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December 30, 2004
Birthday Party
On Tuesday, Signa went to her first Friend Party. Caden is a boy that she met at the park and they play together on Mondays. Well, they both are at the park at the same time on Mondays. Our 2-year-olds tend to just play NEAR one another, rather than actually together. But it is still wonderful that she knows their names and recognizes them. And to be invited to his party?!? What an honor! Other park pals, Roslyn and Isabelle were there, too.
Signa really has no concept of what a party is. But for days I'd been telling her she's going to a birthday party. "Okay!" she would say with glee, as she ran for the door. I told her about cake. "Chuckie cay? Okay!" she would say with glee, as she ran for the door. I told her about the possibility of ice cream. "Okay!" she would say with glee, as she ran for the door. Marc says, "What do you want for breakfast?" and she answers with "Ice cream!"
Then I say, "We will sing, 'Happy Birthday' at the party!" and she says, "No. Noooooo," and runs away, crying in fear. She used to be afraid of candles and I guess that she knows they go with Happy Birthday, bur forgot she's over the whole candle thing. So we went over blowing out candles again. All was well with the party again.
"Want to go to a party and sing, 'Happy Birthday'?" "Okay!"
I dressed Signa in a cute outfit I got her last year to fit this year, but after putting it all on her, including the red barrette to match the dress, we decided it was way too big on her. Okay. I was ignoring that it was way too big. But after Marc second-ed my fears, I saw that indeed her shoulders were showing, she couldn't find her hands and her tights were falling off.
So I changed her into another outfit (the one Sheri found at Old Navy for me in October, because ours had nothing in stock and I love the outfit). It is also too big, but not too, too big. And pink, so I had to change her hair.
But she looked really cute, so it was all okay and worth the effort. To me. Signa just wanted chuckie cay.
Caden had a jumping thing at his party in one of the bedrooms that Signa wouldn’t try until a big kid got in. She loves big kids so much. I bet she'd pay me to get her a big brother (she's more fond of rambunctious than of princesses, so I'm betting brother over sister). Anyway, not gonna happen. No matter how much is in her piggy bank.
By far the most fun thing at Caden's party in Signa's eyes were the stairs. She went up and down up and down up and down, at least 100 times. She also liked the banana, the running through someone else's house at top speeds, and the toys that she has at home but doesn't play with. She wasn't into the "organized activities", such as eating, pin the nose on Elmo, or, surprisingly, cake. She just wanted to run with the big kids. The good news was that she wasn't even the tiniest bit clingy.
Posted by Debbie at 02:58 PM | Comments (1)
All The Christmas Celebrations
December 17, 2004: Work Party
We had our work party at a former coworker's home. It was really a lot of fun and they were nice enough to allow us to bring Signa. Signa was slightly bad, but a trooper considering it was an adult party and she was not an adult. Billions of presents on the floor and she can't have them? All sorts of knickknacks to touch and yet off limits? She did well, but we won't do that to her again. We did come away with White Elephant gifts that we love. Mine is the best of all- a ceramic dressed up ostrich/flamingo for the tree. I love her. Marc got some sort of alcohol like Baileys.
December 18, 2004: Mascot Family Christmas
We celebrated an early Christmas with Nana and Papa and Uncle Karl and Aunt Dee on December 18. Signa kept calling their dog, "Dinga" even though his name is "Aussie", but the love was there. One-sided, but still. Aussie was a trooper. Signa got so many wonderful things and she was so cute, as she really liked Aussie's toys the most.
Let's see if I can list the things Signa got... She got a new bedding set for her room, a Baby Tad, a coloring book, a doll, oh my gosh, there was so much! I have it written down for when I do the thank you cards, but off the top of my head, I remember so many presents! All the while, Signa was playing with dog toys.
We had a wonderful visit, terrific food and I can't wait to go back. I'm hoping we can stay overnight at Easter, maybe. If they'll have us!
December 24, 2004: Christmas Eve
We headed off to Mom's/Auntie Leslie's/Auntie Karen's. We got there around 4pm, I think. Others arrived to an end total of 20 people. 21 if you count SANTA!!!!
Yep. Santa came. It was a little after 7pm and we'd opened packages already. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and screaming happened. I looked frantically through the crowd and saw HIM. Santa himself. Standing there saying HO HO HO! It was magicall. Then I looked down at Signa and she was petrified. Like a forest. Never really saw any one truly petrified before but there she was. Rigidly petrified. Santa sat on the big couch and I sat with Signa on the little couch. She wouldn’t look away, but she also wouldn't let go of her death grip on my arm.
