First Haircut

It's Almost Midnight

I'm munching on homemade Speculaas that are getting better as the night gets later and later. All of our Christmas wrapping is done and done. I don't think I've ever been this organized this early before Christmas before.

The Speculaas recipe came from here. Speculaas, a spiced, sugary Dutch cookie, is one of my favorites. They usually come in the shape of a windmill, and the best ones (the ones in Holland), are crispy, crumbly and amazing. The texture in mine isn't quite right, but they still taste pretty good.

I still need to work on my cookie baking -- I start by undercooking the first batch and working up to almost burning the last batch. Once again, I'm blaming the oven, not the cook.

The "Shot"

Bean Dip and I got our flu vaccinations on Friday. I was nervous about taking him, given his reaction to getting shots this summer -- tantrum before we left the house, tears during, and full-on tantrum after. It was not fun.

Maybe a couple months of maturing made a difference. I waited until a day when he woke up happy and was in a good mood. As luck would have it, he randomly watched Sid the Science Kid right before we left, and it was the episode about getting your flu shot. I also didn't tell him where we were going until he asked why we were going to the clinic.

We both got the flu mist, and I went first so he could see how it went. He was so brave, he did exactly what the nurse told him to do, and shed not a single tear. The sucker at the end was the icing on the cake.

So now the whole family is protected, although both kids will need a second dose after the holidays. I know it makes my father-in-law (pediatrician/infectious disease specialist) happy.

Slacking

I'll catch up tomorrow!!

It's So Cold ...

It snowed here today. Actually, it was a flurry shower, but beautiful nonetheless. We didn't make it outside during the blizzard, but I dug around and found a couple pairs of mittens and hats for the kids. We went outside this afternoon and lasted about 30 minutes before we froze.

It's so cold that Bean Dip is wearing clothes, and Baby G is finally allowing a blanket on her at night.

Today

I am trying to keep up with posting daily ... however, I don't have a great topic for today. The kids are both playing in their room. I have been slowly moving most of the toys out of the TV room and living room, and into their room and walk-in closet. Of course, all the toys get dragged back out almost immediately, but it's nice to have some rooms in the house temporarily toy free.

Well, here come the kids demanding my attention.

Ciao ciao for now.

Happy St. Nick's!

Sinterklaas visited our house last night. In all the birthday excitement last night, I forgot to tell the kiddos to put out their shoes, but I remembered for them. Each got an ornament and some candy, on which they are munching right now.

I think I have perfected my apple pie recipe. I finally used the right apples -- Golden Delicious. And I made the crust thicker this time, and wow, it made all the difference. I think I might have to have a piece for breakfast.

We have been hit with a blast of freezing cold weather. It's in the 20s this morning, and I'm freaking out a bit because I feel like the kids have no cold weather clothes. Well, actually, they have winter coats, but no winter boots, hats or gloves/mittens. It's not supposed to get cold in Alabama!

Happy Birthday

To my OLD husband!

He really isn't that old, but he's older than me!

Since it's a Sunday, he'll be busy preparing for the week and watching football. I am going to make his apple pie, and we'll have venison for dinner, thanks to Rocky, his hunting buddy.

Last night we celebrated a little by going to our favorite place, Beef'o'Brady's, for some wings and football. (Auburn won the SEC Championship, by the way, and pounded South Carolina). We also went to look at Christmas lights, some guy in Enterprise has an impressive display up.

Exciting Things are Happening

That's right, exciting things. Baby G is finally walking. At right around 15 months. Her official first steps were back in September, Sept. 17 to be exact. But then that was it. She simply was not ready to walk. But just in the last couple weeks she has taken off and is now really a toddler. And she is so proud of herself. She will entertain herself just by walking out of the room, and then back in. Or she will do laps through the kitchen and living room, chuckling to herself the whole time. And she always has something in each hand. I think she's realized how much easier it is to carry things when you are walking, compared to trying to drag something while crawling, or holding it in your mouth (she would do this with Bunny).

She is also starting to say some words, although she'd rather just point and say "Mmm!" Her list includes: Hi, Dada, walk, hot, milk, wow, and whoa.

We just had her 15-month check-up and she is 32 inches tall but still shy of 20 pounds at 19.2 lbs.

In other news, Win had his selection right before Thanksgiving, and his helicopter of choice for his career is the Fox Chinook. He is very excited about it and is starting school in a few weeks. Right now he is doing lots of studying. It is a big step, and it also means we have a better idea of our future. Our top three possibilities for our next duty station are Hawaii, Kentucky or North Carolina, all three of which will be good for us. It is very exciting to think about starting the next part of our lives, wherever it will be.

About the Fox Chinook ... If you Google "CH-47F" and look at the images, you will see what it looks like. The Chinook is the largest helicopter the Army uses, for transportation. One of its nicknames is the "bus." (Another nickname is the "shit-hook.") The easiest way to describe it is that it has two giant rotary wings, instead of one. Also, Chinook pilots are known to be the laid-back, relaxed "Sky Surfers" of the Army. So I think Win will fit right in.

Bigger and Better

This year, I planned to add to our Christmas decoration collection by finding us stocking holders for the fireplace. And then Bean Dip declared he wanted a "big tree" this year, like Curious George.

This has been our official Christmas tree since before we were married. I got this 3-foot fiber optic one the year I was living on my own. I still love it, but it is definitely not a "big tree." Appropriate for a girl in a small apartment, but not for a family of four.


So Bean Dip and I went to pick out a suitable tree. I decided to go with an artificial tree, however painful that is, because it is just so much easier for us. I am really glad we have a big tree now, and even though we have few ornaments, it is still beautiful. My favorite part is the lights.

And now Bean Dip and Baby G have a little tree in their room.

Turkey Day

Here it is. My very first turkey. It was beautiful and delicious. Win claims most of the credit for picking it out -- a organic one. After a long discussion with my mom, I came up with a plan that turned out perfectly. Simple but classic -- lots of olive oil, poultry seasoning, and white wine. Then I put the lid on, stuck in the oven and left it alone for three hours. Not nearly as scary as I thought it would be.


My dessert contribution -- classic apple pie. I am getting better at Win's favorite dessert. I've upgraded to homemade pie crust, but need to figure out the best apple to use. Granny Smiths turn into apple sauce.

Alex and Venusja came up from Florida for the day. We had a great time with them. It has become a tradition for us to spend it together. The very first was my first Thanksgiving in Italy -- I'd been there all of three days. Win's squad leader had us over, and then he proceeded to pass out on me on the couch. Venusja came with Alex, but didn't speak any English yet. The second was at Venusja and Alex's -- we did everything for the first time, together, including making five kilos of mashed potatoes. The third time was last year in Florida.

It was almost 80 degrees here, so we spent most of the day outside in the back yard. Bean Dip had a new best friend in Shy Guy, their dog. I put Baby G in a sundress, and then she proceeded to spend all afternoon in the sandbox. I think everyone really had a good time.