Message for the Grandmas'

Abby and I taped a message for her Grandmas'. No, I couldn't get her to part with her car, but in part of our conversation/exchange/jargon, she signed Grandma very clearly and deliberate. Very, very cute.

Abby's 1st Reaction Christmas Morning

We had a GREAT Christmas! Everyone received more than they asked for and we spent the holidays with family and friends. Abby was a complete crack-up. She enjoyed being the center of attention and she loves her gifts. As a parent, its funny, your worry that you haven't given enough, but when it's all laid out, you realize it's plenty!

I was able to capture Abby's first true response to her gifts today. One of Mike's Christmas presents to me was a camcorder. No more movies from my camera that have a clicking noise from the autofocus. Yeah!

P.S...Growing up, my dad always joked that Santa and sleigh wrecked in our livingroom because of the mess. By 12pm I also had that same thought.

May your holiday be as good as ours was. Merry Christmas...

Raising Utah

Today Abby and I went to do some errands. On our second destination, Abby found her bag with a pull-up in it.
Now let me give you some back information on the pull-ups. Abby LOVES them, I bought the ones with Arial and the princesses, and she ran to get them everytime she needed changing. So when she ran out, I bought her the ones with Jasmine from Aladdin and the princesses. On the evening of that first changing it was pretty late, I went to check on her, and noticed her diaper was pretty wet, so I changed her (I had to wake her up). During the course of that event, Abby saw that they were "different" princesses. That must have been exciting for her because that night she got out of bed FOUR times to look at the pictures on her pull-ups. For the next week, Abby carted around at least five in her doll stroller, ate meals beside them, and even slept with them. Finally, the new-ness wore off and we are back to normal, or so I thought. I have since ran out of pull-ups, but I would like to use the remainder of the diapers we have, so I haven't restocked the pull-ups just yet.
Now back to the story, Abby found the very last pull up in her bag. I guess she figured since she couldn't put it on because of her car seat she would do the next best thing.... It was so funny I had to pull over and take a picture.To borrow a quote from the movie Raising Arizona, I say, "Son you got a panty on your head."

The Catered Affair

So just to give you the update, the feed back I received was:

1. I was a good cook (pronounced kook, she is from Scotland). My thoughts? How appropriate, I am a kook too.

2. How did Trish find me, and did I also service the Holiday area.

3. If I wasn't in the catering business, my talent in the kitchen is wasted.

Bam! That's right, I brought it Martha Stewart!

Cinderella to Prima Donna with a dress...

Every year Abby gets a holiday outfit from her Aunt Hilary. These outfits are always gorgeous, so each year from the first, I am under the tree to see if I can peak before Christmas. This year was no different, EXCEPT, Hilary sent a note giving permission to open the box as soon as it arrived. The note also said to open the smaller package right after. Well, as you can see the dress is exquisite. The color is perfect for her completion and it fits like a glove.

When Abby opened the second package, Mike was the first to figure out what it was, and he couldn't stop laughing. When I finally clued in, I couldn't stop either. Abby received a matching Christmas dress for her baby. How perfect is that??? She loves it. Infact, I let Abby and her baby wear the dress that evening and it was a battle to get them off. (She even locked her arms so I couldn't get the sleeves off, when the two dresses were finally off, Abby wouldn't look at me for 10 minutes!) I blame Cinderella and her blasted movie for this situation, which we watch at least once a day!!!

That being said, I have attached some pictures to share. The first one posted is not what you think, Abby is actually upset because I sat her on the couch to take a picture instead of leaving for church. I'm sure Abby's thinking was that she wanted others to see how pretty her dress was, ha ha ha! Even my mom can attest to Abby's extra ordinary fashionable ways... The second picture is her sulking by the door. We are not leaving fast enough for Abby's approval. The last two, Abby finally getting her coat on, so we can leave. Sulk to smile in a split second. Too bad I couldn't get the pacifier away for a decent picture :/

That all being said, Aunt Hilary, you truly outdid yourself this year! The dress is beautiful, as is Abby in it.

