The Spinning Game

Something got into my daughter last night. I truthfully have no idea what. I didn't give her sugar, so she wasn't wired. And she woke up from her nap slightly cranky, so it couldn't have been too much sleep.

But all of a sudden, she was absolutely silly! Before Brett got home, her and I played the spinning game in the living room for 20+ minutes....SOLID. Mommy was worn out by the time Daddy got home and she STILL wanted to spin. So we taped her at the end of her playing....so cute.

Christmas at Glenarm Walled Gardens

Tonight we took Hazel to see Santa at the Walled Gardens at Glenarm Castle. It was chilly out, but nothing too unbearable.
Here's my hottie husband and beautiful little girl walking into the Gardens...The stables all lit up and the Christmas Wreaths for sale...The old car, the creepy (we're talking scary Halloween creepy) statues, supposedly giving the feeling of an Old time Christmas...I think they were just creepy...Father and daughter taking a stroll...Hazel and Brett checking out the sleepy reindeer....probably by that point it had been a long day for the poor reindeer...Hazel and Mommy writing her letter to Santa...And then mailing it....Hazel's present from Santa. She got a wooden dog on a stick that she can push around. She had a death grip on the handle for the rest of the night....Enjoying refreshments after seeing Santa and his reindeer...notice the death grip on the dog handle....

I wanna be like her....

My little Hazel spends all day, every day trying to do what I do. She wants to help me do the laundry, vacuum, cook lunch/dinner. She has to climb the stairs the way I do (which scares me to death, so it's gated) and come down the stairs the way I do (which means I currently have a carpet burn on my butt and thighs so we both learn the "proper" way to do it). She only wants to sit on the couch the way I do (with my legs hanging over the side, which means she scoots all the way to the edge so HER legs hang over). She answers the phone the way I do, repeats things I say and in the TONE I use.

She wants so bad to be big enough and do everything Mommy does. And I know it won't last forever, so I'm trying to enjoy it while it's going on. And I try to remember what she's watching and learning so I'm a little more careful with what I do every day.

But watching her this morning, I realized how much I want to be like her! I want to be excited about life the way she is. I wanna break out in dance every time I hear a song I like...and not worry about what I look like when I'm doing it or where I'm doing it. She's OK with her body (she's big on playing with her belly button) and believes people when they tell her she's pretty...but not in an "Oh, I know." way! She has no problem saying no if she doesn't like or want something or if she's had enough. Now, I know a lot of this is because she doesn't know any better, but why do we have to know better? Why can't we just accept life as it is? She's not afraid to try new things or attempt to conquer the world. And she's happy as a lark.

I wanna be like her!

Colds and Christmas

So, we're entering our 3rd week of the creepy crud (again, yes, that is a technical term). I've been sick for all 3, and Brett and Hazel have been sniffly for a little over 1. I'm giving it until the 21st to move out. that's the deadline for feeling good. Especially as we're flying out on the 22nd. Hazel seems in good spirits, though, which I'm greatful for.

I put new clothes on her today. Well, not new new, but she's not worn them yet. A top we got on super clearance at Kohl's, it's Carter's onesie in 18 mos!!!! And it's almost on the small side! then she's wearing Old Navy jeans in 12-18 mos and it's almost snug! And b/c she's got short legs it's about 1/2 inch short. She's getting far too big far too fast I tell ya. I can't believe she'll be 15 months on Saturday.

Yesterday, Brett and I broke down and decided to open one Christmas present each. I got a cool headset for my IPod Shuffle, which plugs right into the headset so there's no cords to wrerstle with when I'm on the treadmill or cleaning. They're really neat. I got Brett a dress shirt for work (not fun, but sexy). And Hazel got a Barbie Vacuum! She's been "helping" me vacuum, so we thought she'd have fun with a little one of her own. She's not stopped playing with it since last night.

FG Wilson Christmas

Last night we had the FG Wilson Christmas "Do" (as they call Parties over here). Brett and I are still sick and so is Hazel, and, honestly, we had no go. But as we'd already spent $$ on my dress, his suit, and other things for the Party, we decided we should suck it up and go.

I got my hair done by Kelly (the girl who's been cutting my hair lately) and, honestly, it was THE first time EVER that I've had my hair done for a formal event that I haven't gone home and fussed with. She did an amazing job.

Went home, finished the cleaning that was necessary for Michelle to come babysit for us, got dressed, and headed off. I picked up Michelle around 6 pm and got her and Hazel Chinese for dinner (Hazel's new fave food is Chicken with Green Pepper in Black Bean sauce) and left them to it by 6:30.

For the record, Mapquest is pure BOLLUCKS. We got lost in Belfast and didn't show up the the party until quarter to 8. Luckily the dinner didn't get served until 8, so we were OK. There was a concert going on at the same venue, among other things, so Brett and I (who drove instead of taking the coach for Michelle and Hazel reasons) had to park at the back of the very large site and walk in. It was so cold, and I wasn't dressed for the freezing cold, so Brett very sweetly loaned me his suit jacket.

We got inside, had some mulled wine to warm up, and bought some "betting" money for the horse races, and found our group.

Dinner was served. It was just Matt and Jenn, Brett and I at our table, so we settled in to joking and sharing the bread. They brought out our starter, which everyone else had soup while I had ordered melon...I should have gotten the soup. (orders were taken in September) Then we got our entree, I was the only one who ordered turkey and ham, and everyone gave me crap for it. Funny thing is, their Steaks were so bad that they kept looking longingly at mine. Tough luck! then we had lemon tart which was, ya know, lemon tart. Nothing special.

