Christmas 2.0

We still don't have our original Christmas photos back, so tonight we'll have to settle for Christmas 2.0. Since we traveled by plane for the holidays this year, we decided to leave most of our presents (from Santa, Mommy & Daddy, Traci's side of the family, etc.) back in Virginia. Tonight was the night that Katie finally got to "OPE" (open) all the packages she had stared at for days. What a chaotic experience! Katie is still not into ripping her own packages, so Mommy and Daddy had to do the honors. Problem is, as we tried to move onto the next present, Katie was focused on getting the last one out of its at-least-30-minutes-of-unpackaging box. Halfway through the festivities, she decided she didn't want any more presents as she was obsessed with ripping open Mommy's Gummi Bears (thanks, Grammy!). However, by the end of the present opening, Katie was very, very appreciative for all of the wonderful gifts. Some highlights include her 3(!) new dolls, some great new books, a Little People SUV, and some stylish new clothes. Of course, Mike and Traci had a few presents as well... You can now find Traci immersed in her new Twilight book - thanks, babe!

For some funny pictures from the present opening, please take a look at the photos to the right. And, we hope that everybody has a safe and happy New Year's Eve. Bring it on, 2009!

Shake Our Sillies Out

God bless Northern Virginia weather. Once again, our temps were in the 50s with sunny skies, so Katie and Traci headed outdoors for some entertainment. The little one savored the swings and slides until a rather large daycare class arrived. After watching all the crazy kids running, jumping, and making lots of noise, we decided to hightail it back indoors.

Our next stop was the local coffee shop, which just happened to be hosting another children's music act, Mr. Skip. The shyness bug must have bitten Katie again, because she spent the entire 45-minute set buried in Mom's lap. She only got off when all of the other kids and moms dispersed, leaving the coffee shop's toys behind. She probably had more fun playing with all of the Little People than singing with Mr. Skip. At least she perked up when Mr. Skip played one of her Wiggle faves, "Shake Your Sillies Out."

Remembering

Well, we're back from quite an adventurous holiday trip to Michigan...let's just say that Katie's stomach did not quite cooperate. Anyway, we won't have our pictures from Christmas until later this week, so we decided to go another direction today.

It was 11 years ago yesterday that the sweetest, most well-behaved, most loving greyhound came into the world. Little did that tiny pup know what was in store for him thoughout life. Normally, we would celebrate Geno's whelpday with a special cake and presents, but he unfortunately left us behind six months ago. His memories often pop up in our thoughts, but he was certainly on our minds yesterday. We just wanted to share a vintage Geno/Katie photo so you could remember as well.

Christmas Dee-ses

We just wanted to leave you with a nice picture of Daddy and Katie giving each other "dee-ses" (kisses) and "hucks" (hugs) before the Cuddycam goes on its holiday hiatus. We wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas!!

Will Wonders Never Cease?

Yes, you are actually witnessing a moment's rest for Mommy... While Traci happily lounged on the couch watching some college basketball, Mike and Katie were busy in the kitchen(!), making us some rice crispie treats. It got so quiet in there that Traci had to investigate and snap a picture. When she snooped, Mike was doing the heavy lifting and stirring while Katie happily munched away on marshmallows and rice crispies. A mother sure could get used to this!

Sant-Waaaaah!

Thought we'd post a B&W picture today since Katie's first experience with Santa was a rather dark one in her memory. While we didn't plan on taking her to see St. Nick until next year, the local mall was surprisingly empty this morning so we gave it a shot. Traci had to sit with Santa first (wish we had a picture of that!) in order to entice the little one. Katie was interested and even smiling and pointing at Santa from a distance, but became terrified once pulled up on Traci's lap next to bearded, Kringle-monster. Better luck next year...

Her Prerogative

Katie is certainly asserting her individuality a lot more these days. Traci can barely contain her laughter when Katie does the all-out, slap-the-floor, kick-the-air type of toddler tantrum you usually only see on TV. Luckily she seems to prefer her tantrums in the comfort and privacy of home.

Today's tantrum revolved around wanting to be nude all day. After a particularly messy meal this morning, Traci stripped Katie of her clothes and was prepared to put on a new outfit. Well, Katie had other thoughts. In spite of the near-freezing rain outside, she wanted to express her rebellion mid-winter with nudity. Traci knew it wasn't a battle worth fighting, but drew her line at socks and a diaper. Now, doesn't the little one look so calm, peaceful, and COLD during her nap?

