E's Nutcracker

In keeping with our holiday traditions, we got all dressed up and went to see Damien's Mom, Marlene, perform in a production of The Nutcracker. She has created her own narration to the holiday show and we wouldn't think of missing it! This year was even more fun because we were able to talk our great friends into joining us!

The Brinkers have been our friends since college. Actually, Aaron has been friends with Damien since high school. We both met our respective spouses while at Santa Clara University and we have been friends ever since! They live very close to where the production takes place and we were thrilled that after inviting them, they decided to join us. Their beautiful daughter, Mia Grace, came with them and she is so sweet! We met them for dinner beforehand and we had to laugh when we realized Claire and Mia were wearing coordinated outfits all the way from their dresses to their white fur jackets!

After dinner we hustled over to the Performing Arts Center and met up with the rest of the family. Once again, Michael and Claire were thrilled to be with their cousins Alexander and Sierrah from Oregon. We all took our seats and waited for the show to begin. Earlier in the night, I had been telling Mia about the King Mouse and you could hear her saying 'Mouse' over and over to her parents. It was really cute. Her reaction was priceless when the King Mouse ran through the aisles of the auditorium!

I was really curious how Matthew would do during the show. We have always brought our babies no matter how young they have been. We let them watch for as long as they will tolerate and then one of us heads out with them when they get cranky. The show started and Matthew (and all the other kids and adults for that matter) were immediately captivated. There is something very magical that happens when Marlene takes the stage. She really demands your attention and gets everyone interested in the performance. She narrates her way around the King Mouse, Mr. Drosselmeyer, Clara, and her brother Fritz. Before you know it, the performance has taken flight and you are just along for the ride. Because it is a children's performance, it is only one hour long. It is the perfect duration for the kids and they are able to sit still and enjoy the show. Matthew did very well and surprised me at how long he stayed captivated. He was doing great until one of the toy soldiers fired a toy gun. I should have remembered- but of course, I forgot. I thought he might overcome his fright but when I craned my neck around to look at his expression, his bottom lip was curled and he was drawing in air to let out a big cry (and cry he did!). I whisked him out and we watched the rest of the performance from the back of the theatre.

Damien has always had a passion for the Nutcracker and to be truthful- I kinda didn't get it. However, I must admit that I would be really sad to miss the performance during the holidays. It has worked its way into my heart and the hearts of my children. The Nutcracker, with it's rehearsals and performances, is a lot of work for Marlene. It is time consuming and hectic. She commutes from home, to the show and back, over and over. I am not sure how long she will continue to do this, but she should know the joy her performance brings to so many of us- not only her family, but the other patrons who have come year after year to see this particular performance. I love the magic, the spectacle, and the way it takes me away for an hour only to return me to life a little more ready for the holiday season to begin. I really look forward to the performance and after watching it- I am ready to jump head first into the spirit of Christmas and all it has to offer!

Trimming The Tree

I love the adventure of going out and picking out a Christmas tree. While I do enjoy it, I am not one of those 'drive to the mountains and cut it down' type of people (although we did have fun cutting Brian and Karen's tree down with them a few years ago). I am happy with going to the local Christmas tree lot and waiting for my tree to call out to me. This year was fun because Michael's school had their own Tree Lot and he was excited to go there and pick one out!

I can remember back to my Catholic School days when my parents worked at the Holy Family Christmas tree lot. If I remember correctly, the school housed the lot at a vacant gas station and it was always freezing! I even think it snowed one time while we were working there. The memories from my childhood surrounding our Christmas trees are very colorful. One thing that we could count on every year is that when we brought the tree home, dragged it up to the deck (I hated this part) - the tree trunk was always too wide for the stand. Like clockwork, my Dad (who loathed getting the tree up every year) would descend to the garage, get the saw and cut and cut until he could shimmy it into the stand. One particular year, my Dad brought the tree out to the deck to cut the trunk. It happened to be cold enough to snow but my Dad went on dutifully to get the dam* tree in the stand. He sawed and sawed until he eventually felt pain and realized he had nearly cut his thumb off (I am not joking!). Off to the emergency room he went and we were all traumatized! We always got big trees. Big Douglas Fir trees that would fill our family room that had vaulted ceilings. My Dad always did his job and got the tree into the stand. However, the drama didn't end there. We always had a hard time keeping the tree standing. It was always top heavy and if you brushed by it, it would rock back and forth. On a few occasions, it even fell over. Nothing like coming home from a long night of errands to see your beautifully decorated tree lying on the carpet. With five small kids running around the house, you can only imagine the danger this posed. So what was the solution? My dad tied rope to the trunk of the tree and then nailed the rope into the carpet. Yep. It might sound primitive, but he got the blasted tree to stay standing! I know my Dad dreaded this time of year, but he always came through in the end.

