Merry & Bright!

Today we decorated our house for Christmas. First, Paprika had her first day back at preschool. When I walked into school with her, all the kids started jumping around her yelling, "Yea!!! Paprika's here!" Paprika brought stickers for everyone, and they all really liked that. She was only gone a week, but I guess in 3 year old land, that is an eternity. It was an exciting morning for her.



When we got home after preschool, we started on the Christmas decorating fesitivites. We hung the lights on the tree, and Paprika hung the ornaments (all on the lower third of the tree). Paprika and Ginger were both pretty excited by all the decorations and lights.



We had hot spiced cider, egg nog, and listened to Christmas music...all the old favorites like Sinatra singing "Jingle Bells" and Dean Martin singing "Baby It's Cold Outside" (love that one). I put lights on the banister and Mr. Mustard hung the stockings by the fireplace.



We are using the same little Christmas tree that we bought at Target on clearance for $10 years ago. We got it for Paprika's first Christmas, so this is our fourth year with it, and now I guess it's become sort of a tradition. Every year we say we're going to get a new one...a live one...but we can't part with this little Charlie Brown tree.



Even this year, Mr. Mustard said, "well, maybe this could be our 'bonus tree' that we put upstairs. But then we'd have to get a whole new set of ornaments, all new decorations..." (I think this is the same conversation we had about it last year). So in the end, we just always stick with the one we've got!



After we set up the tree, we did a craft project together. We painted our own ornaments to hang on the tree. Paprika painted her Santa ornament red, yellow, and blue all at the same time- which of course made it brown! I still think it's pretty adorable, though, and you'd better believe it will be hanging on the tree front and center. :-) So, that was our day today. As you can see from the pics, it was quite a giggle-fest!

5 1/2 Month Milestones

Ginger is now 5 1/2 months old. She can roll all the way over, rest up on her elbows, and scoot just a little bit.

We are pretty sure she's going to be left-handed because she reaches for everything with her left hand.

She still has no interest sleeping in her crib. When we put her to sleep in her crib, she wakes up immediately and is adamant about getting out of the crib. She wants to be held all the time, and lately has been waking up every two hours or so at night. Growth spurt? Teething? Both?

Every night, I end up walking around with her in the Ergo until she falls asleep, and then laying down beside her on our bed. She has to hold my hand while she's sleeping and when I let go, she wakes up.

I can't really say that I mind it. I am cherishing every precious moment of Ginger's life and love watching her sleep and being close to her. It's something I waited for and dreamt about for so long, I can't imagine ever taking a moment of her life for granted.

We are pretty sure she's teething because she is a little drool factory. And she chews on everything, including her hands. So, maybe we will see some teeth soon!

She has just started wearing 12-18 month clothes. Her 6-12 month pants are like capri pants on her now, and with the weather getting cold, I want her legs to be covered. I can't believe I'm already putting away her 6-12 month clothes! Eeek!

Love her so much. Can't believe she's nearing six big months old! Wow!

Things I Learned This Trip

My dad and Nancy are on a big jet plane back to Indiana. We had a wonderful week with them here, and I wouldn't change very much of it at all. I was feeling pretty down last night as we said our goodbyes, knowing that Paprika and Ginger are growing up fast and I am sad that my Indiana family doesn't get to see more of them. Hopefully in the next few months we'll be able to get out to Indy. That would be nice!

Just so I don't forget a few things, I'm making a list of the things that went well and didn't go so well this vacation:

1) All four of us (me, Mr. Mustard, Ginger, Paprika) sleeping in one room while sick is a recipe for sleep-deprivation.

Our plan was to have my dad and Nancy sleep in Paprika's room (our condo is two bedroooms), and move Paprika's bed into our room. We have been reading Little House on the Prairie together as a family, and I think we had a romanticized notion that if Ma and Pa could all sleep in their one room cabin, so could we.

So, we did move Paprika's bed into our room for the week. I think it would have been fine (actually, Paprika was really excited about the idea)...but then we all got sick with really bad colds and horrible coughs.

What I've learned is that when one person coughs, it wakes everyone else up. When you're talking about a three year old and a five month old, that's a problem. Ginger is the sickest of all of us, and she wakes up about every 45 minutes to an hour because she's so stuffed up she can hardly breathe.

So, she wakes up crying, which wakes Paprika up. Then I'll get Ginger back to sleep, and then Paprika will start coughing. That wakes Ginger up, and she starts crying. Which makes it impossible to get Paprika back to sleep. Then Paprika wants to get in the big bed, and she ends up kicking everyone until she goes back to her bed. Then Ginger wakes up when Paprika gets out of bed to go back to her bed. The cycle goes on all night long. Needless to say, we are tired.

