Pre-vacation randomness..
I finally got my hair cut... it was so badly in need of a trim. I have no pictures, because it's really not that different--just got the scraggly ends taken off. Anyway, it feels much better than before. If only this humidity would quit, it might actually look good, too.
I feel like I have done nothing but eat today. Someone brought in croissants for breakfast today, and I had a chocolate one. I had no idea there was even a such thing as a chocolate croissant, and ohmygosh, it was SO good. The reason for the special breakfast is because a co-worker of mine is leaving next week. Our "official" celebration was a "farewell luncheon"--we all ordered Chinese and spent over an hour in the cafeteria, eating and chatting and generally slacking off. And soon there will be brownies for dessert. Sadly, they are mint brownies, which means I won't eat them, because mint is good and chocolate is good, but mint + chocolate = YUCK. But in a way, that's a good thing, because I sure don't need anymore food right now.
Of course, I did swipe an extra chocolate croissant for myself. I'm thinking I'll have it for breakfast tomorrow. Think I can hold off that long? Yeh, me neither.
I remembered (after getting home from work last night and getting comfortable on the couch) that I still needed to get an anniversary card for Tony. (Our anniversary is Saturday.) So I ran off to Target, feeling proud of myself for remembering. (I'd already preemptively apologized to him for forgetting, since I was sure I would.) I mentioned later that I'd gotten him a card, and he casually replied, "Oh yeh, I picked up your second card yesterday."
"Second card?" I said. "You suck."
He gave some kind of lame explanation about how one was a funny card and therefore didn't "count" and I pretended to be all annoyed about him trying to one-up me. Really, though, I think it's sweet.
I was eating dinner last night, and offered Ari a bite of my rice. She replied, "I don't like it." I tried to convince her it was good, telling her there were little pieces of broccoli in it (knowing that she likes broccoli). She simply looked at me and oh-so-politely said, "No thank you." I was so startled by her unprompted manners that I didn't press the issue anymore.
Ari was chattering my ear off yesterday about her petting zoo... that has pigs and crocodiles and dinosaurs... and it's in the ocean. When I asked her how we would get there, she said we could drive. I asked her if she thought maybe we should take a boat, and she said we could walk. I mentioned the boat again, and she went with it--making sure to clarify that it must be a sailboat. Then she asked me, "Does Dawn have a boat?" She is so random sometimes.
Further proof of her randomness... here's a text message I got from the babsyitter: "Ari just told me that when she turns into a rocking chair, she cries like a baby. Then she said, 'Isn't that funny, Mary?' LOL"
We took Ari to the play area at the mall the other night, and at one point, I saw her slide into a car next to a little blond boy who looked to be a little bit younger than her. Next thing I knew, she was tipping her head to the side, grinning at him, and saying, "I'm Ari" while sliding her arm around his shoulders. My daughter is picking up boys already... help me.
Ari kept herself entertained while I was getting ready for work this morning by making a pile of things she wanted to bring on vacation (which she kind of pronounces "buh-CAY-tion"). By the time she was done, she had 4 small stuffed animals and a small pillow (all carefully covered with a blanket), 3 small books, some weird blue toy, her Taggies blanket, and a few other things, all spread out in the hallway. I avoided telling her that we'd already packed toys and books for her. But I did draw the line when she lugged her giant turtle toy out of her room, telling her there was no room for it. Luckily, she cheerfully put it back.
So, yeh, vacation. As soon as I get off work today, we are hitting the road, and I'll be gone through the end of next week. Y'all be good while I'm gone.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
"The library is fun! Books are fun!"
Weekend highlights...
* Tony had a big errand to run on Saturday, so it was kind of a girls' day for me and Ari. And she was an angel.
* Took Ari to the library. At one point, she declared, "The library is fun! Books are fun!" Which may be about the coolest thing she's ever said to me.
* Among Ari's random book choices was a book about "Josh Gibson, baseball's greatest home run hitter." Tony was so proud.
* Got home from the library, and Ari insisted that I read her one of her books before she ate lunch. She made me read it twice, laying her head on my chest the second time through. *melts*
* Note to self: Must take Ari to the library much more often.
* Had dinner at my parents' on Saturday night, with Mahmon Bazorg, and Dave, Jess, and Micah. Micah and Ari are way too cute together.
* Got a few pictures. See?
* Got a nap this afternoon, while Ari napped. Bliss.
* Ari didn't want to go to sleep tonight, and at one point, sadly told Tony, "I want to stay up with you guys. I miss you and Mommy." Little heartbreaker.
* Short workweek this week--just Monday through Thursday and then VACATION. Cannot wait.
* Tony had a big errand to run on Saturday, so it was kind of a girls' day for me and Ari. And she was an angel.
* Took Ari to the library. At one point, she declared, "The library is fun! Books are fun!" Which may be about the coolest thing she's ever said to me.
* Among Ari's random book choices was a book about "Josh Gibson, baseball's greatest home run hitter." Tony was so proud.
* Got home from the library, and Ari insisted that I read her one of her books before she ate lunch. She made me read it twice, laying her head on my chest the second time through. *melts*
* Note to self: Must take Ari to the library much more often.
* Had dinner at my parents' on Saturday night, with Mahmon Bazorg, and Dave, Jess, and Micah. Micah and Ari are way too cute together.
* Got a few pictures. See?
* Got a nap this afternoon, while Ari napped. Bliss.
* Ari didn't want to go to sleep tonight, and at one point, sadly told Tony, "I want to stay up with you guys. I miss you and Mommy." Little heartbreaker.
* Short workweek this week--just Monday through Thursday and then VACATION. Cannot wait.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Bring me java, bring me joy
Randomness...
We bought some Tostitos and some salsa the other day, and I have been devouring them. I don't know why, but I have just been so in the mood for chips and salsa. And the good thing is, they're healthy. OK, maybe not super-healthy, but definitely a lot healthier than most of the crap I eat.