Then the horse races started (they were tapes from previously run races) and you had the opportunity last month to "purchase" a race horse for the race, and all the procedes when to Charity. It was fun to watch the races and cheer on your horse, bet with the play money on every race. The only race we won on was when we bet on the horse owned by an FG employee named Hazel. Guess why we bet on that one :) But she won which was exciting!!!!! They even had a few races for employees to run! It was a blast.

After the horse races, they broke out the dance floor, and we boogied our feet off!

About 11:45 you could clearly tell the boys were miserable, so we headed for the door and got stopped saying bye to Tony McAlister (see pics from Thanksgiving in Northern Ireland) who is Matt's boss...and Matt is Brett's boss. He absolutely cracks me up. He's a true Irishman, drinking everyone stupid. Needless to say, it took us almost an hour to actually LEAVE, and in that time, we managed to talk Brett into Golfing in January with Tony and Matt (Brett HATES golf) for Tony's birthday, plan a weekend trip to Barcelona in February, and other random excursions! Finally, I had to be the bad guy and excuse us (poor Michelle was at our house) and we headed out.

The trip home was as eventful as the trip there. I was the only sober one in the car, so my navagators were ZERO help, and I had no clue where I was in Belfast (we got lost on the way in, remember?) But I managed my way out, and home. 3/4 of the drive home was in very thick fog and frost, so it took longer to get home than normal, but we arrived safe and sound, dropped Matt and Jenn off, then picked up Michelle and took her home. I think it was 2:30 before I got home, calmed down from the drive, and fell asleep.

Hazel was up at 7:30.

It's going to be a long day.

Wow...I'm old.

To my Brett...

Things I love about being married to Brett. (in no particular order)

1. The look on his face when he sees me after a long day at work.
2. The look on his face when he sees Hazel after a long day at work.
3. How much he loves Hazel.
4. How much he loves Me.
5. Playing Monopoly with him (and winning about 1ce a year).
6. That he does the dishes and never asks me to.
7. That I can cry every day over every sappy movie and commercial that I come across and he just hugs me when I do.
8. That he thinks I'm beautiful, when CLEARLY I'm overdue for a shower.
9. That he's so honest
10. That he's such a diehard Detroit Lions fan....no matter what.
11. That he tells me he loves me all the time
12. That he kisses me all the time
13. That he is just the most amazing Daddy
14. The way he brags about my cooking, no matter HOW discussting it is.
15. Being silly with him.

And last but not least....

I love being married to him, because......

I get to be married to him.

I love you!

Please remember

I was watching the clip "Once Upon a Christmas" from the KEnny and Dolly movie I mentioned in the survey earlier, and it got me thinking....

Side note...watch the clip on youtube (link's above) as it's probably one of the most beautiful songs. Old, out-dated clip, but gorgeous song....

Anyway.

I got to thinking about how homesick I am. I miss everyone and everything about home. I love being American and I wish we were back there. Now, for those of you who don't already know, I usually get this way fairly close to flying home. This is nothing new. I'm good the rest of the time, but I get weepy and anxious shortly before coming home....I take "excited" to a whole new level.

Now, you may ask, why would that clip make me homesick?

Well, every year, Mom would put that movie in the VCR (yes, I'm old...I grew up with a VCR) and that's what we would listen to as we decorated the house and the tree. Every year. And that was when we knew it was Christmas season. I actually remember thinking that we couldn't start until we found that movie to put in. Funny, huh?

Now, it's been several years since I've watched that movie, and Mom's copy (I say mom and not mom & dad as I don't think Dad wants to admit to owning it) has long since worn out, but I will forever think of that movie as the Christmas Movie.

Then, thinking of that, I began thinking about getting homesick for Heaven. I love my family so much that when I do everything I can to keep in contact with them. That way, when I can get home, they will want me there. I was homesick when I moved out in 2001 and even before that in 1997 and beyond when I was at Purdue. Home is a safe place, a peaceful place. Somewhere that I go because I'm loved and wanted. And I do everything in my power to get home when I can.

So why aren't we homesick for Heaven? Why don't we "call home", "send letters", "spend time with our Father? He loves us more than anyone ever can, and, yet, do we ever miss Him? Do we do everything humanly possible to make sure He runs to the door and waits anxiously when we arrive? Jesus is our ONLY way into heaven. The ONLY way. Deeds don't do it. Neither does duty. Jesus is the only way. And, yet, we never find time for Him. There's always an excuse to not go to church. Or there's always a "better, more interesting" book to read than the Bible, and yet, these are God's venues to communicate with us. Why wouldn't we want them?

I've downloaded Skype, Windows Live, and Facebook to ensure that I keep in contact with everyone. We call home regularly and send cards. And, yet, I feel I fall short in keeping in contact with God.

Why?

I want to find a story book for Hazel that tells of the Christmas story. One that's colorful and 1 year old friendly so she's interested (I know, I know, but she's 1...give me a break). Because I don't want her to grow up thinking that Santa Clause is the symbol of Christmas. I want her to know what the star on top of the tree (is supposed to) signifies, the story of the Candy Cane, and most importantly that Jesus came to earth on that day to be the most important person in our lives...in history. That He came to earth as a person, a human, a baby, to know what it's like to be us.

Here's the NLT translation of the Story if you don't have a Bible, and if you do, and it's dusty, you'll find the passage in Matthew 1:18-2:23....

The Birth of Jesus the Messiah

18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement[h] quietly.
20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,[i] for he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel,[j] which means ‘God is with us.’”
24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Matthew 2

Visitors from the East

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men[a] from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose,[b] and we have come to worship him.”
3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities[c] of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’[d]”
7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”
9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
The Escape to Egypt

13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”[e]
16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. 17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”[f]

The Return to Nazareth

19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20 “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”
21 So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. 22 But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. 23 So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Please remember as you trim the tree, why your doing it. Please remember when you are shopping for that "perfect" gift and wrapping it beautifully who you're celebrating with that Present. And please remember, when you're sick for home, that your Heavenly Father is waiting for you to be sick for Him and His home, too!