Memories of Past Christmas'

My neighbor brought over an Advent Calendar for Abby. I didn't know they still made them! It made me remember the years Gma Stoker gave them to us grandkids. Of course my chocolate was always gone by the third day! :)

The Christmas Social

Abby DID like the Christmas Program! She tried several times to go onstage with the kids. The only reason I don't have a picture of that, was because I was the one making sure that didn't happen! :D As you can see, she moved the chair so the sheep fell down. Anything to get a better view. BTW, my family wasn't on the first row until Abby decided she needed to have a better view.

It really was a great Christmas Social. Next year will be even better when Abby will get to preform with the other Primary kids.

Abby vs Santa Claus, Round 2

Well, there you have it. The whole extent of their interaction! I did try and put her on his lap for a picture, but she wasn't having it. Abby didn't even stay till we could take the picture. So there you have it, Round 2 (for two years), Abby 1 / Santa 0.

Geraniums Are A Hardy Bunch

This is what I have on my patio this morning. Yep, December 10th, and I still have flowers that are blooming. Who knew it could be done with snow on the ground? They definitely aren't growing like they did in the summer, but they still don't look bad. There is a portion of my patio that is covered, but the picture just above this article doesn't really get much shelter. I am hoping they will stay alive till Spring, but I think I am asking for too much! :D

Go Elf Yourself...

Totally, totally cute. I saw this on a friends website and thought it would be fun to do my family. Watch us cut a rug! :D http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1161201825

The Dress

This week Abby had her picture taken in the family dress. This cute little dress was originally given to Mike's Aunt Kathy from her grandmother, Abby's great-great grandmother. Since then, all the Preas girls have had their pictures taken in it. I was pleased with the results.

One of my favorite things about Christmas is...

The music! I am not very good at lyrics, but how could you mess up a Christmas song? Okay, okay, I have been know to slaughter a song or two or a thousand with bad tone, but that's it! The music just makes me happy and I love both traditional and contemporary.

My favorite contemporary song is from Wham!, "Last Christmas". Very cheesy but it gets stuck in your head; and well, all day you are singing, "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart but the very next day you gave it away..."

So what's your favorite?

Christmas Time is Here Already...

Christmas time is here already. I have to say that having kids really renews your excitement for the holidays! So many things I want Abby to experience. I just can't wait! Here are some pictures I found filed away recently. I was 5 and 6 when these were taken.

It all started with my cheesecake

I have a great cheesecake recipe that I found last year. It is a very festive dessert that reminds me of the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays because it uses pomegranates both in the cheesecake and in the syrup over the top.

We had company over on Sunday, so Saturday I made it. We still had some left, so Tuesday rolled around and I didn't want it at the house anymore. Every Tuesday me and a girlfriend get together for a weight-loss club meeting. So I sent her home with two thick slices. :D (Because that is what you do at the end of a weight meeting, ha ha ha). Okay, maybe it's just an excuse to get together!

Well, I got a call from her the next day asking for me to make it for one of her family dinner parties in December. At the end of the conversation, it was agreed that I would cater the whole thing. I know it's really bizarre, but I am VERY excited to do it. So now I have two big events to plan for! I can't wait for the holidays, they can't get here fast enough.

Who knows, if all goes well, it could be more than a one-time gig!

The New Bowling Set

Today, Abby and I went to lunch with some friends who came into town. They brought Abby the cutest bowling set. This evening, Abby got a spare...

Made me laugh!

An Oldie, But A Goodie!

This is the video I meant to publish! I could watch her sign her colors forever! :)

Oh, so little!

This wasn't the video I was meaning to post, but it is cute of Abby! She was so little, once upon a time. Sorry I am so LOUD in the video, Abby didn't have her hearing aids in, so I wanted to make sure she heard me.

The Bully At Our House

So I have a bully at my house. Yup, that's her in the pink "Fairy Dress". She takes toys, and she orders Alex around. Alex on the other hand, is really a push over. Not that HE is happy about the circumstances, but it happens. I am trying to have him "man up a bit", but most days he cries.

As a parent/baby-sitter, what is the fine line in teaching the kids these lessons; specifically, having Alex fight back a bit, and having Abby "get what's coming," for being the bully?

There is just so much "policing" I can do; but the last thing I want is an bully who thinks she is entitled to everything and to watch a boy who lets her take things, then comes crying to me. Did I tell you Alex is three and a half and Abby barely two?

