While He Was Sleeping

Lance has learned to climb out of his crib. So we are now in the transition stage between crib and big-boy bed.

This is what happened yesterday during his first big-boy-bed naptime. (Yes, I use our real names. But the fake names are really just for fun. Most of you know my real name and Lance's real name already, anyhow!) Today is Day 2. I wonder if we shall have a repeat performance...

On Christmas

Well, hey there! How are you?

What a whirlwind Christmas it's been. I don't know about you, but this year I felt pretty Scrooge-y. I didn't get excited about Christmas like I usually do. I didn't play Christmas music 24-7. I didn't shop very cheerfully. I didn't take the time to wrap the gifts that I *did* buy with extra-special care, putting pretty ribbons and bows on each gift. Just paper. Sometimes I even left off a tag, just writing directly on the wrapping paper.

But you know what I did? I thought lovingly of each person as I hurriedly wrapped their gift. When I listened to Christmas music, I listened with my whole heart. While it was a drag to try and get cookies baked for everyone, as I personalized each cookie with someone's initials, I thought of them and how my year was better because of them.

So what if my Christmas tree was smaller than usual.

So what if my gift wrapping was sloppy.

It's been a tough year for almost everyone. Rather than be sad that I couldn't buy my son every toy I wanted to get him, I can rejoice that in this uncertain economy, my husband not only kept his job, but he got a Christmas bonus. And I found a job that I'll be starting in January.

People everywhere are losing their homes. We're not.

We don't go out to eat as often as we used to, but we have enough money to buy groceries to prepare delicious meals at home.

So while my Christmas wasn't as glittery and magical as it is in my childhood memories, I can honestly say to you,

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Name My Blog

I'm getting bored with the name of my blog. I need something better. So I'm having a contest.

The Name My Blog! Contest.

Rules?

In the comments, leave suggestions for a new name for this blog.

If I find one I like, I'll pick it.

And your prize?

Bragging rights.

Sorry, but it's close to Christmas and I have a little boy to shop for.

The Latte Speculation

Isn't that a great title? "The Latte Speculation" sounds like it must be a real on-the-edge-of-your-seat-keep-you-in-suspense-through-every-bit-of-bad-guy-music sort of story, doesn't it?

Well, there's no bad guy music here.

Damselfly is pregnant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I was among the first to know. Actually, I think I was the first to know, and thus was born The Latte Speculation.

Damselfly is a very dear real-life friend of mine. She has been helping me out by watching Lance two days a week for me while I was doing my internship. Since I kept having trouble with student loans and could never pay her, I liked to surprise her with little treats now and then, including a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks.

Let me begin by saying that Damselfly is a known strange-coffee-orderer. By that, I mean she rarely orders a coffee drink straight off the menu. One time in particular I remember her prefacing her drink order with the following phrase: "Decaf, sugarless, soy, no whipped cream something-or-other-mochalattecarmelcino." To which the barista replied: "Why bother?"

I laughed at that. A lot.

So before just springing her with a drink, I called her ahead of time and I asked her if she wanted her pumpkin spice "loaded" or if there were any special instructions. She said, "Loaded sounds fine."

So that's what I ordered her. A Pumpkin Spice Latte. Full caffeine, plenty of sugar, no soy to be found anywhere, and a pile of whipped cream. She enjoyed it.

Two weeks later I wished to surprise my friend again. Since she had previously OK'd a straight-off-the-menu beverage, I didn't call ahead. I just ordered it. When she answered the door, I handed her the loaded Pumpkin Spice Latte (with caffeine and sugar and NO SOY), said, "I love you a latte" (because I'm corny like that,) she looked at it, took a polite little sip, and set it down.

And this, my friends, was The Latte Speculation. I thought to myself, "Hmm. She's not drinking something which a mere two weeks ago she devoured like a hungry wolf in a desert. (Yeah, yeah, I know. Awful metaphor.) Could she be...pregnant??!!"

I then dismissed the thought. Surely, surely, if she was pregnant, she would have told me by now. Maybe she just wasn't in the mood for pumpkin spicy goodness. Oh well, next time I'd make sure to call ahead and get her order first.

Fast forward to last week's vacation at Disneyworld. You may remember from the pictures that the Damselfly Family and the Meadow Family were there at the same time. We had dinner together the first evening and Damselfly announced that she was pregnant!!! I could barely contain myself, and had I not been in the glamorous surroundings of the Wilderness Lodge Resort, there would have been much screaming and jumping up and down.

Instead, I merely smiled and said, "THAT'S why you didn't drink your latte." To which statement everyone at the table burst out laughing and her witty husband, J.P., coined the phrase The Latte Speculation.

And from this day forward, the story of Damselfly's 2nd pregnancy shall go down in history as The Latte Speculation.

We're going out for coffee tomorrow. I wonder what she will order??!!

My internship is over. We've just gotten home from a 4-day vacation at Disneyworld. Hubby's mom came with us. It was her first time to Disneyworld, also her first time in the USA! Joining us for portions of our vacation were Flybaby, Damselfly, and J.P. I'll let Lance take over narrating our photos.

Hey guys! I sure like it when Mommy lets me write on her blog. Anyways. Here's a picture of me and my best buddy ever, Flybaby. His mommy and daddy are in there too. Mommy didn't mean to cut off Damselfly's head in this picture and she wants to tell her friend she's sorry. We were watching the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom. It was very cold! Mommy and Daddy bought me a special new jacket, hat, and mittens. Since we live in Florida, it's very unlikely that I'll need to wear the mittens again, but Mommy thinks I look cute in them.

We had special tickets to an event called "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party." I got to stay up WAY past my bedtime to watch a special parade, see SNOW on Main Street, and go on lots of rides. Mommy and Daddy got lots of free hot chocolate, too.


At Epcot, we got to go under the sea and visit Nemo!! I just love Nemo. Here is one of the few pictures of me with my Mommy. Usually Mommy is the one taking the pictures, so she has to make sure she asks other people to take pictures with her in them. I'm glad she did!



I got to play some drums at the Animal Kingdom. We were standing here next to them when a really cool parade came by and Pluto gave me a kiss!


I also saw Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Donald Duck.

It was very special to have my Granny from South Africa come with us. It's her first time in the USA!

Here's a nice picture of Mommy and Daddy. Don't they look nice together?

We got to see Mickey and Minnie Mouse TOGETHER! Mommy tells me that usually, you have to go separately to Mickey's house and then to Minnie's house. They must have known that I was coming so close to my birthday with my Granny and so they came together so I wouldn't have to stand in line again. Wasn't that nice of them?