Stolen Surveys...

OK, Sorry, T, I stealed your Christmas survey (which you stole first from the Knit for Joy blog) and now I'm stealing from you! Why? you may ask....

What else is there to do when you feel sick? No one wants to hear about snot again :)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

Usually gift bags...I'm horrible at wrapping, though I do try every once in a while.

2. Real tree or Artificial?

Artificial, I'm allergic to that real stuff

3. When do you put up the tree?

We try to do it Thanksgiving weekend. Usually it happens, this year it did!

4. When do you take the tree down?

After we get home from the holidays. Usually it gets left up through New Year's regardless. I like the pretty lights on NYE, and that way I don't have to re-decorate. Yes, it is lazy.

5. Do you like eggnog?

SOOOOOO much. But I'm going to have to learn to make it from scratch here as it's not something you can buy at the store...this actually seems to be the trend....

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

It's killing me, I can't remember what it was called but it was a doll that had fuzzy skin that was supposed to feel "real"...oh, I'll have to ask mom.

7. Hardest person to buy for?

Brett. Every year. It sucks.

8. Easiest person to buy for?

T--I would agree that would be easy. However, this year I have to say Hazel, as I'm having a hard time NOT buying everything I see.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?

Yes *sniff*sniff* we have 2. A Veggie Tales one for Hazel and a pretty one for Mommy. And they're both in storage in Kokomo. *sniff*sniff*

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?

Before now I would say snail mail, but as it costs $1.20 (we did the math) to send EACH card to the US, and I have 30 to send, we're going to abstain this year. I still love everyone, though.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

I recieved the nastiest and smelliest bath set one year. It was just rancid smelling. And I don't think there was any thought put into it, which makes it just that much worse.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?

Once upon a Christmas with Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. I know. But it's what we decorated the Christmas tree to EVERY year when I was growing up, and it just feels like Christmas to me. I wish with all my heart that I owned it so I could use it when we decorate. It just feels like home. And now I'm crying...geeze.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

I try to start around August. No, I'm not that organized. I just usually start finding things that would be perfect for so and so...

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

I don't know that I ever have actually. I usually want whatever I get and the few things I haven't have gone the way of Goodwill.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

Sweet Potatoes. Granny Mary style. Yum. Hey, T, I want Periogies. MAke extra...consider that my christmas present :)

16. Lights on the tree?

Yes. However, this year we've joined the tacky club and our tree has FIBRE OPTICS. Really. Thankfully it's pretty anyway. Normally I like watching my hubby with limited patience try and untangle the real ones.

17. Favorite Christmas song?

I like them all! Away in a Manger probably tops the list though.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I'm not even dignifying this question with a response.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's?

How can you not if you have kids? Or know the Rudolph song? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?

Stars. I think they're gorgeous, plus it's what announced to the world that our Savior had been born!!!! The reason for the season!

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

Hmmm. Well, we start doing "Pocket presents" (a Harger tradition where we put 7 small gifts under the tree to count down a week until Christmas...kind of an advent thing) 7 days prior to Christmas, then we get one gift on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas day. However, this year, The Irish Davis' will be having Christmas on the 21st (Santa phoned to say he was dropping by early), Harger Christmas on the 24th (I think...we're praying for the 26th), Davis Family Christmas on the 25th. Aren't you glad you asked?

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?

When people write Merry X-Mas! Quit taking Christ out of the holiday people! Oh, and the fact that stores and the media won't say Merry Christmas. I know not everyone celebrates Christmas, but it still annoys me. (Well put, Theresa, I'm stealing your answer and adding...) When people who don't believe in God or Christ celebrate the holiday. I don't celebrate Hannukah. Or any of the holidays other religions celebrate. Why would you denounce Christianity and then give gifts? So stupid.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?

I like ornaments to have meaning. I think it's beautiful when you can tell a story about all the ornaments.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?

Mmmmm. American christmas food. Mmmmmm. Any of it.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?

Safe travel. And to be healthy. And to miraculously get all my knitting done. Honestly, this year, getting home and seeing everyone is what I want for Christmas. I'm kinda homesick.

26. Who is most likely to blog about this?

Well, I stole this from T, so Beth maybe?

27. Lights, blinking or always on?

Always on. Our tree blinks and it's slowly making me wanna stab myself.

Thanksgiving in Northern Ireland

Saturday night (Nov. 30) we had Thanksgiving dinner at Matt and Jenn's in Ballygally with a lot of the Higher-ups at FG Wilson.

I was absolutely terrified as the day did not start out very well. Between Friday evening and noon on Saturday, I had to make 4 trips to the grocery store in order to get something I forgot. Now, I realize I could have prevented that by making and taking a list to the store with me. However, I was fried, and I did n't even THINK about a list. So, I made 4 trips into town. Now that sounds simple enough. Run to the store and get what you need then go home. Here in a good ole foreign country, it is NOT that easy. I needed a set of measuring spoons. And I came to learn, quickly, that there is no such thing in the greater Larne area. Trust me. I went into 5 different stores...and ASKED. Finally settled on small measuring cups that resemble shot glasses and anything smaller than what those little glasses measured, I guesstimated.

Let me say, I'm still learning to cook, so guesstimation isn't the smartest thing for me to do.

