Twinkle Twinkle Part I

For the Christmas Eve service the kids were going to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. So on Thursday night after we ate dinner at Christine's we had a little practice session. It was great!!

I thought only girls flipped up their dresses. But I guess it works both ways. BTW - we totally think that Etta will be "that girl".



Then he was confident.



I think that Etta just liked that everyone was watching her!

Baby Medicine

On Wednesday the 22nd Bob, Mom, Mae & I headed to a local retirement/nursing home to play some Christmas music.



Well, Bob and I played the piano and Mom took care of Mae.

While Bob was playing some solo hymns I was carting Mae around for the residents to look at. One man wheeled his wife over so that Mae was in her view. The look that she got on her face was pure rapture.



She just wanted to snuggle that baby close.



She just held on and was content - much like Mae was one of her own. Her husband was quite nervous and kept reminding me to "Hold on. Hold on. Hold on." But I was right there and was not all that worried.



After wiping tears from his eyes, her husband said it was time to get back to the room for a nap.



But not before one last kiss.



It was a magical visit.

Bonding Time

Etta and Erik had a variety of bonding time last week. One instance was place and back cookie making.

Now what do we do, Eek?



Some serious concentration. Check the hair.



We're twins!

Gingerbread Condos

While mom & Bob were preparing our Christmas Eve dutch oven feast Erik, Etta & I were constructing gingerbread condos. We used quart milk cartons, frosting, graham crackers & bulk candy from Winco. We are already planning our "community" for next year!

Beginning construction



Can I eat dis? Can I eat a little one of dese? Can I lick dis? She was very cute & funny!



Front view of finished project. Note the path way between condos.



Back view. Complete with rock-lined, shark-invested ponds.



Post-construction walk to burn off a little sugar. Etta walked Lena (with a little help from Erik) all the way to Christine's & back. Sugar fuel anyone?



Dutch ovens loaded with brisket, veggies, potatoes & rolls!

Great Grandma Barb

The girls are SO lucky to have their great grandparents here in town. It makes me happy that they can have this experience. One of our gifts to Lynn & Barb in the coming hear is one meal a month at our house that I will cook. I look forward to these evenings!

Post Christmas Let Down

After a very exciting week of having MT Grandma, Baba and Uncle Eek-Eek here Etta has succumbed to some sort of stomach virus. She was throwing up throughout the day today. (Side note: She threw up on Christmas Eve in her bed somewhere around 2:00 a.m. I think...but we didn't really discover it until we all got up in the morning...) She couldn't even keep down about 1/2 ounce of water. Very hard and sad for mommy. Especially when she was begging, "I want food! Please!! I'm hungry!!!"



Hopefully she will be feeling better tomorrow. I will post some better pictures of everyone as I get the time.

Snow

Living in Lewiston we really don't get much snow. Ever. And in the 11+ years Bob and I have been together he has only seen snow at my folks maybe 3 times.

But this year was different.

This year - at Thanksgiving no less - there was quite a bit of snow. I am so glad that Bob's sister Amy has hand me downs for us. Boots and snow pants to be exact.

Because really? It's not worth it for us here in the Banana Belt.

But Etta loved the snow. And didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that we were having sub zero temps.

Boy Baba, what is this stuff?



Look, it's up to my knees!!



I love my snow outfit!!



Making a snow angel.



Etta would only raise her arms up to about shoulder level. Baba finally said, "Put your hands above your head". The result?



And thanks to Aunt Molly & Uncle Jim for the new puffy pink coat with coordinating scarf!

My Best Friend

And no, we found out that apparently it's not Brooke.

Something "upset" Etta today after lunch (I think that the dog may have been barking outside...) and so she went into her room to "rest". I had to call Bob and while on the phone I decided to check in and see what was up. Well, her door was closed. I opened the door and peeked in. As I did this Etta put her Soothie (pacifier) under her blanket.

Mommy: Etta, what are you doing?

Etta: Restin' with Soothie.

Mommy: Why?

Etta: Because Soothie's my BEST FRIEND!

Mommy: (Trying to not laugh hysterically) Where did you learn about best friends?

Etta: On the TV.

We had checked out a Little People DVD at the library. Apparently it is all about "best friends".

Bob then asked from the phone: I thought Brooke was your best friend.

Etta: Nope. Soothie.

Sorry Brooke. But when Etta turns three "Soothie is going in the garbage." so things should be okay then.

Dan

In honor of the Holiday concert that went on last night...

This was at a wedding reception in early November...

Daddy's Big Girl Helper

As Etta would say, "I'm getting BIGGER!"

