Christmas Recap (Part 4); HAPPY 2007!

{The new year has just begun, but I'm still blogging about Christmas! Jamie and I just watched the fireworks display at the Space Needle from the safe distance of our front porch. Meanwhile, Sofi is sound asleep. And now back to our regularly scheduled programming....}

Christmas Eve: A brand-new tradition is born. Making a house out of graham crackers, icing, sprinkles and marshmallows. Building various snow creatures (as well as a matching patio table) out of marshmallows. Seemed like a crafty thing to do that Sofi would like. I just didn't predict how much Jamie would be into it. He created a sturdy, stable house with a hand-decorated wreath and baby marshmallow chimney. (Note: He took over after rejecting my shoddy construction of the initial 4 walls and floor, LOL).

A dog, a snowman, a robot, a worm - we created them with big and small marshmallows, and toothpicks left over from our birthday party/chocolate fountain ...Grandma Dianne and Aunt Ann also made a few marshmallow creatures...Speaking of Dianne and Ann, Sofi is definitely warming up to Jamie's family more and more each time she sees them. The last photo shows Ann entertaining Sofi with a cat puppet.

And on that note....I wish all my blog readers a happy and healthy new year filled with lots of scrapping (or other creative pursuits!) And tomorrow I'll wrap up and blog about Christmas Day....



Digital frames: Jessica Sprague

Christmas Recap (Part 3)

December 23: I took some more photos of the mantel and tree....Other than that...not much happened on this day. Some of us went to the mall for some more shopping. Some of us stayed home. And a lucky few went to a few scrapbooking stores in search of a particular special issue of Memory Makers that I heard on 2ps had hit the newstands. I didn't find it, but I got a few presents for myself (American Crafts mini-marks rub-ons for a stocking stuffer and an American Crafts 12x12 D-ring album) and some stickers for Sofi. That night, Jamie made his nummy chili and cornbread for dinner....


On mantel: Snowman stocking holders from Target; Pottery Barn Kids monogrammed stockings - middle three; outside 4 stockings are labeled with tags I made using Sassafrass Lass clear stamps, Heidi Swapp rub-ons and Scenic Route Paper Co. patterned paper; Basic Grey Star Ornaments (note to self: mini dots and Tombow adhesive are NOT strong enough to hold these stars in one piece!); a random porcelain shoe Sofi "stole" from her Uncle Dom (a souvenir from Holland); a spice jar full of random buttons; 2 Mambe candlestick holders (wedding presents); random Christmas cards including one from Caroline of Maya Road as part of a RAK and one from scrapbooking buddy Anna. (Digital photo frame: by Jessica Sprague)




Collage (made with Picassa): detail shots of ornaments
Large photo: obligatory Christmas self-portrait via reflection in an ornament

Christmas Recap (Part 2)

December 20:
We visited the local botanical gardens for the GARDEN d'LIGHTS 2006 Even though Sofi refused to sit in the stroller and her feet got wet, Sofi loved all the lights. And there was just enough light to cast a cozy glow on Sofi's face.....





December 21: On the way to the mall to get some shoes for Sofi that would offer more protection than the soft-soled shoes she insists on wearing (despite having bought several other pairs of shoes), Sofi decided she wanted to go on a "sing" or swing. And, as we often do, we did what she told us and drove to the local park for some swinging, sliding and bell-ringing (part of the playground has a set of cast-iron bells). Even Grandma Di and Grandpa Jim had a turn on the swing and bells, respectively. After Sofi had her fill, we had lunch at a Japanese restaurant for some "noo-ool soup" (noodle-soup). The shoes-shopping will have to wait for another time...






Later that afternoon, Jamie and I were able to have a long overdue date and watch a movie! An actual movie on the big screen! Our choice? Casino Royale. It was not a disappointment. The best Bond movie I've ever seen. The opening sequence was quite incredible! And Daniel Craig won me over. Something rugged yet vulnerable about him. So glad we were able to get away. Thanks to Jamie's parents for watching Sofi! When we get home, we have beef stew and popovers...yumm! (prepared by Jamie's mom and dad).