Anyway, I got home, finally, with everything, after the 4th trip and got all the dishes prepared. I made Sweet Potatoe Casserole, Green Bean Casserole, Stuffing, and Mulled Wine. All of it got prepared and mostly cooked here except for the Mulled Wine which waited till we got to Matt and Jenn's. Did I mention that I'm still learning this whole cooking thing? Tackling thanksgiving dinner for 4 would have been ok, if it had turned out to be rubbish, I could have laughed about it and driven to KFC and got us food. However, I was cooking side dishes for 14 people. Plus Hazel.

Gulp.

I called Mom (Mary Harger) almost in tears, and defenitely producing an ulcer, and bless her heart, she walked me through what I needed help with and cheered me on.

I then got a quick shower, got ready, helped Brett pack up the really hot food and Hazel (along with all her necessaities), and headed to Matt and Jenn's.

Then next 2 hours were a blurr. Matt, Jenn, and I were rushing around the kitchen fixing gravy, cooking stuffing, simmering mulled wine, carving turkey and ham, re-warming all dishes that had been previously cooked, welcoming guests, and in general trying to remain sane. But finally dinner was ready, the whole house smelled appropriatly Thanksgivingly, and all the guests were ravenous.

So we let them dig in.

Now, I have to say, God bless each and every one of those people. It was a weird meal, I have to confess. As an American, I'm used to 10 different casseroles, 2 different meats. It's Thanksgiving. However, viewing this glorious holiday through the eyes of Irishmen, it does look very bazaar. So they moved around the buffet style dinner, asking what each dish was and taking tiny helpings of everything as to try and not be rude if they didn't like something. It was so different to see plates with everything on it, but not MOUNDED full like we Americans do.

And I'm proud to say there were happy people at the end of the first round, and several had atleast another round if not more. And most looked as if they were going to explode when the meal was over. in fact, when we asked a couple hours later if anyone was interested in pie, they all looked at us like we had sprouted another head. But they all had a piece anyway.

It was a wonderful evening. We ate, sat and had great conversation, enjoyed wine. All in all it was a huge success. All of the women even asked for recipes. YAY!!!

Here are some pictures for your viewing enjoyment....

The remains of 1/2 of the spread...Jenn preparing Pies...

Brett, Tony and Jill McAllister...The whole group (L to R) Phyllis, Chevon, Jill, Brett, Tony, Matt, Ian, Haani, Colin (invisible in the corner), and Sandra(L to R) Haani, Colin, Sandra, Ian, Phyllis

Green Men have landed

And are currently bunking in the noses of all the Davis' here in Larne.

There really is no GOOD time to be sick, but I'm thankful that it happened now and not when we're headed home. That would suck.

Hazel's running a fever this morning and snotty and sounds like an old man with Emphezema. It's bad. So her and I are camped out in the living room on the couch with our blanket and pillow and cups of juice and hot tea (the tea is mine, obviously). We've been reading books, and watching Bear in the Big Blue House:A Very Beary Christmas, and Mickey Mouse's Twice Upon a Christmas.

Poor Daddy, though is chugging away at work. He has a big day in Belfast at the plant there today, and we have to pick him up there after Hazel's dr's appt this afternoon. Then we're off to Antrim to pick up his suit pants for the FG Wilson Christmas party on Saturday. Then we're home and in bed early...all of us.

Mom has spoken

And that's why I do it.....

I wish I could relay to you the love I feel for my darling little girl. I could spend every second of every day for the rest of eternity telling you about my love for her and wouldn't come anywhere near expressing what she means to me.

She's beautiful. She's so sweet. She's interested in everything. She adventurous (sometimes to her mommy and daddy's distress). She's happy. She's funny. She wows me every day with how smart she is.

Now I know there are a lot of moms out there (most, I hope) that feel that way about their children. But I love my little one from here until the ends of the Earth. And I can't wait to love more babies this way. I feel horrible for moms who aren't able to stay home with their children, and I my heartaches for those moms who don't want to. I know not all moms want to stay at home, and I give them kudos for recognizing that their kids will benefit better from alternate means of child care. I am just personally grateful to the good Lord that he gave me the strength, patience, and means to be able to stay home. I am very lucky and I will never know why he made it possible for me to stay home, I just know I will thank and praise him for the rest of my life and beyond.

Today, she woke up from her insanely short nap, just crying and crying. I ran upstairs to "rescue" her, and found her lying in her bed face covered with snot and more (read: green) hanging from her nose. Her cheeks were 12 shades of red, and the tears that normally subside when I enter her room just continued to flow.

I gave her a big hug and brought her downstairs and sat on the couch with her on my lap. The tears just kept coming and the look on her face said, "Help me, Mommy. Make it feel better."

So I took her flannel PJ shirt off, wiped her nose and face, then got our friend the Booger Sucker out (and Aspirator for those who like the techincal terms...if you don't know either, google it)...which makes her scream, but also allows her to breathe...had a little Nurofen and sat together watching the rest of Mommy's movie (Defenitely Maybe...way cute...go rent it). The tears didn't stop flowing for 15 minutes or so, but we just sat and snuggled while we waited for the nurofen to kick in. Finally, she started feeling better and would look and talk to me through sniffs. It's not much more than babbling, but she's mastering more and more words and so the babbling actually sounds like she's trying to tell me something important. Anyway, she just stopped talking, grabbed my hand and interlaced her fingers in mine.

I burst into tears.

I couldn't help it. It was the sweetest, most grown up affectionate thing she's ever done and I wanted to freeze time there forever. Especially when I know that in the blink of an eye, she'll be in Kindergarten, then she'll be a teenager not longer after that and HATE me, and just when she starts liking me again, she'll be moving out and all these moments will be lost.

And that is why I stay home....

And that is why my house is constantly a disaster....

And that's why I'm quickly running out of knitting time for Christmas.

