no pics for now

I cannot get the site to upload. I forgot - I am also selling Usborne books now! Love them and love reading them to Olivia and soon Daniel!

well hello there

Clearly, I am not going to be a regular poster again until I am back at work. That's right, I will find the time at work, but at home? Nope... Which doesn't mean that I won't be working hard. I will, very. I am already feeling nervous about going back and I still have about five months left. I'm just going to put those feelings away until after Valentine's Day. (Well, I'll still have them, but I am going to ignore them as much as I can).
The mad, mad, mad holiday rush is upon us. As a friend said yesterday, "Do you realize that the holidays are not that far away now?" They really aren't. Our first big day of familial bliss and gift exchanges is this Saturday. In preparation, Olivia and I have begun baking. We have made chocolate chip cake in star shaped pans for her friends and "Poppa's mom;" which is weird, because my Grandma J doesn't really like receiving food, but the princess has decided that it will be done, and so it shall. Today - we make peppermints, tomorrow fudge and Friday holiday pinwheels. In between that, I will be making macaroni and cheese and apple crisp for my Gramma M and Al's Gramma.
We took Olivia to see Max and Ruby earlier this month. I want to say how horrible it was (and truly, it was), but Oliv was dancing and singing and yelling, so really it was a fabulous show, as it entertained her beyond reason.
The annual EMI Christmas party was this past Saturday and the kids were just so great! Olivia didn't even complain about being stuck on the ferris wheel for 20 minutes. Poor Al. Taking his girl on a ride or two and then sitting at the bottom of the ferris wheel, where the teenage operator couldn't see him. So, kid goes on break and Al and Olivia try to amuse themselves while Alan looks around desperately for some clue as to why they are still on this ride... A co-worker eventually spotted them and went for help. I was blissfully unaware, assuming they were going on all sorts of rides! Then came mommy's turn to hang with Olivia and we went to the play village so she could "go on the big big big slide." We climbed many stairs to make our way to said big big big slide and ... it was closed. I saw another tube slide farther down - and thankfully, a much smaller one - and pointed it out. Off we went and she marched to the top of it while I ran down the stairs to be at the bottom when she got there. I made it to the bottom and looked up. She was making her way slowly down the slide - slowly because there were bumps all over the floor of it. She was having a great time as the words "rock climbing tube" were forming in my head. Once at the bottom, I mentioned that she could use the "pebbles" to climb back up if she wanted. She did. And up she went. Once at the top, she wanted to slide down the pebble slide again.
Just now, thinking of her smile made me smile, and my heart flipped over.
Dan was good for Santa, mostly just wanting to tug at the beard - unfortunately for the jolly elf, it was a real one.
I am going to try and post a bunch of pictures right now, so everyone can see how big this boy of ours is getting. He cut three teeth last week, so there were some very grumpy moments, but I think his mouth is taking this week off, which is nice.
I am going to scrapbook over the next few months and get one done for each kid and then that is it. It's all I have in me...
Olivia's new sayings: I can't believe it (with accompanying hands on cheeks); Salutations (often this sounds like salamantations)! Mom someone just said salutations. I think it was Charlotte.
Happy Holidays, just in case I do not post again until they are well behind us.
Take care,
V