Merry Christmas!!

ONLY FIVE DAYS until CHRISTMAS!!!

The anticipation is killing me.  Especially because Christmas will be extra fun this year with a one-year-old.  (Note: I'm already counting down to Christmas-with-a-two-year-old!)

I finally took some photos.  Christmassy ones.  So at least if I don't take another photo of MiniM.E. until 2013, I have a couple photos that I can show her later and say, "here you were doing Christmassy things when you were one."  That's all that really matters, right?

My checklist?  Shopping: done. Wrapping: done.

Baking: done. Decorating cookies: done.

Christmas Cards: done.

Really, all that's left is to eat an inordinate amount of holiday goodies and watch The Santa Clause (my all time favorite Christmas movie.  Some hot chocolate might be in order as well.

So, until next year (probably, because Christmas is a busy time, you know? and then there's all the Christmas take-down, and playing with presents, and planning activities for New Year's Eve...), here are some photos of MiniM.E. (doing Christmassy things).

Hope you all have a a wonderful Christmas, safe travels, and best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year!

I shouldn't be playing here...

I should be up on the desk!

This looks fun

So does climbing on this chair... 

Ahhh, the table is way more fun from up here...

Playing by the tree

Testing the pokeyness

Kitty!

Just looking...

AND... pulling the owl off the tree

Can I have that back?  "More owl!"

Checking it out from a different view point

Chilling with the kitty

Organizing Mommy's cabinets while she bakes

Helping to bake

...can't even say what's going on here... 

taste test

"All done"

Rearranging a train city while at our friend R's house

"What? It was already like this!"

Reading with Jingle

Building a gingerbread train

"I think I dropped something in there!"

"Want these?"

Carefully decorating

Then un-decorating

Then decorating...

Playing outside in a new jacket

Wagon ride!

Indoor sled ride
 

Playgroup gift exchange (we got a sweet giraffe backpack!)

Our tree, all decorated (and a kitty)

First family photo: Fail.

Not bad.  The other cat is totally under the tree.  You just can't see him.  You know, because we're in the way.  This is probably the best we're going to get... Merry Christmas! From our family to yours.

Enjoying the Last Week of Summer

For a lot of families, this week is it.  The last week of summer.  Better cram in all the last minute summer fun you can muster!  For some families, school's already started and the coming weekend is the last hurrah.

Fortunately, having a 10 month old means that as long as the weather's nice, I'll call it summer for as many more weeks as Mother Nature allows.

MiniM.E. and I have been spending as much time outside as possible.  Not so much because I want to be outside all the time.... though the slathering on of sunscreen, fighting to put on shoes, washing the dirt out of clothes and the little creases on tiny sticky hands, and sitting in the ant-ridden grass are all things I greatly enjoy... but mostly because MiniM.E. can point to things she wants.  And she almost always wants "out".  Who's brilliant idea was it to teach the kid to point, anyway?

It's actually gotten a lot better in the past week or so because she LOVES to walk (holding on to our hands of course).  So it's been less sitting in the grass and playing with dirt, acorns, bugs and garbage, and more walking from here to there.  It's a darn good thing MiniM.E. is on the upper end of the height spectrum and I'm not a very tall person or I'd probably be developing a permanent stoop.

But, enough with the commentary, here are some photos of MiniM.E. enjoying the weather.

Seemingly safe place to leave a baby for a photo op.

Until she started climbing it.

And I had to move to a place where I could grab her if necessary.

So happy!

Thinking about how happy she just was.

Yay! Wagon ride!

While we are enjoying the nice weather, it has been especially nice that for the past few days its been a bit cooler.  I might have a hankering for a little fall.  The other day on our morning walk we had to wear pants AND long sleeves!

Here's a flower for you!

Looks like we'll have a few more hot days, but I'm looking forward to the cooler ones.... and apple picking... and pumpkins... and apple cider... and Halloween... and Thanksgiving...

NH: The Weekend

Friday we practiced clapping

 climbing

 and crawling.

 We played with a plant

 And the flowers it lost.

 And we hung out with the cat.

Did I mention my kid is an expert speck of dirt finder?  She LOVES my kitchen floor...

A plane? Bird? Cloud? Nope... probably a ghost or something...

And went swimming.  And took naps.  And ate food.  And went shopping.  But those things aren't glamourous enough for photos.

I lied.  Shopping with a baby is always photo-worthy.

Yes, I bought the book.  For the record, it is an Indestructible.  Best invention ever.  Which, I should have thought of so I could be a millionaire.  However, I didn't, so I'm not.  Sad face.

And then Daddy came to meet us.  MiniM.E. was very excited.  Well, she didn't actually say that, but she kicked her legs a bunch.  And then we had to put her to bed because it was late.  Oh well.

Fortunately, we had Saturday to play in the pool with Daddy.

And go to the Concord Market Days.  Which was an ok outing, but seriously USA, get on the street festival bandwagon.  A street festival (a la Dresden) must have A. bratwurst stands (or at least some tasty greasy food), B. beer, beer and more beer, and C. beer.  Did I mention a street festival should have beer?  Eh, its ok.  I've learned over the past year to lower my expectations of street festivals.  We don't have cute wooden figurines, or cold fish sandwiches, or little huts in which to sell goods...

After the market days we played in the pool some more, had a BBQ, relaxed on the deck, and enjoyed being taken care of by my parents (thanks guys!).

PS: above photos were taken by my sister.  I am petitioning for her to leave her job and come live here to be my permanent photographer.  No, I lied.  Though that would be awesome.  But she should probably be a photographer, right??

I forgot to mention we put the cat in the baby swing.

We couldn't leave Sunday without swimming some more... and as MiniM.E. went down for her second nap of the day, we left.

It was so nice to relax for a week by a pool while having my mom make me food and do my laundry... and have two or three other people fuss with MiniM.E. a bit.

Now it's back to the grind... (because playing with toys, sitting out in a kiddie pool and taking walks are such taxing activities...)