Learning About The TRUE Meaning Of Christmas December 23, 2007

In addition to our visit with Santa this year, we’ve been talking with M about the true meaning of Christmas.  We want her to know that it’s the time we celebrate the gift of Baby Jesus whose death and resurecction would bring redemption and a personal relationship with God for all who choose Him.

As a part of that, Gran was kind enough to send M her own little, toddler-proof Nativity Set by Fisher Price.  M loves it.  We’ve been talking about Christmas being when we celebrate Baby Jesus birthday and thank God for the gift of His Son.  One morning, she was rocking Baby Jesus before putting Him back in the stable.

Although, as I’ve mentioned before, the sheep seems to be her favorite part of the Nativity Set.  We’ve been doing our share of baaing and looking after the sheep.  She is becoming more interested in all the other characters and really enjoys pressing the angel on top so she sings Away in a Manger to Baby Jesus. 

         

         

 Thanks, Gran for helping us share the most important gift of the season with the Sweet Bean.

Grandmother’s Birthday Dinner January 25, 2007

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, we had a special dinner to celebrate my grandmother’s 80th birthday. Many of her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids were able to be there to wish her a happy birthday. Here’s a picture of Grandmother in her birthday corsage.

Here’s a photo of everyone who was able to be there, except for my sister-in-law, A, who was actually taking the picture.

Here’s Grandmother with the three great-grandchildren who were there. H is on the left. C is sitting in Grandmother’s lap, and M is on the right. You can see my cousin, A, on the left, and barely see me on the right, waiting in the wings to corral H and M if they decided it was time to run off and play some more.

M enjoyed visiting with her Aunt C who sweetly held cups so M could fish out ice chips to munch on. M’s little hands were so cold, but she just kept dunking them in the cold water for more ice.

My Aunt B made Grandmother’s birthday cake. It was delicions. M turned down a bite when I offered it to her, but later helped herself to her Auny A’s piece when no one was looking. Luckily, Aunt A was happy to share, and we got some good photos out of it.

Cuteness Alert! January 24, 2007

M enjoyed playing with Gran and Paw’s phone while we were visiting. She even managed to call Paw on his cell phone a couple of times by hitting the re-dial button while punching away with her thumbs. M likes phones. She’ll put it up to her ear and say “hello.” It probably won’t be long before she’s chatting away on it.

M also enjoyed getting to pet Gisha while we were visiting. One of her favorite things at Mamaw and Papaw’s was watching their dog Ra-jah through the windows. She’s a dog lover for sure.

Gran and Paw gave her a new blanket square which she promptly converted into a hat. She likes putting these on her head for some reason. When we check on her at night, she usually is sleeping with one covering either her face or her head or both. Silly girl!

Is She an Elf or Is She a Bean? November 12, 2006

Mom, AKA Gran, sent some photos they took of M when she was in Louisiana visiting them at the end of September. To me, she looks just like a little elf in this one.

Her eyes are REALLY blue in this one.

Here’s M with her great-grandmother. I see she confiscated Grandmother’s keys pretty quickly into the visit.

Family Photos at the Beach September 17, 2006

Here are some photos of everyone at the beach. T, M, and I didn’t get the memo about bringing a white shirt for the photo, but it turned out great anyway.

Photos of the whole family.

Here are Gran and Paw.

This is Uncle C and Aunt A.

This is Aunt C.

Here’s photos of T and M and me.

On the Ferry to Dauphin Island September 15, 2006

After we visited Fort Morgan, we all decided to take the ferry across Mobile Bay to Dauphin Island. We didn’t get off and explore the island, but just rode the ferry there and back. It was 45 minutes each way, so the trip was a good hour and a half.

It was nice, but would have been much nicer if there had been a shady spot to sit on the ferry. Although the weather channel had predicted thunderstorms that day, the sun was out in full solar force while we were crossing the bay. We were all feeling the effects of the sun by the time we got back to Fort Morgan and piled in the car for a little air conditioning.

Luckily, My sister, C, had sunscreen in her purse, and I had sunscreen in M’s diaper bag which made the rounds. That kept us from getting broiled on the trip. It worked great too, since M wasn’t even pink. I think the fact that I coated her in it more than once helped too. The last thing we wanted was a baked bean.

Despite the sun, the views from the ferry were wonderful.

Eaten Alive at Fort Morgan September 15, 2006

One of the things we did on vacation was visit Fort Morgan, Alabama. There is an actual Fort Morgan that was used by the military from 1833 until 1946. Since it was less than 10 miles from where we were staying, we decided to check it out.

They had a little museum that told about the history of the fort and had a good number of artifacts on display. We were not able to spend a lot of time in the fort itself due to the mosquitos. We were inside the fort for about a minute when we decided that it wasn’t worth fighting them to stay and explore more. I would have liked to see more. But I’m glad we left when we did since M ended up with 5-6 mosquito bites in just that short time. I’d hate to see what she would have looked like if we had wandered around for 30 minutes or more. Nevertheless, we enjoyed it there and took some pictures outside.

The rest of the family (my parents and siblings) took some great photos of the fort which they shared with us. Next time we go, we’ll be prepared with some insect repellent.

Day 2 July 19, 2006

M’s second day at day care was much better than yesterday. I guess knowing that Mommy and Daddy do come to get you at the end of the day makes a big difference. I imagine that all she knew yesterday was that she was in a strange place with strage people and where are Mommy and Daddy. Poor M.

But today, she ate her lunch and took a good nap. She was playing just fine when I went to pick her up. Hopefully, we’re through the worst of the adjustment. Knowing M, we are. She’s pretty laid back about things for the most part.

Today was 50s day at the day care. I didn’t really want to go out and buy a special outfit for her, so I put her in a cute little dress that Gran got for her. The style of it reminded me of the 50s in a way, so that’s what she wore. Here’s a couple of pictures of her in the dress.

The Gisha Dance April 15, 2006

My parents, otherwise known, as “Gran” and “Paw” came to visit for Easter and brought their dog, Gisha, with them. M has seen Gisha a few times, but it’s just been the past couple of visits that she’s become REALLY interested in her.

At mealtimes, Gisha has to go into her kennel since M is much more interested in watching Gisha than eating her food. But after she’s done with her food, M’s fueled up for the Gisha dance. To perform the dance properly, M needs a partner, preferably a grown up with long arms, and she needs Gisha primed for scampering around.

Gisha heads off and M, holding onto the hands of her chosen grown up, takes off after her with a squeal that signals the dance has officially begun. It takes an element of skill since M leans forward and moves so fast that her body is at a 30 degree angle as her feet fly over the floor. The huge grin on M’s face as her tongue sticks out is evidence of the jubilant concentration the dance brings out in her.

Gisha on the other hand, scampers from here to there looking from one of us to the next with a look that says, “Aren’t you going to help me?” She’s not too sure about M yet. She’ll let Morgan pet her body, but doesn’t like the idea of Morgan’s hands on her head or face, which I can sympathize with as I’ve been the victim of M’s lightning eyeglasses snatch. She’s quick.

I’m sure this is the beginning of a long friendship between M and Gisha.