Lucky for us, tree lots these days have everything you could ask for to avoid drama-filled tree lighting ceremonies. They cut off the bottom with a chain saw so that your tree stays fresh, they will shimmy it down for you, they wrap the tree in netting and even give you the twine to tie it to your car! If only my Dad had access to this 25 years ago, a lot fewer curse words would've flown through the already tense air.

Tonight, we went to the school tree lot and it took only a few minutes to find our tree. Damien and I look for the same qualities in a tree so it makes the selection process pretty easy. The kids had a ball running through the rows of trees and Matthew enjoyed watching them zig-zag in front of him. We tied the tree onto the top of our minivan and home we went! Damien got the tree situated in the stand and we started decorating. The only thing Damien and I don't totally see eye to eye on is the amount of lights the tree should have. I personally like a lot of lights on the tree. Every year he says I am choking the tree with lights, but somehow I get my way (Love you, Damien). The kids had a lot of fun this year and for the first time, really looked at the ornaments before they put them on. We talked about where we got the different ornaments and they got such a kick out of it. There are a few ornaments that mean a lot to me. For one, the kids each have a hand print ornament with a picture on the back from their first Christmas. Another ornament that I love is a little gold Eiffel Tower I picked up when Michael was in the hospital in Paris. It always goes near the top of the tree and in the center. This year, I got a new angel that lights up and I hope that she lasts for a long time! I also love the tree skirt that my Mom made me. It is really special to me because we went to the fabric store and hand picked the fabrics together.

Christmas is naturally a very emotional holiday and putting up the Christmas tree is what helps build some of that emotion. I am so happy that the tree is up and I look forward to the quiet part of the night- when all the kids are sleeping and Damien and I can turn off the lights and just look at the tree. With all the different ornaments, it represents who and what we are- where we have been and how our little family has grown.

A Day To Be Thankful

For the second year in a row, we hosted Thanks-giving at our home. This year was a welcome
change from last as I was actually able to do most of the cooking instead of observing from the couch while being pregnant. Again, we had a full house and it felt wonderful to be surrounded my Damien's family and to continue the tradition of togetherness.

So much has surrounded the festivities this year. I had planned to have all this time to prep and get organized, but that was not the way it played out! Six days before Thanksgiving, we put an offer on a house and it was accepted. Clearly, this shifted our focus a bit- but thankfully we got on track a few days later. I don't know what it is about this time of year that makes us House Happy. Just four years ago, we put an offer on the house we are in today the day before Thanksgiving. I guess it is just our time of year to add drama on top of drama!

Heavenly flew in Wednes- day night and helped us get started with all of the Thanks- giving prep. Because we had a big group of 22 coming to dinner, I was a bit nervous with the turkey situation. I bought a 23 pound turkey that we were going to cook on Thanksgiving- but the last thing I wanted to happen was to run out of turkey or even worse, not have any leftover for turkey sandwiches the next day! So, instead of cooking a second turkey or bothering someone to do it for me, I cooked two turkey breasts the night before. So with those cooked and with the nervousness of a turkey shortage behind me, we continued to cook and clean for the next day's craziness!

I love the Thanks- giving Parade and put it on for the kids to watch. Claire was way more interested than Michael, but I liked hearing it in the background while I prepped in the kitchen. First thing this morning, I set all the tables up. Tables, chairs, tablecloths, napkins, plates, utensils, votives, place cards, flowers, and much more. See, the problem with Thanksgiving is that it is what I call 'An All At Once Holiday'. You can prep all you want, but you really can't do much in advance accept set the table and cook the turkey. All the side dishes and all the madness can't be started until about an hour and a half before dinner time. It is calm, I am relaxed and then all of the sudden, you have to get moving!

The evening started at 5pm. It was great to see everyone trickling in and even more special to see the cousins running around the house. Michael and Claire don't get to see their cousins from Oregon often, so it is always great when they get to play with them. The house felt full of little ones and big ones, alike. Appetizers were served (people practically inhaled the brie cheese/red pepper jelly dish) and the night was off to a great start. Damien and I were busy in the kitchen chopping potatoes, mixing salads, cutting the garlic bread, preparing the sweet potatoes, making the stuffing and prepping the rest of the "All At Once" side dishes.

Dinner was delicious! We all gathered together to say prayer and thank God for all of the wonderful family and friends that filled the room with love. We are thankful for so much. For our health, for family, for the roof over our heads. Marlene said a beautiful prayer and then we ate! There was so much food, but that is pretty normal for Thanksgiving dinner. The kids ate at the 'Kid's Table' in the front room and the rest of us ate, talked about life, and caught up in the other room.

