Fun with New Toys

Early Lesson in Saving

We decided a year ago to put any spare change/ bills into Rémy's piggy bank and to take it out once a year and buy a savings bond with it. Today Daddy helped Rémy unplug the piggy and count the money to take in to the bank. Thankfully there were no swallowed coins, but there was a great interest in putting the coins back in the piggy. We think more than just the two of us have been sneaking money into the piggy, as there was enough for three savings bonds!

12 Months of Red Chair

12 months old-In Red Chair

ONE YEAR OLD!!! What's happened this month, you may ask...lots. Rémy has mastered walking and is now trying to run. She has started learning to stack objects and wants to do more things independently. We have successfully made the switch from formula to whole milk, saving us money and filling out Rémy a little more. Rémy has lots of battle wounds from making her way through life and seems to have a new bruise or scratch every day. If you look close enough in this picture you can see the remnants of a black eye that's almost disappeared. She is becoming familiar with the potty and how to flush, but has yet to do anything on the toilet besides look at Elmo on the seat. She started pointing at objects and babbling as if telling us about them. She has a baby doll that is about half her size that she drags around the house, giving it a pacifier, or bottle or trying to change it's diaper. When she's being sweet she pats it and gives it hugs. We're working on blowing kisses and giving kisses on the cheek, but she doesn' t have it down quite yet.

A short story about her new found independence; the three of us were grocery shopping the other night, but Rémy would not sit in the cart. She wanted to walk around the entire grocery store, following behind the cart. She also didn't want anything to do with holding hands and walking. For this reason, for her birthday one of the things we got 'her' (but really us) is a little monkey backpack friend that has a long tail for us to hold on to. I've seen other parents have these on their kids and thought...oh I'd never do that. But when it comes down to it, as independent as she seems to be, I would much rather subject her to a monkey backpack than have her missing from my sight.

As parents we feel like her lifespan has been a few long months instead of the whole year that it really has been. We are grateful for every little hug, squeeze, kiss and smile she gives!

1st Birthday

Rémy enjoyed quite a few firsts this weekend. First bite of cookie while decorating Christmas cookies with Grammy, first bite of cake and frosting. She's sugared up and ready to go for at least 3 months. She had a fun day but was just a bit tuckered by the end. So much activity for one little girl.

Visit with Santa

This Santa turned out to be so kind and friendly, took some extra time to give us tips and pointers about getting a 'good' Santa picture. He's been doing this for 15 years at the Half Price Books on Northwest Hwy. We'll go back to him next year....with two kiddos.

Sweet Treats

Don't ya just love guilt free baking....you know, the kind where you don't have to feel bad for eating it! One of the ladies in our life group had a fabulous idea. Instead of a traditional cookie exchange where we all take home and eat what we swap, we made lots of goodies, brought tins and wrap and packaged them all up to give to friends and neighbors. I just loved this idea 'cause I'm usually giving out goodies anyway, this just made it loads easier 'cause I didn't have to make it all. The hubbies tagged along, we ordered pizza which took care of dinner and the kiddos all had a blast playing together. This is one Christmas exchange that'll become an annual tradition.

5 weeks

Today begins a five week scramble to accomplish too many things in too little time. I finished the semester strong and have a break in classes for the next five weeks. The most important thing on the agenda is studying to take my certification exam. I figured, with Baby boy due in about 10 weeks, the best time to study is now. I'll be taking the test sometime between February and April, but there's just no telling how much sleep I'll be getting at that time! If you are reading this and have taken the TeXES Math 4-8 Certification test....please get in touch with me...I can use all the tips I can get.

Here are some projects I'd like to finish...

Make some sense of what will be Ben's room...

Decopagé crib, changing table and dresser with old comics for Ben's room...

Refurbish an antique tricycle found at a Clarksville antique store...
(hopefully in time for Christmas)


Have a birthday party for a little girl....


and study, study, study.

Thanksgiving Keeper Recipes

I enjoyed hosting a wonderful thanksgiving meal over here for some of our family. I love to cook and used many new recipes this year. Most were from The Pioneer Woman and I was happy with the outcome of every recipe. We had roasted turkey, brined in apple juice, orange peel, salt, peppercorns and herbs. We had pineapple and brown sugar basted ham. I did cornbread stuffing with four types of fresh herbs, creamed spinach, turnip gratin, scrumptious apple pie, chocolate pecan pie, hot buttered rum and spiced cider. Part of the fun of Thanksgiving is that everyone contributes to the feast. Annie brought deviled eggs, Mom brought a cherry pecan jello, salad and crudité tray and an Indiana corn casserole that Walker raved about. Tony and Annie made a pumpkin pie and peeled the apples for my apple pie (Annie's hand survived a runaway peeler). Dad made a seven layer salad that was well liked. John Paul and Tracy made a Cherry cheesecake. Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Elizabeth brought delicious new potatoes and green beans, an apple lattice pie, and a colorful fresh fruit salad.

Another positive note I'll have to remember for next year is that I managed to finish most if not all of the cooking/prep work before everyone arrived allowing me to visit with everyone and be a little more relaxed than just working in the kitchen.

We joined Walker's family for dinner (it seems I can eat 6 meals a day now, no matter if it's Thanksgiving or not) and I especially loved these little appetizers that Debbe made olives wrapped in pie crust and baked. She also made a chocolate graham cracker bar with nuts that was soooo decadent! Rémy loved playing with her cousin Whitman and Aunt Kendra and all the doggies and kitty-kitty.

In these fast and furious times it's a rare treat to take a moment to savor with friends and family.