not the museum... the walk).



We washed the dog toys.

And enjoyed coffee downtown.

Not Me! Monday

It has been a LONG time since I posted an official Not Me! Perhaps my New Year's resolution is to be better about blogging Not Me's on Monday? That would be neat, but no. Oddly enough my "resolution" is to concentrate. If I would just stop and THINK about what I was doing, I could be so much more productive and not make so many silly blunders and mistakes. Wow, if I could really keep up with that, then Not Me! Mondays would become obsolete! No worries. Its not possible. Below is proof.

Let me start out by saying that I am totally using this centered layout on purpose. Its not because I can't figure out how to turn off the centering function.

I did not get home today and throw on the spaghetti sauce only to forget the noodles altogether. I did not have to be reminded by my polite husband, who did not say "is there some reason that you haven't started the noodles?"

I do not let my 1 year old wreck havoc on my pantry while I cook because it keeps her happy and occupied. I do not distract her with a large box hot chocolate packets, boxes of cereal, or empty orange juice containers. I did not look over and find her sitting on the top of her little table this past weekend. She did not drive her tricycle into the Christmas tree, almost toppling it.

My Mom is the queen of supersititions. Rarely do I meet someone who has heard of most of them. In our house you never do laundry on January 1 because you might wash someone out of your family. I did not just put one of Kate's shirts in the sink to "soak" on Jan 1. That would mean that I acutally believed in that crazy stuff. She also believes that you don't leave your Christmas decorations up after December 31. I did not still have my tree "up" On the 1st. I consider no ornaments and just lights to be "down."

I am so, so tired. At least Miss Kate is sleeping through the night now (for the most part). Here she is being entertained by Da while I cooked dinner (with noodles of course!!) tonight. Happy Monday!

Odds and Ends

Well, its the last day of vacation and tomorrow its back to the real world. Which, for me, isn't so bad. For now, Don and I are watching Clemson basketball under the warmth of our new electric blanket. Well, my side is toasty warm. The controller on Don's side doesn't work. Anyway, just a few fun pictures of Kate to end vacation. We had a great week and a half of family time.

Coffee time!

I'm not sure what this is all about, but one of her new favorite things to do is to stand/sit in the dog food/water bowl. This seems to work better if its empty. Its almost as if I speak from experience...

I believe its never too early to start. Don mumbled something about child labor laws. I don't think those appy to chores.


And finally... just being her cute little self.