Practice Makes Music

Before we went to Montana for Thanksgiving we had to call Uncle Erik to see if he would bring two trumpets home. (Etta had said to me, "I take MY trumpet to Montana?") He said "No problem" so we were set.

Etta loved to "practice" with him and couldn't get enough!

Getting settled.



I'm not sure if this is the correct posture or horn angle...Oh well! It's a ton of fun!

A New Friend

We love our library. Sometimes the zaniest characters show up!





[That is Etta with the crazy messy hair. And she had on a super cute outfit - but refuses to ever take the Thomas coat off...]

Three Month Annibirthery

Thursday was Mae's three month annibirthery! Thursday was a very hectic day. I decided to schedule almost everything for the week on that one day so only it would be ruined - not the whole week.

We: went to pick up a winter car seat cover for Mae (apparently the last one in town...), story time at the library, lunch at McGhee with Bob (chicken nuggets), drop the dogs off at the vet for their annual appointment, drop Etta off at home with Steve so I could go to my doctor's appointment, home for a french horn/trombone lesson, dinner and then a music meeting at the church. Phew! But on Friday we got to stay home the whole day.

Mae takes it all in stride. She as now fallen into a fairly consistent 4-hour feeding schedule with 2 hours of being awake followed by 2 hours of being asleep. For the last couple of days we have gone between 4 and 5 feedings in a day depending on when she wakes up. And, most importantly to me, she has been sleeping all. night. long. She will go down between 9:30-10:30 p.m. and then get up between 5:30-6:30 a.m. Since Bob gets up at 5:30 everyday it is just about perfect. [Now that I've typed it for the world to see it will probably come to a screaming halt...]

I don't have height or weight statistics but she has increased the amount at each feeding and slept a LOT at the beginning of the week. I am definitely noticing a difference in how her clothes are fitting.

She smiles a ton, cries very little and talks to me quite a bit. She is way more vocal than Etta ever was. She seems most talky when her big sister is not around...usually after her first feeding in the morning and just before going to bed. It's like she knows that Etta isn't around to compete with.

But boy, does she love her sister. Whatever Etta is doing Mae is already very interested in. She watches and smiles at Etta's crazy antics. It is so fun to watch and enjoy.

The hands have been found and she is slowly gaining control of what they do. When she is on her floor gym and manages to grab something Etta says, "Good job Mae!!" They also find their way to her mouth quite often.

It is definitely going by a lot faster this time!

Maybe I'll think about smiling...



Okay, if you insist!



Look mom, I'm a BIG girl. (Etta never seems so big as when she is right by the baby...)

Oh the injustice!

At the MSU Homecoming parade Etta refused to get out of her stroller. Just sat back, relaxed and enjoyed the view. By sitting in the stroller she could not collect any candy. But some kind souls next to us were giving her most everything that they got.

We were also next to two middle school girls. At one point they wanted something that was being thrown but didn't get any. Figuring that Etta wouldn't care - seeing as how she was in the stroller, not participating, and not eating ANY candy even though I kept offering - I gave the older girls some of the candy that I wouldn't let Etta eat anyway (hard candy and gum).

WELL.

That was NOT acceptable and she let everyone know.

It was actually quite hysterical. In that "my-kid-isn't-happy-but-I'm-going-to-laugh-anyway" kind of way.

[Check out the bottom lip. We get some serious pouting around here.]

Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving!

Our little turkey.



Thankful for Baba.



Thankful for Uncle.





Thankful for family.

Marching Band

Do we have a future marching band member? I think so!

Where's my instrument?



Sheesh, how many buttons, snaps and zippers are there?



Ready to march!!



[This was Bob's marching band uniform from high school. Last fall the music department got new uniforms and in turn sold the old. Grandma Cathy picked it up for Bob.]

...

...and then she woke up.

Football!

Last Friday we went up to Steve and Cathy's to watch the BSU vs. UI game. Etta was VERY excited about the game...



for about two seconds. And then off and about. Besides the football game it was a pretty fun night!

Baking with Grandma

Last week Bob had three late nights in a row. So one night Etta and I mixed up a batch of dough to make gingerbread boys, girls & trains. She loves the story of the Gingerbread Man. We actually got the recipe off the back of the library book that we currently have checked out.

The next night Grandma Cathy came down to help roll and cut. And Baba Steve came to supervise. It was just about the funniest thing I have seen in ages. We just wish Aunt Molly could have been here!

Roll it out like this. Exact quote from Etta: "Teamwork Grandma! No I DO IT MYSELF!" Steve was rolling at this point.



Push on the cookie cutter.



Peel back the extra dough.



Going in for a thank you hug.



On the cookie sheet.



Out of the oven.



Note the extra flour. Etta kept wanting "More flour!" Thanks to Baba Steve for that one too...