I was hanging out with Ari the other night, and started singing to myself (a nasty little habit of mine)... a They Might Be Giants song called "Hovering Sombrero."
Hey, hovering sombrero
Gently waving in the air above the meadow
Softly floating in the sky outside the window
Hovering sombrero, don't be shy
Don't
Don't be shy
Don't be terrified
When you take yourself for granted
Feel rejected and unwanted, know
You're never just a hat
You're never only just a hat, you know...
After a few lines, I noticed Ari was saying something over and over, in a sing-song voice, and I realized she was trying to say "hovering sombrero." So I got her attention and sang line by line, letting her repeat after me. She's so into singing lately, even making up her own songs a lot of the time--it's really sweet.
I had a dream the other night that my teeth were falling out. Well, let me back up. I had a dream the other night that I was cleaning up and found my old retainer. I looked at it and thought, "Hmm, I should probably be wearing this," and popped it in (I know--gross, right?). I put it on my bottom teeth (which is weird, because I never had a retainer for my bottom teeth--only my top), and had a bit of trouble getting it in place, since my teeth had obviously shifted over the years. After a while, it started really hurting, so I took it out... and realized all my front bottom teeth were loose--most especially my left canine tooth, which was on the verge of falling out, flopping forward. I remember trying to hold it in place with my tongue, and completely freaking out.
We had our company-wide Semi-Annual Meeting on Wednesday--every July there's the Semi-Annual Meeting and every January there's the Annual Meeting, so basically, every 6 months, we have a major meeting. They always hold it in the cafeteria, where there's a set of bleachers that they pull out.
But this time, I got to sit in a real live chair, up front. Why, you ask? Because every time they do these meetings, they hand out service awards at the end, for anyone who's passed a milestone since the last meeting. And back in April, I celebrated my 5-year anniversary of working for this company. When they called my name, my co-workers whooped and hollered for me, and I got to go forward and get a certificate and a pin, shake hands with the president of the company, and blah blah. I can't believe I've been here for 5 years already.
I'm reading a non-fiction book right now--Which Lie Did I Tell? More Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman (the author of The Princess Bride). He's worked on lots of screenplays for lots of movies, and apparently, this book is the 2nd one he's written on that topic. It was given to me by a guy I work with, who knows how much I love to read and knows how much I love The Princess Bride. Anyway, it's a great read so far. It was really neat to read how The Princess Bride came about, first as a book and then as a movie. But even when he writes about movies I'm not familiar with or have never heard of, I'm still riveted. He's writes in a very casual, conversational style, but you can tell he knows his stuff, and you learn a lot about what really goes on behind the scenes on Hollywood. I am definitely going to have to go find his first Adventures in the Screen Trade book.
I bought a pair of jeans the other day in a size 4, which made me happy in a totally shallow and girlish way. However, I tried on another pair of jeans--different style, but same brand--in a size 6, and they were too small. Seriously annoying. I mean, it's bad enough that sizes vary so much from brand to brand, but you'd think designers could keep it consistent within their own label.
I really need to get my hair cut before we go on vacation. It is desperately in need of a trim.
Yeh, vacation... by this time next week, I will be in New Hampshire. We'll be gone a little over a week, spending most of our time with my parents (in their shiny new time share) and my sister and her family. I am so excited to see my sister again, and also to get to love on my cute little nephew. Plus, this is the first real "family vacation" we've done since we had Ari (since we ditched her when we went on the cruise last year), so that should be fun.
Oh, speaking of vacation... Tony and I will be celebrating our anniversary while we're gone (August 1). 11 years. And we'll also be visiting the mountain-top spot where he proposed to me 12 years ago....
The last time we were at The Spot was back in 2005. And that was when we decided to start trying to have a child.
Here's hoping it's just as pretty a day when we visit this time.
Well, I think that's quite enough rambling. I'll end with this video. I adore Kristin Chenoweth. I have one of her CDs, which includes this song, "Taylor the Latte Boy." I thought it was too cute not to share.
We bought some Tostitos and some salsa the other day, and I have been devouring them. I don't know why, but I have just been so in the mood for chips and salsa. And the good thing is, they're healthy. OK, maybe not super-healthy, but definitely a lot healthier than most of the crap I eat.
I was hanging out with Ari the other night, and started singing to myself (a nasty little habit of mine)... a They Might Be Giants song called "Hovering Sombrero."
Gently waving in the air above the meadow
Softly floating in the sky outside the window
Hovering sombrero, don't be shy
Don't
Don't be shy
Don't be terrified
When you take yourself for granted
Feel rejected and unwanted, know
You're never just a hat
You're never only just a hat, you know...
After a few lines, I noticed Ari was saying something over and over, in a sing-song voice, and I realized she was trying to say "hovering sombrero." So I got her attention and sang line by line, letting her repeat after me. She's so into singing lately, even making up her own songs a lot of the time--it's really sweet.
I had a dream the other night that my teeth were falling out. Well, let me back up. I had a dream the other night that I was cleaning up and found my old retainer. I looked at it and thought, "Hmm, I should probably be wearing this," and popped it in (I know--gross, right?). I put it on my bottom teeth (which is weird, because I never had a retainer for my bottom teeth--only my top), and had a bit of trouble getting it in place, since my teeth had obviously shifted over the years. After a while, it started really hurting, so I took it out... and realized all my front bottom teeth were loose--most especially my left canine tooth, which was on the verge of falling out, flopping forward. I remember trying to hold it in place with my tongue, and completely freaking out.
We had our company-wide Semi-Annual Meeting on Wednesday--every July there's the Semi-Annual Meeting and every January there's the Annual Meeting, so basically, every 6 months, we have a major meeting. They always hold it in the cafeteria, where there's a set of bleachers that they pull out.
But this time, I got to sit in a real live chair, up front. Why, you ask? Because every time they do these meetings, they hand out service awards at the end, for anyone who's passed a milestone since the last meeting. And back in April, I celebrated my 5-year anniversary of working for this company. When they called my name, my co-workers whooped and hollered for me, and I got to go forward and get a certificate and a pin, shake hands with the president of the company, and blah blah. I can't believe I've been here for 5 years already.
