"Fancy Nancy" New Years Eve - December 31, 2011

The tradition continues. We went out New Year's Eve "Fancy Nancy" style. The girls wore whatever fancy clothes they wanted - plus accessories. They helped spruce up me and Scott. We went to look at some holiday lights and trains and had dinner out. It was a really fun night.

As in prior years, everyone had a purse with surprises waiting for them. Mia could hardly be distracted to look up for a picture she was so busy playing.

Happy New Years!

Great Wolf Lodge - Williamsburg, VA - December 2011

This place has thought of everything, or just about everything. It's a large indoor water park/hotel. Many of the rooms have a theme so that kids can sleep inside a cabin or tent inside the hotel room, for example. Inside the hotel, there is the large water park, an indoor bowling alley, arts and crafts room, kids spa, game room, interactive wizard game that is wired throughout the hotel, lobby fireplace where story time is held, and a lobby show with automated characters. Outside, there's a large water park, miniature golf course, etc. We went with friends and had one of the most action packed 48 hour stints ever.

Zoe on the water park's version of monkey bars. These require serious balance and strength.

Shallow end of the wave poolA "shower" feature in the shallow end of the wave pool.Sophie and I and friends in the lazy river.
This slide was surrounded by a large water feature with several climbing structures and slides. What I didn't capture was any of the faster tube/float slides. They were fun too.A few minutes after this lunch time picture was taken, Mia and Sophie were leaning their heads against each other and falling asleep sitting up. Sophie had been burning up her energy in a kiddie sized water zone.One of the afternoon lobby shows. That's Sophie hanging off the railing watching them intently.We had bunk beds in our cabin-themed room. The upper bunk was a strong draw. The beds didn't get nearly enough attention in my opinion. Apparently all the excitement makes it harder to sleep (not more likely to sleep) for little people. The features of the wizard game were even connected in the restaurant where the kids wands made the tree light up.Posing with one of the lobby characters after a night time lobby show.This pajama show and story time includes snow fall. Mia is trying to catch the "snow" on her tongue.

No one wanted to leave. Once we did, Mia and Sophie were asleep before we were on the highway, and Zoe was quiet until we got home.

When calling to make a reservation, the operators call themselves "memory makers." I thought this was uniquely corny. After hearing Zoe and Mia talk about the trip, including all the details of the place that they noticed and appreciated, I can see why they use that term.

By the way, it was a good thing the kids got their rest on the ride home. We got home just in time to finish picking up supplies for Scott's birthday the next day. Lots of celebrating this time of year!

Sophie - Twenty One Months

Sophie, you turned 21 months old in December and to celebrate you climbed out of your crib. This means we are looking for reinforcements and working hard to teach you that your crib is a great place to be. Crossing fingers that you can be influenced!

We will likely need more than crossed fingers though. You really know who you are and what you want, and you are not so easily distracted. You are very aware of your surroundings and eager to engage the people, toys, foods, pets, etc. all around you. You love to climb on the high-backed bar stools in our kitchen and make phone calls The other day Grandma Mickey was delighted to get a call from you at 6:22 AM. You also relish in remote controls, cable boxes, and cups with liquid and no lids.

Thank goodness that you have so much more language this month. You can let us know what you're interested in ("NO LID! NO LID!"), and we understand you. You also have great comprehension, and can comply with some requirements (like no food in the living room and no turning on the bath faucets by yourself) even though you don't like them at all.

You are very independent and want to use the bathroom and brush your teeth by yourself. You like to dress yourself and especially like to make sure you have a hat on your head. You also enjoy taking your shoes and socks on and off. I still get such a kick out of how you run to the door to grab your shoes whenever you suspect someone is about to go out of the house.

Longer hair, more teeth, and super flexible limbs. Dancing, jumping, singing. This is you. As for singing, this is still my favorite. You sing many songs and listening to the inflection of your voice is charming. I never get tired of listening to you sing Happy Birthday. As for super flexibility, this has landed us in the hospital twice recently when the pediatrician insisted you had broken bones. Now they are guessing you have hyper-flexible limbs and that your tendons keep sliding off your bones. OUCH! The pediatrician was trying to teach me how to feel for them and slide them back in to place. That is not happening. I couldn't even tell with certainty where my kids heads were in my uterus. I am not up to being able to tell where a tendon has shifted position.

You have a delightful sense of humor. I love your laugh, your smile, and how you try to imitate us when you can tell that we're having a good time.

We had lots of visits this month. Grandma Barbara and Grandpa Ed came for Thanksgiving, and we went to Montana to visit Grandpa Randy and Grandma Mickey (and their dogs).

Your sisters are still your chief companions. You play kitchen, jump on the couch, and play dress up together. You tumble around like a gaggle of puppy dogs. They want to hold your hands and pick you up, and you often enjoy this. It's a special treat for me to look in the back seat and see the three of you holding hands.

Happy 21 months sweet girl.

I love you.

Mom

Simple Pleasures

So much time buying, wrapping, sending presents. Packing peanuts take the prize.

Houdini

Today at a play date, the kids were playing hide and go seek while the adults were chatting and snacking. Fun.

Then, "where's Mia?" We realize none of the kids can find her. No big deal. They'll keep looking. Minutes pass. The kids find a new game. No Mia.

Scott and I remind the kids that they need to keep looking or end the game. They let us know they can't find her any where. We all get up and go to take a look. No Mia.

Four adults and four kids looking every where for Mia. More minutes pass. I hear the host mother say to the dad as they crossed paths: "did you look in the dryer?" Minutes pass. Pace quickens.

I hear the host father say to the mom as they again crossed paths "I just found the side door unlocked. I have no idea how that could have happened." Next he hollers more loudly to make sure Scott and I can hear (since we're all moving pretty quickly searching the house at this point), "time to call the police!"

A loud squeak. "Scott, was that Sophie?" "No" Mia's in the house. Another loud squeak, and we find her. She'd made herself in to one of the little boy's beds. She must have been laying flat and still for twenty minutes.

New rule for hide and go seek: When players or adults announce that the game is over or they give up, it's time to come out! :)

Easing Back In

Well, until tonight, I hadn't looked at my blog or anyone else's since NaBloPoMo ended November 30th. I suppose it's time to ease back in.

I would love to offer a graceful summary of what's been happening over the past two weeks like my friend Therese did. I don't know that I have it in me. In a nutshell...

• Ruth's taken time off work to have a minor surgery.
• Sophie has had her share of trips to the emergency room and pediatrician's office where they are again trying to determine if she's broken another arm or just popping tendons out or something. (By the way, it's not a good sign when the doctor walks in to the room and greets the parents with "I didn't become a pediatrician to be liked.")
• Scott and I have been burning the midnight oil to make up for lost work hours during the day with Ruth out and all the extra doctor trips.
• Scott sold a totally awesome project at work and we are all hugely proud of him as he should be of himself. You rock Scott!
• And, we are loving the holiday season too!
• We have wrapped and decorated as much as possible, including lights out front for the first time ever.
• The girls have been playing in packing peanuts (I hate those things) and boxes every day.
• We made THIRTY loaves of zucchini bread for our neighbors and then 'went visiting' to pass them all around. (Note to self: in future years leave more time to visit.)
• We've been to look at holiday lights and Chanukah festivals.
• We wrapped presents for The Reading Connection charity event.

After a much dreaded and whined-about work event Monday, I am looking forward to many more fun events this month including a trip with friends to the Great Wolf Lodge. Yea!