merry christmas!

We had a great little Christmas break! For Christmas Eve dinner we did a "traditional" dinner with lemon and garlic roast chickens, broccoli cheese casserole, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Britton decided that waiting to eat with the family was so passe that she helped herself to the oreo truffles I made for work.




And then, of course, it was time for cookie-making! Bless her heart, the girl did not really get what was going on, but she gave it her all when it came to the sprinkles. And while no one was willing to eat the cookies that were slightly over-done, I did nibble a corner to give a "Santa was here" nod.




Christmas morning! Grandma and Grandpa spent the night because Britton likes to get up early. The only person not out of bed before Britton was Sadie, and that's really not surprising. Britton walked into the living room and noticed the Cozy Coupe car and giraffe bike before anything else. Then the smaller toys, like the mailbox and Ming-Ming (of the Wonder Pets I have since learned) caught her eye. Everyone gave and got some great gifts, and Grandma and Grandpa even surprised us with a 3D tv! The hub immediately squandered it to his man room upstairs and has spent the last two nights playing his new video games on it.






A little "Find Waldo" moment - can you spot Britton amongst the wrapping paper and gifts?



As most kids do, Britton found enjoyment out of the box from the electric piano Grandma and Grandpa gave me. Cammy gave me my piano music when she sold our old piano, so I carted that bag out and started playing. Britton, attempting to steal my thunder, starting banging any keys she could reach. When she gets a little older, we are going to rock out "Heart and Soul" the way Jessica and I do!



The coupe, Ming Ming, Grandma, and the outdoors - all things Britton likes. While we did not get snow like my family on the East Coast did, the temperatures dipped to below freezing. Which, frankly, is like a blizzard for Texas.



The hub and Grandpa attempted to put together Britton's playhouse on Christmas Eve. But a quick perusal of the directions demonstrated the use of a hammer and a drill, both of which would wake up Britton. So it was left until Christmas afternoon. Britton spent the time supervising the project, trying to climb unfinished pieces, and generally getting in the hub's way. You can see the piano behind them. We will keep the playhouse inside until springtime and warm weather, at which point it'll go in the backyard.



We made Mexican food for Christmas dinner that night, but Britton was eaten up (bad pun intended) with the cream cheese and mango dip Grandma made for an appetizer. By saying "we" made Mexican food, I really mean that Grandma made food and held Britton, while the hub and Grandpa watched football and I laid on any soft surface I could find.




Hmmmm......attempting to eat a black crayon, Britton leaves the evidence in plain sight...



Family time...Are those not the cutest overalls ever?

decoration expiration

The hub has a strict rule that Christmas decoration does not come out of the storage containers until, at the very minimum, Thanksgiving dinner has been eaten. I don't mind abiding because I think if given the opportunity to put up Christmas decor in early November, I would soon tire of the magic. Christmas decor should be something that excites, not something that you get used to seeing. Just as the hub has his rule, I have mine - all decor goes back into the attic after the presents are unwrapped, or whenever we get around to it that night. I suspect pricey "craft" stores came up with St. Patrick's Day ornaments and Valentine's Day ornaments and Fourth of July ornaments for those "year round" trees because they saw the need in the market - people who leave decorations up way too long, including the freaking tree.

Believe me, I'm not a grinch. I love Christmas. But I like to keep it special by not indulging for too long to where it becomes commonplace. Now, I lived in West Virginia, so I am perfectly aware of the Christmas lights left on the house all year long. That is a state tradition, so I'm not bagging on that (even though it does go against the hub's rule, which means it ruins your Christmas magic. Just so you know). But please people, once you've exited your egg nog fog, put away the tree, pull down the stockings, and pack it all up neatly in labeled boxes.

Happy Christmas Eve, ya'll! And have a very Merry Christmas!

A glimpse at the Christmas decor in our house:



Grandma picked up this apron for Britton for making cookies for Santa...



The Disney tree...which quickly got all its lower ornaments moved to the top courtesy of Britton's fascination with all things shiny...






Where to put all those Christmas cards you want to display? A pantry door and some masking tape!



The family tree, which Britton had little to no interest in...



