Holiday Survey Fun... Though Dan says I have to find a Thanksgiving one too...

Oh Rachel. How I love to steal fun stuff from you! Holiday Survey Fun!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? This question makes me sad. I can do hot chocolate any time, any day. Egg Nog is a yummy treat that I can no longer partake in. Boo allergies to egg :(

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? All presents are wrapped except for stocking gifts. Stocking gifts are mostly unwrapped... unless Santa gets wrapping happy :)

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Those that know me, know I LOVE white lights. They are so classy and pretty and remind me of ice crystals. Of course Dan loves colored ones, so we put those outside.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Sometimes. We always hang something.

5. When do you put your decorations up? As soon as Dan lets me. So usually Thanksgiving day or earlier if I can!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Oh, toughy! I LOVE oriental salad and stuffing and mashed potatoes. All together. Yes. I'm a little strange.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Reading the Max Lucado Nativity Story. It was always my favorite.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I think I was 7. On the bus. Mindy Morris, you made me cry. But if you're reading this, it's really okay. I had to accept the truth at some point.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes. Christmas Jammies!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I'm a traditionalist. I would do all balls and old fashioned Christmas ornaments if I could. Dan likes to pack it full of everything. So it usually ends up a mix and match. Someday, I will have two trees!

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?I love snow until New Years Day. Then, it should be spring.

12. Can you ice skate? Yes. Thank you Dan!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? It was definitely slicky slide (or was that a birthday present?) Regardless, it was awesome.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Getting together with family, even if you don't normally see them very often.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Grasshopper pie. MMMMMmmmm...

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? I love that we open Christmas Jammies on Christmas Eve. Oh and the stockings. Homemade stockings for all in my family. From the same pattern. So they all kind of go together. It's sweet. My favorite!

17. What tops your tree? Depends on my mood, but I'm partial to stars.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? It's all about the giving :)

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? I don't eat hard candy. Nothing against candy canes... but they are lumped into that group.

20. Favorite Christmas show? Movie? Another something to make me hated. I HATE Christmas movies. Ellen used to make me watch "It's a Wonderful Life" EVERY YEAR (I love you anyway!). I wouldn't have done that for anyone else...

21. What is your favorite Christmas song? So many: Carol of the Bells, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, We Three Kings and Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel to name a few (If you can't tell, I love minor key music!)


Play along friends! Fill out your own Holiday survey and let me know so I can check out your answers! =)

Why is this kid smiling? (A TMI Post)

Do you know why this kid's smiling? BECAUSE SHE JUST POOPED IN THE POTTY! That's right. You heard it here first. This kid is on the potty training wagon and gung ho about the ride. Yee Haw!

Being sick doesn't mean we can't have a little fun

My poor baby girl is sick, yet again, with another ear infection- plus pink eye, and is also developing very evident hemorrhoid issues. I'm kind of at the end of my rope here with all of the health issues. Beginning with the ear infections (we didn't see her regular physician), we are being suggested to begin discussing a possibility of tubes. Yelling fit begins: NO! NO! NO! NO! I do NOT want to ever do that! She is TOO LITTLE to have surgery! SOMETHING has to be causing this! Let us figure out the cause, not just deal with the symptoms!!!
Moving on to the pink eye: Yuck, but healing SUPER quick! Thank you, thank you God! Can't even hardly tell she has it and she just started her meds last night!
As for the digestive issues (Be aware TMI): She has always had chronic constipation. Always. Ever since birth. She didn't even pass the Meconium stool in a timely fashion. Thus, she has periodically had some blood tinged stool. Well, a couple of nights ago, it was heavily bloodied with mucus. Just a bad deal. So the doctor checked her out and simply said "Well, there are no external ones. She looks good for now." Good grief! Do these people not have any kind of suggestion for figuring out these issues. It seems like no matter how much mineral oil we give her, she always goes through spurts of major constipation. Does a toddler having hemorrhoids only bother me?
Any way... since we are stuck inside for another day. I thought we would do some holiday cheer painting. Out came the cookie cutters (don't worry, smooth sided) and some kid friendly paints. Though I think next time I will make some pudding paint and see if it doesn't come up easier! She had a blast and did not want to stop painting. Love this kid :-)


(Warning: Potty Time) She has also been toting around her babies everywhere. We are now beginning potty training days and the babies all have to go to the potty too. It's so cute. "baby, potty". I just love it. She also came up to me yesterday, pointed to her diaper, and said "Mama, I poo poo". And she DID! She is doing so well with the beginning parts of this. Just want to get her bowels under control so that can go smoothly for the training too.

Surprise Party

So my super sweet husband threw a surprise party for me to celebrate the 1/4century I've successfully completed. I was VERY surprised! I never thought that was something Dan would put together. Goes to prove I can be wrong once in a while and it's okay ;-)
It was so great to see everyone. Thanks for everyone who came out and made my birthday the best ever!

