A little more mobile...

Apparently, Vincents only make stubborn children...I'm sure they don't get it from their mother. They do things in their own time, when they want. All our children have been late bloomers as far as baby milestones are concerned. Paige had a decent excuse (you'd be late walking too if your legs were covered in plaster!) But Claire and Bode are no exception, I guess. So it comes as no surprise that at 15 months, Bode is still not walking. He is perfectly content to crawl around the floor. So for Christmas, Santa brought Bode a little ride-along walker toy to encourage a little more mobility.

It took him a few days to get the hang of it...but he has really got it down! He runs this thing from one end of the house to the other, usually with two giggly little shadows following after him.

He can get it going so fast, that it was hard to capture a decent picture of him doing it! But at least he looks like he is having fun! He particularly enjoys doing laps around the kitchen table and the island. Notice his proud big sister cheering him on! So cute!

Note: He has also mastered pushing the baby doll stroller. No, this does not mean he will grow up with "issues". It means he is going to be a good daddy someday...when he's 40 and I finally decide to let my baby boy out of the house. On second thought...maybe he'll just be a really great uncle!

Such a proud, though kind of goofy, little smile!

P.S. Just yesterday, Bode made a little bit more progress. He stood by himself in the middle of the floor! Just long enough to clap for himself and everyone to scream and yell, but still...

Christmas 2009

WOW!! It's hard to believe that Christmas was already almost a month ago! It seems like December was such a whirlwind, it has taken this long to recoop! I think the most exhausting part was Bode. He caught a horrible cold the first of the month and 3 doctors visits, 2 prescriptions and a nebulizer later it had turned from cold, to strep, to ear infection, to secondary pneumonia! He and I spent a good chunk of Dec. 23rd with Dr. Lash trying to figure out why he was so sick and what we could do to make it better! Luckily, we had caught it in time where his oxygen level was way down, but not low enough to be hospitalized...so Bode got to spend Christmas at home!

We spent our Christmas Eve with the Vincent family, in between nebulizer treatments. Paige, Claire and our cousin Katherine were all so excited to check out NoradSanta and see how close he was getting. Claire was ready to leave and go home to bed the second we got there, he was so afraid we would miss him! Of course, we ended up staying later than we planned...and then by the time we each opened Christmas jammies, this is what Paige left for Santa. He absolutely LOVED it! We know because this Christmas, Steve and I got to meet Santa! It was the most magical Christmas we have ever had! All 5 of us got in our new jammies and snuggled up in our bed to watch Christmas Story for a little bit and we all fell asleep. I felt a tap on my shoulder and awoke to find Santa standing next to me! Steve woke up to the sound of a man's voice in the bedroom (kind of gives a guy a panic attack, you know!) He asked us to follow him into the girls' bedroom. We went in to find a partially made bunkbed. Santa explained to us that the elves had packed the bunkbed so well in the boxes for transport that it took him longer than expected to unpack and assemble. Santa knew our girls had been so good this year and deserved this extra special present they had asked for. But Santa needed to move on to our neighbors, so he asked if Steve and I could finish up for him. We were glad to help. I think Santa's happy "Ho, Ho, Ho's" and jingle bells must have been a little too jovial, because as I was bringing flannel sheets from the basement where Santa had left them by the fireplace, I saw Paige walking out of our room and right across the hall into hers! You should have seen the shock on her face!! It was priceless!! She had asked for the bunk bed, but never in her wildest dreams actually thought they would get it. She knew just how anti-bunk bed her mama is!! I quickly told her how we met Santa, so she and I hurried to check out all the windows to check all the neighbors roofs' while daddy finished putting the final touches on the bunkbed. But that Santa is pretty quick, we could not see him anywhere! Paige was a great help making beds and wanted so badly to wake up Claire to tell her Santa had come and brought them just what they wanted. But we knew she needed her sleep. So we snuggled the girls in their own separate beds and got a little sleep before morning.

We ended up waking Claire up around 8:30 so that we could catch her reaction on video. She opened her eyes, looked up at the bunk bed, and hopped out yelling, "Yes...I knew it!!" Unfortunately, our little "booger boy" didn't wake up quite so bright eyed.

