Nuts!

Here's a cute video to tide you over for the Christmas break. Micah and his can o' cashews.

tree exploration

twinkly lights make me smile!

Hmmm...I know there's something under this tree for me

I managed to get a few tree photos up! I let Micah explore the tree and the ornaments I'd placed low enough for him to handle. He had a great time picking each one up, tasting it, and moving on to the next one. I drew the line at eating the lights, but he just wanted to touch every one. He came close to opening a few gifts ahead of time, but we're saving that for Friday night before leave on our trip. Thanks to all who have sent packages!

Computer problems

For those who have been wondering why the break, my computer is on the fritz so I can't post much right now. I promise lots of cute photos from Christmas! We are driving to Wisconsin this Saturday, 15 hours--wish us luck. I won't be able to post until January since I'll be at home with the family. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year's!

Nuts about Nuts

O, CHRISTMAS TREE!

Micah loves the nut jar

Micah discovered our plastic jar of cashews this week and the fact that it makes a really cool sound when you shake them up! Of course, he can't have any yet due to the allergy and choking risk, but I figured no harm done to let him rattle them around a bit. He's been glued to it ever since. Dan jokes that we should call our tree a Christ"moose" tree since most of the ornaments on there are moose. Everybody needs a moose on their tree, right? I know it's quirky that people in Arkansas would have such a tree but hey, you can take the girl out of the north but...you know the drill.

Non-Micah-centric post

There's not much to tell this week. We've all got a cold in different manifestations. Micah's got the sniffles but is OK to go to daycare. I've got the full-blown runny nose, watery eyes, cough bit. Dan's got the sinus infection. Gotta love the cold season! My friend Julie had a fun post on her blog, so I'm copying. The following is a list from cuppa java with friends. It's a list of life experiences. I've bolded the ones I've done. How many have you done?

1. Started your own blog (uh, hello?)

2. Slept under the stars (at camp--with the fire and the shooting stars and the whole bit)

3. Played in a band (nope, I'm a piano, choir kinda girl)

4. Visited Hawaii (nope--but Dan's family is from there)

5. Watched a meteor shower (yes--very cool)

6. Given more than you can afford to charity (wish I could say yes)

7. Been to Disneyland (but I liked Epcot and Universal better)

8. Climbed a mountain (yep--with my dad :-))

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped (you couldn't pay me enough... )

12. Visited Paris (yup--for a week in the summer with two good friends)

13. Watched a lightning storm (my brother used to make me so I wouldn't be afraid.)

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (I taught myself how to crossstich)

15. Adopted a child (I've adopted a cat, does that count?)

16. Had food poisoning (Hmmm..I had something like that on my honeymoon)

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty(I went there, but we got there too late to climb it.)

18. Grown your own vegetables (I have a brown thumb)

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (Yup. It was smaller than I imagined)

20. Slept on an overnight train (no, but I slept on an overnight ferry to Greece)

21. Had a pillow fight (of course!!)

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (not in Venice...)

29. Seen a total eclipse (Yes, in Paris!)

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (it never gets old)

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise (compliments of my in-laws)

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community (I lived most of my life less than an hour fro one of the largest)

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (this is a complicated one, so I'm skipping it)

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke.

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (not to the top...)

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business (does a lemonade stand count?)

58. Taken a martial arts class.

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (--shudder--)

65. Gone sky diving (see #11)

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone.

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican (on Easter!)

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life.

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a mobile phone

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Read an entire book in one day

Baby, Don't Lose My Number

Micah's been taking an interest in the phone lately, even going so far as to hold his play phone up to his ear like he's talking in it. I took this video yesterday after Micah watched me talk on the phone for awhile.

Elves

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Feel the Burn

We all need to work off those extra few holiday pounds. Here's Micah "feeling the burn" on the stairstepper. (He just couldn't stay away from the weird machine mom dragged into the living room Monday.) I don't know if Micah will be aware of what's going on this Christmas--he's still a little young for that. I'm thinking his focus will mainly be on the crinkly paper. Surprisingly, he hasn't really tried to touch the tree at all.

The apple doesn't fall far...

Anyone who knows Dan, knows that his favorite dessert of all time is brownies. I suppose it's only fair to expect that Micah would feel the same way about the chocolately goodness. Here is a very cute video of him tasting brownies, or chocolate for that matter, for the first time. Can't you just see the pure joy on that little face ? :-)

A Very Corinth Thanksgiving

Micah gives Ms. June a smooch

Playing kickball in the Pace's living room

Mr. Glen and Micah

We made the 5-hour trek to Corinth, Miss., for Thanksgiving and it was so nice to have a delicious meal (that I didn't cook!) and visit with friends. We spent the night at the Pace's house and headed back home on Friday. We decided it would be a good dry run for our 17-hour haul at Christmas to Wisconsin. Micah did great in the car, as long as we took regular breaks to stretch and burn off energy. We put up the Christmas decorations this weekend, too, and I even cooked a turkey so we could have that "holy grail" of Thanksgiving meals--the leftovers.