All the kids (except Signa) sat on his lap and he asked questions and gave out prizes and sang songs. Signa managed to overcome her fear for 2.41 seconds to reach W-A-Y out and grab candy, but other than that she kept her distance.
She really loves being with all the kids. You can tell she wishes that she had a big brother or sister. Mostly brother, as she like rambunctious over princess.
It was so fun watching the kids with Santa. We got it all on video so that we can replay it every year. I loved hearing Melanie sing, "Felice Navidad" by herself and then we all sang it together. It was so great to hear all the kids telling their own versions of different things they've done and tried and felt. Signa was a Santa Dud, but the other children made up for it.
We got home around 9:30 and put out cookies and egg nog for Santa (Signa said,"NO COOKIE SANTA!" and got upset) and carrots for the reindeer. We also left a thank you note.
* Packages were amazing. She got so much great stuff! Great clothes from Auntie Leslie, some from Greg, a beautiful Naartjie dress from Jeff, Ana, Ryan and Andrew, a set of fun learning games from Danny, Rebecca and Melanie, a really cool fun music thing that I don't even know how to describe from Cindy, Paul, Conner and Deborah, and some wonderful books and a coloring book from Auntie Karen. Marc and I got a set of new placemats and a really yummy candle from Auntie Leslie, a snowman family on a stocking holder from Auntie Karen and lottery tickets from Jeff, Ana, Ryan and Andrew (we won $2!). And $20 from Great Grampa in Washington.
December 25, 2004: Christmas Day
We woke up early Christmas morning (okay. *I* woke up early Christmas morning.) They finally got up around 7am and I took Signa into her room to change her diaper and to put on her Christmas pjs while Marc set up the video camera so that we would be able to see her face when she saw her Santa present. I finished her up and ran past her into the livingroom to grab the regular camera to get snapshots of her face.
And we waited for her. She was in her room playing. "Signa! Come quick! Santa came!"
"No, Santa!"
Oops. Poor girl was afraid of what surprise was in the living room, what with all the Scary Santa-is-coming talk. So we tried every trick in the book. "What's that on TV?" "WOW! THAT IS SO FUN!" "WEEEEE!"
Nothing. She wouldn't budge. I finally went and led her out of her room and down the hall. But when she got to the place where she could see what Santa brought, she stopped bieng scared and started with,"Wassat, Dad?" And then she played all day with the train table and airprot set. She was in love and still is. Santa did very well.
She opened her stocking stuff and all her other gifts, but the Santa present is the best of all. She got Buzz Lightyear and Bullseye from Toy Story II. She got books and games and other things from us also. We opened Grampa and Grandma Molly's gifts (a ToysRUs gift certificate for Signa, a Starbucks gift certificate and sweater for Marc and a Barnes & Noble gift certificate and really cool magnetic necklace/bracelet for me). We then had more coffee and Signa played with her train table some more and then GrammaC got there. Todd and Austin came next with Kelly joining us soon after. We had visits from Bill and Nicole and then Bob and Scott later on.
GrammaC got Signa a few cute outfits and then a Radio Flier tricycle with a handle so that she can't escape us. And a helmet, too. She gave us NEW DISHES! Yay! We are so sick of the farm dishes we picked out for our wedding. Todd and Austin got her a Spiderman fort and a Spiderman bike. They got Marc a Donald Duck giant figuring thing in a boat. It is stunning and I can't even explain it well. I got the most amazing thing. Also inexplainable. A Nightmare Before Christmas music box, but it's way better looking than that even sounds. My stupid brother made me cry.
Kelly gave us a Don Knotts DVD with a bunch of Don Knotts' movies. She fits right in! Bob and Scott gave us DVDs (for me: Grease- which Signa loves, Tremors, Ewok Adventure, and Raising Arizona. for Marc: a few movies I don't know and then the whole set of Harry Potter movies) and then for Signa a Supergirl Barbie, plush dolls of Chewie, C3PO and R2D2 (Star Wars), a Gumby DVD and the Wiggles guitar.
We ate chips and dip, cheese and crackers, candy, cookies, Moose Mix, my Christmas chili, a big turkey and just about anything else that we could find. We should have bought stock in Pepto Bismo. And bigger pants.
All in all, Christmas Day was fun and relaxing. Not a lot of running around and no stressing at all. It was just fun to have people flowing in and out and everyone was just relaxing and no maintenance. Just a nice, nice day.
