Fun Christmas Pics

Went to see the play "Lion King" the weekend before Christmas. I loved it. Lilly had a panic attack. So, this is us in the lobby during the first act. My mom got to sit with her the second act. Dad saw both acts & said it was fabulous!

Christmas Eve....

Baking cookies for Santa...

Dinner at Mae & Papa's house (the hats are the traditional British Christmas Crackers....we've had that tradition since we lived there in the 80s).

Christmas Morning....

(saved the present that she REALLY wanted 'til last (a Buzz Lightyear Doll)

Christmas Breakfast (more Bristish Christmas Crackers....and traditional Danish Aebleskevers...YUMMY!)

Fun Christmas Night with the rest of the family....

Enjoying the foot of snow the next day....

And then followed by a much needed nap in front of the fireplace....

Catching up on some fun pics....

From her Winter Social (that she calls the "Winter Show Show")...doing a dance with partner Isaac....

Happy smiles from the show show...




Earlier in the day from breakfast w/ Santa...such a cute pancake!

Deck the Santa?

We went to "Breakfast With Santa" last weekend...it cracks me up...looks like she was ready to deck Santa instead of decking the halls!

Accident: 1 Month out

So, my accident was a month ago tonight. But, I went to the dentist today and he said my jaw is doing MUCH better. I am actually healing quicker than he expected...news I love to hear!

Funny overheard comments from Lil:

• Last night I was watching the Sunday Night Football game and Lilly informed me that "stealer" can actually be two different things...some one who takes something that isn't theirs OR a mascot. Yup.
• Tonight Monday night football came on. She announced that she likes both teams. I asked her why...she says she likes the Eagles because Jackson likes them. She likes the Redskins because red is her favorite color. OK
• On Santa....she said she has been trying really hard to be really good so she can get presents. And...tonight she said "I think I am doing pretty good at being good. Well, so far."

Halloween

Halloween was great....

She carved her own pumpkin, then Saturday we had her soccer game, followed by her school festival, then by lunch w/ friends & joining in the local neighborhood parade. Finally, Sunday trick or treating with a neighbor...so fun.

Mommy & Buzz Lightyear

Lilly & Max the snake at the parade

Lilly and Connor the SWAT man

On my car accident front, it turns out that I actually got a hairline fracture in my jaw from the airbag. Once the dentist diagnosed that, he put me on a soft foods diet, which has helped IMMENSELY. The pain is ever sooo much better and life is close to getting back to normal. Hoping to pick up our new car today. Excited about the car...less excited baout the car payment, but life comes with both sides!

Healing

So I am on the mend. In retrospect, I really should have gone to the ED that night after the accident, but I didn't, and it doesn't make much sense to go now. My clavicle area is much better, and I can drive w/ a seatbelt & not be in pain...major progress. I am still sore in my left wrist & across the abdomen where the seatbelt restrained me, but getting better. The hard/weird thing is my blood pressure. I have always had low to normal BP. At the scene it was extremely high, and while it dropped some, it did not drop enough. So, my PCP now has me on BP medicine. I also realized I was trying to do it all and that was making it worse, so I have retreated and stayed home sick for two days, and the combination of rest, heating pads, BP meds and time to be less overwhelmed is helping. Prayers are still appreciated. I am not back to my old self yet...but I am getting closer.

So - (Auntie Ann especially)...please don't worry. I am on the mend. Its just slower than I had hoped.

Pictures

We went trick or treating at "the college school" last night, and it was fun. Since Jackson's dad is their radio anouncer, he gets included in teh invitation for employees to bring their kids trick or treating...and we join 'em!

Buzz & Iron Man were big hits. My little Buzz was especially popular on the dorm floor decorated like Toy STory. Enjoy....

Ready for November...

October has been a rough month. Maybe blessed and cursed at the same time. A quick review: got diagnosed w/ celiac disease (means I have to join the gluten free ranks of my sister & cousin), go gluten free and one week later get a wicked stomach & vertigo virus. Hoped it would be 48 hours, but it was 7+ days. FInally doing better, trained for a 10k (6.2 mile) race to run last Saturday. But, Friday night got hit my a drunk driver (Lilly was blessedly not in the car). BUT, the car is totaled, and I am really beaten up.

So - cursed side...got hit by an uninsured drunk driver, car totaled, have to buy a new car when my totally paid off car was working just fine thank you very much. Have had a rough week of battling the insurance company...who (now 9 days later) still has not even looked at the car to appraise it. Arrghh. But, after trying nice for a week, the bitch came out Friday and I finally got them to agree to pay for my rental until they get their act together. They had said timing was off since I was hit on a Friday night. I told them that the next time I get hit by an uninsured drunk driver I will try harder to do it during regular business hours.

The blessed side - It could have been sooo much worse. My neck seems ok, my injuries seem mainly from seatbelt & airbag, but I seem to be getting worse w/ time, not better - so prayers are more than invited. Lilly was not in the car, and hasn't seen the car, so she doesn't realize how bad it was/ could have been. And, situations like this always help you get perspective. As that car was headed to my face, I wasn't thinking of work. My friends and family have come out of the woodwork to help and be supportive. I am so lucky to be so loved.

Lilly is doing great at school. And, she is playing soccer & doing sooo much bette w/ it this year. She scored a goal in a scrimmage this week, and did a fabulous job at playing goalie yesterday! She is psyched about her Buzz Lightyear costume for Halloween, so I do promise pics from that soon.

