The Crocodile Hunter

One of the gifts my mom got Colin was in a decorative bag, that is all but the tail. So this green tail taunted him until he was finally allowed to open it. What was it? A life sized crocodile! Seriously, we already have 15 "critters" as Colin refers to them that he sleeps with, carries around the house, and gets mad if they aren't all allowed to accompany him wherever he goes. So now we get to add a 5 foot crocodile to the mix?! Wonderful.

It's quite comical to see him lug this thing around but he's found the easiest way is to sling it around his neck like a scarf. It's hilarious to see because it looks like he's trying to wrestle a real crocodile. Thankfully, it hasn't taken up residence in his already crammed quarters of a bed. Nope, he gets his own big boy bed in the other bedroom. The baby doll gets the other bed in that room and no I'm not crazy, I'm trying to use this as a transition to entice Colin to want to sleep in a big boy bed too. He told me he would after Santa came so I'm just trying to warm him up to the idea slowly but surely - like sitting on Santa's lap. Here's hoping my plan works!

The illustrious bag. He's covering up the peeking tail.

The big reveal when he immediately goes into action and slings it on his shoulder.

The scarf action.

Christmas: Part 2

Christmas Eve we all went to my Mom and Dad's for dinner. My mom is a wonderful cook and I always look forward to getting to eat a home cooked meal from her. It's always good and best of all, I didn't have to make it!

We also opened presents with my sister and her family. My nieces are 11 and soon-t0-be 7 and are no strangers to Christmas and opening gifts. Within 5 minutes it looked like a tornado had passed through the family room, leaving behind nothing but paper scraps and boxes. They had a great time though and Colin enjoyed playing with the baby's toy - why do I even try?!

Everyone had a great time and had to get home to get in bed in time for Santa. I really enjoy being with family and wish the night didn't have to end so soon! Here are some pictures of the bedlam. As the camera woman, I managed to escape it all but Wes, the videographer, reassured me that he zoomed in to get a closeup of my bum on camera. Gee thanks!

Foxx doing a little light reading.

Elise, the diva.

Kiara, with her beautifully newly straightened hair.

Buff, cheesing about something.

LC, Foxx, and Colin all looking thrilled to be there.

Colin opening his baby doll (he requested it multiple times).

Playing with the baby's toy.

Foxx showing his mad arm skills and his 3 new teeth!

Deep thoughts with Megan - she's going to love me for this picture!

The Aftermath

Another Christmas has come and gone. It's bittersweet for me because I love the joy, excitement, and purpose of Christmas but it's such a letdown when the last gift is unwrapped and the last guest leaves, when the tree comes down and the manger scene is put away. The happiness can be found in knowing there will be another year (hopefully) and all the feelings will come rushing back again next year. As always, I've promised myself to enjoy the season more next year but I think this year I got off to a pretty good start.

This year Christmas was a bit different for me. I got to observe it through the eyes of a 2-year old. What simple pleasures it brought, genuine happiness, and pure joy it was for him. I'm not sure if he was more excited to have family around or if was the excitement of ripping open gift after gift (since he pretty much single-handedly opened every gift under the tree for everyone).

Santa's elves were up busy Christmas Eve assembling the beloved train set. I felt like Wes and I were testing our relationship like the couples often do on the Amazing Race. Well if that one night was any indication, we should sign up for the show pronto! We didn't argue one time and the table was assembled with no leftover missing pieces to spare. Wes decided to assemble it down in the basement where it would permanently reside. I thought we needed to have it under the tree but he took care of that. Wes told Colin the next morning that we had to look all around the house to make sure we didn't miss anything from Santa. We looked upstairs, nothing, we looked under the tree and found a package from Santa. Colin eagerly opened it, as I sat there fighting back tears (yes, I'm always this emotional). It was 4 books and he was thrilled. He said, "WOW," as if that was all Santa had left.

Wes and I both agreed he would have been perfectly content had that been his only gift from Santa. What can I say, the kid loves books and I love his innocence! I then asked him if he thought maybe Santa left him something down in the basement. "Yep," he said and off we went. When he saw the train table, he let out the same "WOW" but this time it was much more drawn out and with more feeling. He loved it and played down there for almost an hour while I cooked breakfast for everyone.