And late that night, Jamie's brother Ted, and his wife, Ann arrive from Philadelphia. They stayed at a hotel downtown (we only have 3 bedrooms and they were all taken), but we meet them the next afternoon.

Christmas Recap (part 1)

I have so many photos to share. It will take some time to edit photos and write a little about our Christmas...but here's part one of our Christmas 2006 story.....



December 17: Tree Shopping (see previous layout). Nermil, our cat gets acquainted with new tree.

December 19: Jamie's parents arrive. First order of business? Decorate tree. With environmentally friendly LED Christmas lights, Basic Grey paper ornaments, mini-balls hung with hand-tied ribbon from my scrapbooking stash, paper-chain leftover from birthday party, various stuffed animals (both ornaments and ones tucked into the bottom branches), red-ball garlands, tinsel, a few Sofi-made paper stars, and a hand-made felt santa (given as a gift by one of my former co-worker's wife) as a tree topper. (more to come...right now it's Sofi's bathtime....)

O Christmas Tree

A quick layout to scratch my itch for scrapping. I'm loving these Actions by Brenda!

Credits:
Patterned paper, overlays: Anna Aspnes Esther Harmony
Christmas tree: Jen Wilson, Merry Days
Fonts: Porcelain, Butterbrotpapier
Photo Actions by Brenda

I'm back!

It's been a long week without internet or cable! Yes, I'm one of those unlucky souls living in Western WA where terrible windstorms felled powerlines, trees etc. Fortunately, I was only blacked out for a day. But our cable and internet were down for the whole week. Anyway, I shouldn't be complaining. We had heat and lights (and Christmas lights) when folks just a few miles away had none. Anyway, that explains my hiatus.

Other than the storms this past week, I continued to shop and prepare for the holidays. I received my Christmas cards from winkflash and have now sent out all but 2 or 3 cards as of today. (If I missed anyone, drop me a line! I have a few extras! I will also post a copy here.) I used mostly Jen Wilson Designs - paper, snowflakes - for this simple design. I love, love, love the photo - which wasn't intentionally a Christmas portrait, but I didn't like the Christmas dress photos as much as this one. The light is so gorgeous on her face!

We also finally bought and decorated a Christmas tree. It's a beauty! It's one of those fragrant varieties. It makes the whole house smell like citrus-y evergreen. Jamie's parents, who are visiting us for the week, helped us decorate. The tree has a little bit of this and a little bit of that - from stuffed animals to the paper chain I made for Sofi's party to some Basic Grey paper ornaments to glass balls tied with ribbon to a few ornaments Sofi made in class. I have to get some better photos, then will post.

In Sofi news, we took her to her 2nd year appointment. Sofi was very well-behaved and let the doctor do her business without a single cry! (Her shots (Hep A and flue) were postponed til a few hours later, when she did, in fact, cry.) Good news: she finally grew a few more inches and put on some weight, so I think our pediatrician will stop worrying so much about her! She weighs 22 lbs and 6 oz (3-5%), is 34 inches (50 %) and has a head circumference of 48.5 (75%). So she's basically a petite, skinny girl with an above-average size head. I'll take that!

Unfortunately, the doctor says she has a sinus infection - which explains why she has been throwing up in the middle of the night. Apparently, when she's asleep, the sinus fluid collects in the back of her throat. This can cause her to gag, cough and throw up. So she prescribed antibiotics to clear up the infection. Easy fix, right!? Nope. Sofi threw up the first dose we gave her. Disguising it in chocolate milk, jam and just plain chocolate sauce has not been working. She is not getting her medicine down! So we need to see the doctor again after 2 weeks to see if she's any better. She's still coughing and waking up in the middle of the night - this time without throwing up (thank God).

Another bit of health news, it appears Sofi has eczema. We noticed some red marks on her arms and mentioned it to the doctors. So we've cut down our daily baths to once or twice a week. And started slathering cream on her (which she loves).

So hopefully Sofi will getting better next week....and back on her old sleep schedule (i.e. 9-10 hours of uninterrupted slumber at night and 1-2 hours of naptime). These days, she get up twice during the night and sometimes misses a nap! Yikes!

The perks of having a work-at-home husband....

