Christmas In Marietta

Jacqueline & Bailey got so many wonderful gifts today - thank you everyone! We had lots of excitement over what Santa brought and then a great day with the Feits, Gainers, Normans and Phillips. Thanks all of you for coming to our place for Christmas. We missed you in NY, CT and PA but look forward to our visits.

Look Out! Bailey is 7 months old.

See that? That's the look right before he makes a break for it and scuba dives in Chloe's bowl or hides in the bottom of the saucer...

Bailey Likes to Eat

At each meal Bailey grows increasingly determined to eat what we are eating. So this weekend I started giving him some real food - a chunk of honeydew melon kept him very busy yesterday at breakfast.

Today he got baby oatmeal and bananas which he will only eat if he has his own spoon to hold and can run his fingers through the food at least once but usually throughout the feeding. This provides a nice goopy coating over his little hands. Afterwards he needs to ram the bowl from side to side over the tray smearing any food over the surface and usually launching the bowl over the edge at some point. (Look out Chloé).

This photo is after the usual mealtime mayhem when Bailey "requested" a segment of my Clementine. See it poking out of his little mouth? We'll be accepting food donations to keep up with our sons hearty appetite.

Silly Me

I thought I'd try one of the organic apples I bought. Apparently, they are pretty tasty. Maybe I can have the next one.

Bailey's New Ride

I was thrilled to see the UPS man with the first Christmas gift delivery today! Bailey upgraded his ride and it's color coordinated to his eyes. Big sis can push easily - of course I fully expect the novelty to wear off before we step foot outside.
I'm thrilled and Bailey seems to be comfortable, too.

Cleaning up the Leaves

What a huge pile of leaves!

Good thing he's cute...

We managed to get to the Santa photos on time despite Bailey's best efforts to sabotage his outfits. We started out with a blow-out that destroyed the shirt that goes with his outfit and wrapped up with spit up down the front of the overalls. Never a dull moment. We managed to clean up enough for pictures and Bailey didn't have to be FedEx-ed up to his grandparents for safe keeping. It's all good.

Biggest Lollipop On Record

After going over the list with Santa with great detail, Jacqueline got to have a sweet treat.

Santa Visit

My Niece Claire Marie

Claire Marie Cawley was born on November 17th at 8#9oz and 20 in. She's adorable. Couldn't be prouder of Kama and Ryan.

Why a Webblog?

So this is another attempt at me having a family blog. I'm trying to make an easy place for our family & friends to keep up to date with us. Well, with the kids at least. They change so fast.

We just had a nice Thanksgiving here in GA with the Feit's and then a second round with our friends the Scotts. No shortage of pie, turkey or delicious sides... we don't really need to eat again until Christmas. Except for Bailey who is trying to be as big as he can get as fast as possible. I need to walk from here to Spain to make up for what I ate last weekend. But it was so good.

In other news, Kevin and I are both sending out feelers about jobs - career moves (ech). It's interesting to me to see what's going on in other design shops. I totally don't know what to wish for (I'm afraid I just might get it) so I'm trying to hope for the "BEST" outcome. Pretty non-committal. Keeps me from being set up for any big let downs. ; )

6 months

Carpool lane newbie!

Today was the first day in the carpool lane. In my white Taurus I am only inches away from the typical suburban soccer-mom, right? (Where's that fun girl who drove a yellow mustang?) Anyway, I took my daughter to her first day at "real school". She's been going to a daycare but we stopped that when my son was born back in May. She and I and the baby spent the summer together and now she and I were ready for school to start again.

Typically I am very emotional; like the ballet recital where I was crying to a Mariah Carey song as my little girl transformed into a butterfly. Big tears rolling down my face. Can't I blame that on baby hormones? The baby was 2 weeks old.

But today I managed to keep those tears at bay. Maybe because I know she's way to smart to be stuck with me all day. Maybe her excitement was so pure that it kept my selfish 'I want my baby girl with me' in check. She couldn't wait to go to school. As she skipped up with the teachers aide to the classroom door I heard he saying "I'm so excited" in her sweetest sweet girl voice.

Now the tears are welling up as I remember her. She's a big girl now.

4 year old commits voter fraud

Today I did my civic duty by participating in the primary run-off voting for 3 positions; our school board post, secretary of agriculture and secretary of state. I really only cared about the school board but I made an effort to consider the other positions carefully and educate myself on the candidates.

So the volunteers at the polling place are all senior citizens. For the most part they are smiling and friendly. The little old guys chat with my daughter while I fill out the required forms. They ask about her baby brother. They are NICE. She is a KID. That's what normal people do.

We wheel over to the "booth" which is this odd easel/desk thing with an electronic voting machine upon it. In the past when I take my daughter with me to vote I let here touch the screen to cast my ballot. I direct her, watch her so that my vote is correct, but I let her do the touch-screen entry. She loves it. Then she gets the "I voted" sticker and we go on our merry way. But not today. Today, the 3-pack a day smoker volunteer hollered at us, "She can't touch the voting machine".

I think I gave the appropriate 'are you REALLY hollering at me' look over my shoulder. But she insisted that my 4 year old could not actually touch the machine.

Seriously?

I considered buying her another pack of cigarettes to help her end her miserable existance after I heard that unmistakeable smokers cough, but I was trying to be a good mom/role model for my daughter.

My daughter of course is accustomed to voting with me so she was thoroughly disappointed. I hope that Miss Cranky Pants enjoyed her moment of authority at the polling place.