Pictures tend to tell the story better than I can, so here are a few of Colin mastering the gift opening procedures. Take note that none of the gifts he's opening are his own.

It doesn't look as if anyone seems to mind though.

Another One Bites the Dust

That probably wasn't the kindest title but I wanted something a little less morbid. Plenty of stars have died, plenty that I knew from movies, television shows, etc but none have been as close to my heart as Brittany Murphy. I have very few actors and actresses that I've like for an extended period of time. As a matter of fact, there wasn't a single one that I had loved and admired longer than Brittany. I first discovered her when she starred as Molly Morgan on the Torklesons (later called Almost Home). There's a good chance you don't remember that show but suffice to say I do and I never missed an episode. After that show, I watched her in Clueless, which still to this day is my favorite movie - because of her.

She's on the far right.

Since Brittany held a special place in my heart, imagine my surprise when we saw her with her family at Universal Studios in LA. My mom, sister, and I were eating lunch at a restaurant in the park when she came in. I immediately knew it was her but I was extremely shy back then. We were nearly finished with our meal when she got there, yet I made my mom and sister wait with me until I worked up my nerve to go talk to her. After what seemed like 2 days and many butterflies later, I finally worked up my courage to go to her table. When I got there, all I could ask if she was Brittany Murphy? When she said she was, I told her I grew up watching her in the Torklesons and had seen her in Clueless. I was not only star struck but I was meeting the girl I desperately wanted to be my friend. That was it, I was sweating by this point, probably red as a beet, and was ready to put myself out of the pain. I was beaming from ear to ear as we left that restaurant that day.

Brittany has disappointed me over the years but I've always had such high hopes for her that she'd get her act together and get her life straightened out. I was worried when I read of her marriage and feared this would be more trouble. Her frail frame wasn't very encouraging either but I just knew if we could be BFF's, I could change her for the good. I guess that didn't happen soon enough. I've never felt this sad about an actor/actress before. Perhaps it's that special connection we had from that one fate meeting in 1995! I'll miss you Brittany even if we never made it to BFF status.

Clueless (1995)

Festive Follies

Is that the look of a mischievous little boy or what? That look pretty much says it all - he's a little bit rotten, a little bit sneaky, but a whole lot of joy!

After hearing the following story, a friend told me she could tell just by looking at him that there'd be more shenanigans to come. She said there was just something that radiates from him that says sneaky. Well he's 2 1/2 and we're already experiencing it, so perhaps she's on to something. Just listen to this tale.

Earlier this week I told Colin that if he ate all his oatmeal for breakfast he could have a cinnamon roll. That certainly put a skip in his step, despite the fact I don't think he had ever had one before. He gave up eating his oatmeal about halfway through the bowl and I gently reminded him of the reward. That didn't seem to have the same effect it did the first time.

It was time for me to go upstairs to finish getting ready and I asked him if he wanted to come up with me or stay downstairs. He said stay downstairs. I should have known that answer was trouble considering the last time he chose to stay downstairs I came back to 10 ornaments off the tree, all lined up on our coffee table. I believe in second chances and thought perhaps he had learned his lesson.

Wes and I noticed he was being suspiciously quiet downstairs when suddenly we heard a small thud. No one was hurt (no tears) but I did rush down to see what was going on. Much to my surprise, Colin had taken his little stool out of the bathroom and moved it into the kitchen up next to the counter. He then climbed up and found the cake pan containing the cinnamon rolls. Now keep in mind he had never seen under the foil, so he had no idea they were in there. So he removed the foil and apparently flung it in the air because it was in the adjoining family room. So I walk in and see the cinnamon rolls on the edge of the counter, the stool pushed up, and no cover on the pan. I immediately yell, "Colin Reid" in the most disappointed voice I could come up with while trying to disguise my laughter. He proudly looks at me and says, "I ate one!" He's standing by his plate in the family room with a half eaten roll on his plate. I must give him props for not inhaling the entire thing and thus destroying the evidence. No, he was proud at punch that he had climbed to get the treasure and apparently thought I'd be just as proud. I took it from him and reminded him of our deal. Tears began to form and Wes reassured him he could have the rest of it after he finished his oatmeal. It was as if I hadn't told him that 17 times because he said okay and off he went to eat the rest of his breakfast.

