santa visit : third time's a charm

We trekked off to the mall on Wednesday to visit Santa.

Despite all three of us having colds, we headed out that morning (uh, well, 11am...as early as I can manage with two kids) and met Hubby so he can share in this always very joyous experience.

Ha.

The past two years we've done our due diligence and taken Cormac to visit the man in red,

only to see him make disgusted faces or flat out throw a tantrum

I know there are many parents who can relate.

Here is Cormac his first Santa visit, four months old...

Santa looks amazing.  Cormac looks like Santa smells bad.  This is literally the best picture I have from the experience.

The next year was, in fact, worse.  

We saw Santa at Paul's work's "kid party."

Amid the pizza and bouncy house fun, 

Santa arrived.

He may as well have been an ax murderer.

My 1 1/2 year old was not happy, 

clearly...

Then they hit the age of two, 

and suddenly Christmas is less "fun you force upon them" and

becomes something magical they actually want to be involved in.

This year, we started hyping Christmas early (both Santa Clause lore and Jesus' birthday) and he has been watching Christmas movies on Netflix since way before Thanksgiving.

He can sing Jingle Bells, Up on the Housetop and Oh, Christmas Tree.

This year, I knew our Santa experience would be much, much different.

And it was...

He was too scared to ride the train, any coin-operated animal, or the merry-go-round at the mall

("Maybe when I am older," he told me.)

However, this year, he was able to sit on Santa's lap and declare emphatically that for Christmas he wanted "A d-ire engine!" 

Oh, and smiled dutifully for mama (who incidentally had to be told by Santa to stay off the rug if I wanted to take my own photos.)

I couldn't have been prouder.

Oh, and Finola was there, too.  She made weird faces.

But at least I expected that, this time around.

:)

{christmas bucket list}

Okay, so this is more of a 'to-do' than a 'bucket list.'  But since I love lists and lots of other bloggers are doing this, I thought I would join in the fun...

1. Cut down tree and decorate.

the tree!

2. Attend my very first 'ugly Christmas sweater' party.  Yes, my very first, and I am thirty-two. I couldn't find a sweater but only a tacky, ill-fitting holiday turtleneck for two dollars at Goodwill.   Here is a shot of some lovely ladies at our "crafty" Christmas party.  If you could see the detail on my turtleneck it has black Scottish terriers on it with crazy eyes and holly on their collars...

4. Take photos for Christmas card.  I am not sure why I always wait until December to do this.   Anyway, this year we were all sick with yucky colds and there was major snow falling outside so we had to take them inside by our tree. Here is an outtake.  This one will not be the card, don't worry.

family pic fail.

5. Send out said Christmas card.
6. Bake cookies and deliver to friends.  I've never been a big baker but now that Cormac is old enough to help me we have been on quite a cookie baking spree.  He loves helping and it gives me an excuse to use my pretty stand mixer.  Because I don't want to eat the whole batch myself we have been delivering some to various lady friends - mostly preggos!

7. Celebrate Christmas Eve/Day at our home -- for the first time EVER.  Usually we are in MN or at my in-laws for these two days...but this year we will have 'our' family celebration on the actual night/morning of Christmas.  I don't know why this means so much to me...but it does.  It is what my family did growing up, and it is what I desire for our little growing fam.  However, the entire weekend prior to Christmas will be spent with the Hubby's fam, and the day after Christmas we will drive to Minnesota for a giant reunion/celebration/crazy gathering at my parent's farm.  It will be nothing short of chaotic.  So excited for all the festivities!
8. Make cookies for Santa.  Set out, with milk.  Cormac already knows exactly where we will set these.
9. Purchase and hang mistletoe.  I actually got what is called a "kissing ball" at Michael's...and I adore it.  There was already a hook set into the huge doorframe between our kitchen and living room, so I decided it was fate that some mistletoe (or, fine, a kissing ball) be hung there.   SO worth it.  Cormac is constantly "catching me" under the kissing ball and running into me at full speed and kissing my legs.  Or I bring him or Finola under there and give them a million kisses, which he thinks is hilarious.  Or if he refuses, Hubby and I take a turn under there.  Also kind of nice.  :)  Best 6.99 I ever spent.

10.  Have all presents purchased and wrapped by December 15th.  Ha.

Okay, I'd better stop at ten.  It is a nice round number, and I prefer not to overwhelm myself.  Couple things I had to leave off the list to maintain my sanity -- the Elf on the Shelf thing (it looks fun but think I will wait til the kiddos are a bit older) and creating and carrying out an advent calendar.  There are so many cute ideas on Pinterest, but again, with all our travel and craziness and an infant I don't want to make myself crazy crazier than I already am.