And now we've New Year's to look forward to. Ah, realizing I will never, ever make it to midnight and going to bed at 10pm. What I do every year.
Happy new year, all!
Posted by Debbie at 12:59 PM | Comments (0)
December 28, 2004
A Tribute to Skootr
Cheery Chee. Littlest Girl. Baby Girl. Skooter Pie. Those were some of her nicknames. She came into this world to our landlady's cat, a black and white kitty, who's name I've forgotten. They called us over to see the babies and we said, "When can we have the gray one?" Their eyes weren't even open yet. We got "the gray one" a few weeks later, too soon, really, as she wasn't weaned as much as she should have been. I remember getting her on my birthday in 1989, right before going to see Honey I Shrunk the Kids. I was worried that the other two cats would eat her while we were at the movies. She terrorized them and tortured them. We came home to find them cowering in fear on the bed.
Skootr is not a typo. We named her that with that spelling. I loved things spelled with just an "R" at the end. Like Liquid PlumR. Love that. So we named her Skootr for all the dragging around she did of herself to sneak up on things and spelled it my favorite way.
Oh, but she was a he then.
I had never had a kitten before so had no idea what He kittens looked like vs. She kittens. Marc said he was a he. For six months, Skootr was my Little Baby Boy. Then I took "him" to get neutered. The clinic lady reached into the box and groped around. "Your cat has already been neutered." I laughed at her. Idiot, I thought. She then said, "Well, actually, your cat is female." Yep. Sure enough. Skootr is a girl.
I remember in the earthquake that October, we thought Skootr was under the big heavy bookshelf. Marc lifted it single-handedly, but she was hiding under the bed with the rest of the kitties. Later that month, when we were moving from one apartment to another, Skootr escaped and ran under the sofa in the lobby. I, to this day, have not seen anything or anyone move that fast. She was a terror.
Over the years, she's slowed down, but she still had that edge to her. She just was always on the rampage. We got Jones when she was two so that she would have someone to play with and maybe give her a run for her money. They loved each other, but really, it was like she thought, "Oh thank God you got a kitten! All this running around entertaining you was wearing me out. I'm gonna go nap and eat now. Have fun."
Jack came a few years back and I don't think he and Skootr had much of a relationship, except that of old auntie and her young nephew who constant tried to get her to play with him. He loved her so and she just stood there yawning at him. But I think she knows that he is her family, too. All of us are. Even the hideous baby we brought home in September 2002. The baby who has grown into a touching, poking, pulling toddler. "Nose. Ear. Foot." They were named and touched, poked and pulled. And Skootr took it like a trooper.
Skooter never really liked to cuddle, unless it was on her terms. She came to you, you pet her, she was happy, drooled and then she went to eat. In those early months, Skootr slept on my head. Well, on my pillow, but wrapped around my head like a hat. She would get hungry every 4 hours and wake me up by "making bread" and drooling all over my chest. I'd get up and feed her milk and baby food. All the way through Saturday (Christmas) she would drool whenever she was pet. Saturday she stopped purring and drooling. Yesterday morning we took her and had her put to sleep. She was old and tired and very sick. It was time. She was only going to get worse.
Jones has taken to mewing through the house. Neither he nor Jack ate all their breakfast this morning, which, while normal for Jack (playing is more fun), it is not normal for Jones.
We will miss her so much. She's been part of our every day for so long and such a big personality in such a little thing.
So Skootr, my Littlest Girl, sleep well. Momma loves you.
Posted by Debbie at 12:44 PM | Comments (1)
December 16, 2004
Help! Over here!
So many things to update about and so little time.
How funny is it to hear Star Wars on the TV while unlocking the front door when you get home from work?
Not funnier than opening the door and seeing your two-year-old daughter standing there dancing to the music wearing her Viva La Juicy t-shirt (that was supposed to be mine) as a dress and her Hanna Anderssen slipper socks while grasping her C3PO figure.
Then to hear that all day she reenacted a scene in which C3PO yells, "Help! Over Here!" in the desert just puts me over the laughing edge.
Seriously, though, C3PO has become her passion. Along with fake sneezes followed by her blessing herself. And a bazillion other things that I will kick myself for not remembering to put on paper. Like her pooping in the potty TWICE! Like her new (bad) cold where she lost her voice and so sounds even tinier than tiny. Like how we made ornaments for the tree out of dough and she was a good "hepping" girl. She now wants to "hep" with everything. Like how she re-enacts the last part of Gymboree where the Gymbo doll kisses everyone good-bye.