We are returning to the theater!

After a LONG year and a half break, it looks like we will be able to start seeing movies in the theater, again. Yeah, us! Abby and I had a trial run Saturday. We went to the dollar theater and saw Underdog. She watched all of it, which really surprised me. Of course she got so excited during really slow points in the movie, that I'm not sure she followed the plot, but it's a start! I do realize that we will probably only be seeing G Rated movies, but it's more than what we have been doing, so I'm not going to complain.

P.S. The movie was surprisingly cute. Abby thought the talking animals were funny!

XXX (We've got a situation in here...)

So much for sleeping in on the first day returning to Standard Time... Mike woke early for an appointment this morning. He went to check on Abby and came back immediately saying, "We've got a situation in here." Not words you want to be woken up with. Well, before we entered the room, as good parents do, we took a picture first! Once again, Abby tried to clean herself up instead of either calling for one of us or waiting. If you notice, her left foot has poop on it. To answer your question, yes we did have little poop marks all over the carpet. Needless to say, Abby had a bath early, early Sunday morning! I can't wait till we are potty-trained. It will teach us not to miss a night taping her pull-ups/diapers on.

Excited for Thanksgiving!

Now that Halloween is long gone, I have to say, I can't wait for Thanksgiving! I'm not sure if it is because I love to make new recipes, or if it's because I will be hostessing lots of family, or a combination of both. I have found myself running through all the recipes I have, and deciding on sleeping arrangements, card games we will play and lots of visiting we will do. I guess it is safe to say that I love planning these things as much as having these things.

My parents are flying in several days before so we can visit and make the recipes leisurely. Did I tell you my mom makes the best dinner rolls??? I can hardly wait!

How much candy puts a two year old into a euphoric coma?

To answer that question, lots, but I think we got there. Don't you? :)) Abby had a blast Trick or Treating. I didn't think she would quite get it, but after the second house, she knew what to expect and wanted MORE! I didn't think we would be out so late, but she really enjoyed herself. It was nice for us, Mike and I, to reconnect with neighbors that we haven't seen for a while. While we were out, Abby really became forward. I would ring the doorbell and wait, but if Abby thought they didn't hear, she would knock... and knock again. They would then open the door and she wouldn't even make eye contact, but headed straight for their candy bowl to fill up! If they weren't people/friends we already knew it might have been a little awkward! :)) When she knew that was it for the house, she would turn around and say, "Bye, see ya!" and start walking to the second house. I would definitely say, for a two year old, she is focused.

We were out for about 2 1/2 hours and Abby made a haul. We let her have her fill tonight, eating whatever she wanted, but even after that, she has candy to last her several months (After tonight, her candy consumption will be restricted.)

As I sit here and write about Abby's First "Official" Halloween Trick or Treating, I thought back to my own experiences. I was SO excited to go every year. Getting that thrill to be able to wear a great costume! Then I remembered I had a picture of one year. I was six (1980), not that you can tell what I was, but I was a princess. I accidentally ruined my mom's Homecoming Queen tiara, at school, so I wasn't able to wear it going out for candy that night. My mom in the "Cruella De Ville" coat and my brother with his mask up are also in the picture.

What a great night! I hope Abby has as great of memories "Trick or Treating," as I do.

Well It Worked!

Abby's last hearing tests have been very unreliable and she has been very uncooperative. So since July we have periodically played a hearing game. Today we found out that our practice has paid off. She did really, really well.

In today's test we learned quite a bit. Her hearing loss is stable, which means, it hasn't improved but most importantly hasn't gotten worse. We also learned through the bone conductor test, that her hearing loss is from her cochlea not the middle ear.

Today's news gave us more decisive information, which we were in dire need of. During the review after the test; surprisingly, the audiologist classified her hearing as mild/moderate with a sloping to severe. Not once did she use the word "Profound". We are extremely happy about today! :)

Well needed!

Today is the start of UEA (Utah something, something..... meaning school is out this weekend so I don't have Alex (except for Tuesday:) Have to say, with working at the store, sewing appliques on blankets, making wreaths, watching kids, coding, scrapping, and going to appointments; I am a little tuckered out! So today, I am taking a breather, well sort of. Did I say I wanted to get back into crafting.... well now I'm swimming in it.

