Saturday, November 25, 2006
When bloggers collide



In a good way! I had the pleasure of meeting with Andrea of Blah Blah Babycakes this morning at a McDonalds in Maryland. She's visiting her in-laws and I'm visiting my brother for Thanksgiving. Her son Henry is a very beautiful boy. It was very hard to keep my hands off of him, but I didn't want to alarm him ;)

Andrea and I have had an online relationship for two years, mostly through IM. When approaching a situation like a real, live meet-up I wondered how it would translate, from cyberspace to real life. My conclusion was...pretty much seamlessly. It was nice to be able to hold a conversation and benefit from the actual expressions and nuances that you can only enjoy face to face. Andrea is very engaging and easy to talk to, I'm glad to have had this opportunity.

I brought along M, Emma, Popi, my brother and his kids. They were along to check out the cars at the dealerships flanking the McDonalds. I admire Andrea's fortitude in taking on all of us. She's a trouper, for sure.

It was a pleasure to meet Andrea and Henry, and also her lovely sister, who tagged along for the fine cuisine, I'm sure.
Written at 12:12 PM by Highlandgal.
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Thursday, November 23, 2006
Early-Bird
No, I don't mean shopping. I put up our tiny tree today. I figure if Santa ushered in the Christmas retail season at Macy's today then I was OK to put up a token decoration.

Written at 10:22 PM by Highlandgal.
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Thanksgiving at Grandma G's
We got there around 4:30 p.m., knowing it was our duty to help cook supper. The menu tonight included fried country ham, crablegs, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato casserole, green beans, baked apples, biscuits, pound cake and pumpkin pie. It was a good meal. I skipped the crablegs this time because country ham is more of a delicacy for me these days.

Emma was shy at first since there were a bunch of people there when we arrived.


She warmed up pretty quickly though. In this picture she's munching on cashews she scammed off of her cousin.


Running around with Big Baby.


This is a giant books of poems she drops on you and then insists you find the moon. There are about twenty pages of moons in there and none of them are ever the right ones. Grandma G knows how to do it right.


Staking out her territory again.

Written at 9:53 PM by Highlandgal.
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Can someone please tell me?
Why I got misty-eyed watching the Rockettes perform at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade?
Written at 10:08 AM by Highlandgal.
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Written at 9:07 AM by Highlandgal.
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Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Hanging at the $100 store
Although this time I got away with only spending $30.12. Of course that's if you totally disregard the $422.70 I spent on items for M's store.

And then there was the $28.88 for my business...

Written at 10:41 PM by Highlandgal.
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Ride 'em, Cowgirl!
Noni demonstrates the lengths she will go to in order to generate a giggle.

Written at 10:39 PM by Highlandgal.
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The prodigy
The puzzle prodigy, that is. I told her she's a super-genius because she's mastered puzzles labeled for ages 3-6 ;)

Written at 10:37 PM by Highlandgal.
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Anti-gravity stool
I'll bet you guys don't have one of these. She pulled out the stool to play with and we quickly realized that it was top-heavy and totally unstable for most things she wanted to do. So her closely supervised options included the levitating stool. Popi said that it was heavy and strained his arms pretty good. What he probably hasn't thought about yet is that now every time she comes over she's going to want the levitating stool. And she's going to get heavier, and heavier, and heavier...




Written at 10:30 PM by Highlandgal.
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Progress report
She peed in the potty before bath again tonight. She seems very proud of herself. She even commented, "yellow."
Written at 10:28 PM by Highlandgal.
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Tuesday, November 21, 2006
"One more"
Let the negotiations commence. Emma has learned to ask for "one more" when we tell her that her time is up or "no more." She uses it mostly when she wants more candy or a little more time to play before bath. Right now she and Daddy are on the floor one-moring it instead of taking a bath on time.
Written at 7:56 PM by Highlandgal.
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Monday, November 20, 2006
Sniff! My baby's growing up...
All in one day!

This evening when I picked her up from Mary's she was chatting the whole way home. She never asked for her paci once. She was asking me to sing songs instead. For the rest of the entire evening she never mentioned her paci. I kept waiting with dread, but no. As we were dressing her she was serenading us with her versions of ABC's and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Sometimes I fear the cuteness will kill me.

AND...she peed in her potty for the first time ever (at home). I've heard rumors from Mary that she's used the one there, but never at home. Tonight after she was nakey she waltzed in the bathroom and sat on her potty while Daddy was drawing the bath. She's had this routine for months. But this time she actually peed. "I did it." Daddy was lavishing her with praise so I had to go in and see for myself.

(As I reflect on this post I can picture myself in my single days thinking "big damn deal." I never understood a parent's fascination with every little bit of minutiae involving their child. I couldn't see how every simple new task was such a big deal.

Now I know why. When you see where they start, just cute little lumps with no capabilities other than crying, sleeping and pooping, you realize that every single new thing they learn to do IS a major accomplishment. Milestones stand out, big and small.

So to my (one) single reader: Have patience with the Mommy who is crowing about her child urinating in a plastic chair. Trust me, it's a big deal.)

I think today's shirt was quite appropriate:

Written at 8:32 PM by Highlandgal.
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Supergirl doing her thing
I can't remember what she was telling me to do here, but I'm pretty sure she was bossing me around.


Watching Little Einsteins.


I love the look on her face here.



The first soft light picture I've done in forever.

Written at 8:26 PM by Highlandgal.
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Sunday, November 19, 2006
Am I the only parent...
who finds it hilarious when their kid walks around with something over their head blindly bumping into things?

Written at 7:00 PM by Highlandgal.
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Saturday is Popi Day!
Saturday Noni and I went to Leesburg to the shopping outlets and Popi agreed to spend the day with Emma. I think it went well for both of them. Although, like us, I think he was happy for the break when nap time arrived.

Head scratcher of the day: She never once asked for paci and Tigger, even at nap time. Why am I cursed with this? She throws the fits especially for me. On the other hand, she was already asking for it less and less. I'm hoping she's just growing out of it slowly.

Here is a giant tower Emma and Popi built Friday night:


C'mon, Popi, c'mooooon.

Written at 6:55 PM by Highlandgal.
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No Hat!
Yesterday when Noni and I were traveling to Leesburg we received a phone call from Popi.

"What am I supposed to do with this turkey?"

"Could you be more specific?"

"She won't wear a hat. I tried to put a toboggan on her and she won't wear it. It's cold outside and her hands and ears are cold. Did you bring her a hat and gloves?"

"Um, yeah, she won't wear a hat except for the SpongeBob baseball hat and I forgot it."

"Well, should I take her outside?"

"Maybe if you let her get cold then she'll want the hat."

"We've already been outside and she is cold and she won't wear the hat. Should I let her go outside without the hat?"

"Your call, dude."

Popi learns that Emma is an independent minded individual who doesn't always do what Mommy wants her to do. Even if it's for her own good. As a matter of fact, here's Emma hollering at us from her hidey-hole when I attempted to put her hat on her today. She did eventually go out with SpongeBob on.

Written at 6:47 PM by Highlandgal.
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