The kids had a great morning. No fighting, taking turns opening gifts...it was a wonderful morning. Even Bode got into opening gifts this year. Although we knew that long before Christmas. For some reason he was drawn to the present under the tree to Paige from Mom and Dad...he opened it 3 or 4 times before Christmas Day. Paige was really sweet about it though, she even re-wrapped it herself!

The girls looked so darling in their Christmas "zippies" and I absolutely LOVED the gingerbread man applique on Bode's cute little bum!

One of Claire's favorite gifts was the Lil' Kins kitty that Paige picked out for Claire by herself. She has not let it go, and named her Whiskers.

Bode was thrilled with his roller coaster toy. It even entertains his big sisters for a while!

Paige was dying for her very own sewing machine. She is becoming quite the domestic diva!

Poor little Bode was such a good sport through the whole morning. You can tell just by looking back at the pictures just how awful he felt, but was still finally able to squeak out a few little smiles.

After the festivities were over, I pulled the bubble bun out of the fridge to rise for a little bit while Steve and I snuggled Bode back in our bed to get him back to sleep. It was pretty comfy in there because the next thing we knew, it was 3 hours later! I was shocked that we had napped for that long! I ran to check on the girls, feeling immediate guilt that I slept through Christmas morning, but was relieved to find the 2 of them with all their new Christmas Barbies and Littlest Pet Shop happily playing on the top bunk! The only real drawback was when I got to the kitchen and found the bubble bun had more than doubled...there were butterscotch covered rolls over the top of the Bundt pan, across the stove, down the front of the oven and onto the floor. So, although Christmas breakfast was kind of a bust, I think the rest of the day more than made up for it!

Claire's Christmas Program

On Claire's last day of preschool in December, she had her Christmas program. It was absolutely darling! Steve and I loved every minute of it! We were so proud of our little Boo!
She and her cute little class of 10 sang several numbers, each with props and actions.
Our personal favorite:
I took a lick of my peppermint stick
And I thought it tasted yummy!
It used to be on my Christmas tree
But I liked it better in my tummy!
The class also played a number with chimes, Christmas Bells are Ringing, with each child having a certain note to play.

And of course, no Christmas program would be complete without Rudolph!

The Christmas program was just a small taste of what's to come in the Spring...so we can't wait!

Christmas Recital

What can I say? I'm a sucker for little girls with curly hair and makeup in dance costumes!

Dance recitals are 2 days of the year that I really look forward too!
We were so impressed with their performances this year! We can see so much growth and improvement in their dance skills.

Claire's costume included a bright red cowboy hat that I was really nervous would fly off. But she danced like a star and it stayed right where it was supposed to. Surprisingly she was not shy at all...happy to share her talent at all family functions the whole month of December and stole the show at the recital.

Paige was so excited to have a new friend in her class this year. Camry was in her kindergarten class last year, but due to boundary changes, she is going to a new elementary this year. They both really look forward to Tuesday nights so that they have at least an hour a week to see each other. Both did a great job "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree!"

Claire and her little friend, Ali, are excited to be dancing together again this year. Both little ladies did a darling rendition of "Lasso-ing Santa Claus".

He's Home!

The much anticipated day has finally arrived! Last week, my nephew Brady, who is really more like the brother I never had, returned home from his mission in France. We counted the days for weeks, and once the day came, we started counting hours. So imagine my surprise to answer a phone call from a "Pay Phone" (I didn't even know those existed anymore) to hear Brady's voice on the other line! He had a layover in Cincinnati and had "a few American coins" and wanted to call someone who wasn't at work. Thank goodness for working nights! It was so great to talk to him for a few minutes, and only made me that much more excited to see him! Despite the massive snow storm, he had quite the welcoming committee. All his cousins, aunts and uncles came out, along with some mission companions and some friends. The whole baggage claim erupted into excited squeals and tears when we saw him come down the escalator.
His reunion with his twin sister, Ashley, was so touching and sweet. We wondered if she really knew what was going on and had made bets on her reaction. She just clung to him, stepping on her toes to kiss his cheek, and then stepping back to stare at him. She wouldn't let him out of her sight and didn't let him get far without her on his arm.

