The Christmas Spirit

I know, it is too early for Christmas, but for me it isn't…. Well, first of all our old computer got some Trojan bug that we couldn't get rid of and I didn't want to go thru the whole geek thing again. It just didn't seem worth it to pay for that all over again. So, it was last week when I figured that out. And I was bummed. Who wants to spend the money on a new computer? So, I decided to cheer myself up and get out the Christmas Tree. I have a fake one that I bought in 2002 in Oklahoma and I heart it! Perfect size, perfect shape, has the lights on it, I love it. But, last year I had to do a number fixing the lights, so I really wasn't sure what to expect when I plugged them in this year, especially after a move. Yea, it was bad. Like half the lights were out. This was supposed to cheer me up and I was totally bummed thinking I had to get a new tree too. Bah. Humbug - before Thanksgiving even.

Then I really started looking at the tree. Love the shape, love the size; it just needs lights. Look closer, well, the lights are strung on pretty tight, but I could clip them out….. I start my plan and Adam thinks I am crazy – just get a new tree is his suggestion. So, I look at new trees and I like mine best. So, I bought new lights and decided I would save my tree!!!!! I clipped out tons of lights off my tree. I ended up taking each branch off and taking the lights off from there. And once I got in a groove, it wasn't too bad. Another perk?? The bottom row of branches is too low on my tree. The presents always push them up and the branches are in the way. So, I took them off and kept them off – bonus! I started to think of a new goofy show – trick out my tree! It took me 3 days of a little here and there, but I stripped the tree of the old non working lights and put on new lights. Colored lights this year, we have had white lights since we were married. The kids are thrilled. Rachel likes the pink lights best and Russell likes the red.

So, of course, if I have the tree out, then I must get out the Christmas boxes. Last Christmas, when taking everything down, I took so much time to wrap all my precious ornaments and decorations, knowing we were moving and knowing that the movers would not pack it as well as I would. If I don't say so myself, I did an AMAZING job. I don't think anything broke! Phew. Saturday we started decorating the tree. I couldn't wait, I had to do it. Typically that weekend after Thanksgiving is when I do the whole Xmas decorating thing. This year we are going to Lego Land after Thanksgiving, so really, I have to do it ahead of time to stay on schedule ; ) It will be fun to come home to a Xmas house after Thanksgiving. That's what I keep telling myself to rationalize my early decorating. I always laugh when I start the tree – every year I have the same thoughts. I think when I first start: 'How am I going to fill this tree? I don't think I'll have enough. You always have enough, at the end you always think you have too many and you wonder how to put them all on.' And it is so true, I think the same things – Why don't I learn my lesson from the last year?

You know, I really enjoy decorating the tree. I love my ornaments. I really do. I treasure each one. I can probably tell you each ornament's history – was it a gift from one of my many thoughtful friends? Did I buy it after Xmas on super sale in Napa, FL, or OK? Was it one the kids made? (Easy answer there!) Was it an ornament from my childhood? When we lived in Napa, I used to always go to this store on Jefferson Ave that was a party supply store, but had lots of fun ornaments. I would run into friends that I worked with at Redwood Middle School. One in particular was Pat Caceres. Pat was my 8^th grade Math Teacher and then I worked with her at RMS. She is so sweet. After she realized that I was ornament hunting the day after Xmas, she would buy me snowman ornaments at other stores that she knew I was not going to. I could tell you every ornament she bought me. Steve Culbertson, another one of my 8^th grade teachers that I taught with told his wife that I was a snowman gal and she bought me a bag full. I still have every one of those ornaments. I have always loved those bulb ornaments that are painted on the inside of the bulb. How do they do that??? Christine sent me my first one, snowmen of course, and I really treasure it. I always hang it front and center and think of her when I hang it. I bought an ornament last year with a Santa holding a lamb. I bought it at Kohls and I bought it b/c Rachel's school was called Little Lambs in Florida. I knew that we would be moving and I knew when I hung that ornament it would remind me of Little Lambs and what a wonderful school it was and how lucky I was to have Rachel enrolled. And this year, I did just that as I hung it on the tree. Each one has its own story and memory, such a joy to remember each one and share with the kids. That really makes me happy.

One side note as we were hanging ornaments this year. I still adore my snowmen, but I seem to have started a new collection without realizing it. I have a new affection for Santas in red coats. Not a conscious thing at all, until now….

A Fun Comparison

So here are pictures of the kids all with the barn on their heads. Russ got the barn from Carol Teeters and it is the cutest toy - a Gund terry cloth barn bag and has 4 barnyard animals made form terry cloth to play with. And the animals each have their own special sound - squeak, rattle, etc. Well, Adam put it on Russ's head while playing and the picture was a big hit. So, we had to do one with Rachel. Since we had a bond with the toy, it was one I kept. I didn't keep a lot of baby toys after Rachel. And boy, are we glad that I kept it, it would have been sad not to get Rowan in it too. The kids are all about 6 months old and I just thought it was fun to see them all together.

Growin' Rowan 9 months old!

