Christmas 2008

First time seeing the Nutcracker. I LOVED it and so did Joel, maybe next year Maggie will appreciate it more. I think she was a bit freaked out on the mice and fell asleep during the 2nd half...but overall it was a big hit!



Lunch at Citizen Cake before the show...



Cocktails with Alex & Lola during intermission





My parents came out to visit for Christmas. A few photos from Christmas morning.

Maggie in her new cheerleading outfit from Aunt Red. She is drawing the Abominal Snowman, who is pregnant & has little pom poms all around him.



Papa Charles reading the Onion.







Opening presents.

The naked exit...

Maggie, Charlie & I had dinner with Charley, Lola & Vivi the other nite...and after dinner we tossed all the girls in the tub together.



Maggie hit her daily capacity as she exited the tub and INSISTED she not wear any pj's home. She wanted to go naked. So I let her. I laughed the whole way home as she walked out the front door in just shoes (bless the neighbors who might have seen her!), as she struggled with the cold car seat buckles on her naked-ness, and as she scurried into the house. It was a COLD nite...and Maggie is a TWIG, not much meat on them bones to keep her insulated.

Charlie & I while Maggie was in the tub.

C is for Cooooookie

We hosted our 3rd annual holiday cookie party at our house yesterday. So much fun!!! and Miss Maggie...oh she had many highlights!!! My favorite was the ONE cookie she decorated with sincerely almost ALL the decorations piled on top of it. She happily ate it too, and even crawled under the table with a few of her buddies to polish off more.

Annie & Mariza Lopez



Morrissey Family: Pat, Dillion, Merrin, & Lexi



Gussy Timken, Maggie & Reese Wellbeloved



Chris, Morgan & Edward Katzin



A much needed chill out time for all after all the sugar! Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer...




A few other holiday photos. Decorating the tree with Maggie.



At the Velveteen Rabbit with Mariza. Mariza is so light & tiny that the chair kept folding up on her.



Maggie's advent calendar.

Have a Nice Good Day!

I picked Maggie up from school yesterday & she was so sad. She said someone called her a 'monster.' She just looked so hurt by it. What I gather is that they were playing around & chasing, and it was her turn to be the monster. BUT, what went through my head was a gazillion thoughts. How do I protect my daughter from mean comments people will say to her in her life? How do I teach her to be confident, independent, strong? How can I hold her tight & never let her go in fear someone might hurt her inner self??? How? How? How????

Granted, it's preschool we are talking about. BUT, it's the beginning of the end of innocence. It just gets so complex from here on out. All I want to do is hand her the tools and resources to ease the difficulty of some of it. And I certainly plan to, and I suppose I have been all along. Yet, it just seems more real now cuz she isn't a baby anymore.

I didn't think I could love her more today than yesterday. But I do. And I know I will love her even more tomorrow. Now that is BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Maggie loves to say 'Have a nice good day!'

Lily Pad.

Ok. I have to...I just have to.

Maggie was getting in the tub last nite and I noticed a little piece of toilet paper in her itsy bitsy tiny pink undies. Puzzled, I asked 'Hey Mags, what up with the toilet paper in there?' Very reassuring she answered, 'That's my lily pad Mommy.'

It took me a few seconds to realize she had made herself her very own maxi pad...and the only association with the word pad in her world is 'lily pad'

So. Damn. Funny! It still brings me to tears.