He brought French chocolate to share with all his little cousins, which was a big hit. Although I'm not sure he needs the bribe for friendship. Our whole extended family just loves Brady so much, and all the cousins look up to him and were literally bouncing off the walls to see him.

Steve and Brady have always had such a special relationship, he was especially excited to see him. His coming home brought back many sweet memories of when he returned from his mission in Leeds, England. So he has been able to reminisce for the past few weeks and share his experiences there with the girls.

We were most excited for Brady to meet his newest cousin, Bode! The day Brady flew out to France, he was able to call us from the airport to say goodbye. We had just found out that we were expecting a baby and Brady was the first person we told. Like the rest of us, Brady seems to just love him already and I know they'll be the best of friends.

We have been able to spend some time with him the past few days. The girls just can't get enough of him. He has taught them the French way of kissing both cheeks when you leave, and Paige just eats it right up, while Claire remains a little shy and just gets the giggles. I was able to share my birthday with him at his homecoming where he did an amazing job speaking. We are so glad his experience was wonderful and are so excited to have him home. We love you, Elder Page!

Here comes Santa Claus...

There are definitely perks to having grandparents in assisted living. Aside from the health and care benefits for them, Legacy House throws some pretty great parties! Last weekend, Santa and Mrs. Claus made a visit. They brought breakfast for everyone and were happy to have grandbabies sit on their laps. It was surprisingly not busy so were able to walk right up and make our Christmas wishes. Paige told Santa that she wanted a Nintendo DS. Mrs. Claus told us that their electronic elves were really busy this year and they would really try to hold one aside, but just in case they were out (thank you, thank you!!) did she have a back up idea? She then asked for a sewing machine.
Claire wasn't much easier to please. She promptly asked for a bunk bed. She promised that she and Paige would take turns sleeping on the top. And then she would like a "real live toy cat" to sleep with her in it.

Thankfully, Bode was easy. He whispered to Santa that he wears a size 3 diaper and he likes the baby wipes from Costco.

Merry Christmas!!

Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving is always one of my favorite holidays. I love getting all dressed up in new outfits, heading to Little America where we eat our hearts out and leave the mess. This year was a little different with a smaller group. Dean and Kendyl were headed to San Diego for...you guessed it...SOCCER! And Terry was hosting dinner at her house for all her kids. We were able to sit in the Idaho Room that we like, and were seated in a perfect spot with a hideaway corner for the kids to play when they were bored of food. From the looks of it, Bode got bored with the food rather quickly. He was actually really good, I think he ate more than both the girls combined, but being up earlier than usual didn't sit well with him and he was rather tired.
But never too tired to have dessert!

Claire's favorite part was the chocolate fountain. She kept coming back with stick after stick, saying, "Look what I stabbed for you!" She says she also loved the potato salad and the macaroni and cheese was pretty good too.

Paige says the ice cream sundae bar was her favorite part of Thanksgiving. Although she did love the mashed potatoes and "moon rolls" (croissants). She truly is my daughter!

Bode did finally conk out about halfway through, which meant I got to snuggle him while Steve brought my croissants and bread pudding. Not a bad gig! Steve and my favorite's included: prime rib, ham (incredible this year!), pork roast stuffed with sausage, pumpkin cheesecake, bread pudding with rum sauce, and of course croissants and shrimp! Can't say either one of us had a bite of turkey that day! Some memorable moments from this year were:

Michelle dumping her glass of water into Rob's lap. Inevitably that guy gets soaked at Thanksgiving every year. At least this year it wasn't pee!

Marnie requested a "bottle" of Diet Coke from our little foreign waitress. She brought her a kids cup with a lid. Marnie had to think hard of a way to convey to her what we wanted was a pitcher since we were going through quite a bit.

Dad's story of "Bruce".

Steve and Rob playing "Dirt" at the after party.
All in all it was a great holiday. I can't help but well up thinking about all the things I have to be thankful for this year. I think top of the list is my dad. It has been one HELL of a year for him. I know there were times when it would have been easier for him to just give up and let go, and I am so grateful he kept fighting. I still get so touched to watch him finally be able to eat again. And here he stands, at 89% he claims, still 30 lbs and a gall bladder lighter. He is such an important man in my life, I can't imagine it without him. Thanks for a great day, dad! We love you!