On the docket today: a little coding and a hearing test. Abby has not been cooperative in recent tests, so we learned a hearing game. We will see if it worked. It will be nice to have an accurate test. I will post and let you know how it goes!

Here are a few of my favorite things...

I have a fun cousin named Arin who posted a really great blog about her favorite save and splurge items. She requested that we (those who read it) to do their own lists. Well, for the past several days, I have been thinking about my list. I can't really say I have 10 specifically, I buy what I like. I think they are all good deals, so here goes...

My Favorites Savings:

1. Dollar Menu at Wendy's ($1)
2. Redbox ($1)
3. John Frieda's Hairspray ($4.95)
4. Aquafresh toothbrushes ($1.99)
5. Downy Simple Pleasure's Fabric Softener (under $5)
6. Magic Erasers (World's best new invention! under $10)
7. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, spray (under $5)
8. Fruit snacks (Albertson's 10 for $10, their the best!)
9. Loreal's Voluminous Waterproof Mascara (under $5)
10. Baby Oil (eye make-up remover, under $3)
11. Clairol Hair color ("I'm washing that gray right out of my hair!", under $10)

My Favorite Splurges:

1. Biologe Shampoo and Conditioner (love the smell and I like my hair).
2. Children's clothing (buy quality and you will be able to use them again. They will still look new!)
3. Butter instead of margarine
4. Shoes (Better quality has better support)
5. Haircut (Only takes 1 bad haircut to learn this lesson. Okay, maybe a few bad ones!:)
6. Craft supplies
7. Diet Pepsi Jazz Flavored Sodas. No generic here... Love them!
8. Water Softener (what did we ever do without one?)
9. Digital Camera
10. DVR (Never have to program a television recording after the first time!)
11. Elizabeth Arden Eye Shadow (a little goes a long way, and it lasts all day)

Once again, I've got nothin!

Things around here have been running like a well oiled machine. Not much news at all on this front. Well, maybe I should specify... Mike and I, nothing much going on. As for Abby, well some days I feel like I am in the midst of mayhem. Let me share...

Lately, when I go and get Abby in the mornings, she is usually wearing something completely different than what she went to bed in. Her favorites are her Halloween costume or her "fairy" dress. I still haven't gotten it out of my head that she is getting things done on her own, because the first thought usually is, "I didn't put her to bed in that, did I???" Then I realize she has gotten dressed on her own. That usually is the extent of it. Yesterday was a completely different experience. I walked in and she was sitting on her bed (not unusual) but she was wearing different pj's from the night before. As I walked closer, she said "Stinky Poop" (again, not unusual). So I said, "Oh, your poopy, well lets get you changed." I picked her up and sat her down. She wasn't wearing a diaper AND yes indeed, she was poopy. I also notice next to us on the floor was a diaper with "skid" marks on the top. What she had done (I believe) was realized she was poopy, took off her diaper, got out a new one, tried to put it on but decided she couldn't, so she put on a new set of pj's, then got back in bed to wait for me.

After I fixed her diaper, she wanted her pj's back on. She started throwing a tissy until I showed her they were also poopy with skid marks. As any gal would, she decided it probably wasn't what she wanted to wear after all. As a defense against "skid marks", Mike and I have started taping her diapers on with packing tape. She thinks it's fun and we no longer have her trying to change herself, by herself.

In the past two days, she has learned that she can use chairs and tables to climb to help her achieve what she wants, she has learned to open doors, she has started telling us "no", and being sneaky with things she knows she shouldn't have. All of which she has never done before.

Our little girl is not so little anymore, and it looks like I had more than nothin!

Our First Official Halloween!

This evening was our first official Halloween party. To be more specific, one that Abby remembers and can enjoy. The party was put on by the youth in our ward for the primary. At first, I think Abby was a bit overwhelmed with all the kids in their costumes, but overall, I think Abby had a really great time.

Abby especially loved the face painting! If you notice in the picture, she is leaning forward so the artist can get a better angle. :)) I think anything that semi-resembles makeup is up her alley. The limbo, cake walk, hula hoop and bean bag toss were lost causes. She couldn't care less about them, until they handed out the candy.

