Knoxville meets Levi!!! (Noche Buena)

Christmas Eve (Noche Buena for our family) was spent at my Uncle Charlie's house. We ate the traditional pork, black beans, and yucca...DELICIOUS! Knoxville got to meet his little cousin Levi for the first time! Levi and Knox are only a couple months apart in age, so it was really neat seeing them interact with each other. 

I couldn't help but think how much Knox has changed in just the last couple months, and how time seems to be flying by...before you know it your baby isn't much of a "baby" anymore...it's a little beepboo =-/

Getting ready! 

ISN'T LEVI PRECIOUS!?!?!?! =D

Christmas Day!

Christmas day!!! Mark, my mom, sister, Knox, and myself all woke up super early and headed over to Marcy's house to open Christmas gifts. 

Professional camera wars!!!! It's on bitches! (flashback to drag queen bingo)

Well....hello there, Sir Rupert Longbottom! How are you enjoying Florida?

Knox was completely uninterested in opening any of his Christmas gifts...and in true baby form, all he wanted to play with was a roll of duct tape...

He got this cute little folding chair from aunt Jamie!

Gasp! An Uglydoll! Thanks Carol, Jason, Emily, and JD!

Still trying to get him to open at least ONE gift. 

Not. Interested. 

Here's what makes Christmas gift opening a joyous time for all...the "embarrassing gift!" The "embarrassing gift" can be anything from a pink bunny suit made by your aunt (A Christmas Story), or as you will see in the pictures below...UNDERWEAR! Unfortunately this years victim of the "embarrassing gift" was Miss Amy.

BOOM! The underwear bomb has exploded!

The most important rule every "embarrassing gift" victim should follow is: NEVER leave you EG unattended!...because this will happen...and then your aunt will post it on her blog for everyone to see. =)

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas! <3

Silly Face Monday!!! (and welcome back, our childhood friend, Repetition)

Remember when you where a kid and you could play, eat, read the same book, or watch the same movie over and over and over...and over again? The fun of being pushed around the tile floor in your moms laundry basket, screaming "again, again!!!" I know would watch 'Mary Poppins' 24 hours a day, 364 days a year ( I gave my family a day off).

Now,  I'm wearing the "parent" shoes, and I'm slowly being payed back for all my years of subjecting MY parents to "Repetitive Abuse."

These videos are examples of Knox's less annoying repetitive qualities.

This morning, after Knox's doctors appointment, we decided to hang out at the park. While trying to catch a squirrel, Knox discovered "hills!" Yes, the childhood rush of running up and down a hill.

He's not done!

Nope, still going!

This went on for 35 mins...amazing...

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go pack my life into a suitcase

I don't think it matters if you have a boyfriend or a husband, if you are a girl, and you're packing to go on a trip together, more than likely your significant other has uttered these words, "Why do you need so many bags?! We'll only gone for __ days!"

In my husbands eyes, I am a chronic over-packer. You know what? Now that I think about it "over-packer" is such an ugly label. I like to call myself a "thoroughly prepared-packer." I'm kind of like a packing Superhero. When my husband forgets to bring something, BOOM! There are I am! Saving the day with an extra one of whatever my husband needed!  Impromptu family dinner at a fancy restaurant? No problem, because I packed 3 different dressy outfits, just in case this were to happen! Unexpected cold snap? No worries, because I brought 4 different cardigans that will go with my outfit!

Of course we TPP's (thoroughly prepared-packers) have a method to our madness. I don't think I speak for myself when I say that my fellow TPP's have this shit down to a science. 

This is my scientific equation for packing... 

1. I bring out the rolling rack! That's right, I have a rolling rack. I'm sure I'm not alone on this one, right fellow TPP's?  How can I be expected to make outfits when my closets (yes, I said closets!) are jam-packed with clothes?!  Using a rolling rack helps me separate the clothes I WANT to bring, from the other junk in my closet. Now that I have all the clothes I want clearly visible, my first draft of outfits can be made. =)

See, look at that! I've even got purses for outfit changes. It's important to add accessorizing into this packing ritual.

         2. Then, I separate everything into categories; pants, skirts, casual T-shirts, sleeveless T's...you         get the idea. 

      3. Then I think to yourself "What is this trip for?"..."Am I going to visit friends or family?"..."Is it a holiday?" In my case it's visiting family for Christmas, which means pictures, dinners, church, etc.  So, I have chosen some more festive dressy outfits (comfy enough to withstand long periods of sitting and listing to family members boring conversations about nonsense...I say that with love)

Christmas colors! =D

Reindeer! 

