First Haircut

Edie rocked her first haircut like a pro. As fate would have it, we happened to be along for the ride when her friend Chloe got her first real haircut a few months ago, so when I told her she was going to get her haircut, she said, "Uh huh, like Chloe!"

We went to Beachcombers - a kids only place in the Greenwood Phinny neighborhood. We brought Minnie Mouse, because Minnie goes EVERYWHERE these days and together they watched a children's DVD (genius) while riding a giant tortoise. With all the cool stuff around, she was thrilled with the entire experience. They had a "first haircut" package and we took home a lock of her hair carefully tacked to a cute little card with the date. The haircut isn't as dramatic as I'd originally intended, and to be honest, while I loved Jennifer, who cut her hair, I didn't love the blow dried, "fancy" do that she left with (although the glitter spray was kind of cute - Edie exclaimed, "Mom! I'm like a fairy!". When we got home, I promptly wet it and had a less poofy, do over. The haircut itself is adorable, and I think next time we may go even a bit shorter. Edie rocks a bob with her little moon-face.

Her long, "before" locks (a little mullety)"

Christmas Time

Edie is psyched for "Christmas Time" and is loving loving loving all the lights going up in the neighborhood. Jeff is prepping this very moment for light installation on our porch and it's possible Edie's mind might get blown. I have plans to go big for Christmas this year - decor, traditions, early tree shopping, lights, baked goods... the whole nine yards.

We'll see how much actually gets done.

Our friend's son rallied over the weekend and was well enough to receive a much needed surgery this afternoon (that he was previously not well enough to qualify for). His recovery looks decidedly rocky, so please do keep your positive thoughts headed his way. I received many thoughtful emails from friends and family after my Thanksgiving post - I really think there's something to the power of positive thinking and prayer, be it by strangers or not. The wider we can throw the net, the better, right?

Edie+Halloween=True Love

I wrote this post a day or two after Halloween put was waiting to add photo... then we waited a month to upload photos and I completely forgot about this post. SO, a very late post about Edie Trick or Treating:

There really aren't very many words I can use that capture the love Edie had for Trick or Treating. And we're almost certain it had nothing to do with the candy. She was just SO PUMPED to run from house to house, yell "trick or treat!", exclaim "FANK YOU!" and then run down the stairs to show me or Jeff her loot bucket. Sometimes she was so excited she'd yell thank you at the door before anyone even opened it.

Our neighborhood was packed to the gills with traditional trick or treaters - parental escorts (many dressed up themselves), adorable little kids and a surprisingly high number of polite pre-teens in actual costumes. One house had a little fire pit in their front yard on the corner and collected an impromptu party of kids and parents interested in warming themselves up before heading out for another round, another had flashing lights, and one street had a smoke machine running on the parking strip between the sidewalk and street. It felt very nostalgic and it made me grateful for our neighborhood.

We thought we'd just hit up a few key neighbors, but Edie had stamina and had no intention of stopping after 3 houses. Before we knew it, it had been over an hour, we were 3 blocks from home and Edie wasn't fading. That night was one of my biggest highlights so far as a parent. Edie was SO cute and kept saying the most hilarious stuff.

Me: "Do you like trick or treating?"

Edie: "YES I do. I love this." (said while running away from us, up another walk-way)

Jeff and I both went with Edie, and somehow I managed to only take mediocre photos of the event. That said, they're still worth posting for posterity's sake.

Preparing to go out:

SO excited. This is towards the end of the night and her nose had turned red from the cold by then.
Disrobing down to her skeleton pj's post-trick or treat and enjoying a lollipop before bed.

Thanksgiving

I hope you all are enjoying the last few hours of your Thanksgiving. We are on Orcas with family enjoying the end of a terrifically stormy day.

This might be inappropriate, but we have friends with a 5-day old baby boy in the NICU on life support. Their fight has been on my mind all week. I feel like I'm always reading about studies proving that prayers and thoughts by the masses really do have an impact on the fate of others in need. I'm not really the praying kind, but if you are, please say one for baby Hank. And if you aren't? Send a hopeful thought his way tonight. Perhaps the universe can will him to health.

If ever I needed a more painful reminder for all I have to be thankful for, this is it. I hope this time next year our friends are celebrating their second Thanksgiving as a family of 3.

Kerry and Terry

Edie has amped up her "creative play" in the last few weeks and it's SO EFFING FUNNY. Her favorite game right now?

She needs me to wrap her green blanket around her waist like an apron and tie it in the back and then she goes to the pet store (i.e.: the kitchen) to buy tickets for me. She invented this entire concept and I have no idea how she even learned what a pet shop was.

