Christmas Party

This morning Olivia and I had some fun.  Breakfast was a disaster...she didn't want to eat much.  Then we got dressed and ran to Target.  We got a gift for the party we went to tonight.  After that we went and had a play date with Karson.  They had fun playing!

After nap we got ready for our party with Gymboree friends.  It was such a fun time.  Lots of laughing, a little bit of screaming, crying and a whole bunch of toddlerness.  It was nice to get together with our friends and hang out.  We are so blessed to have such a great group of friends.  We truly enjoy getting together with them.

"Helping" mommy with the cookies...but really reorganizing the silverware drawer

We tried to get a picture in front of the big Christmas tree in Loganville but it was really cold and windy!

Eating rice and chips at the party! I love chips and queso

Making a wreath

Ethan and I banging on the doors for the dog

Attempt at a group shot.  Olivia kicked an ornament off the tree and broke it during all of this =(

My present from my Secret Santa Violet... LEGOS! Sweet!

21 Months Old

Well the world didn't end today.  But Olivia turned 21 months on 12/21/12.  Weird...what a play on numbers.

Here are some things that happened this month:

* Likes to say letters- A LOT
* Likes to count- A LOT- she can rote count up to 13.  13 seems to be her new favorite number.
* Realizes she has friends- Ethan, Griffin, Raegan, Karson, Violet, Lyssa, Nikki
* LOVES Christmas lights
* Asks questions- What happened? Where is Lamby? Where are you?
* Loves to shop...2 favorite stores Kroger and Target
* Helped make cookies
* We didn't sleep much this month
* Refusing to get in high chair, car seat, and sometimes the stroller
* Loves the show Super Why...I think she loves the letters
* Almost jumping...she caught some pretty good air today
* LOVES to draw, color, stamp on paper (and a few other things too)
* Makes mommy draw Mickey and Minnie Mouse hundreds of times a day.  I think soon I will work for Disney as a cartoon artist!
* Tells us that she has, "Pooped again!"
* We have been skunked on the potty seat for weeks.  I think it is cold and she doesn't want to sit on it.  No rush though.  There was a great article in the paper about potty training.  That said not to worry about potty training until they are 2 1/2 anyways.
* We say lots of phrases, "Mommy big bite apple." "Do it again mommy" "Daddy take a shower"
* Refers to herself as Livia or I.
* Finally getting teeth in. Yay and boo at the same time.

That's about all I can think of at the moment!

Tonight Olivia and I did a special project...a Gingerbread House! She calls the cookies Ginger boys.  She actually did really well putting the things on the house.  She also loved licking the icing and wiping it everywhere. 

Finished product!

Daddy work visit!

It rained cats and dogs today! It was so nice to get the rain even though it is also going to bring cold weather...booooo!

Well the cry it out method seemed to work last night, this morning for a nap, and tonight. I hate doing it but it is working...I hate to jinx it though.  I still hear her rolling around up there. 

Olivia was up bright and early and I figured why not just get up...then she will get tired for a nap.  I was ready for a nap at 8:30...but ya right that never will happen!  We ate breakfast and as she played I swept the floor and put some things away that have been laying around forever.  Our whole goal for today was to get to Brendon's work! I was determined this year since it was an epic fail lat year!

Well we rowed, rowed, rowed our boat it felt like all the way there and made it.  We brought the other officers chowder, cornbread, and lots of cookies and treats! It was a great day for soup.  We went around and saw some people.  Then we ate.  On our way home we made am impromtu stop and our usual Christmas break date place Twains.  They have a Gingerbread Brown Ale that Brendon loves.  So we stopped and had a quick snack and then came home.

I think I am most proud of myself for making to Atlanta all by myself =)

Enjoying some chowder at daddy's work

Having fun at Twains

Class Party, Gymboree, and CIO

Olivia had a busy day today! Brendon brought her to school to our class party.  She was a little shy at first but we gave her some stickers and she was great.  I then took her to see some people at school.  They all loved her curly hair!!

Brendon brought her home for lunch and I came home about 15 minutes later.  After I got home she wouldn't sit in her high chair. Then we got ready to go to Gymboree.  We got there a bit early so we got some presents for Kristy and Shawn.  Then we did a few crafts at Gymboree and saw our friends.  Olivia did NOT want to get in the car seat again.  She did the same thing for Brendon when he left my school.  I don't know what the deal is.  We didn't attempt a nap today which I thought would help with bed time. 

At bed time I just don't know what to do.  She cried when I put her in the crib.  Then I sat her in my lap for a few minutes then put her back in the bed.  I tried the CIO method tonight- CRY IT OUT.  Well I let her cry for 5 minutes...they say start small.  Then I went back up the stairs but I did not go in her room.  I opened the door, told her to lay down, and waited.  Finally she stopped crying and fell asleep.  But still that took 30+ minutes.  All I know is that I am ready to rip my hair out.  I hope we are not starting the Terrible Twos already and I also hope that she is not becoming a Strong Willed Child as they call it nowadays (AKA- Stubborn!).