What's on your Christmas bucket list this year???

tree cuttin'

Saturday morning it was time once again to drive out to the tree farm we always go to and bring home our Christmas tree.

It's our tradition, and I love it.

Last year during this excursion we took some family photos and I had a itty bitty baby bump:

Hard to believe how tiny and different Cormac was just one year ago.  

Barely saying two words and so still a baby!  Now he is all arms and legs and won't stop talking to save his life (and I love it!) 

Besides Cormac getting huge...Finola made her entrance into the world and suddenly I have TWO children!  This definitely added to the fun of the tree cutting experience

Despite both kiddos teething (his two year molars started coming this month and her first two teeth are now officially here!) we had a lovely morning, sun shining bright, cold but not freezing, and just a little bit of snow crunching beneath our feet.

So, is your tree up yet?

I am currently in the midst of 'trimming' ours...

and have only had a few minor meltdowns about it.
{Hormones, people.  Hormones.}

g

finola - six months!

 

Happy 'Half' Year, my little love!
It's been a fun month, so let's get right to it...
Personality:

 Determined little bugger.  Stubborn.  Quiet unless she wants something.  Joyous - she has the most lovely open-mouthed, gaping grin...especially when I come to get her out of her crib.  Laughs about totally random things.

Likes:  

Chewing on EVERYTHING.  Especially books.  Playing 'Kissy Monster.'  Mirrors.  Watching your brother play, talk, get in trouble...it all makes you twitter-pated.  The Jumperoo - you are a jumping maniac.  

happiest in her jumperoo!

Dislikes: 

Being fed - you'd much prefer to feed yourself.  Being away from mama for too long.  Total mama's girl.   Being tired - you'd rather just be put in your crib than be rocked to sleep or snuggled!  Riding in the car too long.  Getting dressed...sometimes you strongly protest to mama getting your little arms through the holes in shirts.  You get annoyed by a lot of buttons.  Pajamas are sometimes nightmarish (you prefer the quick zip-up variety!)

Sleeping:

About the same as last month.  Still hasn't gone a whole night without waking up.  Still wakes usually twice a night for a feeding.  Sometimes once if we are lucky.  Naps twice a day, two hours every time.    Goes to bed between 6 and 7 and gets up around 7am.

probably not gonna be a baller

Eating:

Still get only one bottle on a typical day, from Dada right before bedtime.  I did break down and feed you with a bottle a couple times, just to break my fear.  It went fine!  Breastfeeding has become more difficult and mentally I am ready to transition to formula.  I think.  Not looking forward to the hormone imbalance that will come with that...but it will pass.  Anyway, you eat four times during the day, approximately 6 oz each time.  You also gets baby food at mealtimes when I feed Cormac.  You have had oatmeal, rice cereal, green beans, peas, bananas, apples and carrots.  Bananas are by far your favorite!  You are very insistent on grabbing the spoon away from me and feeding yourself...and when you are done with each bite you fling the spoon on the ground and whine for more.  

you might be the messiest eater ever. 

Sibling Relations:

You continue to adore your brother, while he goes in waves with how he feels.  He mostly wants to kiss and 'ug' you, crawl into your crib and snuggle and 'entertain Sissy!'  Sometimes he wants you to just go away so all the attention is on him.  That doesn't happen often, thankfully!  Although he did smack you in the face for the first time - on purpose.  You had no real reaction to it, so I guess it didn't hurt, but he had a major meltdown in his time-out and eventually apologized.

my little cuddlers.  fin loves being on the couch with brother.

Mama's feelings:

Making peace with breastfeeding coming to an end - eventually.  Happy to be back at the gym more frequently and able to go to pilates class again.

Health/Measurements:

Weight: 18 lbs (75th) Height: 25.5 inches (25th)  Head: 16.25 inches (75th)

No colds this month, but possibly some teething (noticed some extra fussiness and a TON of drooling/chewing.)  Wearing 9 month clothing -- and some 12 month!  You don't even know how excited I was to find out I can now shop the toddler girl section of Target for you.  Everything is SO MUCH CUTER there than in the infant section.

Milestones/Development:

*You found your feet!

*Started sitting unassisted at just after five months!