As of yesterday, Jamie has taken over napping duties.
From storytime to the moment she falls asleep (which can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours!). So, for that time PLUS the actual naptime, I am free.

Yesterday, I went to the gym. Did 45 minutes of biking and another 1/2 hours of weight training, crunches and stretching. I'm a little sore today - always a good sign.

Today, I mailed some Christmas packages and my Thank You cards for Sofi's birthday party guests and did a little clothes shopping at Nordstrom rack. Got some cute outfits in the petite section. Luckily the pants I got weren't too long because sometimes even the petite pants can drag on the floor - I'm only 5 feet tall! Then I ended my "me-dom" with a stop at the Vietnamese sandwich place for a very late lunch (and an iced coffee).

This was a nice break. Sofi woke up around 11 PM today. She threw up AGAIN. She must have a stomach bug or something. Poor girl. The nurse said to keep her on clear fluids then slowly introduce solid foods. So, we all had a rough, sleepless night. Her cough also seems to be loosening up. Dang! I forgot to get her a humidifier while I was at the mall. Maybe I'll head out again...

In scrappy news:
I received my Dec. Poppy Ink kit.
And an order from Linnecards that I was expecting.
And I got my 4x8 Christmas cards that I designed and had printed at winkflash! So,
I guess I know what I will be doing tonight...Addressing and stamping envelopes....

p.s. I have a cute idea for a RAK drawing. It involves one of Sofi's drawings that she did this morning. I was so impressed with her artistic skill! I will post more later....

Jamie's back! & an unexpected visit

Last night I got an e-mail from a former co-worker and friend from L.A., Anna C. She was in town but was leaving the next day. So we met for a quick visit at my house this morning before I had to pick up Jamie at the airport. She was staying about 5 minutes away in the same hotel, Jamie, Sofi and I stayed while we were waiting for the moving truck to deliver our stuff back in April. What a small world! And I'm happy to report, Sofi was very sociable - offering her usual gifts of stuffed animals and bird gestures. She even danced for us while we chatted over muffins and tea. It was great seeing you Anna!

After we picked up Jamie, we headed over to the Jewish deli at the mall for an early lunch. On the way out, Sofi wanted to see the decorated Christmas trees in the mall proper, so we walked around looking for trees - big and small. Can't wait to get our own tree! I think Sofi will be very excited to see it all lit up. In the meantime, I bought a cute little soft, stuffed tree from Hallmark. It's covered in brightly colored buttons for hanging ornaments. Perfect size for the paper stars she decorated in class last week as well as a few non-breakable ornaments I picked up last month at Joann's.

And, another photo I altered using the new actions I bought....
(from l. to r.: original, black and white, color boost.
The eyes looks a bit blacked out, don't you think?





BTW, the entire spiffy ensemble Sofi is wearing in this photo (not including Sofi's signature pink flower shoes) was a gift from her Auntie Susie (as well as a ton of other fall/winter clothes). Thanks Susie!

Christmas Dress

Finally got to play with all my goodies from Jen Wilson. Isn't this a pretty dress?

Credits: Jen Wilson Designs

Spoke to soon

The night of my last post? Sofi woke up just before 11 PM. She threw up! So I went in - threw the blanket and the few stuffed animals that got soiled into the wash and comforted her until she calmed down. It was late so I just had her sleep in my bed - we woke up on and off until dawn.

Today, she threw up again - just after she ate some apples. She also ate apples the night she threw up the first time. No fever. Otherwise happy. Is she suddenly allergic to apples? Or that kind of apple?

W!
Last night, while in the bath, we were playing with those foam alphabet letters that stick to the tile when wet. I had the letters W, A, R, and M. (The W and M look alike when oriented the same direction). So I spelled out WARM. RAW. ARM. RAM, MAR. And wouldn't you know it, Sofi said "W!" or "du-uh-you!" I didn't know she knew the name of this particular letter. Maybe she picked it up from her various musical toys that sing the ABC song? So, now I'm teaching her the other 3 letters that are currently in the tub. When I can locate the others I teach her those.