After dinner, we listened to a beautiful song sung by the Bowles family, ate dessert (there were so many!), and relaxed. Then came the 2nd Annual 'Passing of the Seasons' raffle. Each year when we are done with dinner and dessert, we all pick numbers and then everyone wins a Christmas gift that I purchased in advance. This year there were a lot of great gifts and everyone left a winner!

Another tradition I started this year was a Thankful Book. Everyone who was there wrote in the book what they were thankful for. Not only was it special to read what people wrote- but this book will serve as a reminder over the years of where we've been and what we've been doing. My Mom works this book into her Thanksgiving tradition and I decided it was time I did, too. Thanks for the great idea, Mom!

The next morning, we woke up and met everyone for breakfast. Once again- our big group got together and rehashed about the previous night's festivities. It was great to relax over some good breakfast food and enjoy everyone being together before they all set off to their homes again. After breakfast, we relaxed at the hotel (Matthew napped) and then we headed to a park for the Thanksgiving Cup. The Swendsen family usually has some type of competition the day after big holidays and this year was no different. This year the game was kick ball and I am happy to report that everyone had fun and there was no arguing (perhaps a Swendsen first?)! It was very non-competitive and all the kids (young and old) were able to play and have fun. After the game, we drove everyone by our new house and then came back to our house for Thanksgiving leftovers.

All in all, Thanks- giving this year was wonderful. I was personally thankful that Matthew was with us and able to be part of the action. I am thankful for my children's health and happiness, thankful to be around people who love and care about me, and thankful that God has blessed me with so much.

The Big 3-2

As most of you know, I love my birthday. It is the one holiday a year where it is truly all about me (which when you are a Mother you life is about your kids- is a welcome surprise). Mother's Day is great, but you also honor your own Mother, Mother-in-Law, and Grandmothers, too. So, my birthday is a day to sit back and enjoy the ride and it was awesome! I had braced for this birthday to be a quiet one. A lot of the surrounding family was out of town and we had been watching Damien's brother so I knew that we would be limited in our adventures.

The night before my birthday, I had a basketball game. When I got home around 9:15 p.m., Damien insisted that he start my birthday celebrations by going to Baskin and Robbins to get me a quart of chocolate and peanut butter ice cream. (He knows me well!) Well, he was gone a really long time. So long in fact- that I thought something had happened to him! About 11p.m., he came home and gave me my ice cream. Matthew was asleep upstairs in his crib and I was just about to put my feet up and dig in when I heard what I thought was Matthew in the kitchen. Wait, did Matthew get out of his crib . . . I was all sorts of confused. I got up and walked towards the stairs when I saw my adorable little nephew Kyle standing in the kitchen! I couldn't believe it! Behind him were my Mom and my sister, Jill. I was so surprised and had no idea they were going to be here! It was a wonderful surprise and I was so happy they came down to see me!

The next morning, they accompanied me on my morning carpool circuit and then we got coffee (twice), went shopping, went to lunch at Tomatina's (yummy!!), came back and rested, then headed out to dinner with a bunch of friends and family at Chevy's. It was a fantastic day and I felt the love from all of those that were able to celebrate my birthday with me. Damien really put in a lot of effort to make sure that I enjoyed my day to the fullest and I thank him and recognize all he did to make me so happy. It didn't hurt that he also gave me a sewing machine which is what I have wanted for a few years now!

It has been a crazy year. A lot of changes, a lot of new beginnings. However, when it was all said and done, this year has presented me with a large opportunity for growth. I am surrounded by my three beautiful children, a wonderful and loving extended family, an exceptional husband, and great friends. When I think back to a year ago, I was 24 weeks pregnant with Matthew and in a very different place. It was so special to have him with me this year and to come full circle from a year ago. I do love the fanfare that comes with my birthday and don't mind being spoiled either. But the real gift for me is the opportunity to be introspective on all that I have learned over the past year. I am appreciative for all of the wonderful blessings, the hard lessons, the mistakes I learned from, the successes, the failures, and the perseverance it took to make it another 365 days. I have learned a lot about me this year. I have new expectations on what I wish to accept in my life. What I wish to give to others and what I wish to receive from them. As we get older- we realize how short and blessed life is. I think that we need to constantly re-define our expectations and make sure we make the most out of life. My wish is to be able to make my children happy, to be a good mother to them, to be a good sister, daughter, wife, and friend. The life lesson to be learned here is that you can't be any of these if you don't listen to your own voice. Listen to what you need, listen to what makes you happy and be heard- because if you don't make yourself a priority, that beautiful light within you becomes less bright. I hope to listen to myself this year and let my light shine as bright as it can be. I am ready to set out to conquer, live, breathe, and enjoy another 365 days. Who knows what it has to offer, but I am ready to make the very most of it because life is a gift and I want to share it with all of those I love. Thank you to everyone who reached out to me on my birthday. I love you all and thank you for giving me the light I need to truly shine.

