Polar Express

Our trip was great. The weather forecast for Williams, and the drive there, got worse and worse as our departure date drew closer, so we decided to leave as early as possible to beat the storms that were forecasted for the afternoon.

We left at 9:30 and didn't hit any bad weather until about 11 miles before our hotel. The worst driving conditions were in the hotel parking lot because it wasn't plowed.

We arrived at about 2:00. Checked in, dressed for the snow, and waited for our friends to arrive. Madeline and Thor went out and threw snow balls at me, while I stayed in and took pics through the window because I was afraid to get snow on my camera.

Then we decided to go get some food. We were warned about the buffet that was included with our package, but we did it anyways for times sake. It was edible, but we didn't go back for breakfast.

The train ride was at 6:30. We changed into our PJ's and headed out to the depot. It was snowing and freezing cold, but just a short walk away.

Maison really, really enjoyed the train ride. He kept staring out the window. He also loved playing over the seat with our friend's son. He's getting so big and really interacting with people these days. He nearly fell asleep by the end of the ride. It was past his 7:30 bedtime.



Madeline was enjoying herself too, but I think she was a little bit uneasy about what to expect. We worked her up pretty good about the North Pole and seeing Santa, and since this is really her first non-baby Christmas, she doesn't completely understand what everything means. Once she saw Santa and it was such a quick little visit and he gave her her gift, she felt better. She even sat on his lap for a picture when we got back to the depot. Although, she was a little bit perturbed that she told him she wanted a puppy (a stuffed animal) and he thought she said a Barbie.


The trip home was a doozy. We wanted to play in the snow for a bit, but decided to leave instead, due to bad weather forecasts. Thank goodness we did because it snowed ALL of the way home. Had we stayed for a bit longer, we would have been stuck in Boulder City because they closed the road into town not long after we went through.

I'm looking forward to doing the trip next year with Maison older and able to walk on his own, and hopefully with a little bit less snow so we can hang out and play more.

Is that a snowman??

It is. In its own, deformed sort of way.

This was our inspiration. How'd we do?


We drove back from our Polar Express trip (which I'll post about next. I'm posting in the order of least importance- snow/snowman then Polar Express then Maison's 1st birthday. It just seems easier that way). Ok, we drove back from from our Polar Express trip, from up in the mountains of Arizona where it was all snowy and winterwonderlandy and somehow, as we got closer to home, the weather got snowier and snowier. By the time we were driving down the 95 right outside of Boulder City, we were in a blizzard (or what I'd imagine a very mild blizzard might be like). It was very strange. I felt like we were in a Christmas movie.



We got home to a white neighborhood and yard. It was so beautiful. If it could be like this for like a week out of the year, I'd be happy. By the time we got home it was getting late and the kids were tired and hungry, so we didn't have a chance to play. We played the next morning instead. Sophie's hoodie wasn't quite warm enough, so she ended up back in the house.



I had the grand idea to make a snowman. I had no idea how heavy wet snow was. I rolled a great big ball for the bottom, then a smaller one for the middle. I couldn't lift it at all, so I called on Thor and he couldn't lift it at all. So he broke it down and put it on and we packed snow on instead. We're not good snow packers, so we have a deformed snowman.

Our snowman is still standing pretty tall, 3 days later.


Madeline was much more interested in eating the snow than helping with the snowman. I just kept telling her to make sure there wasn't grass in it, but who knows what all she ate.


Yes, she is licking her boot.

Maison just cried from the patio because I couldn't lug his heavy butt around AND make a snowman. And the ground was cold, and the blanket wasn't helping, and he couldn't walk to where he wanted to be. And he probably wanted a cracker, or a drink of water, or something to chew on. Poor kid.

For this I blame her cousins

I don't know who else to blame.

I was standing at the kitchen counter addressing Christmas cards when she walked toward me and said, "I am toot on you."

I laughed and said, "what?"

"I am toot on you."

I just laughed. But then she came over to me, pointed her little booty at me, and tooted on me.

We're leaving

for a little trip tomorrow. We get to go on the Polar Express train in Arizona. I'm super excited and Madeline keeps talking about the train. She requested that it be blue, but I warned her that it'd probably be red or brown. But maybe blue. Did I say I'm super excited? I am. I love Christmas time.

Downside, though... there's a severe weather warning issued for where we're going, all throughout our travel day tomorrow. Lots and lots and lots of snow expected. Chains won't fit on Thor's Denali, so we're crossing our fingers that our trip won't get ruined. If no one hears from us by Wednesday, please come looking...

