Sunday, December 21, 2008

The Santa Experience

Yesterday, I took Kate to get photos with Santa. I had two requirements - no malls or stores, and not crowded. I'd heard that there was a santa at the George Washington Carver Museum and that it would satisfy my requirements.

It was a warm, lovely day. We headed over there and it was perfect. Not many people, a lovely space with great Christmas trees and a santa with no line for photos. And, it was free! I pulled Kate's Christmas dress over her clothes and headed for a photo op.

It was a typical toddler Santa experience, as the photo shows:


It's one for the baby book.

I did get a few good photos next to the tree though:


We'll try again next year. And the year after that.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

First Blood

Not even half an hour after the last post, Kate fell off the couch. I had gone into the kitchen not a minute before, and since I was loading the dishwasher, I didn't see what happened. She cried for a long time, and when the snot was wiped away, she had a fat lip to show for the fall.

Regular lip:

Fat lip:

I gave her some tylenol and checked her teeth. Everything looked ok except for the swelling. She was happy in her bath, went to bed easily and will hopefully sleep as normal.

Single parent for a few days

We dropped Graeme off at the airport this afternoon. He has to go to Finland for work related stuff. He'll be back on Monday, so I'm a single parent for a few days. So far, we're all intact and I'm not too grumpy. I have to do bath duty tonight, which I never do. Hopefully it all goes well and no one cries.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

A Sunday in December (in Austin)

Today was a great day. It was sunny, warm and we kept remarking on the fact that it was December. Days like today make the summer worth it. We started the day by going to Chinatown (not a district, but the name of a restaurant) for dim sum. It was really, really good. Best I've had in Austin and rivalling my favourite place in Ottawa. It was pretty upscale dim sum. For instance we had these, the coffee glazed baby back ribs. They were amazing.


Kate liked them too.


After lunch, we went to a shopping area and wandered around. We got some ice cream, bought a few presents and played in the fountain.


After that, we had to get downtown to the Children's Museum where Graeme had volunteered to help out with a UT Chemistry event. When the museum closed, we wandered down to the path by the river, watched the birds and listened to the bells playing carols.



It was a perfect day. And it was in December. I don't miss winter very much.

Friday, December 12, 2008

A List!

I'm stealing from Karen's post, since I'm feeling lazy.

One hundred things done or undone. Done are in bold.
(I admit the list is American and Euro-centric and clearly not a true life list. Not everyone can adopt or give birth, for instance. But, still fun.)

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch ~ knitting
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (Heimlich manoeuvre)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person (I do not understand why this is on the list.)
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Ridden an elephant

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Monday, December 8, 2008

The Great Nap Battle

It used to be, what seems a long, long time ago, that Kate went down for her nap quite easily. I would nurse her and she fell asleep and easily transferred to her crib. But sometime last week, that changed and now she wakes up during the transfer and cries. And cries. It's been over 30 minutes and she's still crying. Last week there was one day when it was a very short 7 minutes, but generally it goes on and on. I'm still holding out hope that she exhausts herself (it is a very pathetic cry at this point) and sleep for a few hours.

I'm not a fan of this new nap routine.

We're now at the one hour mark, and she's still crying. A bit more worked up now, so I'm about ready to go in. But then she wins. Sigh. Oh, and now she's quiet. This seems unwinnable.

After 75 minutes, the crying escalated so I went in. Dirty diaper, tear streaked face, blubbering. It was very sad and broke my heart a bit (but only a bit. She needs to sleep!). Now, post snack, she is playing happily. We will soon load into the stroller and go for a looooooong walk.

4 pm, finally asleep in crib. This is very much what happened on Friday afternoon as well, and I hate it. I did the same thing (staying in there, kept laying her back down, etc. etc.) when I was getting her to sleep at night. She never resisted for as long though. I need a stiff drink.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Miscellaneous

- Kate's fever seems to be done, but we're still living in phlegm land. Graeme and I are both coming down with it now.
- We saw her eye surgeon this morning and made the decision to do the surgery sooner rather than later. We'll be scheduling it as soon as he can fit us in.
- It's cold here. Cold is relative, of course. But it's going below freezing tonight and we live in a 70+ year old house with single pane windows, no insulation and visible gaps around the front door. At least the furnace is fixed!
- We have a freezer full of chowder and chili, perfectly timed for the cold weather and I don't have to think about dinner. Yay!
- I decided earlier in the week to give up refined sugar until Christmas. Today is day 3. Cravings have yet to cease.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Under this rock

We're going to crawl out from under here at some point. Kate is sick. She's been sick for four? five? days now. Fever, snot, cough, occasional diarrhea and no appetite. Which means no playdates, no kindermusik and lots of time at home.

Please let her be healthy tomorrow. Otherwise, I might go insane.