Big, Big Girl Bed

Matthew has slept with me every night since he was born. Some people think it is crazy; others just know me and shrug it off. I don't mind him sleeping with me at night, but the naps during the day have proved to be a bit stressful. Since Matthew has become proficient at rolling and pseudo-crawling, he makes me nervous when I put him down for a nap. Sometimes he naps on our bed- other times he naps on the kids' beds. But how can I relax when I keep thinking that he is going to roll onto the floor? This anxiety prompted me to take action! I asked Damien to take the crib down from the attic. It was time. Sure, we don't have much extra room here- but Matthew's actions have caused me to take action. He got the crib down and even put it together. Afterwards, he asked me, "Lisa, where is the crib mattress?" I thought and thought until it dawned on me that Claire had it in her Princess toddler bed. Now the crib was up, but we had to decide whether to go out and buy a new crib mattress or to buy Claire a 'Big Girl Bed'. Damien wanted to go and get another crib mattress, but I couldn't see blowing $60- just to have a third crib mattress in the house (Michael is still happily in his toddler bed). So, after 15 minutes of trying to convince Damien to get Claire a new bed- I did.

I worried if Michael was going to be jealous and we even offered to get him one, too. But just as I thought, he was content to keep his room the way it was. Plus, he is really excited to share a room with Matthew and he thought his room would be too crowded with a bigger bed. Point taken. I researched a bunch of places which sold twin bed sets and Damien and I set out on our mission. Heather stayed back home with the kids so we were off on our errand with Matthew. Thankfully, the first place we went to had a great deal on Twin Sets and we bought the bed. When we got home, Claire was beside herself. She couldn't believe that this big bed was hers! I went upstairs and began dismantling her toddler bed. With a concerned look she came up to me and said, "What are you doing?" I answered, "I am taking apart your little bed to make room for you big bed." She stopped for a minute and hugged her little bed. The tears started falling and I knew this was going to be a harder transition than I had first thought. "But I will miss my bed. My bed will miss me!" I reassured her that it would be okay. "Can Emily have my bed?" (For those of you that don't know, Emily was the girl name we had picked out for Matthew. Since I had a boy, Claire is confident that the next baby in my tummy will be a girl. She still brings home drawings from school with Emily in our family portrait. No pressure!) Knowing that giving the bed to Emily if she ever is to be would reassure her that moving to a Big Big Girl bed was the right thing to do- I told her that we would save it for Emily.

I feel like it was just yesterday that Damien and I made the decision to move Claire from her crib to her Big Girl Bed. It was such a big step for us and when I look back at pictures, it just hurts my heart that she was so little. I am so proud of Claire and the little lady she has become, but part of me just wants a few hours with that wiggly, chubby little girl. I know that I need perspective on this because in 2 years from now, I know I will wish Claire was as small as she is today. Life with three kids is busy but it is times like these that remind me to live each day to the fullest.

Takes Me Back

Today started out like any other California day. Cool, crisp, blue morning. Warmth creeping over the horizon. I drove Michael to school and prepared to accomplish a lot of things on my list of 'Things That Desperately Need to Be Done'. I was busy. Running from room to room, washing then folding laundry. Feeding, burping, and putting Matthew to sleep. Keeping Claire entertained. You name it, I probably did it. It was about time to pick up Michael from school so I gathered Claire and Matthew and loaded them into the car. I opened the garage door, and as I put the car in reverse I could hear the pinging of raindrops hitting the back of my car. It was a welcome surprise for me. Being that my birthday is right around the corner and California is still in it's t-shirt and flip flops weather, I have to redefine my expectations for my birthday. Growing up, the falling of the leaves, the need to put on a jacket, the bitter cold that stings your hands, and lots of rain is what made me feel like it was 'birthday time'. So, the fact that I heard the rain and drove through sheets and sheets of it on the way to get Michael- put a smile on my face. It didn't last long but gave me the much needed spring in my step so I could really leap into the spirit of my birthday. The rain threw me into a world of nostalgia and I didn't complain because really . . . who doesn't like feeling like a kid again?

Happy Halloween 2007

To say that there was a lot of build up to Halloween this year would be an understatement. At times I was worried that the build up of it all would make Halloween seem boring! But low and behold, it was a blast!

After the morning school festivities, we headed to downtown Willow Glen for trick-or-treating and a lunch date with some of Michael's classmates and the Moms. It was a lot of fun to just sit down and relax after the crazy morning. We headed back home to give the kids some much needed rest and to ramp up for the evening.