I'm reading a non-fiction book right now--Which Lie Did I Tell? More Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman (the author of The Princess Bride). He's worked on lots of screenplays for lots of movies, and apparently, this book is the 2nd one he's written on that topic. It was given to me by a guy I work with, who knows how much I love to read and knows how much I love The Princess Bride. Anyway, it's a great read so far. It was really neat to read how The Princess Bride came about, first as a book and then as a movie. But even when he writes about movies I'm not familiar with or have never heard of, I'm still riveted. He's writes in a very casual, conversational style, but you can tell he knows his stuff, and you learn a lot about what really goes on behind the scenes on Hollywood. I am definitely going to have to go find his first Adventures in the Screen Trade book.
I bought a pair of jeans the other day in a size 4, which made me happy in a totally shallow and girlish way. However, I tried on another pair of jeans--different style, but same brand--in a size 6, and they were too small. Seriously annoying. I mean, it's bad enough that sizes vary so much from brand to brand, but you'd think designers could keep it consistent within their own label.
I really need to get my hair cut before we go on vacation. It is desperately in need of a trim.
Yeh, vacation... by this time next week, I will be in New Hampshire. We'll be gone a little over a week, spending most of our time with my parents (in their shiny new time share) and my sister and her family. I am so excited to see my sister again, and also to get to love on my cute little nephew. Plus, this is the first real "family vacation" we've done since we had Ari (since we ditched her when we went on the cruise last year), so that should be fun.
Oh, speaking of vacation... Tony and I will be celebrating our anniversary while we're gone (August 1). 11 years. And we'll also be visiting the mountain-top spot where he proposed to me 12 years ago....
The last time we were at The Spot was back in 2005. And that was when we decided to start trying to have a child.
Here's hoping it's just as pretty a day when we visit this time.
Well, I think that's quite enough rambling. I'll end with this video. I adore Kristin Chenoweth. I have one of her CDs, which includes this song, "Taylor the Latte Boy." I thought it was too cute not to share.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Growing
It's Monday night and I realize that I should probably talk to Ari about her doctor's appointment. Because she's old enough now to understand, old enough to be informed and prepared. But I realize that I'm not even entirely sure what they will be doing. I tell her the doctor will measure her, and she looks at me quite seriously as she answers, "I'm 15 tall." I tell her she can show the doctor how she knows her ABCs and she gives me a blank stare as she replies, "What ABCs?"
She drifts away from me, chirping, "Watch me" as she dances. She can spin in a circle now, her newest feat. She is dressed in her Snow White costume, and she informs me that she wants to wear it to the doctor's. I propose a compromise. "How about you wear a regular dress?" She agrees.
It's Tuesday afternoon, and we're getting ready to head to the doctor's. Tony talks Ari into wearing jeans since it's a chilly, rainy day, and she is fine with that. She insists on picking out her shirt, though--her purple Jasmine T-shirt. Tony tells me she made up a song earlier, singing her doctor's name over and over.
We arrive, and by the time Ari is done going potty (and peeing in a cup), it's time to start the exam. Height and weight are first. She is 32.7 pounds and 38 3/4" tall (though I round it up in my head to 39"). Later, Tony points out all the 3s, saying that she's 3 years old, 3 feet 3 inches tall, and 33 pounds.
The eye test is next, and it takes us a few minutes to get her to understand the concept of covering one eye without squeezing it shut. She shifts and shrinks into shyness, seeming uncomfortable with these strange instructions. They have a chart of shapes for kids her age, and she calls almost everything an octagon, because that's the newest shape she's learned. Later, when Tony wonders out loud if she does have a vision problem, I brush his words off and say she was just being shy. But, based on our own poor eyesight, it's surely only a matter of time before she gets glasses.
They try a hearing test and can get no results. It's like no test I've ever seen, so when it doesn't work, I don't know why. When the doctor checks her ears later, she asks if Ari has had a cold recently. Tony and I exchange looks and answer with a slightly-puzzled "No." The doctor says she sees a little fluid in Ari's ears, and we arrange to schedule a follow-up appointment to try the hearing test again.
I watch her squirm, uncomfortable with the attention, the odd things she's being asked to do. Sometimes she softly says "no" and hides her face in her hands; other times, she cooperates cautiously. When the scope is in her ear, she twitches and says it tickles. When they ask her name, she proudly recites her first, middle and last. She looks slightly impressed when the doctor listens to her stomach with the stethoscope and "hears" what she had for lunch, not knowing that Daddy is mouthing the answers behind her head.
And I sit quietly and marvel at my giant little girl, so unsure and timid when the focus is on her. In the moments when the doctor's attention is on us instead of her, she scampers around the examining table, loving the crinkly-paper sounds she can make. When I stand next to her, she slides over to me and wraps her arms around my arm for a hug. I ruffle her curls with my free hand, wondering when she got so big and wondering when I became so sentimental about it.
When it's all over, she is rewarded with a sticker and a lollipop, and I nudge her to say "thank you." She makes short work of the lollipop in the car and carefully places her sticker on the leg of her jeans while we praise her for cooperating so well. When we get home, Tony reminds her that he promised her 2 tattoos, and she surveys her small collection. She selects one that's hearts and flowers... and one that's a firetruck. I smile as I apply one to each of her arms. That's my girl.
She drifts away from me, chirping, "Watch me" as she dances. She can spin in a circle now, her newest feat. She is dressed in her Snow White costume, and she informs me that she wants to wear it to the doctor's. I propose a compromise. "How about you wear a regular dress?" She agrees.
It's Tuesday afternoon, and we're getting ready to head to the doctor's. Tony talks Ari into wearing jeans since it's a chilly, rainy day, and she is fine with that. She insists on picking out her shirt, though--her purple Jasmine T-shirt. Tony tells me she made up a song earlier, singing her doctor's name over and over.