So many things and I'm too busy to write many of them down. Maybe tomorrow.
Posted by Debbie at 03:12 PM | Comments (0)
December 04, 2004
Deacon Dave's Christmas House
Last night we went to this:
Deacon Dave's Christmas House. (more about it here: http://www.webbearings.com/christmas/home.html
Signa was a maniac. We walked down to where the parade started and they were holding hideous, scary candles, so she wanted to go away. Kept pointing any which way, as if, "Hey! Look over there! Isn't THAT cool?!?! Let's go and see!" They finally got the parade underway and we followed along on the sidewalk while the chorus sang, "Hark! How the Bells" so beautifully. Signa was amazed, but the amazed quickly turned into bored.
We then waited for Deacon Dave to turn the lights on. But first a speach.
Signa was restless. We were That Family with That Kid. We were trying to appease her without actually leaving.
We still waited for Deacon Dave to turn the lights on. But first a prayer.
Marc was holding Signa and Peek-a-boo behind him was working. I'd go over one shoulder and surprise her and then the other. But then she got too much joy out of it and screamed her ear-piercing happy scream that shatters glass. Everyone looked. Everyone.
FINALLY the lights came on (this took likely a whole big whopping 20 minutes, but it felt like forever). It was stunning. Lights everywhere. Very cool, but Signa was still restless. Then she grabbed the lady's hair in front of it. Hard. And pulled. Hard. We were still That Family with That Kid. We walked through and ooo-ed and aww-ed over everything. Well, we did. Signa didn't care one bit.
Then we went home. With our bratty kid, who apparently doesn't like ANYTHING fun about Christmas. Except presents. She's learned that word perfectly.
Posted by Debbie at 03:58 PM | Comments (2)
December 03, 2004
New Look/New Author?
I'm trying to get Marc to write stuff here, too, since it is about the Mascots in general and Signa in specific. But then I looked at the girly template and realized that it could be a large inhibitor. This wonderful coffee theme goes right in hand with what I really wanted anyway.
Now back to Signa...
She was singing up a storm yesterday. We think she was even making songs up. It was really, really funny. And cute.
Last night she woke in the middle of the night sobbing and crying so loudly it was really screaming. It took forever to calm her down and when I did, she was doing that awful after-cry breathing thing.
I just know she dreamed of a scary red man with white trim.
Posted by Debbie at 02:19 PM | Comments (0)
December 02, 2004
Traditions
You don't have to know me well to know that I love traditions. Growing up, we didn't have the Advent calendars. You know, that you open a door and there is chocolate inside? We didn't have those. I didn't even really know they existed until I was all grown up, so then I wanted one. Only I am not a huge chocolate fan and I am too lazy to remember to go out and buy something every year.
But about 5 years ago I was at a Hallmark store and they had this Santa standing by a miniature tree with a bag full of numbered ornaments. I liked it and it could work every year for the Christmas Countdown. Granted, I know that for at least four of the years, I pretty much did the little number 1 star and maybe the number two bell and then all the rest of the numbers the night before Christmas. But still.
This year would be fun. Signa would dig it. Decorate the little tree? Every day? She would beg for it nightly and I'd smile sweetly and say, "That is for morning. Sleep well, Baby Girl." And she'd sleep through the night and wake up smiling and begging to put a little ornament on the tree. She'd remember it always fondly. I just knew it.
I am such the Polly Anna.
So yesterday morning, December 1, 2004, after a restless night full of nursing and "Signa, GO TO SLEEP!" interruptions, I got up. I couldn't wait for Signa to wake (now that I was already up). I watched the clock. Then I heard the stirring and in she came with Marc. We went off to the living room, all the way, I said, "We are going to do Special Christmas Decorating!" I was nearly skipping with her in my arms.
We reach the tree on the "mantel" over the TV.
I take out the little star numbered with a "1". What number is that, Signa. "ONE!"
Yes. It's working. She's excited.
I post it on the top of the tree and say, "YAY!"
She looks at me. Completely non-plussed.
Then she held her arms out to Marc so that she could go watch movie previews on the computer with him.
I'm going to have to learn that traditions (like watching movie previews with her dad) are sometimes not going to be planned, but will just be enjoyed. This morning, we put the bell on the little tree on the way out the door and she was equally not interested.
Oh. And guess who went poop on the potty last night? Tradition, here we come!
Posted by Debbie at 12:55 PM | Comments (0)