Little photographer

I have this old Sony Cybershot that I have never liked. When Madeline was born, the pictures of her were so awful that I decided to buy the camera I have now, which I love, of course. I've kept it, not knowing what to do with it. I think it's an ok camera, but just not what I wanted to take pictures of my kids with (I'm a spoiled brat). I thought I'd sell it on ebay and get $50 bucks for it or something.

But instead I handed it to Madeline's 2 1/2 year old self, to keep her busy for a few minutes while I cooked for Thanksgiving. I didn't think she'd be able to work it without help. I didn't think she'd have the coordination to hold it, frame, and push the button. Or be able to understand to hold still and wait for the loooong delay. Wrong-o. She works it just fine. She even knows how to turn it on and off and how to review the last picture she took. And can usually keep her grimy finger off the lens.



I let her take it to Thanksgiving. Her pictures are funny because she's so short they're all taken from knee height. And they are all a little blurry, much less than I'd think they'd be. Plus I think some of the blurriness is actually a greasy fingerprint on the lens. It's funny how much more comfortable people are in front of a camera if a 2 year old is holding it.

Here are some of her pictures. She's taken more pictures of me than have been taken in the past 2 1/2 years, since I'm the one usually holding the camera. They're not half bad...

More fancy standing

Maison has really started to play and explore. And he and Madeline are starting to play a little bit better together. Or at least play near each other. Sometimes. Kinda. Madeline always has a look like this on her face when he's nearby, though. And the "he's touching me!", "he's looking at me!", "he's starting to move toward me from across the room!" complaints have already started.

While they were playing the other day, Maison stood without holding onto anything 3 times. And this time it was all by himself. The last picture I posted of him standing, I had balanced him, let go, and snapped the pic really fast before he fell. But I though that was an amazing trick. Now here, a few days later, he looks like he wants to take a step. And today, for the first time, he'll walk with my fingers for assistance.

I think I'm going to be in big, big trouble. Really, really soon.

1 time...

2 times...

3 times...

And he's already a climber, too. Little booger.

Her best friend

A few minutes ago, I made Madeline go potty. She always says she needs to go and then changes her mind at the last minute, but if I don't make her go she usually wets her pants. After she had gone and was getting up, she said, "That better! Thanks asking me go pee mommy. You my best friend." and she gave me a hug.

Yeah, so sweet. Makes me smile.

And I also want to mention that we went to the dentist today for her cleaning and to see her be so big and brave and wonderfully good while strangers with scary masks and glasses put their hands and strange instruments in her mouth made me want to cry. She'd look over at me without moving her head and I'd nod at her and mouth "good girl" and she'd nod back really small at me and look back up at the ceiling. She's getting so big.

I'm going to go cry now.

VIDEO!!

I put a link to short home movie clips in my sidebar. Just click on "See us in action"...

Turkey Day

First of all, I can't believe it's already Sunday. Thanksgiving was four days ago. Time is flying by.

We had a good Turkey Day. Madeline, my master napper, who has missed maybe two naps in the last year, decided Thanksgiving would be a good day to not go down. I gave up after an hour and decided that that could kind of count as a rest, and hoped she would make it through the day without a major meltdown. She did really well. Thank goodness. It was easy for her, which makes me afraid that she might be getting ready to drop her nap altogether.



We went to Gma's at about 2:00. Mark, Kim, Jeff & Britt came from Arizona and Susie came from Chicago. It's always fun when everyone is here. Thor decided he wanted to try to make the turkey, so he researched different techniques and decided to brine it in a 5 gallon bucket overnight, do an herb rub under the skin and cook it upside down (It turned out really good and we pretty much demolished all 21 pounds of it). Not dry and lots of flavor. More power to him- I won't touch raw poultry. I'll barely touch it when it is cooked. Eeewwwww.


What's up turkey butt? hehehe!



We had most of the usual stuff- green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, rolls, cranberry salad, ham, sweet potatoes, deviled eggs and more. We're never short on food, that's for sure. And, like usual, our desert spread was nearly as big as our dinner with cookies, pies, cupcakes, and fudge. Dang, I'm actually making myself hungry again.


The kids ran wild in the backyard playing princesses and bad guys while we ate. We figured that'd be less stressful than trying to get them to eat at the same time. Once we were done eating we got them rounded up and fed.