Because I get one chance to be with my little girl. I get one chance to kiss her and tell her I love her every second she's awake. I get one chance to kiss the boo-boo's. I get one chance to teach her that no matter what, her Daddy and I will be here for her. I only get one chance, and if I let it, I may wake up one morning and find that the chance has passed.

And I could never live with myself if I didn't take of every chance I get with her.

Thank you Father, for blessing me in uncountable ways. You are an amazing God. May I make you proud as a mommy to this wonderful little one whom you trusted me with. Amen.

Lost...

Now I consider myself a fairly high functioning person in the morning. (I know those of you who knew me prior to Hazel are disagreeing, but things change when you have a little one who IS a morning person) I manage to get up with Hazel during the week somewhere between 6 and 8, bring her downstairs, change her diaper, get her a sippy cup full of milk, and stare blankly at the TV. Now, granted, that isn't a lot going on, but I manage to get stuff done should we be doing more than lounging around the house all day. And often that involves getting her dressed and ready to drive Brett to work should we want the car for the day!

I also manage to accomplish all of this without coffee or tea. I do, I promise.

That being said, though, my functionality is very tunneled toward child care. Beyond that, I don't do too well. I rarely have much to talk about and I'm certainly not geared for any problem solving that early.

This morning, however, pushed my morning brain to it's limits.

Let me explain.

The child care aspect of my morning faired the same as any other day. Got up, diaper, milk, happy kid. Brett, on the other hand, was banking on my ability to problem solve.

Here was the conversation:

Brett: Carli, where did you put the keys to the front door?---(for those who don't know, we only
have one set)

Me: I dunno, they should be on the table.

Brett: They aren't there, where else could you have put them?

Me: I don't know, they're either in my coat pocket, on the table, or....wait, you had them last, you were the one who locked the front door before we went to bed.

Brett: Did I? Well, the only place I would have put them would be the table. So where are they?

Me: I don't know! Could you have carried them off somewhere?

He ran upstairs, and this conversation went on for 20 minutes. TWENTY minutes! My brain doesn't work that well in the morning. But we continued to look EVERYWHERE they might have been and even places they might NOT have been (aka the Fridge). Finally, when he was officially late for work, the morning genius that was previously sound asleep in my head, woke up.

Me: Did you grab both sets of keys this morning? (we have 2 key fobs, one with front door keys and the other to our patio doors...he typically takes the patio as H and I are home all day)

Brett: No.

Cue Brett looking sheepish.

He produced 2 sets of keys.

Maybe I'm overestimating the severity of the situation this morning. Maybe the whole morning was, in fact, simply child care. I just had an extra child.

:)

Mommy needs a nap

I seriously have an attitude problem today. I'm absurdly exhausted from the weekend, and Hazel's not wanting a nap. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

I've been trying to get stuff for Christmas done, and I just keep screwing them up. 24 days until Christmas means I have 21 days before we fly out and that leaves 20 days to get *bleep* together.

Plus, Hazel is in EVERYTHING. So I put stuff up, and she just gets in OTHER stuff. She doesn't want to play with me, everything I get out for us to do, she walks over, takes out of my hands and then sets it down somewhere else in the apartment.

I'm seriously going to have someone's head.

And I know it's me, because I've been sitting here getting honked off at Brett for something that happened 3 days ago. Something that I would have a right to be angry about, but if I was going to be upset about it, I should have gotten angry earlier than now.

Well I need to go get lunch ready so the nut and I can take a nap. I apparently woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and we need to remedy that....

Black Friday

Know what I did today? I slept in. Well, until 7:30, but on Black Friday, that's sleeping in. And know what? I don't feel a bit bad about it! I think that's because it's not Black Friday here in good ole NI.

But it IS Christmas decoration weekend, so I guess I'm not entirely off the hook.....

NKOTB update...

OK, I know it's gloating. But I'm really really really excited, and my hubby thinks I'm not playing with a full deck (if you know what I mean) when it comes to the concert, and my friends over here think it's just shy of stupid that we're going (they just don't get the thrill, but I can't blame them as they didn't grow up in the center of the NKOTB/Debbie Gibson/Tiffany hype) so I have to get all my excitement out somewhere!!!! So, in sheer concern for the preservation of current friendships, let this disclaimer be a heads up. I'm not gloating to rub it in, I just need an outlet for my EXCITEMENT!!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that we've got the disclaimer out of the way....

Jenn ordered our tickets Sunday afternoon, got them on Tuesday and they're.....4th ROW!!!!! Can we just say, I'm so excited. We splurged on the more expensive tickets (they really aren't THAT expensive) which sits us (yep, we get to SIT in SEATS that close to the boys, I think it's due to the average age of the attendies being late 20s +) 4 rows from all the action. The only tickets that are better are the Five Star VIP tickets (if you use the link, you have to "sign in" but you don't have to see what the offer is, just click on the icon), and they were going for 280 GBP + change. Matt and Brett offered to let us have them as our Christmas presents, Jenn and I agreed (after lots and lots of debate and true consideration of the offer) that we really only wanted the VIP tickets to go to the meet and greet. We were already sitting close enough to the stage to get sweat on with the tickets that were well over 200 GBPs less, and we didn't know what the Pre-party included (whether the guys would be there or not, and who wants to spend the xtra to party with a bunch of 30ish women if they're not), so really we only wanted the meet and greet, which, in all honesty, took a lot of thought about how bad we wanted the meet and greet (w/ photo op), and decided that it just wasn't worth it. I think the fact that we don't really have $500 for me to blow on NKOTB helped make the decision, too. Trust me, kids, I'm not that spoiled. :) But then I had to think, WHO DOES HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY? I mean, who, among the people that would go to the concert? So I'm more than happy with my 4th row. Really, no compaints here. :) It's still close enough to throw underwear at Jordan ;) (just kidding, my skivies belong to Brett).