Houses for the G-Men

Last evening, Mike and Katie gave Traci the night off to build gingerbread houses with some of her friends. Of course, Mike snickered as Traci left the house, knowing that she has not a creative bone in her body. But, anyway, the evening was great fun. Thanks to our awesome hosts, Kim, Jim, & Patrick, we all arrived with the basic houses already built. All we (Kim, Cristina, Julie & Traci) had to do was dig into the candy, decorate, and gossip to our hearts' content. The final products were all TREMENDOUS, except maybe for Traci's somewhat more abstract creation. (Does a house really need windows and doors?) This morning, Katie was absolutely transfixed by her new Christmas decoration. She had to carefully touch every piece of candy while Mama explained that she could not eat them. Maybe next year she and Mike can build their own house. Please have a look at our finished products in the album to the right!

Holiday Play

Katie's playgroup buddy, JD (2 years old) and his mommy Francie very graciously hosted an awesome holiday-themed playdate for everybody this morning. It was a fantastic relief to attend after our double-ear-infection-filled weekend. Katie was so happy to see all of her best buddies and play with the fantastic toys. Traci was just happy to be talking to other human beings besides the pediatrician again. The shot above is of all the moms - L to R: Lena (mom of Gabi & Elena), Kelly (mom of Charlie & Maisie), Traci, Kim (mom of Patrick), and Francie (mom of JD & Paulie). Thanks, Francie, for a wonderful morning...Katie especially LOVED the homemade cookies.

Please take a look at the photo album to the right from the morning's festivities.

Biker Chic

Way back in August, Katie received an adorable black-and-pink tutu as a gift (thanks, Lisa!). Until today, she had steadfastly refused to get near the thing, much to her dad's delight. Well, Katie has now turned the corner from being Daddy's little "boy" to becoming a girly-girl. She proudly paraded around in her tutu, admiring herself in her mirror. She even did spins to make the tutu flutter out. Mike just shook his head and mouthed "noooooooo."


Here's a full-scale shot of the awesome tutu. What comes next? Purses? Make-up? Boys calling on the phone? Why is Mike now pulling Katie's little baseball glove, bat, and hat out of the sports bin?

Beating Up Daddy

YAY - we finally recovered our camera charger today, but we'll treat you with one more old-school video while we rev the camera. This one goes back to summer, when Katie was obsessed with a certain rough-house game that she created with Mike. Traci wouldn't play this game with her because Mama was afraid of getting beaten up. I'll let the video tell the story...

Wiggles Dance Party

How about a vintage Wiggles Dance Party to tide over our time without a digital camera? This is Katie's favorite Wiggles song - she knows exactly when it's about to come on the CD. Unfortunately, Katie never really looks at the camera, but you get the picture...

PS - Don't mind Traci's sing-along at about 10 seconds...

Shoe Snob

Katie has finally gotten into that cute toddler phase where she walks around in her parents' shoes. However, she's very picky as to which shoes she'll clomp around in. She feels that Daddy's big, heavy shoes are too unwieldy, so she sticks to Mommy's. But only Mommy's dressier shoes, such as these pink/navy flats, will do. (She was mumbling something about Jimmy Choo the other day?) She keeps eyeing up Traci's tall black leather boots...don't know if she'll be able to handle those just yet.

On a side note, our digital camera charger is currently in the hands of another (bad Traci for leaving it at a friend's), so we probably won't have new pictures for a bit. We might post up some old school shots or videos in the next few days.

Cinderella

Where, oh, where is my fairy godmother to take me away from all of my wicked parents' chores? Have you ever heard of a not-even-two-year-old sweeping the bathroom? I think not! Look at how spotlessly clean this bathroom is...all just for a guest of Mommy's coming later this week.

PSYCHE! I actually LOVE to help clean everything. So much so that I pester my mommy and daddy until they let me help with their chores. Sometimes I tantrum if I cannot help. Just look at the wicked grin on my face.

Bewildered

Here is a video of Katie discovering our Christmas tree yesterday afternoon. She had just woken up from a nap and was a little unsure of this thing that materialized during her slumber. I think the look on her face says, "What happened to my old toy corner?"