Halloween and Pear Picking

This is going a be a picture post. Enjoy :-)Aiden has been so funny lately. She is developing all of these hysterical quirks like demanding to take her hat collection to daycare and eating grilled cheese with a spoon!


Pear picking day was awesome! She carried this pear around the entire time and munched away...mmmm...


My brave brave husband, picking our bountiful produce.


All the helpers. Aidie REALLY wanted to climb the ladder. She couldn't understand why we wouldn't let her....


Halloween was spent at the Indianapolis Children's Museum. My adorable little butterfly!


Our family photo. Got to love the faces this kid comes up with...



Proud Daddy with his newly blossomed caterpillar


This was definitely Aidie favorite part of the children's museum. Sand! Woohoo! We couldn't get her to even consider anything else for at least 20min. She was very devoted to this place!


Here we are planting flowers. This place has really improved since I was a kid. There is SO much to do even for toddlers.


"boo"


It may be the most common toy ever, but Aidie loves beads and insisted that we play for a while on these doctor office favorites.


Here is part of the "Barbie Experience" Aidie is walking the runway and checking out the DJ equipment. Way to multi-task Aidie!


I loved this Egypt tour. Of course Aidie only wanted to climb on and off of all the statues. LOL


And here she is wrestling a giant crocodile at the finale of our trip. The next Steve Irwin replacement.
Anyway for quick updates. Aidie had a great 18month check up. She is still a tiny tot. Only weighing in at 22lbs not much over the 10%, but her length is up to 35in and her head is actually in the 75% this time around. Really boosting up there! She is really enjoying daycare now and never wants to leave. Too much fun! I'm glad we decided to stay. She is definitely feeling comfortable now. She is in full swing of the terrible twos: full body tantrums and power struggles. But also wonderful personality development, new words and lots of hugs and kisses. She really is a sweet and thoughtful child 70% of the time ;-) We have just hit major emotional development. Those hormones are pumping it all up a notch. Teenagedom is going to a nightmare...
As for Dan and I, all is well. Work is great. I love school and love going in every day (except for not being able to be with Aidie of course). So glad I have a job I love- can't wait to find a certified position though.

Pumpkin Carving, Covered Bridge Festival and Now We're all Sick :(

This past weekend, we had a lot of fun. Aidie was doing better with her croup and ear infection. So we thought we would take advantage of her improved health. We had a great time hunting the booths and playing around the mill and the woods. Aidie's favorite part was most definitely the helicopter that kept flying overhead, taking people for rides. Every so often we would hear lots of giggling only to look over and see her pointing up at the sky. So adorable.

We also went out for a picnic. It was super windy. So we had lots of fun playing with the blanket and going down the slides and swinging on the swing. Aidie loves the wind! I'm pretty sure March will be her favorite month ;-)


Over course, she was also a good blanket weight.

Here are the belated pictures from our pumpkin carving. Our poor little pumpkin is now a moldy, saggy mess. But we'll just have to carve another one before Halloween gets here.

And here is our puppy in her festive attire.

Aidie really wanted to help pull out the guts this year. However, the pumpkin was so tall that she had to put her whole arm in, up to her shoulder.
And she wanted to keep all the seeds!


I think we've decided to dress her as a butterfly for Halloween. Since Dan's family always made their own costumes, I found a great pattern for wings. Plus this outfit will let her be in long sleeves and pants, keeping her warm in the chilly October air. Just have to figure out where to go this year for trick-or-treating.

Off to the pumpkin patch

I just couldn't wait! We headed straight for the pumpkin patch the first day it opened. Thank you Freeman Farms for being open the first weekend in October! We had so much fun (even if Aidie was more interested in the toys and cars than the "pum pum"s -pumpkins- and animals. It was loads of fun. They had lots of animals for kids to pet and feed, including goats, piglets, a horse, a donkey, a cow and a miniature pony- not to mention the dogs and cats who needed lots of love. Aidie wasn't too sure about any of it at first, but after playing around in the kiddie cars for a while she started to have some fun! She raced (as fast as her little legs would carry her) out into the pumpkin patch looking for "pum pum"s and fell right on her face. Poor thing had a bump right out. Then, she didn't want to look for a pumpkin anymore. So we found a wagon and pulled her along in it. That seemed to make the experience less scary and we had a great time looking for our pumpkin. Aidie found it right away (perfect btw) and grabbed onto it, wrapped her whole body around it and says "mine, mine, Aidie pum pum!" Too cute! So we shipped it out to the car and went in to pet some of the friendly animals. Aidie was finally interested. Though the horse didn't think much of her offer of straw. However, the goats were fully appreciative of anything and everything she thrust at them. All in all, a fantastic day!She has grown up so much in the past week. I just don't have time to write it all down! She talking and dancing, reading and mommying her babies. I just love it. Here she is dancing on Daddy's feet. Too sweet to pass up. Enjoy :-)