In other, less spoiled news....

Hazel's booty and girl parts are clearing up nicely...thank heavens. The anti-fungal cream smells awful, but it's doing the job, so I'm happy with that.

There still seem to be little green men camping in my sinuses, and until I finish today's antibiotic, the dr. won't even talk to me about it. Never mind the fact that my sinuses hurt so bad last night that I got 1 hour of sleep. Yes, you read that right. 1 hour. Between my sinuses, and the nut waking up at 3:30, then staying up until 8:30, I've had 1 hour of normal sleep time, then I added 3 hours this morning after she fell asleep. But, back to the sinuses. I would think, that after 6 days of antibiotics the little green men would have packed up and moved elsewhere (hopefully to someone else's house, read NOT AT THE DAVIS'), but apparently this home is too comfortable.

Poor Daddy, Matt, Jenn, and Casey...they have to work today. Every other American today is sleepng in and getting ready for mass quantities of heavy wonderful food. But my guys and gal are busy slaving away at FG Wilson.

Well, my 1 year old is destroying the room, so I should get back to her....

Love you all and Happy Thanksgiving!

Sick and boring

Sorry there haven't been any new posts lately.

I've been sick and so we're pretty uninteresting.

I got pretty sick last week starting on Tuesday and by Wednesday it was pretty bad. Brett took Thursday and Friday off to help take care of Hazel while I slept away the flu and a sinus infection. He's been amazing. I'm feeling better this week, though not 100%, and I'm waiting for the dr to ring so I can find out why my SI is still hanging around despite antibiotics.

It's our first Thanksgiving in NI, and it makes me sad to think we'll be away from family, but atleast we have each other and friends. We're all heading to Matt and Jenn's this Saturday for a big feast (everyone has to work tomorrow) and I volunteered to make some of the goodies. Dear Lord, help us! :)

I think I'm on the menu for Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potatoes, and mulled wine and cider. I think that's all, but I should check. Jenn has got this enormous turkey ordered from the butcher's, so I'm hoping a large crowd turns up. She said Matt invited 22 people from work, so it should be a fair turn out! We'll see how things go!

Next Saturday is FG Wilson's Christmas party, and my dear friend Michelle offered to babysit Hazel for the evening. Matt and Jenn are our babysitters normally, but as they will be going to the party, Michelle kindly agreed to step it. Bless her!

After that, we have Beth's (Michelle's daughter) 1st birthday party in the afternoon of the 13th, then that evening, we're driving up to Glenarm castle to take Hazel to see Santa for a Christmas party in the Glenarm castle!!! We're really excited. She'll be in her fancy Christmas dress, and get a little surprise from Santa. I promise to take tons of pictures!!!!

The 14th brings Beth's Christening, which we've been invited to (I haven't broke it to Brett), and should be fun. Then Brett has one week of work left after that in 2008, Santa will come visit us on the 21st, and we fly out on the 22nd to Chicago!!!!!!!

Hey...I've got a really busy schedule between now and the 22nd, plus about 10 gifts to finish knitting by the time we fly out, and with a 1 year old...who knows where I'm going to find the time!!!!!!!!!!! Does anyone have extra to spare?

Sinus Infection

Know what sucks?

Sinus Infections.

Know what sucks more?

Sinus Infections on top of the flu.

Know what sucks even more than that?

Sinus Infections with the flu along side of your daughter having the world's worst diaper rash (read seeping and bleeding diaper rash).

Know what sucks most of all?

When creams and pills take care of everything EXCEPT the sinus infection, and you feel as though little green men have taken up camp in your sinuses.

And now, the little green men and I have to go clean for company tonight. Please excuse us....

AHHHHHHH!!!!!!! JORDAN!!!!!!!!!

I get to go to NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

I feel like a 10 year old again, screaming at the silly videos and swooning.

They're coming to the UK and stopping off for a show in Belfast at the Odyssey on January 20th and Jenn and I get to go!!!!!

I'm so excited. Can you tell?

Traveling with a little one....

This post has been a long time coming....and I know with many of you about to travel or thinking about it, I thought I would share my recommendations for flying with a baby or toddler! I've made 9 flights with my daughter in the past year, so I'm getting pretty close to perfecting the packing!
P.S. Bare with me about pictures, the camera died just as I was trying to upload pics, and we don't have any replacement batteries.....