Douglas Burr

Despite the unusually chilly temperatures, today was all about picking out our Christmas tree. We wish we could recount an adventure complete with exotic details about hiking for miles to locate and cut down the perfect tree, but, alas, we are in a recession! That being said, we headed to Home Depot! Katie was not all that interested, but did wander into the section of Douglas Firs. We figured that was her choice and picked out a nice 6.5 ft tree for her. Traci and Mike spent the rest of the afternoon getting the tree up and decorating. Pictures to follow tomorrow...

While Dad secured the tree to the roof of the Escape, Mom and Katie ducked into Home Depot to warm up. While inside, Katie found a friend that was just her size! She walked around with her snowpal for at least ten minutes before tearfully departing for home. These days, I think she is looking for any companionship besides old Mom and Dad.

Cuk-Cuk

Katie met up with one of her main squeezes, Patrick (2.5 years), for a playdate this morning. These kids are so darn cute together. They are always trying to sneak a hug, kiss, or a hand-hold...ahem, you didn't just read that, Daddy! Katie usually loves the attention, but she seems to have rebuffed Patrick in this shot. You can't get between a woman and a good novel!


One of the reasons that she loves going to Patrick's house is that they have a lot of the same interests. He loves all things trains and trucks and shares his things very nicely with Katie. He even introduced her to the movie "Cars" today. Too bad she only sat still for a millisecond of it.

She had sooo much fun with Patrick today that she chanted his name (Cuk-Cuk) the whole way home and throughout lunch. Very soon after, she fell into a deep, contented sleep. (Don't ask about why we had to change her clothes...darn diapers!)

Top Chef

It was homeade pizza night this evening and Katie took a real interest in the kitchen for the first time. Here she is doing her best to help Traci mix the dough. It looks like she takes this cooking thing seriously. Doesn't it? Mike got home late and wasn't there to see it. However, judging from the amount of sauce on Katie's face upon arrival, he could easily see that Katie approved of the end product.

Trucks, Blocks, Trucks, Blocks!

The entire family took advantage of a half-day of work for Mike by going downtown to Katie's favorite destination - the National Building Museum. She was so excited on the drive in that she kept repeating "Trucks, Blocks, Trucks, Blocks!" She's still not muck of a builder or stacker like her cousins Julian and Nico, but she is definitely a truck driver, pusher, and scooter. She also liked running laps around the large toddler play room. Maybe she'll be a Formula One racer someday?

Here's Katie explaining how to put a truck puzzle together to her Daddy.

Help Wanted?

Katie gets so excited whenever it is laundry day...she LOVES to help in any way that she can. She literally waits right next to the washer/dryer, follows you to wherever you dump the clean laundry pile, and picks up items to "shake" out before we fold. She even dutifully throws away any dryer sheet that she finds. This is all well and good except for a couple of things: 1.) She loves to unfold stuff that you have already folded. Laundry can be a never-ending process if you are patient enough. 2.) She doesn't distinguish between dirty and clean laundry basket piles. She always seems to find our most embarrassing items to throw around the upstairs. She especially loved to do this at her Papa's one-story house...need we say more?

Guess we can't complain that she wants to help right now. Let's see how this laundry thing goes when she turns pre-teen!

Thankful for Family

Mike, Traci, and Katie spent a wonderful, restful Thanksgiving weekend in Brockway. We think that Kate had the time of her life playing with Papa, Grammy, aunts, uncles, cousins, and especially Zeke, Papa's black lab. (We didn't know how that would go since Katie has acted fearful of neighborhood dogs lately.) She had so much fun with these relatives and visitors that she often sent Mommy and Daddy to another room when she was playing with them. (Not that we minded the break, you know?) Now the countdown is on for visiting her other side of the family...

Please take a peek at the T-giving photos in the album to the right!

An Apple a Day...

Don't look now, but it seems as if Libby (22 months) and Kate are heeding the doctor's orders! It's always a treat when we can get the kids to eat really healthy snacks. Too bad Katie's daddy introduced her to Peanut M&Ms the other day...let's just say that she has inherited the McG candy radar.

Such Big'Uns

Katie and Connor (16 months) looked like a couple of pre-schoolers eating their blueberry-n-cheerios snack this afternoon. Don't they look like such big kids now? My, how time flies when you are having fun.