She'll say things like, "Mom? Please tie my blanket on, I go to the pet store for you?" After she's sufficiently "dressed" for the pet store, she will march into the kitchen and say to herself "Tickets please" like she's purchasing tickets from someone. Then she'll come out to me on the couch holding imaginary tickets and hand them to me. Last night I asked her if I could turn my tickets in for a pet at the pet store and she said, "Yes, I will buy you a mouse." She then marched back into the kitchen, returning with said mouse that she carefully handed to me. I asked her the mouse's name and she thought hard, finally deciding it was Terry. When I asked for a mouse friend for Terry, she proceeded to bring me Kerry.

Later in the night she asked me to "Please turn your tickets in Mom?" So I handed her my (invisible) tickets. She took them and then looked at me with disdain and said, "That's only ONE ticket Mom." as if to say, 'I know you're holding out on me - where are all the other tickets I brought you?"

It's that time

Time to make these again:

Pumpkin chocolate chip squares

I'm doing it RIGHT NOW.

Friday Night Movie Night

A month or two ago, we instituted "Friday Night Movie Night". Movies as a family were a part of my growing up that I remember fondly. My Dad would make awesome snack platters and we'd watch laser discs (bigger than records) that we checked out from the grocery store (along with the player). I must have watched The Never Ending Story like 5 billion times as a kid. I also remember thinking that the people "in" the TV could see me. We had a hot tub on the deck off the TV room and when I'd come in to change out of my swimsuit I'd turn the TV on, but stand behind it while changing into my pajamas so the people on TV couldn't see me naked.

We started movie night with episodes of The Muppet Show. Our neighborhood video store has all the original episodes from Season 1, so we watch an episode each Friday night. Technically speaking, these are not movies, but each episode is 22 minutes long, which is about Edie's attention span right now. The muppets are perfect - Edie loves Kermit and Gonzo, and we are able to enjoy the content and reminisce as well.

We've missed a few weeks because of being on Orcas or having other plans, but in general the routine is the same. Edie gets into her PJs early on Fridays, we enjoy a "treat" - in this particular photo (from our first ever "movie night") Edie is having Annie's gummy bunnies, tonight was popcorn. Edie and Jeff snuggle in the little chair, while I take over the entire couch. Tonight we watched the second 30 minutes of Peter Pan (having watched the first 30 last weekend). There are so many movies I look forward to enjoying as a family in the coming years: Mary Poppins, The Muppets Take Manhattan, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Annie... and then there are the newer movies that we've saved for watching with Edie - Harry Potter (after reading them of course!), Fantastic Mr. Fox, Toy Story.... it (re)opens a whole new category of nostalgic movies, and it's so fun to watch them through the eyes of a 2 year old.

Any suggestions for future viewings?

Applesauce

So, I'm not usually an applesauce fan. I like it okay, but I'd never go out of my way to buy it. It's typically a little too mushy and the consistency is so repetitive. But a while back I bought Trader Joe's "Big and Chunky Applesauce", thinking maybe Edie would be into it. She wasn't.

BUT I WAS. I want to marry this applesauce and have babies with it. And then I would eat them.

My favorite ways to enjoy this delicious apple sauce:

1. Spooned on top of my oatmeal instead of brown sugar.

2. I made pancakes today but after mixing the milk in, realized I'd used my last egg yesterday. I stirred a few big spoons of the applesauce instead and thought, "what the hell!" and YUM. They are a little flatter for missing the eggs, but I spooned more applesauce on top and sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar (which we keep premixed in a spice far for sprinkling on toast) and these are my new favorite pancakes. Next time I will add the cinnamon and sugar right in to the pancake mix before cooking.

3. I haven't tried this, but I think it would be delicious on vanilla ice cream.

You're welcome.

Thinking of You

My Grandmother is going to have a long day at the doctor's office tomorrow.

Hi Grandma,

Just thought I'd let you know that we will be thinking of you.

Love,

Us

Haircut

I just scheduled Edie's first haircut for Thursday evening. I'm thinking a longish bob.

The Island

We are at the cabin on Orcas. Just the three of us. The weather is amazing, Edie took her clothes off and walked into the ocean this afternoon. Then she took a 2 hour nap (and if we're being honest, I slept for half of that in the next room with my book on my chest). Now I'm making a pot pie while Jeff and Edie make videos of each other on the Flip and read Golden Books from the 1950s. The water is flat calm and pink.

I hope you are all having as lovely a weekend as we are.

Potties

Edie was playing with her kitty cat crayons the other night while I was making dinner. Eventually we heard her say something to herself about the kitties going potty and when we looked closer, found this:

She's turned two square legos upside down and put the kitties centered on top over the holes in the middle, like they are potties.