Pink pig, purple guy (unidentified creature), white bear
Today, as we lay all her dozens of stuffed animals to bed Sofi would say the color and name of animal. Very impressive. So I think she may know all the colors...I even added grey today. But as Jamie pointed out she doesn't know mauve or puce yet. I don't even know what puce is!

1,2,3
A week or two ago, Sofi started saying: one, two, three.
When I snap her up or when am about to do something fun like swing her around, I say 1,2,3!
So she probably got it from that. But Jamie showed her 3 bears and she seemed to get that there were 3 bears. Who knows?

Birthday party
Sofi and I went to our friend Matthew's 2nd birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. I haven't been to one since my little brothers had parties there back in the 80s. Sofi enjoyed seeing Chuck in the flesh as well as the balloons and there were a few other kids from our classes. She ate a slice of pizza, some apple juice and about 1/4 of her chocolate cake. Unfortunately the party started at 2 PM - Sofi's nap time. So after an unsuccessful attempt at an early nap, we headed over to the party. We stayed about an hour - until Sofi started rubbing her eyes and saying "dri-ing" meaning she wants to go driving. Of course, she fell asleep in the car and then slept til after 6! This meant a late, late bedtime. She just drifted to around 10:45! Hopefully she'll sleep til the sunrise?

BTW, she woke up at 4:45 AM this morning and without Jamie here to bolster me I caved and got her. Then as I watched TV, she fell asleep in my arms for another 2 hours while I got arm cramps. Well, at least I caught up on my DVR recordings...


RAK
I got an awesome RAK from Caroline of Maya Road in the mail yesterday.
More bottlecaps (two were already altered by Caroline herself), some ribbon, 3 chipboard arrows and some flowers, and a super-cute card (again made by Caroline). Very cool.

Signing class
I signed up for a singing/signing class at Kindermusik. Sofi seems to really like the teacher and she likes signing (more than talking sometimes - especially in public) so I think she'll enjoy it. The class will have babies from 1 month to 3 years old so it should be interesting....

Actions by Brenda
Just bought some photo actions - one of the reasons I upgraded to PS CS2 was to take advantage of all those actions out there!

I'm still experimenting, but here's my first attempt:



Will have to fiddle some more....

Sofi is fast asleep in her crib and it's only 8:58!

YES!!!!!

With the time change, the trip to NY, the fever (and the return to co-sleeping for a few days), Sofi has been hard to put to bed the past few weeks.

So, instead of cheerfully kissing her, tucking her in and leaving the room with the light off and her still awake we have to tuck her in (after an on-average 1-hour of her stalling) and then hold her hand till she nods off.

But today was shorter than the usual 2 hour ordeal.

A few differences in the routine:
I started at 7:30 (earlier than the usual 8:00 kick-off).
I fed her apple chunks instead of her biscuit or cookie (to fatten her up).
I guess was a bit firmer with her because Jamie isn't here and I wanted to get out of there and get some me time. When he is here, I'm a little more lenient. Don't know why.

Anyway, the house is quiet and I'm about to eat a biscotti ice-cream bar thingy that I got at the market today. Ahhhhhhh......

2 years young

I haven't been updating as much on Sofi happenings as I'd like (and I don't want to forget!)....so here's a rundown of things she's doing at two.

colors: She will point out things that are pink & red (possibly her favorites?), black (hair or Legos), brown,
Green, yellow, blue, orange are more elusive.

Legos: We made a special trip to the Lego Store at the Bellevue Square Mall for a set (around age 20 months?). At the time, I think it was more for Jamie's sake - introducing a toy that he loved (and still does). After taking a test run at the display table, it seemed the Duplo size (and not the Quatro) were the best size for Sofi. She could easily grasp them in her hands. So we took a bucket home. After the initial novelty wore off, she didn't much play with them. It took her a few days to be able to click them together, but she seemed to lose interest. We put them away. But in the past few weeks there has been a resurgence! She now can snap them together and actually make things. Her favorite creation? Trains. (twains)

Trains: Sofi loves trains! The first time she saw a toy train I think was at the KidsQuest Children's Museum. I kept meaning to buy her train set, but put it off. We finally have one on order (Thomas the Train Lego Set) after seeing her play with the train set at B & N when we were on Long Island. And then we started watching Thomas the Train on TV and playing the interactive games at this website.