As for how we are doing, I'd say we were doing very well, aside from being WAY too busy. Mike and I sat down to talk about our schedules only to find out that we couldn't cut out much else. So for now, we are running. Yet it isn't all bad, today instead of going grocery shopping I took a nap. Well, that gave me much more energy, but here it is 2:00am and I am writing on this blog! lol So the cycle continues!

Tomorrow, Abby and I are going back to Gardner Village with her cousins. It should be fun. They have six weeks of activities in the fall so we are all going to check it out. I'm sure it will be a blast!

Still Procrastinating...

So yes still procrastinating, but I just wanted to share a funny. I was talking with my SIL a couple of weeks ago. She had told me my neice Morgan really liked sleeveless dresses and even said, "you know, hoochie." Which was very funny considering her mom and dad have more conservative dress standards, so Morgan has never owned a dress with that cut.

Well, that story has now reverberated to our home as well. Abby for some crazy reason has been wearing her tops halter/tube top style. She has been stretching the necks out and taking her arms out so the neck becomes the "bust" of the top. If I tried to modify her "get-up" she would throw a major fit, so yesterday she went topless (she wasn't happy about that either). Mike and I were sitting at her kitchen table upstairs in her room, Abby served us drinks. Mike made the comment that he felt like we were at a topless bar, in a sense, we were! I sure hope this is just a phase.

I am posting a picture of her as I found her this morning. I know it's funny, but I don't know if I can take sacrificing her clothing for this faze.

Working that Creative Flare

After our vacation I sent the pictures we took to be developed (to be sent onto Monnie). While on the computer (sent them electronically), I made the decision to get caught up scrap booking. SO... now I have a years worth of pictures to do. It feels good to get it done. I also like exercising that creative flare I think I have hidden somewhere in my brain.

Speaking of being creative I am so excited for this weekend. Our ward is doing their "make it/take it" on Saturday. I have signed up for ALL the crafts. I can't decide which crafts I am more excited about: the clock, the blankets, the wall hangings, or the Christmas wreaths. (Like I said, I signed up for all of them!) I will also have a chance to get caught up with friends I haven't seen for quite a while.

I have also started going through Abby's t-shirts (past and present). While in California, Kathy gave me the best idea to make a quilt out of favorite t-shirts. I can't think of a softer quilt. What I haven't decided is if I am going to just collect Abby's; to make Abby a quilt or if I will go though Mike and mine as well, to make a family blanket. Time will tell.

So crafting isn't the only thing I have been doing. Lately I have been obsessed with soups and stews. So I have done quite a bit of cooking. Mike isn't one to like soups, but I think the broccoli and cheese we just finished off was a hit.

Well, now that I have procrastinated instead of creating our church newsletter, I had better get back to work before Sunday rolls around! :)

We're Back!

This past week we had a mini-vacation. Not only did we really, really need it, but we had a better than fantastic time! We started out visiting Russ and Karen in Los Angeles. Boy, those kids are growing up so much. It was fun seeing Kobe and Asya dotting on Taylor. Taylor is one lucky girl. We also met Russ's in-laws. They were very warm and welcoming. Mike and I really enjoyed ourselves. Rusty, now we know where you are, you will now see us more often!

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We then went on to Porterville. Now, I'm not surprised I had such a great time there, but everytime we go we have SO much fun that I wish it would never end. While we were in Porterville we saw Monnie's new swanky digs and hung out at Mike's (mine too) uncle and aunt. On Saturday when we got there, Kathy said that Hilary re-arranged her schedule so she could come up. Bill (Mike's uncle) said that if there was a party Hilary would be there. That is exactly what happened. We had three continuous days of laughing and visiting all centered around Abby. I think it is safe to say that everyone was enthralled with her and that she had a great time too. Here are some of our favorite pictures of Abby from this weekend.

As you can see, it was a whirl-wind trip between the visiting, chalk drawing, bubble blowing, trampoline jumping, and the phase 10 game we couldn't get much else in... That is exactly what mini trips are for.

On a side note, the only thing that WOULD have made it better is if Steve and all the cousins were able to make the trip on such short notice. We will make sure we see you guys next trip! :)

Abby's new do...

Abby's hair was becoming uncontrollable. So yesterday, she had her first haircut. I think she looks really great!