Little Surfer, Surfer, Surfer Girl....

I know - its been a month with no posts. Sorry!

This past week we have been at the beach with the extended family, and had a great time. This was the third year at this spot, but the past 2 years had really bad weather. But, the 3rd time was the charm, and we had 7 straight days of PERFECT weather this time. The weather, combined with how fun a 4 year old can be, made it a really terriffic week. One of the most fun things is that Lilly is really a surfer chick! Really! She's been attracted to surfing since last year when she saw some folks doing it. I had contemplated getting her a lesson this year, which I decided to do after watching her on the boogie board that first day at the beach this week.

Another fun thing was that my parents' celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary at the beach. Maren, Lilly & I gave them a large picture collage to update one we had given them for #25....and I found Lilly just sitting in front of it enjoying all the pictures and thought it was so sweet.....

So - Lilly is now officially the youngest student ever at the Kitty Hawk Surfing School! The instructor was wonderfully patient. I know at first they thought I was crazy to bring a 4 year old with only marginal swimming skills to a surf lesson. But, pretty soon they realized that she REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to learn to surf. So, with a super-duper life jacket, and a little help from mom in the water to get back to the instructor each time (& super cheers for MY mom who waded way out to get the great pics), we were off! It was so perfect...we even saw dolphins at the lesson. She was able to get up and surf on in almost instantly! Soooo cool. So, later in the week we rented a surf board to have at the house and she did great there too. But, that day the seas were rougher, so she didn't try to stand up. She has now told me that she is going to tell all her friends she is a "real life surfer chick." And so it begins.....

The rest of the week was fun too...enjoy some pics.

Big Fun with Big Bird

We had a great little vacation to Sesame Place in Pennsylvania (outside Philly) last weekend. Its a theme park (owned by the same folks who own Bush Gardens & Sea World) that is totally for kids under about 7. As it's about 70% water park - the camera had to stay in the locker most of the time. But, we had a fun "Dinner with Big Bird & Friends" Friday night which you can see Lilly loved. Lilly would want me to tell you that she went on all the water slides and that she was "really brave of it." Enjoy the pics....

Lilly & I drove to DC Thursday night, heading up to PA Friday morning & spending a long, fun day at teh park on Friday. Maren joined us Saturday morning, and the three of us got to enjoy the park together most of Saturday before heading back to DC late that evening. And Sunday we headed home after seeing Maren's soon to be new house in DC. Very busy & very fun trip....and yes....EXHAUSTED on Monday ;)

Back in DC.....

Establishing pecking order with Maren's dog Ollie (sorry - can't get it to rotate right)

Visting Maren's new front porch

What a Whirlwind of Days!

Survived my first garage sale Saturday. With a 8 am start time, the first whackos showed up at 6:50 (which I had anticipated, but its still weird). Also weird to tell them its not open and have them sit on my sidewalk and watch us run around and finalize stuff while they just watch!

Sale was incredibly successful, and gracefully over at 1...packed up and took stuff to thrift stores and made it to CHuck E Cheese by 3 where Lilly was hanging out at a buddy's b day party. I managed to stay upright for another 30-40 min or so and then we left that chaos. I was whipped!

But...the big news is that today I took Lilly's carseat out of the car and replaces it with a "big kid" booster seat. SHe is sooooo excited and so thrilled. She wanted to sit in the car and take a pretend practice ride. How has she grown up so quickly?

Fun Friday Night

Had a blast at a spontaneous Busch Gardens night w/ Jackson & family. My favorite part? Ms Kendra likes alllll those rides that make me dizzy, so she was the official ride taker. Soooo... a great night was had by all. Had such fun, we stayed way later than planned...luckily leading to sleeping in today!

Happy Fourth

Had a nice fourth of July...

Friday night Lil and I "camped" on the porch. The weather was freakishly wonderful, so I figured if we were ever going to try it...that was the night. We had an air mattress, sleeping bags, a candle for a camp fire and smores made in the oven. Great baby steps towards getting us actually camping. She fell asleep quickly once I convinced her there were no lions or tigers. And...lets face it...we were on a screened in porch...mosquitos were the most viscious prey we faced. She LOVED it and was ready to do it again immediately. Mama however, was thrilled to be back in her own bed on Saturday!

Sunday was the 4th...we started with a walking 5k at Yorktown (Kendra & I walked while Coop kept the kids entertained in the battlefields). Then Lil & I headed to IHOP for breakfast, which was fun. She was covered in strawberry syrup in about 10 minutes...but at least it fit in with the color theme of the day.

Then home to decorate the trike for the neighborhood parade...a quick nap... and then the family came in time to enjoy the parade. Lilly won the blue ribbon / 1st place for bike decorating. She couldn't have cared less, but I enjoyed it. Actually...I handed her the ribbon and explained she won, and she asked "what's the prize?" She seemed disappointed when I explained the blue ribbon was the prize. Guess we'll work on that achievement for the sake of achievement concept....

Lil and I stayed up and watched the fireworks on tv that night. We watched the fireworks from the capitol, and I told her it was in DC. She said "Oh, where Maren lives! Which window is her apartment?" (meaning of the capitol building). Too cute. Anyway...enjoy the pictures!