We arrive, and by the time Ari is done going potty (and peeing in a cup), it's time to start the exam. Height and weight are first. She is 32.7 pounds and 38 3/4" tall (though I round it up in my head to 39"). Later, Tony points out all the 3s, saying that she's 3 years old, 3 feet 3 inches tall, and 33 pounds.
The eye test is next, and it takes us a few minutes to get her to understand the concept of covering one eye without squeezing it shut. She shifts and shrinks into shyness, seeming uncomfortable with these strange instructions. They have a chart of shapes for kids her age, and she calls almost everything an octagon, because that's the newest shape she's learned. Later, when Tony wonders out loud if she does have a vision problem, I brush his words off and say she was just being shy. But, based on our own poor eyesight, it's surely only a matter of time before she gets glasses.
They try a hearing test and can get no results. It's like no test I've ever seen, so when it doesn't work, I don't know why. When the doctor checks her ears later, she asks if Ari has had a cold recently. Tony and I exchange looks and answer with a slightly-puzzled "No." The doctor says she sees a little fluid in Ari's ears, and we arrange to schedule a follow-up appointment to try the hearing test again.
I watch her squirm, uncomfortable with the attention, the odd things she's being asked to do. Sometimes she softly says "no" and hides her face in her hands; other times, she cooperates cautiously. When the scope is in her ear, she twitches and says it tickles. When they ask her name, she proudly recites her first, middle and last. She looks slightly impressed when the doctor listens to her stomach with the stethoscope and "hears" what she had for lunch, not knowing that Daddy is mouthing the answers behind her head.
And I sit quietly and marvel at my giant little girl, so unsure and timid when the focus is on her. In the moments when the doctor's attention is on us instead of her, she scampers around the examining table, loving the crinkly-paper sounds she can make. When I stand next to her, she slides over to me and wraps her arms around my arm for a hug. I ruffle her curls with my free hand, wondering when she got so big and wondering when I became so sentimental about it.
When it's all over, she is rewarded with a sticker and a lollipop, and I nudge her to say "thank you." She makes short work of the lollipop in the car and carefully places her sticker on the leg of her jeans while we praise her for cooperating so well. When we get home, Tony reminds her that he promised her 2 tattoos, and she surveys her small collection. She selects one that's hearts and flowers... and one that's a firetruck. I smile as I apply one to each of her arms. That's my girl.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Waterloo, promise to love you forevermore
Weekend. I had one. Much more low-key than last weekend, which was fine by me.
Saw Harry Potter on Friday night. Harassed Tony beforehand about what a slacker he was for not buying Twizzlers for me to smuggle in, and he forked over the $4 to buy me a bag at the theater. And no, I didn't feel guilty. I even shared a few with him.
Slept in on Saturday. My husband is the best.
Caved in and bought the Jello No-Bake Oreo Dessert I've had my eye on at Target for a while now (since it was on sale). Made it, and voila...
Easy to make and tasted great... though I must say, it tasted even better with some Hershey's syrup drizzled on top.
Mmmmm, I need to go get a piece now.
Had a little cuddle session with Ari tonight right before bedtime as she sat mesmerized by "Mamma Mia!" I've made her listen to the soundtrack in the car, so I think she recognized the music. She wandered off during the speaking-only bits, but was entranced by the singing. This makes me all happy inside.
I'm listening to YouTube clips as I write this... some ABBA (since "Mamma Mia!" just ended) and some Kristin Chenoweth (check out "The Girl in 14-G").
It's 80-some degrees outside, and I'm in a sweatshirt and sweatpants because the AC is on. I normally wouldn't have it on when Tony's not home, but the upstairs AC is broken and I'm hoping some of this cool air will drift upstairs. Yeh, yeh, I know hot air rises, not cool air... but don't mess with my delusion, OK?
I should go do something productive with my last few hours of the weekend. Or not.
Saw Harry Potter on Friday night. Harassed Tony beforehand about what a slacker he was for not buying Twizzlers for me to smuggle in, and he forked over the $4 to buy me a bag at the theater. And no, I didn't feel guilty. I even shared a few with him.
Slept in on Saturday. My husband is the best.
Caved in and bought the Jello No-Bake Oreo Dessert I've had my eye on at Target for a while now (since it was on sale). Made it, and voila...
Easy to make and tasted great... though I must say, it tasted even better with some Hershey's syrup drizzled on top.
Mmmmm, I need to go get a piece now.
Had a little cuddle session with Ari tonight right before bedtime as she sat mesmerized by "Mamma Mia!" I've made her listen to the soundtrack in the car, so I think she recognized the music. She wandered off during the speaking-only bits, but was entranced by the singing. This makes me all happy inside.
I'm listening to YouTube clips as I write this... some ABBA (since "Mamma Mia!" just ended) and some Kristin Chenoweth (check out "The Girl in 14-G").
It's 80-some degrees outside, and I'm in a sweatshirt and sweatpants because the AC is on. I normally wouldn't have it on when Tony's not home, but the upstairs AC is broken and I'm hoping some of this cool air will drift upstairs. Yeh, yeh, I know hot air rises, not cool air... but don't mess with my delusion, OK?
I should go do something productive with my last few hours of the weekend. Or not.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Fireworks... finally
Sunday night we went to see some (belated) 4th of July fireworks. This is a tradition for us--we always get a huge group together, lay out blankets early in the evening, and just hang out. This year, I think there were 30 or 40 of us sitting "together," though I didn't necessarily know everyone. We gave a blanket to Pastor and Dawn at church in the morning so they could save us a spot, and it's a good thing we did, because Ari slept until 6 that evening. She always naps longer on Sunday afternoons, and she missed her nap on Saturday, so I guess she needed to make up some sleep. By the time we all got ready and had dinner, we didn't get to the town green until almost 8. But that was fine--we knew we had a spot saved and the fireworks didn't start until about 9:45.
