Christmas 2006

We had a great holiday this year. Though I missed not seeing dad & ev's family, it was really nice having the time to relax at home. Something I realize we haven't done - ever! Saturday we didn't leave the house. Basically we wore jammies all day & didn't shower until evening. We played, watched TV - Boston Pops xmas show, click clack moo, etc. and played. For Christmas Eve we went to Alan's cousins and had a very nice time. Shara loved Erica's piano playing and was the best audience - gave her big "yea!!"s and danced and sang.

Christmas day we went over to Oma & Jidor's. We had a very relaxing breakfast that didn't end until about 10 AM. Shara played with Cherios at the table while I looked through a cookbook. Then she went downstairs to watch tv - background while she played, and I exercised upstairs. I then went down because I thought she'd have fun exercising with me and we did have fun, but not sure I'd call what she did exercise - mostly ran around and jumped on me. I got good exercise!

Shara's getting so grown-up. She makes up her hors'devors plate herself and sits so nice and is so neat. When it came time for the presents, I wanted her to be able to take her time opening because it looked like she'd have no interest in opening one after the other, but wanted to play as soon as she opened one. Makes sense - why get something and not be able to really check it out, so we had a relaxing present opening. She did get a lot, but all nice things that she'll enjoy playing with. Not a lot of little chache things that will end up in a box. Dinner was fine but Shara didn't eat hardly anything. I think she was holding off for dessert, and she did have some. We left at a reasonable time and she got to sleep about her normal time, which was the goal. The night before she didn't sleep until after 9.

She's still talking about Santa, but it seems like we're back to the normal schedule, which is nice so I'm not talking too much anymore about going to Bubbe's this weekend. Just want a couple days of normal routine!

Catching up on pics - again

Come & Get them Here!

December Update

This month has had so much in it that I've been so busy and haven't had time to blog. I haven't even uploaded my photos from early this month. We went to Edaville with Maggie, John, & Hannah - had a great time. Probably would have been happy to stay longer, but it was good. Shara went on the carousel - rode a horse! She had a great time looking at all the lights and riding the train. We do need to get her a train table, but we're hardly home for her to play with the toys we already have. After we had dinner at Lorenzos in Middleboro. It was ok - food-wise, but it was a fun atmosphere for kids. Reminded me of the italian restaurants I grew up eating at. Very family friendly.

Shara's teeth have really been bothering her. She has been the most miserable little person! She started yelling and screaming on the rides home and I finally figured out that it was because of her molars. She has 2 coming in but one is worse. I put on the oragel and her attitude completely changed. I know it's not all the molars - she's also big into testing now, but that is a little different that screaming, biting, hitting, throwing, etc.

Yesterday we were listening to Laurie Berkner's Buzz Buzz cd and were singing to She'll be coming round the mountain. There's the line, "and we'll all go out to greet her when she comes". Shara thought it was "we'll all go out to eat". She's my daughter!

We've been lighting the Hanukkah candles each night, decorating cookies, watching mommy do a lot of baking and generally having a good time. Shara went down the big twisty slide and has been rather adventurous at the playgrounds lately.

She also enjoyed the potato gnocci from Monica's in the North End - $9! I hope she liked them. I started by giving her a couple but she kept asking for more and more. I thought that was great - but knew that if she wasn't hungry there could be a lot just sitting on her plate, 1/2 eaten. Not that I wouldn't have eaten those, but she doesn't like me picking off her plate - sometimes but it depends on her mood and I'd have had to wait until she was done and they were cold. Boy, I sound like just as much a kid as she does!

We'll have to go pick her up now.

Lights!

We've had a nice week of light hunting on the way home from school. Shara & I both love the Christmas lights and now I have someone to get excited with me about them. Alan isn't the type to really get into the whole festive atmosphere. Shara seems to know about Santa, at least what he looks like, but I don't think she understands who he is, which is fine because we're not going to promote the holiday too much in our own house.

She's been talking a lot - cute toddler phrase, "I want to drink baby" - she wants to give baby her bottle or she also says, "drink me" as opposed to "feed me" when she wants me to hold her cup to her for a drink. Oh yes, she's been playing baby Shara a bit lately. I think it's just play and not a need to regress. I need to write down other things she says because I can't think of others now.

Yesterday we went to Oma & Jidor's for supper and on the way home took a detour through the Rockery to see the lights. Shara was in quite a mood - didn't want to go home, then when we got home, wanted to watch a movie and not go to sleep. Mind you, this was 8:30 at night. I figured out the movie was because I told Alan we had a movie to watch that needed to be returned and she apparently liked that idea. She did get so upset about having to go to sleep she threw-up all the great goulash & Boston Cream Pie from Oma's. That was disappointing, but it was a quick cleanup and at this point we're pretty good at handling a puke or 2 from a bout of crying. After relaxing together in her chair, she asked if I could read a short story, which we did, and then I got her to go to sleep when I said I wanted her to have enough energy to enjoy the parade tomorrow. She nodded her head, got up and went into bed. I wasn't off the hook for laying down with her until she fell asleep though.