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Super Mario
12.19.09 | Permalink | | Comments Off on Super MarioTim the plumber came to the house today to lay out the drains for me and make sure I don’t make any code violations while installing the DWV system. Everything was fast and efficient (he was in and gone in an hour) and I am really excited about starting installation this morning!
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Skating
12.18.09 | Permalink | | Comments Off on Skating
Girlscouts is offering a variety of new activities for our girl. Last weekend Gigi had the opportunity to go ice skating. I had Jude with me and could only imagine me in skates, him in skates, and tiny digits on the ice as we floundered around the rink together; it seemed destined to end in tragedy. So Gigi was on her own. I felt quite guilty at first, just throwing my neophyte skater on the ice and telling her just to go for it. But I remembered my mom doing the same with me, and in time I was the roller skating queen, spending every weekend in the center circle of the Marysville Skate-Inn with my best friend Kim Hannenburg spinning graceful circles wearing a lovely red and white striped polyester skating outfit. And I am talking about the really thick polyester from the 70’s. Classy.
Gigi also wanted to spin and mimic the skating outfits she had seen on TV. She settled for tights, a short skirt and her Julius the Monkey T-Shirt. Way better than my outfit!
Gigi has been twice before, but neither of those times led to any form of mastery. This time, however, she clung to the wall the first time round, then made her way out to the middle. She was unsteady, for sure, but within thirty minutes she was skating around the rink without slipping and falling repeatedly. Every once in a while she would grab the hand of one of her girlscout friends, and around and around they would go. It was lovely to see my girl, with such confidence, sailing around the rink like a pro. Yeah, Gigi!
Gigi’s Daisy Troop
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Santa and the Littlest Littlejohns
12.16.09 | Permalink | | Comments Off on Santa and the Littlest Littlejohns
We went to see Santa earlier this month. We started watching the Santa movies early in the month to prepare Jude for the sight of the big man. He could say his name and got really excited when he saw him, hollering, Santa! Santa!” So, we thought it was time.Jude gleefully waited in line for his turn to see Santa, when suddenly we got close enough to see him. There he was in all of is white bearded and red suited glory: Santa Claus. Jude got real quiet and clingy all of the sudden. The kid on Santa’s lap was crying. We tried to shield Jude away from the crying kid, but like a train wreck, Jude could not tear his eyes away. He began to whimper.
Then it was our turn. Gigi marched right up and sat her sparkly little self right next to Santa. Jude was placed next to her, but he wouldn’t stay, we were going to have to put him on Santa’s lap. Jude never began the full-on freak out, but he was most certainly nervous and wishing for the safe arms of his mama and daddy rather than sitting on this strangers’ lap. Santa hung on tight, and with the help of a peppermint lollipop, we were able to get a picture of the kids and Santa that will be a memory in itself. Jude quickly scurried into Daddy’s arms and looked suspiciously at Santa while Gigi told him her heart’s desires: an extra soft blankie, a glitter ball and Littlest Pet Shop stuff. Santa heard everything, and yes, she’s been a good, good girl.
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Black Friday 2009
11.27.09 | Permalink | | Comments Off on Black Friday 2009
We started our day at 4:30. Yes, 4:30. The skies were still twinkling with stars when we decided to embrace Jude’s early waking habit and would take advantage of some doorbuster specials. Amazingly, Gigi was awake too and just waiting for the skies to lighten, so the trek out was even easier than we expected it to be.  We were loaded into the car by 5:15 and headed for first, Target, then Toys’RUs, next to Home Depot and our final stop was Lowes. At Target we found a few deals, namely a vaccum for my class and home for 9.00 and finished shopping for all of our appliances at the constructions stores. We were finished with our shopping by 8:30 and decided to head downtown to the parade.
Our arrival, though about 30 minutes into the parade, was perfectly timed to see about 30 minutes of the festivities. That was enough to see many of the characters,
to see Gigi’s favorite snow princess in the snow globe, and this was the first time we have managed to see the finale himself, Santa! He made his way down the road,
blowing kisses and waving to all. Gigi was terribly excited, as we usually watch the parade at the end, where Santa has left his sleigh and is warm and safe inside Macys.
She stated that we should be late every year because this time we actually got to see Santa. We headed to Westlake after the parade ended to eat veggie hot dogs
(right next to See’s by the carousel if you’re interested), then made our way home. Both of the kids crashed in the car on the way home.
A great way to start the season!  Season’s Greetings to All!
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Butter
11.27.09 | Permalink | | Comments Off on ButterToday I was shopping online and Jude was keeping to himself quite nicely. He was laying on the floor, swathed in his blanket, busily doing… something. Eventually he engaged me, asked me to take off my shoes and wanted up on my lap. I took off the shoes while noticing Jude had a rather greasy appearance, which was surprising as he just had a bath last night AND the last time I had looked at him closely he still appeared rather fresh and sweet smelling. I lifted him up along with his Nigh-nigh (blankie) and found his blanket to be moist and cold feeling, yet not wet. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the blanket was covered in butter. And so was the floor that he had been laying on. So was his shirt, a nearby sock, his hands, face and hair. I followed a trail of greasy footprints to the kitchen where I found the motherload, the scene of the crime, the original butter entanglement. It seems that our fair Jude decided a snack was in order and found the butter on the counter, grabbed it and started eating. Yep, plain old butter. That explains the quietness and canoodling on the floor with Nigh-nigh for that extended amount of my shopping time. He wasn’t playing quietly, he was eating butter off the floor and licking it off his blanket!