Essentials for flying with a baby/toddler

aka. what to put in your carry-on

1. This is my carry-on diaper bag. Note the difference between it and my everyday bag. I found that although it's heavy once loaded, there's rarely a thing that goes in it that isn't necessary. Plus, I never take a purse with me, so that bag holds all of MY essentials PLUS Hazel's necessaities. Therefore, the carry-on should be large and zippered. The zipper comes in handy more often than you'd realize. Keep in mind, the bag will go through the security x-ray machine, and they aren't exactly gentle...tie top bags are cute, make yours zippered.
2. I never leave without a smaller bag folded and tucked inside the larger one. This bag is my catch all, or sometimes acts as the bag I use for anything that needs to be readily accessible as often the carry-on is thown into the overhead compartment and you will need something small and convenient to take to the plane toilet and such. This is the bag that often travels with us. I got it free out of a magazine here in the UK, but I've seen similar ones in the US at Wal-mart, or you can even make one if you're crafty. Trust me when I say, it's worth the $$$. It has held many things...e.g. extra clothes, dirty clothes, diapers, wipes, snacks, a bottle or sippy cup. This bag is something I will never again pack my carry-on without, and has come in handy more often than I can count. I usually fold it flat and tuck it in the side of the bag so it's out of the way but accessible.
3. Diapers are the next to get packed. Now, I follow the general rule of 2 for every hour that you'll be traveling. I repeat, TRAVELING, not flying. Don't forget the layover time, time to and from the airport. I know it sounds like a lot of diapers, and yes, it is. But we've been through a lot of situations where having extra diapers has been a life saver. Our first flight, our daughter drank 16 oz of formula between boarding the plane and take-off. Now, she was just shy of 16 weeks old and that time span was about 15 minutes. So, our 4 month old drank about 1 oz a minute for 15 minutes STRAIGHT. That's a lot. Thankfully that flight was a short hour and 15 minutes, b/c when we landed for our first lay-over, we discovered that a fair amount of the formula went straightdown her shirt into her diaper, so there's one. Then 5 minutes after we changed that first diaper, the remaining formula that detoured through her body found it's way into the second diaper. There's 2. Two diapers in less than 2 hours. And that's just one situation. I keep in mind that there's always a possibility that we may have an extended lay-over should our flight get delayed or canceled. Or what if we should arrive safe and sound at our destination, but our luggage doesn't? Extra diapers are a blessing, trust me.
4. Small Bags to through away dirty diapers or tie up soiled clothes. In the UK, you can purchase Nappy Bags which are essentially small scented trash bags. And they're really cheap for like, 500 bags. If you can't find them in the US, I know you can get small scented trash bags at Wal-mart. They're worth it if you find yourself in situations where you have a muddy diaper and no where to put it but your carry-on. And you WILL find yourself in that situation, if you don't ever, you're blessed.
5. I always find room for an extra outfit for Hazel. And if we're traveling when she would normally be in bed, I add in a pair of PJs . She sleeps better on the flight when she's in jammies (duh). If we're traveling for longer than 2 hours, we ALWAYS find a need for that second outfit. I don't think we've ever not used it. I also pack atleast an extra shirt for Me. I've done one flight without a change of shirt for myself, and wound up being covered in baby food, formula, and sweat (carrying a baby through an airport is warm...everywhere). I smelled, was uncomfortable, and was just generally gross. Even if I never use that extra shirt, it's always with me. You will feel like a monster after flying any length with a small child, you don't want to look or smell like one.
6. Baby Juice or formula. And I always make sure it's her favorite. This is not the time to experiment with a new juice or milk. I am still breastfeeding, but have always had a bottle/sippy cup and something to go in it for a flight. There have been many times when she won't feed b/c it's too cramped or hot on the plane. Or maybe b/c she wants to look around and not at my chest, whatever the reason, breastfeeding DID NOT cut it when we were flying. Now, yes, I have breastfed her on many flights, but I never know which ones she won't feed on, and I don't bank on her breastfeeding. Plus the circulated air on planes dehydrates you, and I don't ask my little one to go without hydration b/c I don't want to pack a bottle. Life is easier if you have it. And if you're worried about getting through security, don't worry. I've never been in an airport who wouldn't let it through. I've been in a few that make you open it and taste it, so make sure it's something you don't mind taking a swig of yourself and that is re-sealable.
7. Next is 3-4 types of snacks if they're big enough to have small snacks. I think we started making sure there were snacks in the bag when we traveled in April...Hazel was 7 mos. Three to four seems excessive, but true to baby M.O., your little one will choose the most inopertune time to decide he/she doesn't like his favorite treat, and it always helps to have a back up.
8. Toys. I know this one seems like a no-brainer. But I just wanted to let you all know what I bring with us. I usually pack a small soft animal, a learning toy, and a book. That usually does well for even long flights. I also have heard wearing jewlery that's large, plastic, and colorful can be a ready-made toy for them, but I can't bring myself to wear any. If you can pull off the look, major props to you!
9. Antibacterial Hand Lotion. I like anything from Bath N Body Works as it makes me smell more lady-like and less monster-like, but any will do. On a recent trip home I found some individually packed antibacterial hand wipes in line at the check-out at Wal-mart. They work wonders and are so easy to pack, plus, the chances of them spilling all over your nicely packed carry-on is pretty slim.
10. First Aid Kit. Let's hope you never need it, but, I always have one with me as everyone I know is accident prone. I found a cute compact one at Target when I was home. It had stickers and crayon band-aids in it...very child friendly. Plus the container was compact enough not to take up much room in my bag, but roomy enough to hold regular band-aids in it (my hubby seems to prefer the plain over the red crayon for some reason :) ).
11. Facial Tissues. I always need them at the weirdest times, so it's just nice to have them handy.

I think that's it for now. If I should think of anything else I will update my post, but I believe that's all I make sure I have. The rest that I pack are odds and ends, like entertainment for me, although I rarely get to use it, so I leave that for magazines I purchase at the airport.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to leave me a message! And I hope your travels are safe and fun!!!!

Laugh Out Loud

I can't believe I haven't blogged on this in a month and a half. Sad.

Nothing exciting has happened lately. Went to Crete in October...Fabulous vacation.

Hazel exploring our room....

Getting ready for the pool!MOMMY!!!! Let me in the bathroom!Exploring the tiny mountain pub in Kritsa.Walking down Zeus' mountain with Daddy.

Nothing much has happened since then except goofing off....such as....

I put a beautiful little girl down for a nap and a crazy haired milk fanatic woke up in her place....Watching TV from the comfort of a plastic shoe box.....My Little Ladybug at Carnfunnock Park on Halloween.Who turned out the lights?????!!!!?????Mommy's hat is too big....Then we went to Cheeky Monkeys in Ballyclare for Emma (little one in lower right corner looking up with pacifier in mouth)'s 1st birthday party. Had a great time!!!!

