Ladies and gentlemen…Children of ALL ages…..

It’s a circus out there! Let me give you some history… My grandparents, for as far back as I can remember, have taken me to the circus every single year. We used to go on opening night EVERY.SINGLE.YEAR. VIVID MEMORIES. I mean, I would even trek home from college to go to the circus. It was serious business. However, the last couple of years things have come up like knee surgeries, new baby, etc. It must be noted, I missed the dear ol’ circus during our absence. I got to be in the circus one year with the clowns (I’m not lying). I left that year, went STRAIGHT in and informed my dad that I knew I should join the circus. I studied it. Wrote reports on it. Read about it. Again, serious business (I should mention I was in the 4th grade). So, anyway, you see there’s a bit of history with me and the circus.

SO….. it worried JB that Great Grand Nan and GG Daddy needed to have circus memories with EB. He took it upon himself to surprise them with circus tickets for Christmas. Pretty darn thoughtful. I took my first vacation day in a whole wide year, Clay came home from school and we all carted off to the circus. Can I just say that EB was SHOCKINGLY good?! In my mind I probably wouldn’t have taken a one year old to the circus, but she was great. A little antsy at times, but really enjoyed her day. I had more fun watching her wonder and excitement than the show. She also slept for over three hours when we got home- I wonder if she had dreams of being a clown in the circus?! Just saying.

What fun [and special] memories we created. We had a ball! Thanks JB for the special gift even though you were out of town and couldn’t go. We missed you.

Workin' hard for her money

Sunday I caught EB walking from the laundromat in six feet of snow up hill both ways. TORTUROUS, I tell ya, to live at my house. What’s a girl to do, but wrap up in her tights, grab her laundry basket and start plugging way?! After all, keeping your ankle socks clean is a HARD task.

EB and her "Da"

All this gal cares about is her "Da." She walks around aimlessly looking for him when we beat him home. On Saturday mornings we sometimes get up before him, and she'll go straight to his side of the bed calling and reaching for "DA!!!". As envious as I am, I love it. It's pretty darn irristable, even for a mom's ol' heart.

Here's proof. EB enjoying no telling what....

The garage door opens......
Get excited.......
DAAAAA!!!!
Reunited after many long, tortuous hours. I'm just left to stand in the corner with a camera. Ha ha.

On another note, "Daa" is the keeper of all things neat. You know, like the iphone, fancy remotes, computer, tools, etc. He also has belts and ties. Who knew?!
Do your spouse's ties look like this? I would be mortified to show you my side versus his side. Be assured that his EnTiRe closet is this tidy, flawless and organized. Then....well.... There's my side. One word: TORNADO!

Anyway, she can now reach the beloved, organized-to-perfection tie rack and its ties of many colors.
The old Jason would have cringed and shouted out in a pain-like state. Somehow the Daddy-Daughter duo can overlook such behaviors and it's all cute and wonderful. So, it's "Wuv...True Wuv" in the words of The Princess Bride. And, well, can't blame them one small bit. They warm my heart. It's only just beginning.....

Temptation

Is rude and hateful! All this sweet child wants to do is walk in the road. That’s all. Just a little jaywalking, if you will. I can’t allow it. Just can’t. So, I explain to her that she will NOT walk in the street. I turn around to see this. If that foot isn’t right on the line….. that sweet, precious child would never challenge me, SURELY?! The upside, she didn’t walk in the street, just sat on the line.

Then, there is the form of temptation when your husband decides he wants some sweets. He wants brownies, “Doesn’t that sound good, HB?” YES! BUT NOT A SUPER SIZED PACK FROM COSTCO! I now have the ability to make not one, but SIX four (two mysteriously already made themselves) batches of brownies for y’all! Just come on over! I mean, how many eggs does it to take to make six batches?

I know what you're thinking, "Diet Coke and now brownie mix?" That isn't 100% the truth.

It's ok, EB, those thighs are delicious...keep on cleaning off that spatula, girl!

Wordless Wednesday

Never done a “Wordless Wednesday,” but it’s pretty indicative of how this week has gone-not that it has really been wordless. Oh never mind! I just have no words….here’s my child.

In my humble opinion, we ARE training her up in the way she should go!

Thirteen...

…months that is, but quickly going on 13, I’m afraid. So, I’ve been void of blogging material as of lately. We have been unexpectedly busy, somehow, and sick (are you shocked?). This face was pretty telling of how we spent the weekend. She handed off something to JB and his face was about as pitiful as hers. So, we are a month past the big 1 year birthday. HARD.TO.BELIEVE. This time last year I was on maternity leave, EB had just reached 6 weeks and I had never felt so tired and worn out in all of my life. TIME FLIES and some days I’ve still never felt so tired and worn out in all of my life. It’s all good though and I wouldn’t trade one tired moment.