After he got his treat and as he was woofing it down, he said, "I can have another one after this one." I laughed and said no. As if I wasn't even there, he turned to Wes to try his luck again. No need to even change the words, he told Wes, "I can have another one after this one." Wes and I both just laughed, called him sneaky, and said no.

But then there are times like tonight when he so eagerly plays photo session with Mommy so she can show off his new haircut. As long as the sneakiness contains itself to these innocent tales, I'll manage just fine. Wes and I will just need to work on holding in our laughter and keeping a straight face. But who could resist this face?

Now if you saw him, you'd think he's the perfect angel because he's incredibly shy and reserved. He more than makes up for it behind closed doors. Lucky us! Here's a picture of his super shy smile.

Slow and steady wins the race

Perhaps I've heard one too many horror story about kids and their fears of Santa. Or perhaps I was assuming we'd have a repeat performance of the Chik-fil-a cow hysteria. Nonetheless, I decided to hedge my bets and take baby steps towards Santa's lap. As of Saturday, I'm proud to announce that my plan paid off, Colin sat in his lap without crying, screaming, or running away. No Christmas miracle though, he wouldn't take his thumb out of his mouth long enough to speak to him, let alone tell him what he wanted, but I was just so proud he actually sat on his lap that I couldn't have cared less.

So how did I do it? Well food is definitely the way to Colin's heart. Our local Shriners were having a breakfast with Santa function and I thought that would be the perfect combination - pancakes, old people, and Santa. We were the first ones there and therefore got special attention. For the next 20 minutes, Colin waved at poor Santa while attempting to eat. Generally nothing stops this kid from shoveling the food in but Santa had him pretty awestruck. Soon more guests arrived, some of which were thankfully children. I was counting on them to teach Colin and perhaps give him a little inspiration. None of them had any issues and immediately ran right up to him. I asked Colin if he wanted to go then or after he ate. He chose to postpone the inevitable a little longer.

The time had come. He eagerly ran within about 5 feet and then I had to pick him up from there to put him on his lap. I was fully expecting a protest but thank goodness for the thumb - it will fix anything. He was proud, I was proud, it was a good day. He told Buff that he didn't tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas because he was shy. I can't imagine where he heard that?

I noticed a pattern as I was importing these pictures and a few from Thanksgiving - the bulging belly. I swear his clothes do fit! Maybe it's time to go up yet another size. Geesh, it must be all those pancakes (: And I also apologize for the quality of these photos. I wasn't really concentrating on that as much as I was trying to get as many shots as I could before my luck ran out.

Santa let him hold the jingle bell and Colin loved it.

A Holiday Update

Just a quick little update to let you know what's been going on in our little world. The holidays are in full swing, or at least the planning and prep work is underway. I'm trying to enjoy the moment and take in every minute of Christmastime through Colin's eyes - the joy, the excitement, the innocence. I only wish I could catch it all on film to recount the fun 20 years from now. Since I can't manage to catch everything on film, I'll recount some of it here so I'll at least be able to go back and read about it.

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Colin's first Christmas carol was Jingle Bells and he sings it proudly. He has no idea what the last verse is (one horse open sleigh) so he just mumbles something in order to get to the "Hey!" He has a little ornament that he calls his jingle bell that he must shake while singing the song.

He doesn't know any other songs yet but he likes for Wes and I to sing the "Santa" song to him and that basically means any Christmas song.

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The Christmas tree has been a source of joy and pain. It was precious to hear Colin speak of the "Kissmas tee" but not so precious when he repeatedly removes ornaments and ended up breaking one. Several trips to the "uh-oh" box, including a prolonged visit, seems to have squelched that desire. I must also note that in a fury of rage Wes threatened to take the tree down if he took the ornaments off again but realized that was a bit unrealistic.