Grandma gave me these cool plush animals that have weighted hands, so they will hang off of anything...

she is her mother's daughter

Sometimes Britton is not awake and ready to get the heck out of her crib and start the day at the time I need her to be awake and ready to get the heck out of her crib and start the day. This usually falls on a Monday morning. Look, none of us want to get up early and get ready for work and drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic while sipping cold coffee. But, hey, we all make sacrifices. And Britton's sacrifice is to get up at 6:30 a.m. My sacrifice is to keep that schedule and be forced to get up at 6:30 a.m. on the weekends. Because, frankly, Britton's internal clock doesn't care if it's Monday or Sunday.

So this morning I go in to wake her, and I notice that she is all splayed out. I'm watching her sleep, listening to her little sighs, and I notice it. She is sleeping in what Jessica and I have dubbed the "Heisman pose." I think it may have actually been Jessica's hub who coined the phrase, but I will take this opportunity to take credit regardless. Anywho, you'll notice the distinct one-leg-up positioning, with the other leg stretched out. Jessica and I both sleep like this and it cracks me up.



For ya'll who don't know, the Heisman trophy is given out each year to the most outstanding player in college football. On a side note, Cam Newton of Auburn won this year, and since that is ridiculous I am under the pending assumption that the award was not given out this year and instead everyone nominated went to Dairy Queen for butterscotch-dipped cones.

Past my useless sidenote, once I recognized that Britton was in fact "pulling a Heisman," I tip-toed to the office, grabbed the camera, and took a picture. Doesn't she just look so comfy?

dear santa

I had an "oh crap" moment last week where it occurred to me that we were quickly running out of time to get Britton's picture taken with Santa. I went into a glazed unconsciousness when even considering the idea of taking her into our closest mall - the Parks at Arlington. No doubt any line for Santa would be out the door and while the mall boasts some upscale stores, the last time I was there I was witness to not one, but TWO shoplifting arrests. Another close mall, the Highlands, has a Santa, but their hours are only noon to 6:00 p.m. And, according to their website, Santa "takes a break to feed his reindeer" from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. So, basically, Santa is union.

We checked out an outdoor mall called Uptown Village and decided that it was the plan for Saturday. Grandma and Grandpa came with us, and we got there about 15 minutes early. They have those water fountains kids love in the summer:



But this is winter, and while Texas it is still cold (except for today where I wore a tee-shirt in the sun while my family on the east coast was covered in snow). But Britton doesn't care that we're there to see Santa, or that it's 50 degrees, or that I don't want her getting in the water because this girl will find water even if she is in a desert. And then play in it, pouring it down the front of her shirt, all while excusing her activities with the most beautiful and innocent "uh oh". Luckily, Grandpa and Grandma saw the water too, and diverted Britton's attention to the popcorn shop.

And then we subjected the poor girl to Santa, a man she is not familiar with, really knows nothing of, and she's already starting to get that strangers are BAD PEOPLE so she's not quite sure. I warned Santa as I approached, and he said it wasn't the first time and he totally got it. I told the lady taking pictures to be ready as any picture would need to be taken quickly. We ended up with this:



My trooper! We totally hooked her up with a gingerbread cookie and a playground trip for all her hard work.

This is a statute of a girl and her dog on a bench. Britton sat next to them and put her hand on the dog as if to pet it! She's also clutching the gingerbread cookie that she made last for a good 30 minutes.

the not-so-good firsts

Oh, I was a bad mommy today. And I reached a milestone no parent wants to reach. I hurt my child today.

It all started when we were playing in the master bedroom. I went to go to the bathroom, and Britton decided to seek me out in the "water closet." She started tearing off the toilet paper, dragging it behind her. I quickly finished up and went to stop the now-lengthening trail of paper. She turned next to the door as I was rolling it back up, and I instinctively went to shut the door, in an effort to hide the toilet paper and toilet water and other goodies Britton likes to include in her mess-making and debauchery.