    

4. Then there is the weather! Something that can never predicted, but something a TPP always plans for.

Like the deer sweater above, while stylishly festive, might be too hot to wear for a Christmas trip to Florida (boo, lame for being hot humidity). Of course, I will bring the sweater anyways. Hey, you never know what might happen...it could snow =)

Then I think "Well, what if it's only a little chilly?" That's where my sleeveless blouses and cardigans come in. Since there are a seemingly endless number of color combinations with the sleeveless blouse/cardigans, this will probably take up most of my suitcase. 

    5. This might be where my OCD starts to kick in, so if you don't relate beyond this point...that's okay =)

Now I like to take a step back and see what colors and shapes my rolling rack consists of. I know that sounds a little crazy, but just stay with me for a second. What I mean is that when I take a look at the big picture I can see if I'm bringing too much or too little of something. I ask myself, "Did I pick out too many black dresses?" Cause if I did then maybe I'll bring a couple other color dresses. 

The example here would be that I think I picked out too many stripped clothes.

        6. Now, I need to make out the actual outfits! I think of all the things we are planing to do on this vacation and I start to make my outfits from there.
Yes, I take pictures of the outfits. I also pack a back-up item for each outfit. Like the outfit to the right, I have a dark green cardigan as my back-up cardigan, in case the yellow cardigan doesn't work out.

Done!

P.S. Don't feel bad when your husband gets pissed because your bags won't fit in the rental car, he clearly should have PLANNED on renting a bigger one!

Are You a Positive-ish Patty?

I am positive that I just woke up and am wearing absolutely NO make-up...enjoy. 

I woke up dreading this morning. Why, you may ask? Because I have to go to the grocery store. No big deal, right? Yeah, it's not a big deal...if you don't have kid(s)! Solving the epic question of "How does one shop with a toddler?" is like trying to solve the riddle of the Sphinx.
I use to enjoy going to the grocery store. I could probably stand there, in the produce isle, just starting at all the fruits and vegetables, thinking of all the amazing things I can make, for hours....but NOT anymore. When I think of going to the grocery store, I don't see endless isles of delicious creative culinary possibilities, I see a battle ground, I see possible missiles down every isle, just waiting for some little guys hands to grab them and throw at some poor unsuspecting shopper.
Like a war vet, as I travel down each isle, I have 'Supermarket Sweep' flashbacks, running, grabbing things in a panic, trying to decided what I REALLY need, and what can I leave behind. After I'm done, exhausted, wounded, I bring my groceries into the house to survey the damage and count the casualties (meaning all things that I have forgotten to get and must now plan a second trip to the store...or send my back up in to get it...my husband).

So, for today's trip I'm going to do what my husband aways tell me and "Think positive, Heather!"
Okay...ill think positive...here's what I'm positive about:

1. I am positive that Knox will try to lick every part of the shopping cart.
2. I am positive that the only thing Knox will want to grab out of the cart is the raw meat or harmful chemicals
3. I am positive that I will get the "Why don't you buckle your kid in?" look from other shoppers, then I will shoot them the "Oh! Is that all have to do? Why didn't I think if that?!? Oh wait, that's right, its because my kid decided he was going to show off his genius powers by learning how to unbuckle himself, and just in case you didn't know my son is also a contortionist, he can squeeze himself out of the cart straps no matter how tight I make." So, there you go! 
4. I am positive that halfway through my shopping list, Knox will poop, and it will be toxic (biochemical warfare) 
5. I am positive that once I reach the longest and slowest checkout line, Knox will have a complete meltdown and try to nosedive out of the shopping cart.  

Well, I'm off!

Old Sacramento: ’Twas The Night Before Christmas

This past Sunday Mark and I took Knox to see the Theatre of Lights in Old Sacramento. It would be Knox's first time seeing a fully decorated Christmas tree AND Santa! =D

 Along with all the beautiful lights dripping off every building in the entire town, the people of Old Sacramento put on a Christmas play, right on the balconies of the old buildings. 

I took a little snippet from the website, it may be able to explain everything better than I can, and there's a video if you are curious to see what the play looked like. 

 Old Sacramento’s Theatre of Lights is a unique state-of-the-art live staging of the classic ’Twas The Night Before Christmas hosted by Mark Twain. (See video from the 2010 staging.)

The show blends a symphony of lights, sounds and visual effects which will take the audience back to a time when the beloved poem ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas was first introduced in Sacramento in 1857 in The Sacramento Bee. The beloved poem comes to life on the balconies and rooftops of Old Sacramento’s historic buildings on K Street between Front and 2nd Street. 

Absolutely none of these photos are in order...but I'm being a little lazy right now....enjoy!!! =D

 

SANTA!!!!! =D

MARK TWAIN!!!! =D

Here is a video that I took...its a little shaky but after standing out in the freezing cold for an hour I couldn't  hold my camera up anymore...note to self: must buy gloves.