(funny note: this child LOVES her hat and must wear it whenever it is in her line of vision)

I didn’t think I’d do updates after she turned one, but on second thought that was kinda nuts. She is making leaps and bounds in her motor skills and other skills (that I don’t know what to call them) and I’d be a fool to not recount them for myself.

(editor's note: 1. Yes, my hair is now brown 2. Yes, for those that have asked, that is my running shirt I have on.

3. Yes, I'm still running. Thanks for the encouragement.)

Our walker has turned into a really fast walker who only walks faster if she knows you’re coming. Thank goodness the walls in our house make for a good race track that allows us to go around and around and around multiple times an hour. She thinks that’s REALLY REALLY fun. Simple pleasures. Evie has really flourished (I think I better use that term lightly) with her vocab-coming from a child that wouldn’t utter a word before. While she isn’t throwing around big words like supercalafragalisticexpialadoshus (yep, nor is her mom b/c I just had to google it), she is such the mimic. She’ll say, on any given day:
ball
hey
bye
da (sometimes dada)
Gu (for Gus)
Ho Ho Ho
juice (which I’m thinking is milk b/c that’s what she gets)
sh (for fish)
out
thank you (probably only something JB and I would recognize. It’s pretty garbled).
duck
quack
That’s all I can remember for right now. I need to take better notes.

Not that I’m partial to sign language or anything- since I used to do it all the time- but I am proud that she is learning to sign. I think that’s probably a controversial way to communicate these days, but I would have taught her regardless b/c I know sign and we can talk about things without her dad knowing when she gets older. I’m kidding. So, in her signing she knows:
more
please
all done
milk
bye
hi
quack (I think, if I remember correctly)

While this child loves life most of the time. She has a few aversions. Do NOT get a toothbrush near her face (and, ohhhhh how she needs one desperately). It ends up in an ALL out war with her screaming and me laughing remembering the days of my mom turning her van around on a dime because one of us forgot to brush our teeth before leaving the house. DID WE NOT KNOW HOW BAD OUR BREATH WAS?! On that subject, as mentioned earlier, she has eight teeth plus the blasted molar that FINALLY made an appearance. She drools non-stop and more than she used to, so I think we need to hunker down for another one…it’s a comin’. EB is a CLIMBER! She LOVES to climb and will climb on ANYTHING. I spend most evenings prying her fingers from a death grip as she tries to scale her highchair, furniture, etc.

She LOVES for you to sing silly songs with her. LOVES IT. I would say her favorites are Itsy Bitsy Spider, If You’re Happy and You Know It and Baby Bumblebee. Her interpretation of the motions is priceless. I would show you a video, but I don’t need you to hear me singing. Finally, nothing makes her day more than when Jason Black walks through the door. It’s pretty cute. Mental note: Capture her face soon. I think I’ve shared enough. Bottom line: She’s growing like a weed and we are having so much fun watching her. It’s really quite amazing.

Auld Lang Syne

A new year (as predicted I fell asleep on the sofa at 8:30 on NYE)! Here we are and here we go! Will it FLY by like 2009? Gosh I hope not!! I’ve debated putting my “resolutions” on here. I’ve never been a big resolutioner, but…. I just may be this year. So, BACK.IN.THE.DAY JB and I used to be fairly disciplined runners. We would run about five miles a day and do longer runs on Saturday (well, one of us would..not me. I’m scared of longer distances than 5 miles). Time went on, we got married, we quit running, we started back, and so on for the next…oh…. 4 years. I had just started running again when I found out I was pregnant. So, to simply put it, I stopped and just walked. I love to walk. Call me 68.

Why are you telling me all of this? Oh, and PS, I have a nice (it was a gift) jogging stroller that glides on air. Sadly, it has been jogging about 4 times. Back to the subject at hand, if I’m being honest, I need to lose about five more pounds. Santa brought me new running shoes because the old ones were SURELY at fault for my last failed efforts at jogging. So, all that to say…my personal resolution is to be a better wife, cook more, love every second with EB run a 5K by spring (I jokingly told a friend that I’d be the one to determine what ‘spring’ meant). I think that’s what Santa was trying to tell me with the running paraphernalia he gave me. So, my title for this (you know I like to rhyme things) is “5K by May.” That’s all that rhymes!!

Currently it’s 25 degrees in Birmingham [like..MID DAY] and not supposed to get out of the 30’s all week. The only time I enjoy degrees of this nature is when I’m skiing down a mountain. I did go digging in my ski bag the other night for my undershirts and what not, but running in ski pants wasn’t exactly what I had in mind and that’s what I’d need for these kinds of temps.

Welp…that’s my personal, rather selfish, resolution. We have a few more, but they aren’t as fun (running used to be fun for me) or blog-worthy. So, here’s to a “5K by May” (really more like February)….let the good times begin.

As for EB- She rocked it out on NYE with her sparkling crown. She is also working a new attitude in 2010. It is HIGHLY likely to get her in some T.R.O.U.B.L.E.