For the past few years, we have had a Halloween party at our house. While I love doing this, it was nice to be invited to someone else's house for a party. I had agreed to make a good salad and garlic bread (which is a staple for any simple or elaborate holiday) so I got busy in the afternoon making those. When the kids woke up from their naps, we started getting dressed and ready to go out! The sugar highs and lows in combination with the kids being sleepy made the process of getting out of the house a little more difficult that usual. Just before we were to leave, Claire asked me what I was going to dress up as. I knew that I didn't get a costume but saw the look on her face. I told her I had some costumes to choose from in the garage. She took the liberty of going out to the costume box and in no time at all, she walked back in the house holding a Belle dress that I had worn in college. "Please Mom! Please wear the Belle dress?" Because we were already pushing it time-wise, I told her that I would put it on when we went trick-or-treating. Mental note to get a costume next year! Thankfully, we made it on time to the party and relaxed for the hour or two before we would go door to door.

Damien was gung-ho this year with his costume. Since Michael wanted to be Boba Fett, Damien thought it would be really cool to dress up as Jengo Fett. For all those people, like myself, who are not Star Wars fans- the irony in these costumes is that in the movie, Jengo Fett is Boba Fett's father. So it seemed only fitting that they wore those costumes together to complete the father/son connection. While I kind of didn't get it at first, I did admire Damien's determination and willingness to wear a themed unitard. Just kidding. He did look pretty cool. While I did laugh at him a few times, his confidence was in penetrable. Michael and Damien looked great together and I know that it will mean a lot to both of them in the future. The pictures turned out amazing!

We were so happy that Heather could join us for Halloween. She is so determined to be at special events for the kids and I know that they really appreciate it. She came fully dressed as a fairy and was a HUGE help when we went out trick-or-treating. The kids had so much fun and got so much candy it was ridiculous! It was fun to go out with some of Michael's friends because it added a new dynamic to the group- not to mention the area that we trick-or-treated was an absolute candy goldmine!

Because it was Matthew's first Halloween, we were anxious to see what he would do when he went door to door. As you could imagine, he didn't do much but did get a kick out of all the decorations and getting to reach into the candy bowls and pick a piece of candy. This picture is of Matthew is at the first house of the night and his official First Piece of Halloween Candy. He is now officially in the Sugar Club (Jill, you must be pleased!).

The night was great and both Damien and I were so relieved to put the Halloween season behind us. While it was wonderful to be involved in so many events, it was also a little taxing and consuming. Now I am just worried about what to do with the 12 pounds of candy on my kitchen counter. I think Damien and I should go sample some- just to make sure it is safe for the kids! Happy Halloween everybody!

The Dreaded Flu Shot

I debate about getting the kids flu shots every year. Will it prevent the flu? Will the torture of dragging them in and preparing them for a shot be worth it? Do I really want to hold Claire down and deal with all of the madness that comes with kids getting shots? Well, at the end of the day, I decided to do it. I am not sure if Michael and Claire got them when they were babies, but I know that since age 3, they have gotten the flu shot. My kids have had a lot of colds already this fall. You have to be healthy in order to receive the flu shot, so I have been putting it on the back burner and waiting for all of us to be healthy at the same time (insert chuckle). Well, I called the doctor's office on a Monday and asked for their first available appointment. Would you believe they had room for all three of my kids the next afternoon?

After I got off the phone, I made the decision to tell Michael and Claire the news. "Guys, I know that this is going to be hard to hear- but you are all getting flu shots tomorrow." Claire, who was standing on the other side of the counter, suddenly disappeared. She immediately fell to the ground- sobbing hysterically about her plight. Michael was trying to be cool, but couldn't fool me. He was scared. Matthew wasn't sure if I had told him that I was going to change his diaper or take him in for a shot- so he just stared at his siblings and continued eating his snacks. I think my kids are past the age where you take them to the doctor and then in true kamikaze-style have the nurses scurry in, hold the child down, and give them their shot. I promised the kids I would tell them in advance and not lie. I was keeping my end of the bargain and suddenly, I wished I had lied. I was already tired from a long day of activities. Here I was, making dinner, trying to keep Matthew occupied, and now I had to deal with two devastated, distraught kids. Claire tried to be a big girl about it. But if the topic came up, she would cry and say, "Please don't talk about it. I'm trying to focus." Michael repeated the phrase, "Mom, it's quick right? Like a little pinch . . ." a million times before he went to sleep. I don't blame either of them for reacting the way they did. I just knew that by telling them in advance (as I had promised), it was going to make this simple and quick shot SO much more dramatic.

