Farewell, 2009

You have been a great year--lots of changes, most importantly the addition of Lila to our family as well as the rest of the 09-ers! We did lose one dear family member, but we all know Dee Dee is keeping a close watch over us all. It is never a bad thing to have another advocate in Heaven.

I took down the ornaments from the tree today while Bronwen was at Gymboree. She came home and asked what happened to them. I told her we had to take the tree down, and she told me she didn't want to. I couldn't argue because I don't want to either. Right now the tree is up with lights only. Maybe we both need to do the tree deconstruction in phases to ease the sadness.

I really dislike New Year's Eve. All the fools in the neighborhood start the fireworks at 6, and I spend the entire evening worried they will wake up the girls.

We don't have any champagne in the house. I'll have to get T.J. to make me some sort of special cocktail. We were invited to a party, but with the girls being sick, I felt like a quiet evening at home was best. Plus, I am a bit afraid of the crazies on the road.

Lila has discovered the windowsills and delights in peering out of the windows. T.J. is going to try to get some pictures tomorrow.

Until then, here are some photos of the girls playing outside today.

December 30

T.J. had an epiphany tonight--he looked at me as we were eating dinner and said, "You know, Lila eats just like Cookie Monster. It looks like she is eating a lot, but really everything is going out of the sides and into the chair." He is talking about the finger foods we put in front of her, and he is so right. The evidence of her scam is all over the chair and floor.

Bronwen and I enjoyed the rain today--she got to wear her Hello Kitty rain gear when we went to the grocery store. We also spent some time watching some old videos on the blog. We got to March, and I was amazed how much she has grown and changed in less than a year. She went from saying, "Two towers" when I asked what she was building to--"I am going to go build two towers out of my blocks, Mama." Which she did, with her new Duplos. She built two tall towers and then put a bigger Duplo across the top and explained that it is the letter "T." She is practically an adult.

For Lindsey

Night Time

Bronwen just kissed me good night and gave me a good cuddle. Then she hopped off my lap, started walking towards her room, and declared, "I want to go on a date!"

Un, yeah, I don't think so.

New Hoodie

December 28

Nothing too exciting except T.J. went back to work, and the morning started with major leaking diaper, courtesy of Bronwen. The rest of the morning was spent with a sick Bronwen being kind of weepy and anti-Lila, and Lila being determined to play with anything Bronwen had.
Explosive combo, yes, and my patience was tested. Now I know why Bronwen was saying, "It's too much; I can't take it any more" at dinner Sunday night. Oops.

We went to Hallmark to check out the sales and had to stop by The Purple Cow (thrift store) to look at the mannequins. Bronwen is in a complimentary phase, mostly to inanimate objects (good job, chair; good work, crayons), and had to tell one of them how beautiful her dress was. Never mind that it looked like something Blanche would wear to a ball on Golden Girls, all sequins, shoulder pads, and chiffon. She was hugging the skirt saying, "This dress is beau-tiful, mannequin!"

We also saw the Knight in shining armor they have there; it's about 5 feet tall. It's really hard to explain what a knight is, especially when Bronwen has no concept of a homophone. Still she wants to go visit it, and we had to say goodbye to it before we left.

Afternoon went better; Lila actually slept for over 2 hours at nap time. Bronwen slept for 3 and a half. I actually had time to eat lunch.

Out-Smarted By a 2-year Old

I came home tonight from Petsmart, and Bronwen was eating a cookie post dinner. She finished, got out of her chair and played for awhile. I noted we had some oranges that needed eating, so I asked her if she wanted one. She replied, "Sure" (sounds more like "Shoo-or). She got back in her chair and began eating her orange.

I decided I wanted a cookie, so I got one. Bronwen saw me eating the cookie and the following is a transcript of our conversation:

B: Ohh, Mama, why are you eating that cookie?
Me: Because I wanted a cookie.
B: Can I have a bite?
Me: You already had a cookie after your dinner.
B: Can I please have a bite of yours?
Me: Okay, just one little bite.

(I broke off about 1/4 of the cookie and put it in front of her)

B: I want my own cookie.
Me: No, Bronwen, you asked for a bite, and I said you could have a bite.
B: But I want my own. Not this.
Me: How about we trade--I'll take a bite of your orange and you can have this bite of my cookie.
B: No, you can have your own orange.
Me: Oh, okay, then you can have your own....oh.

That stinker. She got me.