A week later

And we still only have just lights on the Christmas tree, haha! We got the box of ornaments up near it, but for some reason, its just hard to open it up and start putting ornaments on it. I am sure we'll get around to making it all pretty before everybody arrives for Christmas. Violet and I played hide and seek today for a long time. She just loves that game! She is finally grasping the concept that she needs to cover her eyes when I hide and count to 10 to wait for me. She hid behind the couch, under the dining room table, behind the blue recliner chairs, and inside the coat closet. I went to work out this morning at step class. I went four times last week, and this week I think I'm going to try go at least 3 times. Violet really likes going to see "the two Kathys" there. She's getting more familiar with them and enjoys running into the gym when its all over to come find me and help me put my exercise ball and equipment away. The one time we were all done and had put everything away before the kids got to the room, she started bawling in the hallway because she never got the chance to "come get me" and help me put stuff away. It was pretty sad and sweet at the same time. She really likes it when she sees Katie there. She said today "Oooh! My friend Katie is here!" Calvin does pretty well with them too. He doesn't cry (yet) when I leave. But I just sort of disappear - he doesn't really get a big ol' goodbye because he doesn't get it yet. I think for his birthday, I'll order a birthday cake from Walmart and just let him eat it. Dave's family will all be here for Christmas, so they can help us sing happy birthday to him. Maybe I'll get him something fun, I don't know. He is going to be 1 in less than 2 weeks! Today he woke up from his nap, and he is always sooo excited to see me, he can hardly stand it to wait while I straighten out his messed up blankets over the edge of his crib. He was playing with the ball popper just a few moments ago, and noticed a yellow ball shoot out of the air shooter and fly off the toy landing a few feet away. He said "uh oh!" and walked over to get the ball and put it back in the toy. He's just getting too smart! He can babble "mama, baba, and uh oh". Everything is uh oh though. Just seeing something he wants, he grabs for it and misses, he says uh oh. We sold an old bag of dog food that we had for Abby just yesterday. That bag of dog food has been with us for a long time! It was still sealed, never opened, and not expired yet, so we listed it on craigslist and someone bought it for $10. Violet wondered where Abby was again when she saw the bag of dog food. Last night was the Christmas program at Bethany. It was so cute. Dave was with his Sunday School class, so I was by myself with Calvin and trying to video tape/take pictures at the same time. The moment Violet's class walked up there, he started crying, so Maggie took him out for me. I was so glad she grabbed him. I got most of the part she participated in on video. She was supposed to say "sea" as part of the Creation portion of the Seven C's of History program. She clutched Ivy's hand and her blankie at the same time, leaned into the mike, and said "I". She tried again, said "I" and then "Sea!" She didn't cry and freak out like she did at VBS a few months ago. I guess with that pink blankie, anything is possible to her. We almost forgot to bring it with us yesterday morning. We were pulling into the parking lot, and she started crying for her blankie, so we had to turn around and get it from the house so she could stand to make it at Sunday School. I know she won't drag that thing around with her forever. At least I hope. I still have my yellow baby blankie. Rachel forced me to wash it, and now its folded in my closet. At least I finally stopped sleeping with it! LOL OK, I should get off this website. Dave is up from his lunch break!