Random nuggets

Since Jill informed me that she's stalking me, I figured I'd better post SOMETHING to make it worth her while. =) This post is basically just recent observations about the kids.

I'm very amused by the way Matthew laughs when HE'S amused (which is different than when he laughs because he's being tickled). If he's trying to restrain himself, he sounds like "tee-hee!" Literally, he says "tee-hee." It's too funny. And I've caught Grace doing it too. When he's amused by a cartoon or something and he's letting it all hang out, he says something that sounds sort of like a very loud, nasally "He-yeah!" You have to be there.

Jonathan informed me this weekend that he wants a pet of his very own. The two cats apparently aren't cutting it for him. Every parent gets this request at some point, right? Well, he seems to want a fish, which is a personal pet I can get behind. BUT, I told him he needs to prove he's ready for pet ownership before I'll permit this, so it is now his responsibility to feed the cats every afternoon. I haven't quite decided what measure of success he needs to attain for me to decide he's proven his pet ownership worthiness, but it will definitely have to involve VERY LITTLE reminding on my part. Any advice in this area is welcome!

Since December, I have been trying to make a point of jotting down the new words I hear Grace say on the calendar in her room. Well, it's starting to get a little challenging. Just this past weekend, I think I recorded 3 or 4 new words and 2 or 3 phrases, including "go," "cheese," and "Can I see?" I think it's going to get to the point soon where I can't keep up. I've also heard her singing "Popcorn Popping," although no one else would recognize it as such, because her enunciation still leaves a bit to be desired. But I can tell by the tune, the repeated "p" sound, and the little wagging finger that goes along with the line "It wasn't really so." Dang she's cute.

A-blogging I will go

Okay, yeah, so it's been two weeks since I last posted. Call it the calm AFTER the storm. Essentially, the holidays are over and I'm thankfully not so busy anymore, and there just hasn't been much going on. Mike and I go to work, the kids go to school, and then we come home and veg. That's what January is for, right? Hibernation, as Matthew has been learning about in school. I'm sure things will pick up again in the not-so-distant future, but right now, there's really nothing exciting going on, and I think I'm pretty content with that. And hey, you can't complain about being content, right?

Happy New Year!!

Okay, I know it's New Year's Eve, but I had to include one last video of another of my favorite Christmas songs before the "Season" is over. I've always had a fondness for Harry Belafonte's "Mary's Boy Child," and last year I caught this version on the radio and just loved it. The video is awesome for its terrific disco cheesiness (it's from 1978 after all!), and I just love the Carribbean flavor of this version.



And for all you traditionalists out there, here's a little New Year's cheer:



Have a safe celebration tonight (and WARM, if you happen to be in WNY) and we wish you the best for 2009!

Christmas 2008

Because it's 11:00 at night and I'm tired, I'm going to save myself the trouble of uploading Christmas pictures here and just send y'all over to the ones I just put up on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77310&l=edcd6&id=1586911971

This album includes one of the best "Scared of Santa" pictures I've experienced. Rest assured Grace is not scarred for life from the experience (and neither is Santa, happily).

Hope everyone had a fun, festive, and fuss-free Christmas!

Christmas Multimedia

I couldn't let Christmas go by without a little multimedia offering of one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs. Even now, this song is the only one that consistently causes me to get a little choked up and teary every time I hear it (which is few and far between I'm afraid!). Hope you enjoy it.

Peace to all the world, and good will to men.

Christmas Card

Happy Christmas to all, and to all good night!!

Mea Culpa

I apologize, little blog, for neglecting you this month. Sadly, I have been busy both at home and at work, and when else is there for me to post? I resolve to do better for you and all 3 of my loyal readers, come the new year. And hopefully I'll be able to get a few more posts up before the end of 2008.

Anyway, to make it up to you, I'll add a little something down the sidebar: a button that links to a blog a friend of mine just turned me onto: THE MEANEST MOM. And here I thought that was me! That will teach me to believe what my kids say.