On a side note...GRUMBLE, GRUMBLE... Mike spotted a little bit of warping on our dining room ceiling yesterday. A day later, we have a new toilet and a few hundred dollars less in our pockets. Happy holidays to Mr. Plumber! Mr. President, consider this our first economic stimulus package for the season.

Now That's a Mouthfull!

Thought this was a funny picture of Katie attacking her Mac 'n Cheese tonight at Ruby Tuesdays. As you can surmise from the determined expression, the selection is usually a can't miss with her. Katie thought it was a fantastic end to a fun day of Christmas shopping...

Boo-Boo...Oh-Kaaaay

Ever since we told Katie that her toys could get "boo-boos" by being thrown around, she has become fascinated with the whole "boo-boo" concept. She likes to look for knicks and dings on her toys (and parents) so that she can kiss them and make them "Oh-kaaay" again. In this picture, she must have found a boo-boo on Baby's forehead.

Today, Katie really got to put her boo-boo knowledge to the test. We wanted to brighten the day of a friend who is unfortunately pregnant and bedridden in the hospital. As soon as Katie saw all of the medical equipment, IVs, etc. in the hospital room, her "boo-boo" concept clicked in. Unfortunately, she was a little too shy to give our friend a kiss, but she kept going up to her and saying "Oh-kaaay!" Hopefully, Katie will be right!

Two New Seats, Too Little Time

Katie and Traci went shopping for some big girl stuff today. No more bottles and pacifiers and baby food... Nope, we're onto more important stuff like booster seats and (gulp) toilet-training apparatus. Above, Katie was a little apprehensive of her new booster seat until we put Big Bear in the seat. (Unfortunately, she did not care about crushing Big Bear.) Now, she looooves her "shooshie" (the brand name is Cooshie) and cannot wait to take it on our vacation travels.


And, then there's the toilet.... I cannot believe we are nearing that dreadful process. Here is Katie trying it out for size. Don't worry - she wasn't actually "TRYING" it in the middle of the kitchen. She just liked sitting in another cushy seat. (Too bad the darn thing doesn't fit our toilets well - that might be $15 literally flushed down the drain...) Anyway, we will spare all of you any actual toilet training pictures. This was just a good pretend shot.

Farewell "Kid K"

Here, Katie puts on her best pouty face upon learning the news that the Cubs decided not to resign Kerry Wood. Probably a good business decision, but we will miss "Kid K" none-the-less. Wood took the news about as graciously as anybody could have expected. We wish him well...

Bye-Bye for Now

One day after having her Papa all to herself, it was time for Katie to say goodbye...for now. After morning Mass, she got Papa to read her favorite book one last time. She cannot wait until Thanksgiving when she gets to see Papa, Mah-nee, and the rest of her extended family again.

Here's a shot of Daddy and Katie at our post-Mass pancake brunch. The little one was almost as excited for her restaurant crayons as she was about the food.

Weathering the Storm

Traci and Mike met up with friends Brian and Maureen (both former Navy!) for a long trek up to Baltimore for the Notre Dame vs. Navy football game this afternoon. After a soggy forcast, it turned out to be a perfect day...that is, for a little while. A monsoon caught up with us halfway through the 4th quarter. We left with ND safely up 27-7. Little did we know that ND would have to weather their own storm in the form of a Navy comeback. A tense couple of minutes by the car radio ended in a 27-21 Irish victory. Phew!

Throughout the day, we had fun tailgating with friends Eric and Kristina, Brent and Lisa, Brian, Rob and Kate, and others. Thanks for letting us join in, guys. You had a fantastic location and quite the spread.
Our night concluded with a delicious dinner in Baltimore's "Little Italy" neighborhood. Thanks to the grandparents for letting us ND-Navy alums out for a fun day away from the kids. When else would you see these two looking so happy after 12 hours in each other's company?

PAPA!

Katie is absolutely psyched because her Papa T. is finally here! (Since she is a little shy when she first sees people, we've been telling her about the visit for weeks.) Papa has graciously agreed to come and babysit Little K while her parents attend the ND-Navy game this weekend. He may not know what he is getting himself into... Here she has roped him into one of her favorites activities of late, reading her "Big Word Book" with Big Bear. Mama relishes the fact that somebody else has to read that darn book that she has read with Katie a billion times!