The morning of the shots was pretty calm. They all took peace that the appointment was after lunch so they enjoyed the morning. Once we had finished lunch and I told them to load up into the car, the drama began again. "You guys, try and take some deep breaths. I don't want you to get to overly upset when it really is not that painful and over fast." They listened to me for about a minute and then reverted to their meltdowns. We got to the doctor's office, checked in, and the kids sat motionless in the chairs. Then we were called back. They looked totally pathetic in there. So what would a good mother do? I took a picture of them. I figured I could at least laugh at it later. (See above sad photo.) We decided Claire would go first, then Michael, and last would be Matthew. They cried before the doctor came in and tried to hold it together once he did come in. I lifted Claire up on the table and she screamed. The girl is strong! All 55+ pounds of her! When she is upset, it is hard to hold her still! The doctor helped to steady her and gave her the shot. Then, like a magic spell had been brocken- her tears and sobs turned to laughter. Pure, happy laughter! What? I thought. Just like that, she was happy. Michael choked as well. His bravado went away and he cried hard when I put him on the table. The doctor gave him the shot and just like Claire, his tears turned into hysterical laughter. "Shots aren't bad!", he managed to say while cracking up. Matthew cried like a baby, which was totally appropriate. He got over it, too. I told the kids I was going to take a picture of how happy they were when they were done so next time, they could look at the picture and remember it wasn't that bad. They obliged but quickly responded, "What do you mean next time?"

That night, I realized why I was so fortunate to get an appointment so quickly. Every other mother, who was probably well rested and had a clear mind about her, wouldn't dare give their kids the flu shot the day before Halloween. Uh, oh. I knew I was doomed. Michael and Matthew fevered all night and I had to send Michael to school fully medicated. I was exhausted the next morning because Matthew didn't sleep well. That darn flu shot got the best of us. While I was relieved that I had gotten them their shots, I was also feeling punished for not realizing how bad the timing was. You live and you learn, rested or not. Trick-or-treat? I think I was tricked and I have no one to blame but myself. Good thing I know how to laugh at myself! It is one of the best things my Mom ever taught me. Looking at the pathetic and sad picture above make me laugh and keep things light. If nothing else- it make a good story.

He's 9 Months

What a fun month we have had with Matthew! With the September rush of Claire's birthday behind us, we welcomed October and all of the festivities it brought! For starters, it was so fun to put up our Halloween decorations and watch Matthew take it all in! Having a little baby around makes all of the holidays so much more vivid and memorable. To see Matthew learn what a pumpkin was, to see him check out our skeleton or Frankenstein, or even to watch him get excited over the witch hanging from the ceiling breathes a fresh breath of innocence into our lives. So often we forget about the little things. But when a baby it fascinated by something as little as a tiny little bat- it reminds you to slow down and take in life more slowly and completely. With this being said, we did slow down this month and truly experienced a few firsts with our little guy!

Matthew had his nine month appointment today and boy has he continued to grow! He is now 29.5 inches (95th percentile) and is 23.5 pounds (90th percentile). The doctor said he was really healthy and strong. Thankfully he didn't have to get many shots at this appointment- instead he just had to have a Hepatitis B shot (so no reactive fevers tonight!!!). He is still breastfeeding every 3 hours during the day and the night. In addition, he is still eating 2 meals a day of rice cereal and a veggie/fruit. This is supplemented by a sippie cup/bottle of water and Gerber snacks. I was happy to learn today that we can now table feed Matthew. It is so hard to watch him suffer at lunch and dinnertime as he sees all of us eat real food and he eats his mushy concoction. He has become very dexterous at snack time and uses his little pincer grasp like a pro. It is really cute to see him concentrate and pick up the tiniest of snacks! He loves to eat apples and bananas and I know he will LOVE eating our meals, too.

Physically, Matthew is just about pulling up to a stand. I have to help him a tiny bit and then he is up and standing. He is pretty steady and really doesn't fall much. He likes to stand for long period of times and bang his hands on the surface of the table while yelling. He sits for prolonged periods of time and can focus on toys and figure them out. He goes on all fours from the seated position but then will retreat to the seated position. He is not yet crawling, but is rolling across the room and back. Basically, he has found that this method works and until he can figure out the whole crawling thing- this will have to suffice. The doctor today said that he has really strong legs and that once he figures out he can use the power in them, he will be crawling all over the place. He also estimated that he will walk at about 13 months. Because Matthew is the third child, this estimation makes me very happy. I didn't need to have one of those kids who up and walks at 10 months.

Matthew loves to engage socially with people. He continues to smile all the time and loves to just be around people. Nothing is sweeter than being awake with him in the morning downstairs and seeing his face when Michael and Claire walk down the stairs. He is absolutely in love with them. He has taken more to Damien this month and actually leaves me at times for him (which is a welcome break). He has been more rough this month and has been slapping, hitting, and banging things more. He loves to pull out my earrings (which is annoying at times) and constantly has a lock of Claire's hair in his hands. He has started clapping and waving hello/goodbye to people. The funny thing is that when he waves hello with this left hand- he waves up and down. But when he waves with his right hand- he waves side to side. I love it!