2) Getting the van was worth every penny

We rented a minivan to drive for the week. I want one so badly now! I don't know how we would have done all the things we did without the van. It was great to be able to all drive in one car, pay for parking once, not get lost, and be able to change diapers inside the van. I never thought I'd ever say I want a van, but man...I want a van! (or at least the ability to rent one when we have guests).

3) Do not count on anyone to pass on a message for you!

This morning I got a call from Paprika's preschool. She has been absent since last Monday because our days were so packed with visiting, etc. Paprika's teachers have been freaking out, worried that something bad happened to her.

Well...I asked Mr. Mustard to tell the school last week, and he did, but I guess it got lost somewhere along the way and no one told Paprika's teachers or the school director where Paprika was. Next time, I will be letting her teachers know myself. I called the director this morning (after she left a very worried voicemail on my phone) and apologized up and down and all around. I felt so embarrassed.

Then when Mr. Mustard stopped by the school today, all the kids ran up to him yelling, "Where's Paprika? Where's Paprika?!" (Truthfully, she is still asleep, catching up on some much needed rest).

Good to know she's missed, but I am feeling guilty!

4) Always bring a stroller to the art museum

Sometimes what a three year old needs on a rainy day visit to the art museum is containment. It was very nearly a very expensive visit to the art museum yesterday...that's all I'm saying!

5) Enjoy every second and take lots of pictures (and videos)

Enough said!

Art Museum

It was a rainy day today, so we spent it at the Art Museum (the Norton Simon). It was my dad and Nancy's last full day here - they leave tomorrow, so we wanted to make sure to make the most of it.



We ended up going out for sushi last night, which was a lot of fun. My dad and Nancy don't often eat sushi, so it was great for them to try some new things. Mr. Mustard ordered for us (he is the BEST at ordering in restaurants) - and they loved everything we got.



Tonight we all went out for Thai food, which is my dad and Nancy's favorite type of cuisine. They ordered so much, Mr. Mustard and I never thought they'd finish it all...but they did! Mr. Mustard and I ordered one entree a piece and we brought home leftovers! It was a lot of food, and so yummy.



Paprika's favorites at the art museum were the Picasso paintings and the Rodin sculptures. Ginger's favorite things to look at were the Degas paintings of ballerinas and the Van Gogh paintings.

Paprika also liked the depictions of Ganesha in the Asian art collections. We spent a long time in that wing looking around and talking about the art.



I'm so glad we got to go to the museum with my dad and Nancy. I am not looking forward to them leaving- it has been really good to have them here. I am already bummed they're leaving, and they haven't even left yet!

Day Of Rest

We're all feeling a little under the weather, so we rested a lot today and mostly stayed home. In the afternoon, we took a walk to the park/playground, and went to the outdoor plant nursery to look at Christmas trees.

The big news around our house is that Ginger has given us the thumbs up to use the Ergo baby carrier. Up until now, she only wanted to be carried in the Baby Bjorn...which hurts our backs so much. So, now we can put our three Ergos to use! It's the start of a new era. We had a great walk to the park using the Ergo. Yea!



Paprika played and got some energy out at the park. It is so nice having my dad and Nancy here. Many hands make light work- it is so true. They have been helping a lot. Today Mr. Mustard and I went on a lunch date while my dad and Nancy watched the kids. I got to look at a menu and order without saying "don't pour the salt and pepper on the table, please" and "don't stick your fingers in my water glass" (my two standard things I say to Paprika everytime we go out to dinner). I got to think about what I wanted to order...ahhhhh. Little things. Of course, after an hour, all we wanted to do was come home and see Paprika and Ginger.



Tomorrow (December 7th) is World TTTS Awareness Day. This time of year is hard on me...just thinking about how old Vivian and Annemarie would be, and why they aren't here, and how much I wish they were.

But I've been focusing on the Serenity Prayer, and that helps. Focusing on the good and what life is now, not what it would be. Taking it one day, one moment at a time. Just being in the present. That helps. And surrounding myself with happy times and good people. But, I still miss them.



Speaking of good times and good people, we are going to pop in a DVD and have family movie night: The Little Mermaid (my dad has never seen it) and maybe order in some sushi. Somehow eating sushi while watching The Little Mermaid sounds kinda ironic- oh no, poor Flounder!