First order of business was to buy some glow necklaces, and Tony insisted on getting Ari that spinny thing too. As you can see, she loved it. (And look--I actually caught a genuine smile!)
Me and my BFFs Kerry and Dawn--not the greatest picture, but oh well.
Since there were tons of kids in our group, there was no shortage of toys lingering about--everything from bubble guns to various glowing things to this Elmo. I have no idea which toys belonged to which kids, but they all did a good job sharing, which is all that matters.
Ari ended up with 3 glow necklaces, and Tony showed her how to attach them all together to make one super-big one.
Ta da! (And yes, those are my silver toes.)
Another failed attempt at a mother-daughter picture--she was trying to escape and I was laughing.
I think she was attempting a smile here... or some kind of weird face. Hey, at least she's looking at the camera.
And finally, it was fireworks time. I love the look on her face in this shot.
It was way past Ari's bedtime by the time the fireworks started, but she did so well. At first, she was totally into them, giggling and saying, "Ooh, that's scary!" and having a grand time. But after about 10 minutes, she looked kind of bored--I'm not sure if she actually was bored, or just really tired, but it was probably a combination of both. I was just glad she wasn't scared--I mean, she never has been, but you never know.
I love this picture too--the way she's looking at him is so sweet.
At one point, she held her spinny thing up... I think she wanted to participate in lighting up the sky.
And of course, I should throw in a couple shots of the fireworks themselves. You have no idea how long it took me to get these--my timing was so badly off that I'd catch the firework either right before it exploded or right as it was fizzling out. It wasn't until toward the end that I finally captured a few.
In other Ari news, she has been doing great with potty-training. She's wearing big-girl underwear all day long, and though we put her in Easy-Ups at naptime and bedtime, she keeps those dry a lot of the time, too. Tony says she's even gotten up in the middle of the night a few times to go potty, which is really impressive to me. I was also impressed with how well she handled herself when we were on the town green this weekend, with only Porta-Potties to use, but she did a great job holding it and waiting patiently in line. Yes, folks, she had her first Porta-Potty experience this weekend (*gags*). Looks like the end of our diaper days is in sight... I can't wait.
First order of business was to buy some glow necklaces, and Tony insisted on getting Ari that spinny thing too. As you can see, she loved it. (And look--I actually caught a genuine smile!)
Me and my BFFs Kerry and Dawn--not the greatest picture, but oh well.
Since there were tons of kids in our group, there was no shortage of toys lingering about--everything from bubble guns to various glowing things to this Elmo. I have no idea which toys belonged to which kids, but they all did a good job sharing, which is all that matters.
Ari ended up with 3 glow necklaces, and Tony showed her how to attach them all together to make one super-big one.
Ta da! (And yes, those are my silver toes.)
Another failed attempt at a mother-daughter picture--she was trying to escape and I was laughing.
I think she was attempting a smile here... or some kind of weird face. Hey, at least she's looking at the camera.
And finally, it was fireworks time. I love the look on her face in this shot.
It was way past Ari's bedtime by the time the fireworks started, but she did so well. At first, she was totally into them, giggling and saying, "Ooh, that's scary!" and having a grand time. But after about 10 minutes, she looked kind of bored--I'm not sure if she actually was bored, or just really tired, but it was probably a combination of both. I was just glad she wasn't scared--I mean, she never has been, but you never know.
I love this picture too--the way she's looking at him is so sweet.
At one point, she held her spinny thing up... I think she wanted to participate in lighting up the sky.
And of course, I should throw in a couple shots of the fireworks themselves. You have no idea how long it took me to get these--my timing was so badly off that I'd catch the firework either right before it exploded or right as it was fizzling out. It wasn't until toward the end that I finally captured a few.
In other Ari news, she has been doing great with potty-training. She's wearing big-girl underwear all day long, and though we put her in Easy-Ups at naptime and bedtime, she keeps those dry a lot of the time, too. Tony says she's even gotten up in the middle of the night a few times to go potty, which is really impressive to me. I was also impressed with how well she handled herself when we were on the town green this weekend, with only Porta-Potties to use, but she did a great job holding it and waiting patiently in line. Yes, folks, she had her first Porta-Potty experience this weekend (*gags*). Looks like the end of our diaper days is in sight... I can't wait.
Monday, July 13, 2009
A parade and a party
Busy weekend, lots of pictures. I'll split them between 2 entries.
A town near us does a huge 4th of July celebration every year--except they don't necessarily do it on the actual 4th of July weekend. So, the celebration stuff was this past weekend. There's all sorts of stuff--tons of booths (our church had one on Saturday), lots of unhealthy food, a kids' area, a parade, a fireworks show, live music, etc. When we got there, we stopped by our church's booth first, to say hi and to drop off a couple things.
Failed attempt at a nice mother-daughter picture... but I thought it looked kind of cool, the way my hair is blowing over her face. (Man, I really need to get it trimmed...)
I think she was asking me to pick her up here. I just love her blue, blue eyes...
Oh, sure, she smiles when she's taking a picture with Daddy...
The main reason we went on Saturday was to take Ari to the parade. I didn't think to take any pictures of her during the parade, but here's one of her waiting for it to start (showing me the free fan she got at our church's booth)...
We've been to this parade before, but this year, Ari really got into it. She was cracking me up the whole time--squealing and giggling at everything, being completely un-scared by any loud noises or sirens, marveling at all the big trucks, waving and yelling "Hi" to all the people, etc. Every so often, a group would toss candy at the kids, and Ari would scramble to pick it all up. Then, every time, she'd say to me, very seriously, "If you see any more candy, you let me know." She'd repeat that 2 or 3 times, every time, too--pointing her finger at me to get her point across. She's so silly.
After the parade, we headed to Nick's birthday party, and spent the rest of the day there. Matt and Kristin rented a bounce house, which was a huge hit with the kids (and some of the adults too). Ari was a bit tentative about it at first--I think she was a little unnerved about not being steady on her feet when she tried to stand--but once I encouraged her to jump, and she could see that it didn't hurt if she fell down, she got right into it. I love this action shot...