*Continue to make the moves to crawl. You even get up on your toes in a fun 'downward dog' yoga position in an attempt to propel yourself forward...but nothing official.

still has the curl on the top of her head - sometimes

Memories:

*First time playing in the leaves!  I had to be carefully because you would have ate about fifty leaves had I let you.

*First time riding in the stroller like a big girl...and swinging!  This picture doesn't show it, but you actually, despite being too small, loved being in there with me making faces at you and pushing you lightly.  I think you just like being outside and having lots to look at.

*And, of course, your first Halloween!  You won't remember this, but you were the sweetest little bunny for a couple hours...

Dear Fin,

It is so fun watching you turn into a little person.  You seem determined to learn and grow and be a part of everything.  You continue to be very go-with-the-flow, making it easier for me to handle two littles and go on adventures with the both of you.  You adore your brother, everything about him...just like seemingly everyone else.  Go figure.  He is a likable guy.  

You make me smile every morning and after nap times with your huge "crib grins."  Your fat rolls and love handles are pretty much the best - even the doc was impressed at your check-up.  You never fail to let me know when you don't like something...and, in my opinion, speaking your mind is a good thing.  

I'm excited, as always, for what the next month will bring (crawling?!?!?!)

Love you, lady Jane!

Mama + Dada

{photographer for a day}

You know how there are people who are really, really amazing at one particular thing?

Like, that thing is "their thing." 

They paint.  Or they write.  Or they sew beautiful things.

Or they are good with numbers.

I don't have 'a thing.'

I have a lot of things that I love to do...

even a few that I am halfway good at.

My writing skills are decent.

I adore cooking.

I am a pretty fast long-distance runner.

I have decent style when it comes to home decor.
I genuinely enjoy these things and will continue to try to hone my skills.

Then there is photography.

You could say I am just one of those women who took up blogging and then had photo envy and joined the DSLR bandwagon and got one and had no clue how to use it and still really doesn't so I still shoot on auto.

That would be sort of true.

But also not.

My love for taking photographs began when I was twelve and got my first crappy plastic red Kodak 35mm camera for Christmas.

I was kind of obsessed with photos.  Some kids were playing soccer or in dance class, but because my family had no money for all of that by the time I got to that age, I had to do things that were free.

Being an introvert it was easy to find things to do on my own.

I would pore over family photographs.

I looked at my mama's photo albums so much that I felt that I knew all of the relatives personally, despite never having met most of them.

When my sister went to high school (she is five years older) I became equally obsessed with her yearbooks.  I could have told you everyone's name and what extra-curricular activity they were in.

(Clearly I had no life.)

Whenever I could scrape up some dollars to buy a roll of film I would,

and then took lots of really horrific photos.

This was back before digital cameras.  

No filters and editing programs.

You took 24 photos to a typical roll of film,

dropped it off at KMart, 

and waited.

Two whole days.

(I couldn't afford the one-hour photo)

Sometimes longer since we lived out in the country and it wasn't like I could just hop on my bike to get there.

The waiting felt like an eternity.

When I finally picked up my photos I would always find a quiet aisle in our hometown Kmart and rip open that envelope.  I had to see them immediately.

Honestly, most of them were really bad.

Fingers blocking the frame.

Red eyes.

Someone always blinked.  Always.

But it didn't matter - opening that envelope was still exciting.

The same way uploading photos to my computer is exciting.

I believe photographs are important.

I believe in taking lots and lots and lots of photographs and showing them to my kiddos.

They will grow up with a camera in their face.

They will have a mama who doesn't mind having her photo taken, either.

Photos helps us remember.

They are art.

They are an emotion or a moment captured.

In truth I know basically nothing about shooting in manual with my DSLR.

Well, not nothing, but very little.

I try.

I dabble.

Mostly, I understand composition and the value of editing utilizing the digital darkroom.

:)

I am not a photographer - I just enjoy taking photographs.

Therefore when my friend Alicia asked me to take some of her sweet little family, 

I readily obliged, longing for the practice and a way to re-pay Alicia for the many, many times she has let me and the babies invade her house for hours to escape renovation chaos,
feeding us and just being an amazing friend.

Since she has two little kiddos we spent about an hour in the morning sunshine one recent Saturday and I did the best I could...and had so much fun doing it.

Here are some of my favorites...

Anyway, I may never be a 'real photographer' but I will continue to get to know my camera and take lots of photos...because I love it.

Thanks to my friend Alicia for letting me take pics of your fam!  It was a joy!

g