Here's us all playing in the ball pit....

Hazel mastering the tunnels...Mommy and Hazel tackling the large slide...wheeeeeeeeee! Hazel and I went down the slide together a couple times before she went down the slide next to me by herself (my hand holding her of course). She is getting sooooooo big.I think the mommies had more fun than the kids! The playscape was 3 stories high and we had just the best time! We all decided to start going to the Mom N Tots group held there on Fridays so we can get a little exercise and wear the kiddies out!

Well, that's all my news for now!

To Crete With Love

I don't even know where to begin with our holiday on Crete. (I know I'm still behind on London, but London can wait)

I don't think there was a day that wasn't beautiful. I don't mean conventionally beautiful, I'm talking just gorgeous to behold. Yes, we did have several amazing sunny days which accounts for my tan lines (you're jealous, I know ;-) ). But we had a pretty amazing thunderstorm that was breathtaking....Even the cloudy days didn't take away from the gorgeous views.

Okay, so here's a brief play by play of the week......

We left Larne on Monday October 6 around 5:30pm and headed for Belfast Interantional Airport. No traffic meant we arrived quickly and got checked into Easyjet very quickly. Fly with Easyjet on a Monday. Cheap. No lines on Monday nights. We wandered around Belfast International Airport for the 2 hours prior to boarding, had dinner, got Mommy meds (I had the sniffles). Flew to London Gatwick. No drama. Well, no drama save the fact that I couldn't get my ears to pop on the plane b/c I was sick, so they had to break out some smelling stuff for me to sniff to clear my sinuses. Brett said it stunk, I couldn't really smell it. It didn't clear my sinuses so much, but it helped releave the pain in my Right ear. I honestly thought it was going to burst my eardrum with how bad it hurt. Anyway, I lived through it and we landed, got our luggage, found our hotel shuttle and headed for what we hoped to be a good night's sleep before our travels the next day.

Hazel fell asleep within moments of boarding the shuttle, and remained asleep all the way to the hotel, throughout check-in, getting to the room, and putting her to bed in her pack n play. She didn't actually stir unti 2:50 that morning. Agony, right? Not so much. We were seriously staying in the crappiest Hotel in Gatwick. Bates hotel has nothing on the Europa Hotel in Gatwick. Don't stay there. Brett and I slept in seperate twin beds (pushed just barely close enough together that if we extended our arms across the gap we could hold hands) that looked like the previous residents had just left and the maid service felt they didn't dirty the beds enough to warrent new sheets and properly made beds. So we slept on top of the bedspreads. And the room was freezing. Hazel was bundled and warm, but Brett and I froze and the beds weren't wide enough to be truly considered twins, so we couldn't snuggle to keep warm....we tried. Long story short, bad hotel. Sleeping in a box outside the airport my prove warmer and more sanitary (and cheaper) than staying at the Europa.

So Brett and I started our trip with 2 hours of sleep. And a well rested toddler. :) The flight to Crete was fine. It was chartered on Monarch airlines, which I was less than impressed with as the staff was boardlined rude, but it wasn't bad. The most amazing part of the flight, though, was flying over the Alps.....
Aren't they gorgeous? They just went on and on and on. I know this in naive of me, but my only experiences with mountains have absolutely nothing on the Alps. Massive, Beautiful. Wow.

Then after a bit more slying we saw the Mediterranean....I'm not sure which islands these were. But they're neat!

We landed in Crete, which I have to tell you, be prepared to be the only American's on the island if you go. And don't be surprised when all the signs that are posted are ONLY posted in Greek. Even though it is an island that relies on tourism as a major source of income, they would prefer if you spoke their language. It took a week to be able to say "Thank you" and "Hello". And even then I really sounded like an American butchering their language.

Also, as you land on the island, don't be surprised to lose bits of your luggage (aka our stroller) and not be able to find anyone who can speak English well enough to help you find it. Ours turned up in the Oversized Luggage (not surprising) which was a little shack outside the main building and tucked in a little side street (slightly infuriating). Anyway, we gathered up our belongings, hunted down our charter to the hotel and climbed aboard.

Okay, so in the interest of needing pictures to show people who may be interested....here's a quick replay of our trip!

This is our patio overlooking the sea...The view off our patio towards Agios Nichalos..

The Mountain view from our patio

Hanging out on the patioOur Whale shaped poolBrett and Hazel in front of the pool and main receptionMommy and Hazel in the FREEZING saltwater shallow end of the poolOur bathing beauty...

Ooops!!!! Part Duex

Hi all! Picking up where we left off....

Sunday, September 7---

We got up early, not hard since we have an alarm clock (Hazel) that doesn't like to sleep past 6:30, and headed down to breakfast in the hotel restaurant. YUM. Cereal, fruit, bacon, eggs, toast, you name it. Then went back to the room, got dressed, and headed out....here are a few things that we saw....

Parliament building and the tower that holds Big Ben (which We learned is the bell, not the tower)A Bicycle race in the city...it was a big event! Lots turned out for it!Okay, so I should know what this circle is that I'm standing on. It had something to do with the Queen and the millenium, and around the edges is a quote from her. I'm actually standing on a pair of permanent footprints, but as I'm a horrible tourist, I have no idea what it is...I'll find out.The London Eye from Westminster Bridge. The large building behind it housed a museum and shops. The happy family in our Capsule of the London EyeParliament and Big Ben from the London Eye

Trafalgar Square (Carli and Hazel in the foreground)Outside Westminster Abbey (It's closed to tours on Sundays..sniff sob)Our little alarm clock waiting to go to the Airport to head home Monday morning!!!!