Sunday, December 28, 2008

Family Fun Over the Holidays

The holidays were crazy for us, in a good way. We have a lot of family in the area, so we wound up going five different places for Christmas celebrations. We had a lot of fun, but don't worry - I won't post photos of ALL our adventures. Actually, I couldn't if I wanted to. Most of the time I was too busy to remember I even owned a camera. :)

Ah, the anticipation of the annual Hendrickson white elephant gift exchange. It actually doesn't follow white elephant rules in the strictest sense (the gifts were all purchased by one person, and at the end we swapped for whatever things we liked or could use most), but we like it that way.

Here Aunt Emily instructs Joy in the fine art of Mr. Potatohead assembly. We truly learn important life skills from family. :)
_________

We spent Christmas morning at home, then visited Uncle Mike and Aunt Vicky before heading out for a celebration with my extended family. The few photos I took didn't turn out well, and the rest of the time I was too busy talking and eating (and eating, and eating . . .) to get out the camera. Ah well - memories are worth more than photos, right?

That night we drove up to my parents' cabin, and the next morning Joy was pretty intrigued by all the white stuff on the ground.

She thought Papa's gloves were pretty cool, too.

Everyone who was over age 2 and not pregnant went sledding. It was a lot of fun, as long as they didn't crash. If you want more details about that, talk to my mom - let's just say she'll be applying makeup left-handed for a little while. Sorry, Mom. :(

Er, on that cheerful note . . .


Merry Christmas, everyone!

Monday, December 22, 2008

Schlepping Three People

Remember in the Princess Bride when Vizzini scolds Fezzik the Giant for not climbing the rope fast enough, and Fezzik points out that he is hauling three extra people up the cliff with him? That’s kind of how I felt walking up the hill near Trader Joe’s last week.


With Joy in the stroller, Taylor in the sling, and “Hezekiah” in my tummy, I was technically moving three additional people up the hill with me. It was quite a workout, but at least we’re no longer out of necessary foodstuffs (i.e. butter, cocoa powder, and peppermint bark).

Incidentally, I borrowed the Maya Wrap sling from a friend to give it a try with Taylor, and I definitely plan to invest in one of my own before Baby Boy arrives. Taylor found it very soothing most of the time, and it was nice to have my hands free while I carried her. I probably wouldn't wear it on long walks, but when we took short strolls with Joy it was nice to be able to follow my toddler wherever she rambled, without having to worry about getting a stroller up and down steps, etc.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Give Me Liberty, Or Give Me Hunger

There was a time when Joy and her high chair were on very good terms.

Joy cheerfully got into her chair for meals, and the straps kept her in place while the tray caught anything she happened to spill. Life was good.

Of course, the only constant in life is change, especially when your life includes a toddler. Joy has discovered that if she sits in a regular chair, she can get up and leave any time she wants to. Suddenly being strapped into a high chair is much less appealing to her (though her parents still think it's an excellent idea).

We can still occasionally persuade Joy to sit in her high chair if she really, REALLY wants the food we're offering, but most of the time she'd rather go without than surrender her liberty. That's very American of her and all, but the idea of feeding her lasagna or pureed peaches without a tray makes me shudder. I know she's got to start eating at the table sometime, but that doesn't make the transition easy for me.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Sprinkling Good Cheer

Joy thinks our Christmas tree is pretty cool . . .

. . . almost as cool as the sprinklers we encounter on our walks, but not quite. Any time we pass one, she pauses and says "Huh!" over and over (getting progressively louder), until I verbally acknowledge that the object she's pointing at is, indeed, another sprinkler. I guess every person is passionate about something.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Happy Birthday, Joy!

Joy's first two years have really flown by.

It seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital . . .

. . . but it's hard to remember what life was like when she was a rolly-polly six-month-old who couldn't even crawl.

Her one-year-old pictures look like a different person to me . . .

. . . but the photos from six months later look like the little girl we've come to know and love.

Happy Birthday, Joy! We're so glad you came to join our family!

Is the internet changing the way we think?

Just FYI, I just published a post on my personal blog that readers of this blog might find worth some thought and contemplation. Head on over and let me know what you think!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Birthdays are Cool

Joy had a little birthday party with some playgroup buddies this morning. She's learning that birthdays are pretty cool things.

Your parents light things on fire while people sing to you, . . .

. . . you get to tear up brightly colored paper to reveal fun toys to play with, . . .

. . . then you convert the trappings into trendy accessories while you savor tasty things called cupcakes. Mmmmm . . . frosting.

Thanks to our playgroup friends for making Joy's birthday so much fun!

Monday, December 8, 2008

Layered Look

Joy is over a decade away from being a teenager, but she's already starting to experiment with fashion.

She's particularly fond of adding layers (here she is sporting the "Pink Mermaid" look) . . .

. . . but she's also learning to subtract layers. Just in time for winter, of course.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Hands-On Sibling Experience

Joy gets to experience big sisterhood a few months earlier than you might expect. We're watching three-month-old Taylor for a few days while her mom Lisa goes back to work part-time for a little while. We invited Taylor into our home partly to help our friend, but also because I wanted to get a feel for what two-child parenting will be like before I have to do it full time. I also wanted Joy to get a little experience having a baby in the house.

I won't deny things have been a bit crazy sometimes, but by and large this has been a good experience for our family. Joy has taken her temporary "sibling" in stride, and even tries to help out on occasion. As for Phillip and me, this has provided a good reminder what a newborn's needs and routine are like. It's also offered welcome reassurance that I really can handle two children with very different needs and schedules.

Of course, things will be a little tougher in February when we add sleep deprivation and postpartum hormones to the equation, but we'll just cross those bridges when we come to them.