They set up a couple kiddie pools too (which explains why she's wearing a bathing suit), and Ari helped fill one up...
The party fell right during her naptime, and it quickly became obvious how tired she was. She didn't throw any screaming tantrums or anything--but every little thing was making her moan and cry and whine. After a while, I took her inside and we rested for a bit, away from all the activity and other kids. I didn't want to put her down for a full nap and have her miss the party, so I tried to get her to lay down quietly with me. That lasted for all of a minute, maybe, and she wanted to get up. I let her play alone inside for a few minutes, and then we rejoined the party. I think it really helped her to have that little bit of downtime. But even after we went back outside, she still chose to play alone for a little while... she shot a few hoops...
Sunday was church as always, and I grabbed a couple pictures before we left, because I had to get some shots of this dress. We bought it for Ari while we were on our cruise last year (in St. Maarten). It was October when we got back, so it was too cold for her to wear it, and I was hoping she wouldn't outgrow it before she had a chance to wear it. And right now, it fits her perfectly. She got so many compliments on it at church, too.
Then, while we were at it, we each posed with her... (And as a bonus, I got a shot of my new dress, the one my mom bought me a few weeks back.)
And that's it for now. The rest of the pics are from the fireworks last night, but I'll save them for another entry.
A town near us does a huge 4th of July celebration every year--except they don't necessarily do it on the actual 4th of July weekend. So, the celebration stuff was this past weekend. There's all sorts of stuff--tons of booths (our church had one on Saturday), lots of unhealthy food, a kids' area, a parade, a fireworks show, live music, etc. When we got there, we stopped by our church's booth first, to say hi and to drop off a couple things.
Failed attempt at a nice mother-daughter picture... but I thought it looked kind of cool, the way my hair is blowing over her face. (Man, I really need to get it trimmed...)
I think she was asking me to pick her up here. I just love her blue, blue eyes...
Oh, sure, she smiles when she's taking a picture with Daddy...
The main reason we went on Saturday was to take Ari to the parade. I didn't think to take any pictures of her during the parade, but here's one of her waiting for it to start (showing me the free fan she got at our church's booth)...
We've been to this parade before, but this year, Ari really got into it. She was cracking me up the whole time--squealing and giggling at everything, being completely un-scared by any loud noises or sirens, marveling at all the big trucks, waving and yelling "Hi" to all the people, etc. Every so often, a group would toss candy at the kids, and Ari would scramble to pick it all up. Then, every time, she'd say to me, very seriously, "If you see any more candy, you let me know." She'd repeat that 2 or 3 times, every time, too--pointing her finger at me to get her point across. She's so silly.
After the parade, we headed to Nick's birthday party, and spent the rest of the day there. Matt and Kristin rented a bounce house, which was a huge hit with the kids (and some of the adults too). Ari was a bit tentative about it at first--I think she was a little unnerved about not being steady on her feet when she tried to stand--but once I encouraged her to jump, and she could see that it didn't hurt if she fell down, she got right into it. I love this action shot...
They set up a couple kiddie pools too (which explains why she's wearing a bathing suit), and Ari helped fill one up...
The party fell right during her naptime, and it quickly became obvious how tired she was. She didn't throw any screaming tantrums or anything--but every little thing was making her moan and cry and whine. After a while, I took her inside and we rested for a bit, away from all the activity and other kids. I didn't want to put her down for a full nap and have her miss the party, so I tried to get her to lay down quietly with me. That lasted for all of a minute, maybe, and she wanted to get up. I let her play alone inside for a few minutes, and then we rejoined the party. I think it really helped her to have that little bit of downtime. But even after we went back outside, she still chose to play alone for a little while... she shot a few hoops...
Sunday was church as always, and I grabbed a couple pictures before we left, because I had to get some shots of this dress. We bought it for Ari while we were on our cruise last year (in St. Maarten). It was October when we got back, so it was too cold for her to wear it, and I was hoping she wouldn't outgrow it before she had a chance to wear it. And right now, it fits her perfectly. She got so many compliments on it at church, too.
Then, while we were at it, we each posed with her... (And as a bonus, I got a shot of my new dress, the one my mom bought me a few weeks back.)
And that's it for now. The rest of the pics are from the fireworks last night, but I'll save them for another entry.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Yes there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you
Just some randomness, with a couple Ari stories mixed in...
The sandals I'm wearing today are trying their darnedest to give me a blister between my big toe and the one next to it on my right foot. And, no, they're not new--they are plenty broken in. This is the third pair of not-new shoes lately that have attacked my feet. I don't know why they're deciding to blister me up lately, but I am not happy about it.
My brother spent the weekend with us last weekend, and he took home my copy of Season 1 of "Pushing Daisies." He and I have talked about the show in the past, and I've hyped it up to him, assuring him he would love it. Well, he called me a couple nights ago specifically to tell me he'd watched the first 3 episodes and was totally hooked. This made me so happy. And of course, a little sad, since the show's been cancelled. I still need to watch the series finale, which is waiting patiently for me on my DVR.
Special K was on sale last time we were at the store, so I grabbed a box of the new Cinnamon Pecan variety, and I am in love. So yummy... and good for me, too!
See, I can be in love with healthy foods. I'm not ALL about the brownies and donuts and Pop Tarts and Twizzlers and... crap. Now I'm hungry. And not for Special K. This is all your fault.
Our church has been doing a Vacation Bible School program for the kids this week. If you don't know what that means, it's basically a week-long program for kids, a couple hours each evening, where they do crafts, sing songs, play games, have a Bible lesson, etc. Normally, it's meant for school-age kids, grades K-6. But since our church recently started up a preschool Sunday school class for 3- to 5-year-olds, they decided to hold that class during VBS... which means my 3-year-old Ari is a part of VBS. This is really weirding me out for some reason... I guess because I figured I had 2 more years before she started doing school-ish stuff like this? She came home on Monday night all lit up and babbling about everything she did, proudly showing me her craft and her coloring pages and her bag of candy, and I got a little choked up.