Vocally, Matthew has started to really babble. Ba, Da, Ga, Ta are common sounds to leave his mouth. He has started to motorboat with his lips mainly because those two darn stubborn front teeth continue to torture him. They won't come in! He still screams and squeals sometimes to get what he wants and other times to express his excitement! He really doesn't cry much. Sometimes he gets frustrated during the morning while carpooling the kids to school, but on the whole he is a good boy. He has cried a bit for people other than Damien and myself, but for us he is really chill.

Matthew is really learning a lot of language. He recognizes people names, objects, and sounds with ease. It is crazy to see how quickly he is learning! Part of this is accelerated because of Michael and Claire. They are teaching him so much! He loves watching the kids run around at school and is constantly searching the sky for 'birdies'!

This month, Matthew traveled up north again to visit his Nonna and Grandpa and to be with his cousin, Kyle, as he turned 1! This was the first time Matthew and Kyle really interacted together. Matthew was able to avoid some of the eye-gouging and actually got a few 'hits' in himself. Kyle has been interacting with him for months, but Matthew really didn't get it. Now he understands more and was reacting to a lot of the things Kyle was doing. These two are going to get into a lot of trouble together in the future! Matthew enjoyed all the sights and sounds of Kyle's EIEIO party and loved playing with all of Kyle's new birthday toys! He even loved seeing his cousin wear a sombrero at his birthday dinner! It was classic! They loved playing together in the front seat of the car- taking turns honking the horn and steering the wheel. It was adorable!!!

Getting ready for Halloween with Matthew was wonderful. We loved having him join us for our many rituals- which included our annual It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown movie night. He enjoyed the sights and sounds of seeing all of us pile into the front room- lights off, pillows and blankets everywhere, cookies and hot chocolate for each of us (minus Matthew) to take in the movie. He actually loved it and watched quite a bit of it! He also got a kick out of carving pumpkins but basically sat in his high chair and squeezed the 'pumpkin guts' while saying eeeeeewwwwww. It was cute because I kept saying it and he kept mimicking me.

Oh, life with Matthew is the best! We all are enjoying his new milestones and enjoy the way he is able to show us that he loves and cares about us. We call Matthew 'the hybrid' as he seems to be a good mixture of the four of us. We melt at the sight of his one dimple, enjoy each and every giggle and squeal, and relish in the moment when he is asleep and we can stare at this sweet face. 9 months old. The ride so far has been incredible.

Spooky Celebrations

There is always a big build-up to Halloween. The decor- ations go up October 1st, the costume planning starts, you buy Halloween candy at the store (it never makes it to Halloween), and somehow- this little holiday consumes us all! In our house, Claire is always the one who starts planning early. She always intercepts the Disney catalog from the mail and decides what she wants to be right then and there. I don't mind getting her costume in late August/early September because I know that she won't change her mind before the big day comes. Michael on the other hand is another story. I was burned by him a few years ago when I bought him a Darth Vader costume early- only for him to change his mind days later. So I take caution in buying him his costume and make sure it is what he really wants. Matthew was easy this year. I bought it- he wore it. He didn't complain once!

There are so many fun things to do during the Halloween season. So many little pumpkin patches pop up around here and it is so fun to see kids, and parents alike, have fun. While there are a variety of activities, I can always plan on a few things happening before Halloween arrives. I can always count on Claire's school going on a field trip to a pumpkin patch. I know that I will be making cupcakes or some creative dessert for two different class parties. I know that I will have to exercise my patience in helping the kids try on their costumes 100 times before the big day comes. I know that I will constantly have to distract myself from the bag of Milky Way bars that are staring at me on the counter. All of this combined always makes for an interesting October.

One sunny weekend, we took the kids to a local pumpkin patch. Matthew had never seen so many pumpkins before and his already big eyes turned HUGE at the sight of the orange pumpkins! We gave the kids free reign at picking out their pumpkin. It is always interesting to see what shape, texture, and color pumpkin they gravitate towards. They jumped off the hay bales and Matthew enjoyed being wheeled around in a wagon. $22 dollars later, we left- pumpkins in tow. Man, pumpkins are expensive! (Especially when Dad doesn't put a size limit on the choices like Mom would have. But I suppose that is what Dads are for! Sometimes, they can be more fun!)

The next activity was going to Casa de Fruta for Claire's field trip. Because the kids are at different schools this year, Michael wasn't able to go with us. Claire wanted to take the school bus from her school to the pumpkin patch, but because this was my third trip to the pumpkin patch with their preschool, and because I have taken the bumpy, squished, way to hot in the cabin bus ride two times, I felt justified to say no and just meet her school there. Damien drove separately we had an awesome time. They really do a phenomenal job down there at the pumpkin patch. I blogged about this field trip last year (I was about 20 weeks pregnant with Matthew) and the kids just have so much fun! Matthew got his first ride on a train, he rode on his first carousel, and just had a ball watching all the kids run around from one activity to the next! We brought lunches at ate under some trees and just took in the beautiful scenery and weather. We had to drive one hour south east to get to the pumpkin patch and it is always warmer down there. But would you believe it was 90 degrees? By the end, I had to take off Matthew's long sleeve shirt and let his bare chest and belly hang out. I can't say that I minded seeing him like this. It just added to the fun of the day!