Hard to believe, but Rowan is already 9 months old, on Election Day no less! So, I am going to do a little motherly bragging and recording all about our little Row Row.

He loves to be out of the house. He is not a homebody at all. He is a shameless flirt while out and about. He smiles and does that shy look with the chin down to his chest and looks up, he is so funny. He has a real thing for the grandpas too. Today we were at JoAnn fabrics and he caught the attention of a grandpa in the store. So, that led to a fun conversation and lots of Rowan smiles and coos.

He has really just started all the jibber jabber. He was doing it a little bit, but now it is all the time. His voice is so sweet and cute. He loves to growl at stuff and breathe/pant loudly thru his nose. Then his voice can have a little high pitch to it as he babbles on and on. I try so hard to get him to say mamamamama, but it usually dadadada or bababa or blablabla and then he'll throw in a ga or goo, etc. He'll say MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMm while he's eating for me, but that is it. He will and has said the mamamam, but only when he chooses!! He clicks his tongue a lot, especially when someone clicks at him. Rachel will start talking in the car to him - babababa and he starts right in and talks back to her. He loves to be out in the stroller, looking around, feeling the air. Halloween night, he could have gone all night. Russ and Rach were done, but Row could have kept right on.

We think he's a daddy's boy thru and thru. He just stares at Adam while he is talking and listens to him - which is probably a good thing b/c Adam can talk a lot and we all don't have time to sit and listen ; ) So, it's good he has a captive audience in Rowan!!! Ha! He'll hear Adam's voice and just right in with the babble. There was a time period that he would only go to bed at night if Adam rocked/walked him around - he would just squirm with me. He gets a little pissy if Adam doesn't come over and pick him up when he comes home from work. He'll whine and look at Adam, like Hello, I am right here.

Rowan has loved the swaddle like no other baby I have known. I bought him these velcro swaddle blankets and he just recently stopped using them. We would swaddle him and sometimes he'd fall instantly asleep, like he was waiting for that blanket to tell him it is sleepy time. We were a little worried about how ling he might want the swaddle, but one day he just didn't want it anymore. Which is kinda weird b/c I read this book ("The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems") and she said some babies will love the swaddle and then at about 9 months they give up overnight. She was right. I love the title of that book by the way. I had to buy it just b/c the title was so great - how could you go wrong with a book like that??? Ha! I am passing it on to Tracey who has a 2 month old that nurses a lot at night. She needs all her problems solved!!!! Ha!

Rowan loves his crib bumper. He rubs his face in it now when he is falling asleep and he loves his crib toy that plays music and sounds and has some lights and movements. It's like a little rainforest scene and the lights look like a waterfall and there is a little monkey that moves and fish. Of course, it makes 'rainforest' sounds too.

We are working on Rowan playing peekaboo alone. he really tries - he puts his hands on his forehead and pulls them down to his tummy for peekaboo. It is pretty cute. And he is clapping a lot. He hasn't quite the patty cake thing down yet, but we play that too. He also has lots of fun pulling toys out of baskets, bags, etc. For a while I'd put a load of Rachel's plastic tea party plates in a little plastic bin and he could spend like 10 minutes pulling out each plate and waving it around, throw it down, get the next look at it, wave it, and on it went.

Of course Russ and Rach really can get him worked up doing anything. Brushing their teeth, dancing around, pretty much anything they do is hilarious and gruntworthy.

Rowan doesn't like cold anything. Cold bathwater - he's done. He doesn't like cold food, cold bottles, cold juice or water to drink; basically if it's cold he's not having it. It is so funny that he's that opinionated about so consistently. Rachel would take anything any temp and could stay in the bath until she turned blue. Not Rowan.

And Harry, our orange cat, seems to be Rowan's. Anytime Row is in the floor playing or drinking a bottle (oh yeah, he does that by himslef too - yay!) anyway - Harry is all over Rowan at bottle or play time on the floor. He'll rub up next to Row and purrrrrr. Rowan loves it. Row will grab Harry and surprisingly, Harry doesn't flinch or anything. He sits there happy as can be. Row tries to pet Harry too, it is sweet. Sometimes Harry will hide in Rowan's room and then get in bed with him while he's sleeping. I have never seen anything like it.

He also starts doing new things and then stops. Like those super sweet juicy open mouth 'kisses' that babies do. he did for about a month or so and has now stopped. One day at Rachel's gymnastics, he was sitting in my lap facing me and put his hands on my cheeks and must have kissed me 20 times. It was so cute and funny. I'd try to watch Rachel a bit and he'd try to pull my face back and giggle. It was such a hoot. Rolling over - he 's like been there done that, don't do it any more.

He doesn't seem very mobile right now. Russ and Rach were rolling all over the floor to get where they wanted to be. He scoots a bit on his back and sitting up he can scoot on his tush, but not very far. I kinda think that may be due to the fact that Russ and Rachel always get him things when he fusses for something, so the need to get around isn't there.

Okay, there you have the Rowan Fix!!!! Let me put in some pictures and get back to my domestic goddess duties.