I mean, you all know me... I've never been one to get all weepy at her milestones and sob about how she's growing up so fast, but for some reason, this VBS thing is making my heart twinge just a little. Maybe it's because it just seems like, lately, she's growing up so rapidly. I don't know. But I'd better get used to it, right?
Speaking of her... I was leaving for work a couple days ago, and Ari was already up, snuggled in on my side of the bed and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I was running late (as usual), so I flew into the room and popped a quick kiss on her forehead. Her eyes were fixed on the TV, and I was sure she hadn't even noticed the kiss. But as I turned away, she said, "And a hug too!" When I turned back around, she already had her arms outstretched for me. And as I hugged her, she added, "I love you."
Talk about making it hard for me to leave her...
I am obviously in a sappy mood today, huh? Sorry. One more thing, then I'm done, I promise.
I've got a new favorite song... one that I heard in a cell phone commercial. Until today, I'd only ever heard the first few lines, just in the commercial...
I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you.
Yes there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you.
I've seen the paths that your eyes wander down,
I want to come too.
So I looked it up on YouTube, listened to the whole thing, and I love it even more now. (Embedding was disabled on the "official" video [why do they do that?], so the video may seem random, but the music is the real song.)
The sandals I'm wearing today are trying their darnedest to give me a blister between my big toe and the one next to it on my right foot. And, no, they're not new--they are plenty broken in. This is the third pair of not-new shoes lately that have attacked my feet. I don't know why they're deciding to blister me up lately, but I am not happy about it.
My brother spent the weekend with us last weekend, and he took home my copy of Season 1 of "Pushing Daisies." He and I have talked about the show in the past, and I've hyped it up to him, assuring him he would love it. Well, he called me a couple nights ago specifically to tell me he'd watched the first 3 episodes and was totally hooked. This made me so happy. And of course, a little sad, since the show's been cancelled. I still need to watch the series finale, which is waiting patiently for me on my DVR.
Special K was on sale last time we were at the store, so I grabbed a box of the new Cinnamon Pecan variety, and I am in love. So yummy... and good for me, too!
See, I can be in love with healthy foods. I'm not ALL about the brownies and donuts and Pop Tarts and Twizzlers and... crap. Now I'm hungry. And not for Special K. This is all your fault.
Our church has been doing a Vacation Bible School program for the kids this week. If you don't know what that means, it's basically a week-long program for kids, a couple hours each evening, where they do crafts, sing songs, play games, have a Bible lesson, etc. Normally, it's meant for school-age kids, grades K-6. But since our church recently started up a preschool Sunday school class for 3- to 5-year-olds, they decided to hold that class during VBS... which means my 3-year-old Ari is a part of VBS. This is really weirding me out for some reason... I guess because I figured I had 2 more years before she started doing school-ish stuff like this? She came home on Monday night all lit up and babbling about everything she did, proudly showing me her craft and her coloring pages and her bag of candy, and I got a little choked up.
I mean, you all know me... I've never been one to get all weepy at her milestones and sob about how she's growing up so fast, but for some reason, this VBS thing is making my heart twinge just a little. Maybe it's because it just seems like, lately, she's growing up so rapidly. I don't know. But I'd better get used to it, right?
Speaking of her... I was leaving for work a couple days ago, and Ari was already up, snuggled in on my side of the bed and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I was running late (as usual), so I flew into the room and popped a quick kiss on her forehead. Her eyes were fixed on the TV, and I was sure she hadn't even noticed the kiss. But as I turned away, she said, "And a hug too!" When I turned back around, she already had her arms outstretched for me. And as I hugged her, she added, "I love you."
Talk about making it hard for me to leave her...
I am obviously in a sappy mood today, huh? Sorry. One more thing, then I'm done, I promise.
I've got a new favorite song... one that I heard in a cell phone commercial. Until today, I'd only ever heard the first few lines, just in the commercial...
I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you.
Yes there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you.
I've seen the paths that your eyes wander down,
I want to come too.
So I looked it up on YouTube, listened to the whole thing, and I love it even more now. (Embedding was disabled on the "official" video [why do they do that?], so the video may seem random, but the music is the real song.)
Monday, July 6, 2009
Ari's 3rd birthday party
We had Ari's birthday party yesterday evening. Kind of an odd time for a birthday party, but since Saturday was the 4th of July, and we had church on Sunday morning, there wasn't much else we could do. It was a crazy-long day, but fun.
I'm a bit bummed that most of my pictures came out crappy. Of course, I was scurrying around being a good hostess, so I had to force myself to remember to take pics, which may explain why they're blurry. But still.
I remembered to get a few shots before the party started. Here's Ari, posing with the partially-decorated table. We did a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme (what else?) using her toy as a centerpiece for the table.
A shot of the cake, which tasted just as awesome as it looked...
Tony, hanging up the birthday banner...
One of the goody bags we gave out. We've never done them before, and I wasn't going to do them this year, but Tony insisted, and who can argue with a Daddy when it comes to his little girl?
We got a few family shots before the party, and I'm glad we did, because I never would have gotten around to it during the party.
The best of the family shots... and Ivan decided to crash it. *sigh*
I love how she's looking over at Tony in this one...
This one cracks me up... I have no idea what this face was about but I promise, we were not squishing her head that badly...
The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and considering the un-summer-like weather we've had lately, that was no small miracle. By the time the party started, we had a good layer of shade in our "backyard" and almost everyone hung out outside.
And now, random party shots. Ari and her cousin Micah...
Ari and her posse hanging out at her picnic table...
After eating-time, it was present-opening-time... I promise, she was much more excited about it than she looks in this picture.
I believe this one was from Dave, Jess, and Micah...
I asked Ari to pose for me with this gift, and this is what she did. We were amused (as Tony is demonstrating)...