Only I didn't know her hand was between the door and the door frame. I didn't get it shut all the way, but I distinctly remember the resistance the door gave in shutting. And when she looked up at me, huge eyes filling with tears, it hit me what that resistance was. I grabbed her in my arms, wishing that the tight bear hug would make it all better. And I thought it so odd that she accepted my comfort, since I was the one who had caused her the pain in the first place. I yelled for the hub, gave him a quick recount of the story, and sent him for ice that Britton refused. She was fine, no cuts or broken fingers or bruises, but I could not get past that I had been the one to hurt her, even if it wasn't intentional.

See, when I was a kid, maybe around eight years old or so, my sister and I were playing with this boy Dennis. We were all chasing each other through the house and Jessica and I made it to my room at the end of the hall, moments before Dennis could. I slammed my door shut to keep him out, to "win." Only I didn't know at the time that he was closer than that, and that his hand was in the doorjam. Later I would learn that he had to have the fingernail, or was it more than one?, removed and some therapy. I remember being told, but by whom I don't know, that the doctor had to put needles through where the fingernail would be in an effort to fix the damage I had caused.

So one can see that my emotional reaction to hurting Britton in a similar, albeit less serious, way would be skewed. Of course, after some cuddling and juice, Britton was fine. That is, until five minutes later when she dropped her sippy cup on her foot. It will always be something, I know that. But I just didn't think it would be me.

missing daddy

The hub had been gone since Sunday afternoon, flying out to Pittsburgh and then West Virginia for work. On Friday, he came home. Britton was overjoyed, as both his absence and impending return could not be explained in a way she could understand. She had done well over the week, accepting baths from me that she would have rather come from him, having only one parent to kiss good-night, patiently waiting as I made and fed her dinners by myself, without the other person who makes such tasks easier. Britton did not cry or yell or stomp because her daddy was gone. She simply missed him. And when he returned she took full advantage of having her daddy home.

putting the "pc" in christmas

The hub's mom shared her Better Homes & Gardens "Food Gifts" magazine with me, which I promptly read, tagged and copied. And as I was making "Shortbread Bars with Lemon Glaze" tonight I noticed something about a page I had copied. It was from the "Cookies" section, and I had actually copied the recipe on the left side of the page, for "Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies" (oh yeah, you know that's going to be good). And I noticed on the other side that there was a recipe for "Gingerbread People Cutouts."



Gingerbread People. Now, last I heard, it was Gingerbread Man. And it occurred to me that this just speaks to what is wrong with the world today. Okay, one thing wrong with the world. We are politically correct to the point of being incorrect.

And doesn't it seem that Christmas is when all the issues come to the surface? For instance, a Baptist church (don't get me started) in Dallas started a website with a "naughty" and "nice" list - those designations as to which stores said "Merry Christmas" and those which greeted customers with a vague "Happy Holidays." Of course, the comment section was overflowing with people saying that their pocketbooks would speak their minds. Meaning, they would not shop at stores where the employees said "Happy Holidays."

I don't get it. I really don't. Call me obtuse, and my mom certainly has many times, but I don't care if a Wal-Mart greeter wishes me a "Merry Christmas." I'm there for low prices and white trash spotting, not for church or making friends. Just like I wouldn't care if a Target cashier said "Happy Hannukah!" or "Happy Kawanza" or "Would you like to save 10% by applying for a Target credit card today?" Why are we getting so bent out of shape over what a stranger says anyways?

When did Christians get the whole month of December? Sure, get bent out of shape if the gas attendant doesn't wish you "Merry Christmas!" on December 25th, but really other than that specific day, you're not entitled to a greeting at all. So what if your waiter says "Happy Holidays"? You're lucky he's not in the kitchen spitting in your food.

So, let's quit the shenanigans with the Gingerbread People and the "Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas/Happy Hannukah/Happy Kwanza/Merry Festivus/Happy Solstice" fiasco, and remember that this time of year is for being with friends and family and celebrating the year that is about to end. If you need a Wendy's drive-through worker to wish you "Merry Christmas" so badly that you will quit going to Wendy's to "teach them a lesson," why not also spend a little time examining why you need the affirmation so badly? Just a suggestion.

emily's singing debut

Britton was doing something adorable (when is she not?) and I asked the hub to grab the video camera. I had taken it to Virginia on my trip, and had left it on the desk in my fit of unpacking. Well, the camera wouldn't turn on. Nothing. So I checked out some You Tube videos to see how to reset it, and downloaded the videos I took at Jessica's house.