Carving pumpkins this year was really fun because Michael and Claire had definite opinions about what their pumpkin would look like. Coupled with the fact that Matthew was having a ball playing with the' pumpkin guts' it was a really great time. Heather came over to help with the carving and to carve her own pumpkin, as well. We had some good snacks, definitely good company, and created fun memories. Note: Michael still HATES touching the innards of the pumpkin. Never has he liked it and probably never will. Also, on a side note: we had a little pumpkin drama. At the pumpkin patch, Michael picked a giant pumpkin. However, on 'carving night' Claire SWORE that it was her pumpkin, which is was not. Lucky for us and with a little bribery, Michael relinquished his pumpkin to Claire. Nothing like a little Halloween drama to set the mood!

Because Halloween fell on a Wed- nesday this year, Claire's preschool had their Halloween party on the previous Friday. She woke up hyper and ready to wear her costume. Claire is a funny girl. For a long time if she made a joke and we laughed- she would storm upstairs. However, she is maturing a little more and realized that it isn't so bad to be funny. The reason I am telling you this is that Claire's costume definitely drew attention to her. For her birthday, Jill got Claire the Ariel wig and Claire was determined to wear it. So into her school she walked, already a head taller than most of the kids her age, wearing a bright red wig that she thought she looked so beautiful in. As adults, we see the humor in wearing the wig, but she was all about how wonderful she felt in it. It was so funny- ahem, wonderful to see her so confident in it. Her class had an hour of really fun activities and then started their 'costume parade'. Basically, the kids get together and walk around and around in a giant circle so all the parents can admire their costumes and take pictures. Ariel walked around and around tossing her hair at times, and at other times looking at me like, when are we going to be done with this? She did great. She looked beautiful, happy, and tall! When will her growth spurt stop????

Next up was another party that afternoon sponsored by the St. Christopher Mom's Group. It was at a local park and was SOOO well done. It feels so wonderful to be involved with such a supportive, wonderful, warm, and creative group of people. They had trick-or-treating for the kids, a bobbing for apples station, a tattoo station, a yummy food station, a picture taking station, and a coloring table. The kids had an absolute blast. As most of you know- I am not a huge Star Wars fan. I am trying- but I struggle. Michael thinks it is hilarious that I genuinely thought that one of the characters names was Hans Olo. I swear- I am terrible! Anyway, there are a lot of Star Wars fans out there. There were a bunch of 7th and 8th grade boys at the party who were volunteering to help make the event a success. They, being Star Wars fans, thought Michael's Boba Fett costume was awesome. They kept coming over and giving him knuckles (which I assume is the highest form of compliment from a 7th/8th grader). The kids had so much fun! There were babies dressed up (Matthew even found a little friend who was wearing the same shark costume as he was), tons of princesses running around (Claire no doubt loved that), and little boys in a number of 'manly and tough' costumes (many battles ensued as a result over whether Superman was stronger than Boba Fett, or the Black Spiderman, or a Power Ranger . . .).

And if you thought we were done- you are sadly mistaken. Michael's class had a Halloween party, too. Because they wear uniforms, you get used to seeing the kids look pretty much the same everyday. This made seeing them in their costumes so refreshing! There were so many different and fabulous costumes. All the kids really went for it and were so proud of their appearance! All the parents gathered in the quad and the kids paraded around and around for our viewing/picture taking pleasure. It was adorable. Because this is our first year at a big school, it was Michael's first chance to really see BIG kids dressed up! As we were pulling into the parking lot that morning, he asked me why a girl was wearing a robe and curlers to school. Once he realized that it was a costume and that everyone was dressed up too, he got so excited!

After school, a couple of my girlfriends and I took the kids to downtown Willow Glen where each store on the quaint street had candy for the kids. Michael was with his two buddies Jack (on the left) and Christian (on the right). He gave them silly teeth as a little gag gift and they loved them! So here is a picture of three amigos in their Halloween splendor! They got so much candy that they filled their bags/buckets to the top. And to think that they were still going to go trick-or-treating on Halloween night!!!! We had so much fun. Michael and his buddies ran through the crowds, and I got to chat and have fun with my friends. It was a great day and one we won't soon forget. And on and on went the Halloween festivities. One little holiday sure can spawn a lot of little celebrations!