We had the pleasure of having Grant and Cara visit us on Christmas Eve. Their little Elle Louise is an angel and Max is awesome. He sang some Roy Orbison for us and asked everyone what their favorite song was. I got some tips from Cara about what digital camera is the best because from the quality of these photos, you can see I really need a new camera. I better start being good so Santa will bring me a Canon Digital Rebel next year.
On December 22, 2008 we hosted a Gingerbread House Decorating Extravaganza. Everyone brought their own pre-assembled g-bread house and we decorated them together. We shared lunch after the decorating frenzy ended. I think everyone had fun. Grandma Stubblefield and Jill and Robert and cousins made the trek from San Diego and we had a fun day with them. Everyone was talking about "Next Year" and I don't think they realize that THEY will have to be inviting ME from our new house or, if we don't have a new house, they will have to be checking me out of the psych ward at UCLA to join the festivities.
Well, Lindsay did it again! She was able to get some excellent shots with two uncooperative children (Jackson and Allie) and one overly dramatic one who kept doing these over the top poses (Rachel.) I left the photoshoot thinking that I had just wasted time and money and that I was going to have to ask Allie to draw a picture of the three of them for our Christmas cards this year. But when I got the disk back I was very happy to find that there were quite a few keepers.
I was helping Allie with her homework and I was trying to get her to answer the following question: "Which winter holiday does your family celebrate?" She didn't know the answer to this question so I was trying to get her to think of the correct answer by asking one that I thought was clearly incorrect, I asked "Allie, do we celebrate Chanukah? " She looked at me for a minute and said "I don't know mommy, are we Jewish?" Only in LA.
Rachel and Allison had a dance recital last week. They LOVED putting on fancy dresses and makeup. I never thought I'd give birth to not one, but two blondes who like to dance. Go figure.
I finally hit the wall. Jackson can no longer decide when to take a nap, how many times he would like to eat during the night, and if he wants to be gently rocked to sleep and put softly into his crib only to roll over, wake, start crying and demand to be picked up. THAT'S IT! I've had it and I am going to take charge. After close to 11 months of waking up 4 times (or more) every night, I am ready for some tough love. It is 10:00 am and I just put Jackson into his crib, awake, for his morning nap. I'll keep you posted.....
10:15: Screaming Bloody Murder
10:30: Crying and Gagging
10:45: Screaming Bloody Murder
10:50: Phone call to Shannon for moral support. She reassures me that Jackson will survive this.
11:00: Screaming
11:15: Wailing pitifully
11:30: I open the door to see what's going on, Jackson is standing up in his crib. I say "night night Jackson" and shut the door, which elicits more SCREAMING
11:45: suddenly it is quiet for 10 seconds, then CRYING AGAIN
12:00 Jackson is finally asleep.
Do you think he will hate me when he wakes up? Let the chips fall where they may but PLEASE let him sleep for at least 2 hours.