Yesterday and Today All in One

I felt I couldn't post what Olivia and I did last night with all that I wrote yesterday.  Last night we went to our wonderful daycare Christmas party! This year Susan held it at Dooley's Pizza.  Yummy!  Susan's dad is a Santa...no really! The kids call him Ho ho! I thought it was funny when I saw him on the porch last week.  Olivia did not want to sit on his lap.  She would smile at him and play peek a boo but no sitting.  She ate some pizza, cucumber, and some cookie while we were there.  She played with her little friend Dylan.  Susan got Olivia some wonderful gifts...a stamp pad set...we played with it tonight. I kept saying...we only stamp paper!! She also got a few books and a sock monkey.  It was a fun night after a really long day.

As close as we got to Santa and didn't cry

Nope not going to sit on his lap this year!

Last night was rough.  Olivia was up off and on.  When she woke up at 5 I took a turn and gave her back to Brendon at 5:30 when my alarm goes off.  Brendon and Olivia went to Gymboree and had lots of fun.  She told me about a hoop tonight...so I am thinking that was from there.Olivia would not nap this afternoon.  I gave up after an hour of trying to get her down.  I thought why not take her to the store then...then she cried ALL the way home and refused to get into the car at the store.  I was so embarrassed!! But lots of crying/clinginess when we got home.  But she ate a killer dinner! She wiped the plate clean! I am hoping she is really tried since she didn't nap and stays asleep.

Off to do all the stuff or at least try to do all the stuff I wanted to do while she napped!

Tough Day

It was a tough night followed by a tough day.  I really didn't get much sleep.  I tossed and turned and thought a lot about returning to school today after last Friday's tragedy.  All the way to school today I flipped radio stations.  It was the same conversation on each station.  I eventually just turned it off.  As I made the last turn to school the lights of my school glowed in the morning fog.  It somehow gave me a sense of peace. 

The school was quiet this morning.  We met as a staff at 7:30.  As a staff we were all a bit emotional and wondering how do we start the day.  My principal read us a letter she wrote over the weekend.   It was powerful and she is probably one of the bravest people that I know.  I think I needed that letter to feel reassured myself.

That was just the first part of the tough day.  The second part of the day was hearing the sad news the Henry had passed away.  So many people that read our blog and followed them on Facebook knew that this day would come.  But I think most of us hoped it would be later. If you would like to express your condolences to the Kelley family their address is: 20 Renwick Drive, Senoia, GA 30276

Or in lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to one of the following charities:

New Leaf Community Garden - "Our purpose is to educate, feed and nourish our community through a sustainable community garden. We accomplish our purpose by connecting with various local partnerships, growing fresh, local, highly nutritious foods, and by intentionally sharing the harvest with those that need it."
http://www.newleafcommunitygarden.com/

or

Bridging the Gap - "... a community outreach and food pantry dedicated to addressing the needs of Coweta County residents. Our goal is to help people determine the reasons why they are in need and help them find long-term solutions through other community agencies and resources."
http://www.btgcommunity.org/


 

Fussy Fun Day

I had a brilliant idea... that means everything will go wrong.  My plan was go to 8:00 a.m. church, do breakfast with Santa at church, go to Bass Pro Shops and see Santa and shop etc.etc.

Here is how it really went;

Up at 6:00 a.m. with crying Olivia.
Fussy girl didn't want to eat and took forever to eat something, get dressed...all that good stuff in getting a toddler ready.
Got to church late...Olivia talked the whole time we were there.  Which is fine but some people don't appreciate it...hey we went to church right?
Went to Breakfast with Santa at church...no go of sitting on his lap.  She didn't want to eat there either.

Breakfast with Santa at church...lovely...Olivia picking her nose!

Leave church and stop for gas...have screw in tire...add air.
Make it to Bass Pro Shops- the line for Santa was like the line for Santa in A Christmas Story. So we opted not to see Santa and went on the carousel and colored.  Tried to get Olivia in shopping cart...that worked for like 2 minutes.  Then she wanted to push the cart...she pushed the cart almost the entire time we were there.  She did love the fish tank.

Pushing the cart around

Fish tank!

Leave Bass Pro and want to go to calendar store...find store on the map and walk there.  Guess what?  It was closed.
Get in car...crying Olivia.  Jump in the backseat and keep Olivia entertained as Brendon drove and encountered bad drivers.
Get home and eat lunch...fussy Olivia.  Finally got her down for a nap.
Brendon takes truck to get tire fixed...$135 later we have a new tire.  Merry Christmas to me.
Olivia wake up from nap at 4:00 was a bit better. I ran out for a bit for some sanity.
Eat dinner...tricked Olivia and told her it was soup.
Make Cookies.... BEST PART OF THE DAY! Olivia did such a great job! Even though there was flour everywhere I really didn't care because she was having fun.

Making cookies....flour everywhere!

And that is how today went...expectations...totally thrown out the window.