Granny's (oops, I mean Grammy's) a good rounder-upper...



After dinner, mom got the Wii out, and the kids (and grown ups) went to town. First on Mario Cart, then the sports games.



Mom was trying to teach Madeline how to do the ski jump, but all she could do was make snowballs (it's what happens when your Mii rolls all the way down the ramp, you turn yourself into a giant snowball).



There was a downside to the day. My 97 year old great-grandpa had to be put in the hospital, so my grandparents spent the day going back and forth between the house, the hospital and my great grandparents apartment to be with my great-grandma. It was not a relaxing day for them and we missed them when they were not there.

A note about my great-grandparents: them meeting Madeline is like me meeting Madeline's granddaughter's granddaughter. Almost incomprehensible...

Bust a Rhyme

Our Masta Rappa...


She wasn't really rapping. I think she was singing Jingle Bells or something, but I thought the photo sequence was funny when I saw it. And, no, I don't usually let her stand in the refrigerator. I happened to have my camera in my hand, so she got a 2 minute pass...

The last perfect day

We had a cold week a while back and it made us feel all Fall-ish. After that week it warmed back up again. Thor and I kept complaining that it just wasn't getting cold fast enough. That is was still HOT HOT HOT outside, and blah, blah, blah. Then, suddenly, I realized that it wasn't HOT, it was like upper 70's, and that I better enjoy it while it lasts because it certainly will NOT last forever (this isn't San Diego, you know).

Today (according to those always correct, never wrong, weather forecaster folk) was the last perfect day. Tomorrow it will be cold and gloomy. Which is good for the holiday, but then upper 70's would be nice again if the weather gods wouldn't mind.

We have spent a lot of time outside. Madeline and Sophie palled around for hours everyday. And Maison's whinning broke me down and I've let him crawl around on the patio. We did the park a few times and Maison loves to be pushed around the backyard on the tricycle. He's surprisingly sturdy sitting all by himself, and can even pop wheelies.

I spent the last perfect day at Costco (craziness!!), the grocery store, and Target (where I regularly donate most of my money), and with my friend waiting for her new baby to arrive (what a tiny doll!). And trying to figure out how to post videos on this page, and figuring out how to get the videos off off the 50 mini-dvd disks I have accumulated over the past 2 1/2 years (I think I got it, finally!), and now playing with my new, lovely, photo program, shopping on Amazon, and posting to this wonderful blog. I'm pooped.

Hey cutie bootie, I'm sure I'll see you here in the next couple of hours. Guess I love you anyways.

Fancy day

First there were fancy cookies:

Then there was fancy standing:

Bad picture, but his other hand isn't holding onto anything either.

So far today

Maison slept all night, but of course, my newest addition had to get up at 4:00 to go pee outside.

Madeline watched 3 episodes of Little Einsteins from her new Christmas DVD that she loves. She woke up way too early today, so she also watched Jojo's Circus and Johnny and the Sprites in my bed while I tried to not get up.

I vacuumed and did dishes.

We hit up Starbucks for the Eggnog Chai that I'm trying not to make a daily habit, and a pack of Madeleine cookies for me and Madeline to share (which is, by the way, where I got her name, although we spelled it differently. She was named after cookies. That can't be surprising coming from me.)

We went to the park. There was no one else there. I let Maison crawl around on the ground. Gross I know, but I give up. I also put him in the swing for the first time and he kicked and smiled with delight. Madeline climbed up the slides and slid back down backwards and upside down.

Madeline and Sophie (our new dog) are now playing in the backyard. They've been playing quietly for half an hour now, which , I think is a record. I keep sneaking looks, being very careful not to remind them that I'm here. It looks like they are collecting a lot of "trees" (small branches from our evergreen bush/tree things).

Maison is napping. I put him down without his binky and he didn't even notice. I think he might not ever see a binky again. He has been taking big, huge naps lately. Yesterday's was 4 hours. Hopefully today will be the same. After his four hour nap:

On the other hand, Madeline has already been in her bed twice just to have her binky.

I am having anxiety issues from trying to choose my favorite photos from our family photo shoot we did with Lesley this weekend because all of the pics turned out so nice. So I took a break to write this lovely post.

I think I hear Madeline dragging a very dirty toy into my recently vacuumed house from the backyard. The one that is holding all of the "trees", so got to go...

Yep, she was. I told her to "take it back outside". She told me to "check it out".