The moment we walk in the door we are ordered to turn the tree on but with our foot (it's a pre-lit tree that has a little clicker thing to turn the lights on). We are then instructed to turn the other 2 small trees on in the dining room. He leads us in there as if we've forgotten where they are. We must plug them up in the order he requests or I suppose there will be a price to pay. We choose to pick our battles!

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Back in November we began the Santa talk. We didn't prompt it, it just seemed to be the time when that part of the brain's programming kicks in. Seriously, how do they know if you never tell them? Nonetheless, the best question was when he asked if Santa would ring the doorbell. Somehow I had to try to convince the child that Santa would rather come through a tight and dirty chimney than come in the front door like a normal human being. Leave it to a kid to point out the ludicrousness of the whole Santa story.

After the discussion, I thought perhaps he'd be ready to go meet Santa. I didn't expect him to sit on his lap but I thought we might get close. Well apparently within 25 feet is close enough for Colin. He eagerly walked that far on his own and then quickly turned around to me and said he didn't want to go any farther. I picked him up and together we walked within about 10 feet. Santa wasn't busy so he had a chance to wave to us. Colin waved back and then blew him a kiss. That was it for round one. He left saying, "Maybe next time."

The next time was with Wes at a local bookstore. Santa had just gone on break and was walking through the hallway. He gave Colin a high-5 and shook his hand. Colin told me he was scared at first but then thought Santa was pretty cool. Another step closer but we're still hearing, "Maybe tomorrow."

I think those are pretty big strides considering the fear of the cow costume at Chik-fil-a!

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He's not sure what he wants for Christmas. He knows Santa brings gifts to good boys and girls but when you ask what he wants you either get, "um..." or some random item that he just happened to see at that time. We must have done a good job emphasizing that Santa brought little boys and girls gifts because when asked what Mommy and Daddy wanted, Colin said neither of us wanted anything, just him.

It should be fun the next couple of weeks. I look forward to sharing more tales with you. He's a hoot, there's no doubt about that! And we love him dearly - what better gift could anyone ask for?!

I'm not perfect

But I am very much a perfectionist. It's both a curse and an asset. I've accomplished a lot because of this personality trait but it isn't always easy. Being a perfectionist means that nothing can be done halfway, nothing is impossible, and everything you do must be performed at 110%.

Like I said, I am who I am today in part because of this trait. However, adding things to the mix create serious issues - say, perhaps a child! One of the toughest obstacles for me becoming a parent has been trying to deal with my perfectionism. Let me attempt to explain and let me also clarify that I, by no means, am implying that becoming a parent hasn't been the best decision of my life! Being a perfectionist meant that I always had all my i's dotted and t's crossed, every list was checked and double checked, and any free moment I had was used to plan my next venture. I had time to decorate my house, scrapbook, shop to the point where I knew the inventory in way too many stores, cook as much and as often as I wanted, attend functions with friends, travel, and sleep as much as I wanted. Plus, I had time to devote my full attention to each of those activities until it was deemed perfect by me.

Things are different now. The initial problem was finding a balance between the "me" time and the "mom" time. At first, like a typical perfectionist, I jumped in head first to becoming the best mom I could. Every waking moment (and there were a lot of them) was spent glued to the baby. After some sole searching, I realized I needed some sort of release, something for me to get my creative juices flowing, something to help keep my sanity. The problem was even though I had added responsibilities, I couldn't find a way to add any more than 24 hours in a day. It took me a long time to find the balance and I'm still not there but I'm getting better. I now use my time a little more wisely and do my scrapbooking during naps, as I read blogs I plan my weekly menu, and most importantly, I've relegated some of the household tasks that I so desperately clung to. Honestly, I think the trick was to let a fraction of my perfectionism go out the window - that's on ongoing battle but it is getting easier.

So if you're like me and feel there aren't enough hours in the day, take a step back to determine what is absolutely necessary and try to let the rest go. Lists are your friend and multi-tasking is essential. With that said, the holidays are a hectic time and I wanted to provide some explanation as to why I may not be posting as much over the next month or so. I'm still here, I'm just trying to get everything checked off my list. This blog is something else I have to find time for and lately it's been cutting into my sleep time - no one cuts into my sleep! Hang in there, I'll be back.