Yay for clothes! She got tons of clothes, and it's a good thing, since she's grown out of a lot of stuff lately. (Also, Nick cracks me up in this picture... I'm pretty sure he'd just gotten scolded for hovering too close to Ari, so it looks like he's walking sadly away.)
2 adorably awesome dresses...
And then it was cake time. And because I'm an idiot, I missed getting a shot of her actually blowing the candle out. But she did. All by herself, if I recall correctly.
I love hoops and yoyo--this card was from our friend Wayne. I asked her to show it to me, and this is what she did. I'm not sure what her deal is with peeking through things when I ask her to pose... maybe she's being artistic?
After we passed out pieces of cake to everyone, I went over to talk to Ari, who was sitting just like this, head on the table, looking all melancholy. I asked her if she was eating her cake, and she sadly said no. Then, just as sadly, she said, "I want to go and play." It seemed like she thought she had to stay put and eat her cake, like it was dinnertime or something. Yes, what a rough life she has, being forced to eat cake. (And yes, I gave her "permission" to go play, the silly thing.)
Tony had set up this inflatable giant basketball hoop thing outside, and I'm not sure anyone ever used it properly. Every time I looked, the kids were tackling it, like this.
Ari and Molly got into Ari's dress-up shoes, and were strutting around in them. I asked Ari to show me her shoes, and for some reason, she plopped onto the ground and gave me this oh-so-ladylike pose...
And then it was time to go swimming. Our apartment complex has an indoor pool, so that's where we all headed. I got a picture of Ari and Nick in the locker room--Kristin told Nick to put his arm around Ari.
And this is the shot you saw in yesterday's entry... my favorite one of the day. Mostly because it's the only one that came out clear.
Almost everyone swam for a little while, and then the party fizzled out as bedtimes drew near. All in all, though, it really went well--it seemed like everyone had fun, there were no major meltdowns or injuries, and there was plenty of food without being way too much.
And in other awesome news--Ari has been in big-girl underwear all day long for the past few days. We made a big deal out of buying her some on her birthday, and she's done so well. We're still putting her in a Pull-Up for bedtime/naptime, but she is doing fantastic during the day. She even wore her big-girl underwear to church yesterday and kept them dry. So all we need to do is get her to learn how to hold it when she's sleeping, and we are golden. I cannot wait.
I'm a bit bummed that most of my pictures came out crappy. Of course, I was scurrying around being a good hostess, so I had to force myself to remember to take pics, which may explain why they're blurry. But still.
I remembered to get a few shots before the party started. Here's Ari, posing with the partially-decorated table. We did a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme (what else?) using her toy as a centerpiece for the table.
A shot of the cake, which tasted just as awesome as it looked...
Tony, hanging up the birthday banner...
One of the goody bags we gave out. We've never done them before, and I wasn't going to do them this year, but Tony insisted, and who can argue with a Daddy when it comes to his little girl?
We got a few family shots before the party, and I'm glad we did, because I never would have gotten around to it during the party.
The best of the family shots... and Ivan decided to crash it. *sigh*
I love how she's looking over at Tony in this one...
This one cracks me up... I have no idea what this face was about but I promise, we were not squishing her head that badly...
The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and considering the un-summer-like weather we've had lately, that was no small miracle. By the time the party started, we had a good layer of shade in our "backyard" and almost everyone hung out outside.
And now, random party shots. Ari and her cousin Micah...
Ari and her posse hanging out at her picnic table...
After eating-time, it was present-opening-time... I promise, she was much more excited about it than she looks in this picture.
I believe this one was from Dave, Jess, and Micah...
I asked Ari to pose for me with this gift, and this is what she did. We were amused (as Tony is demonstrating)...
Yay for clothes! She got tons of clothes, and it's a good thing, since she's grown out of a lot of stuff lately. (Also, Nick cracks me up in this picture... I'm pretty sure he'd just gotten scolded for hovering too close to Ari, so it looks like he's walking sadly away.)
2 adorably awesome dresses...
And then it was cake time. And because I'm an idiot, I missed getting a shot of her actually blowing the candle out. But she did. All by herself, if I recall correctly.
I love hoops and yoyo--this card was from our friend Wayne. I asked her to show it to me, and this is what she did. I'm not sure what her deal is with peeking through things when I ask her to pose... maybe she's being artistic?
After we passed out pieces of cake to everyone, I went over to talk to Ari, who was sitting just like this, head on the table, looking all melancholy. I asked her if she was eating her cake, and she sadly said no. Then, just as sadly, she said, "I want to go and play." It seemed like she thought she had to stay put and eat her cake, like it was dinnertime or something. Yes, what a rough life she has, being forced to eat cake. (And yes, I gave her "permission" to go play, the silly thing.)
Tony had set up this inflatable giant basketball hoop thing outside, and I'm not sure anyone ever used it properly. Every time I looked, the kids were tackling it, like this.
Ari and Molly got into Ari's dress-up shoes, and were strutting around in them. I asked Ari to show me her shoes, and for some reason, she plopped onto the ground and gave me this oh-so-ladylike pose...
And then it was time to go swimming. Our apartment complex has an indoor pool, so that's where we all headed. I got a picture of Ari and Nick in the locker room--Kristin told Nick to put his arm around Ari.
And this is the shot you saw in yesterday's entry... my favorite one of the day. Mostly because it's the only one that came out clear.
Almost everyone swam for a little while, and then the party fizzled out as bedtimes drew near. All in all, though, it really went well--it seemed like everyone had fun, there were no major meltdowns or injuries, and there was plenty of food without being way too much.
And in other awesome news--Ari has been in big-girl underwear all day long for the past few days. We made a big deal out of buying her some on her birthday, and she's done so well. We're still putting her in a Pull-Up for bedtime/naptime, but she is doing fantastic during the day. She even wore her big-girl underwear to church yesterday and kept them dry. So all we need to do is get her to learn how to hold it when she's sleeping, and we are golden. I cannot wait.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