Raining Cats, Dogs, Kangaroos, Lambs...

With the skies just pouring out buckets of rain, we stayed inside for the day. Katie decided that it would be a stuffed animal kind-of-day, so we brought her big basket downstairs. We had lambs reading on the couch, octopi eating from the high chair, kitties helping in the kitchen. You name it and we had the stuffed animal for the job!

Color My World

The concept of color dominates Katie's world view right now. She definitely recognizes most colors and can name quite a few. In fact, as we read through books now, she no longer names objects. Instead, she focuses on naming the color of all objects on the page. And, of course, she loves to color with her crayons and colored pencils. She often reaches into her arts and crafts cabinet before anything else after coming downstairs. In this picture, she is admiring her handiwork and probably saying "bur-bo" (purple) and "boo" (blue).

Jeffersonian Jaunt

We took advantage of another Government holiday and headed down to Charlottesville on Saturday for a three day weekend. We had a blast! Katie was incredibly well behaved and loved running all around the campus of the University of Virginia. Mom and Dad had fun being back in the atmosphere of a true college town. It didn't hurt that we had two beautiful fall days to explore UVA, the Historic Downtown of C-Ville, and Monticello. Be sure and click on the photo album to the right to see more details...

Newer IS Better!

Not too long ago, when Grammy visited, we wrote about one of Katie's favorite playgrounds being razed. We hadn't been back since, but we decided to investigate our old stomping grounds since the weather got to the low 70s today. Well, take a look at the new digs!! Katie happily reports that the new playground has multiple slides, climbing walls, and bucket swings. The only downside was the increase in older kids enjoying the more challenging playset. I'm sure we'll be back again soon.

Dairy Queen

What's a girl to do when it gets cold and gloomy outside? Why, eat ice cream, of course! Katie very enthusiastically enjoyed her first ice cream treat in a while. Here is a picture right after she commandeered her Mama's cone. Yes, by the end of our trip, she finished off the cone and her entire cup of vanilla ice cream.

Vote! Vote! Vote!

Dear Mommies, Daddies, and other Big People:

I just wanted to remind you that today is a very, very, very important day! Not only do I turn 22 months old (what, everything's not about me?), but it is National Election Day in the USA. Mama and Daddy have been telling me how important it is to vote, so I think you should get out and vote, too!! Mama clearly has her favorite guy, but Daddy's a little more wishy-washy. If it were up to me, I would vote for things like "More pacifiers for all!" or "National Ice Cream Day!" I guess I have 16 more years until I get my voice heard. So, since I cannot vote today, all of you big people out there should Vote, Vote, Vote!!!

Love,
Katie (Currently Independent)

Har-De-Har-Har

Alright, you no-good-USC-Dodgers-Angels-anythingSoCal-lovin-good-for-nothing... You know who we are talking to... We got your package, and we didn't like it one bit! As a matter of fact, Katie was so upset by this Dodgers hat that this was the best picture we could get of it. She threw a tantrum about two seconds after this was taken. Any faithful Cubs fan would do the same.

Oh, and we certainly didn't shed any tears over that USC loss earlier this year. Let's not talk about Thanksgiving weekend, though.

Scary Good Fun

As mentioned earlier, Katie attended her 2nd annual Moms' Group Halloween Party at her friend Lyla's house (pictured left, in red ladybug outfit). This year was a little more fun for Katie because she wasn't the only one in the room who couldn't crawl or walk. She loved showing off her super-duds and digging into the goldfish, cookies, and other snacks.


Last year, she cowered away from the party crowds. This year she was in the thick of things.


The party really got kicking when the ball pit came out! Yep, there she is with Patrick, her football-watching buddy from yesterday. Check out his cool German lederhosen costume.

The Happiest Fans in the Room

We had a fun afternoon entertaining our friends Patrick (2.5 years), Kim and Jim with food, drinks, and football. Although they are both UVA grads (see Patrick's Cavalier football jersey above), Kim and Jim are also pretty big Notre Dame fans...so they got to share in the misery of defeat. Katie and Patrick, on the other hand, were the happiest fans in the room. When not munching on yummy food, they could be found chasing each other, screaming at the top of their lungs, dancing, and even hugging and kissing. Looks like they already have the behavior found at an average college football tailgate party down pat....