And how can I not share this sleep-deprived moment of giddiness that got Jessica and I rolling in laughter?

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

slowly but surely

I have been meaning to update on the progress of our house, but we aren't quite finished yet. Regardless, here is the progress we have made!

Our breakfast nook. No window treatments, no table decor, but we're working on that.



Fireplace and tv area.



Britton's play area. Love the low shelves for her to access her toys, and it stays neat easily.



The kitchen. Got the barstools from Grandma and Grandpa, but still need to add the finishing touches. I have made a point of keeping the countertops as clear as possible, and the cabinets have lots of empty room to grow into.



Britton's room. The only room to get painted. It's "Potpourri Green" by Benajmin Moore. Easily my favorite room in the house. We're going to put a vinyl tree in the corner, branching out over her crib. Now I just need to order it!




Guest room. Same as before.



The empty dining room. This room sits the front of the house, and to be honest we don't really need a dining room. The breakfast nook suffices, and it's not like we have a lot of family to necessitate a large dining area. We are contemplating using it as a living room (or, as I like to call it, the "conservatory" for all you Clue fans), lining one wall with built-in bookcases and putting in a baby grand piano. Now that I would use! But both are pretty expensive, so we're waiting on that.



Britton's bathroom.



Duck pictures in Britton's bathroom (from IKEA). Go with the shower curtain perfectly.



Once we make more progress, I will update on the office, our room, and the hub's game room. Yes, I gave the hub complete control over his game room and adjoining bathroom, and he's going with a sports theme (since he'll be watching a lot of games up there). And you don't even want to see the garage because it is still a mess!

16 months old

A first today! This is the first time I have pulled the camera out and Britton has looked at it, then given me a smile in response! She now knows what the camera does, loves to pull the lens cover apart, and dang it all if my camera got slow on me and caught this beautiful smile at the end.



Britton is a waving machine and I am convinced she was a Wal-Mart greeter in a previous life. She loves to wave at everyone (including the construction workers across the street) and is convinced that by looking at the front door and waving at it that people will come in and play with her. It's endearing, and frustrating when the neighborhood kids won't just play along. Britton is big now, but no stats until her 18 month appointment in February. She is in size 5 diapers, and size 24 months/2T clothes, and size 5 shoes. Grandma has been gifting Britton with new shoes, and she now has more pairs than I do! She is also attempting to put her clothes on herself, though sometimes the pants get put on her head and the shoes are backwards.

Britton is still adding to her vocabulary, though this month I have noticed that she is now adding facial expression and inflection. So it's no longer "uh oh" when she drops something, but now the eyebrows go up and she widens her eyes while saying "uh oh!". She is mimicking a lot, down to wiping down furniture with baby wipes and washing herself with a washcloth during her bath. As well she is getting her canine teeth in, and was downright grumpy from the pain, though it seems to have eased off. Britton enjoys playing outside, coloring with chalk, art projects in general (though she now prefers markers to crayons), playing ball, and "riding" Daddy (climbing all over him while he tries to bop her up and down). She is very sweet to Sadie, or at least tries to be, and throws the toy for her and tries to pet her.

Britton is eating very well, though she now prefers cold fruit at every meal - honeydew, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pineapple, and cantaloupe. The cold fruit helps with her sore gums. She has gone through phases of eating less, then eating more, and we just go with the flow as far as how much she wants to eat.

This is the first year Britton will be actively involved in Christmas, and we're currently dealing with her immense interest in our Disney tree. This year we decided to do two trees, one in the dining room where the presents go so Britton won't try to get into them, and one in the family room. We put our Disney ornaments on the family room tree because we have so many of them! She decided tonight to take off the Mickey ears made of jingle bells and shake it.

Likes: Baths (after months of fighting them, she is back in love with them), coloring, music (especially when the hub plays her Lady Gaga), interactive songs, turning off the tv, turning off lights with the light switch, pomegranate cereal bars, books

Dislikes: Not being allowed to leave her art table with a marker, being told "no" in general, cold windy weather