Favorite websites:
Ready Set Learn! (Sofi LOVES Paz the Penguin and calls all cartoon penguins "Paz."
Peep and the Big Wide World
Slide show of moon photos
Thomas and Friends

Dragons, birds and beasts: About as long as we lived in WA we have used "finger puppets" to give kisses and say good-night at bedtime and anytime Sofi needs a pick-me-up. Recently, Sofi will do the dragon gesture to strangers, friends - her way of saying hi.

ETA: Photo shows one of Sofi's latest creations: a crane, a giraffe with a man riding it?
Don't know, but note the delicate balance she achieved! oooh aaahh!

just being together

this is my first digi layout in a few months....
this is also my first layout using ps cs2!

the photos were taken in NY at my mom's house.
jamie and sofi were snuggling it up on the couch!

credits: Holly McCaig, Urban Retro Kit.

Toot! Toot! (one for me and one for Jamie)

Toot for Jamie: Looks like Jamie and his company Torpex Games will be making a game for XBox Live Arcade! Tonight we went out to dinner with the Dugans (Bill is founder of TG) to celebrate. Congrats! This is the first major success of the company!

Toot for me: A short essay of mine (about scrapbooking) was just accepted for publication in a new book!

Plus, I was the random-drawing winner of a Maya Road RAK! I guess reading and commenting on blogs and message boards pays off...

Good day it was.

p.s. And not to leave out Sofi....Sofi was great at dinner. Talking, naming things in the restaurant: ball, moon, sun, baby bowl, dada bowl etc. and greeting people with her dragon (pinch your thumb, middle and ring finger together and keep your pointer and pinkie straight up.), eating her beans and rice....Good job Sofi!

PHew! {sigh of relief}

Sofi had her 2nd birthday party today.
I'm not a big party thrower (we only have 1 or 2 a year).
Needless to say it is a source of stress for me. Preparations. Cleaning the house. Planning the menu. Waiting for people to show up. Oh yeah and the party itself! All that small talk.

But of course it was all worth it. Sofi had a good time. She mingled (in her own way). She played with the other kids and babies. She acknowledged the adult guests by offering them little gifts: tea bags, baby birds, her mama mouse baby blanket, toys.

She even HUGGED one lucky guest goodbye! Note: We see our friend Marylou and her son Matthew twice a week during our Toddlers's class and Kindermusik class so she is very comfortable with them.

Menu: Jamie made crepes with our new VillaWare Crepe Maker and I set up a chocolate fountain with cut-up fruit, pretzels, graham crackers for dipping. (I got the idea from Michelle and her first birthday party). The chocolate made a good topping for the crepes (in addition to the strawberries, powdered sugar, whipped cream and blueberries). I also made a cupcake tower (no mess of cutting the cake! and good for portion control) decorated with gummy bugs and worms and two star candles for Sofi's (which she has yet to eat - she filled up on graham crackers.). So it a very SWEET menu. But I think people liked it. Jamie said it made the house smell like chocolate which is a good thing.

Decorations: I made a paper chain out of my leftover SEI Petals andd Paisley papers (matched our yellow walls of our dining room. I had Basic Grey star and ball Fruitcake ornaments on our mantel and book shelf and various balloons. Very low-key. The view of Seattle was a nice backdrop. One of the clearest days since we moved here, I reckon!

Party favors consisted of a hello kitty bubble necklace and a slinkie jr and a couple sheets of alphabet stickers.

Entertainment? I originally had toyed with the idea of hiring the Bubble Man - but I never followed through. Then I though I'd make my own bubbles so I got this bubble machine, but it's way too COLD for bubbles outdoors. So I pulled out some of Sofi's toys and spread them out in the living room: 3 toy pianos, basketball hoop, a leaf puzzle, , drawing desk, legos etc. I also gave rides to some of the kids in Sofi's new wagon around the living room! The balloons also seemed to entertain the kids (And babies).

So, I guess now I can gear up for Christmas!

We still need to:
* get our tree
* make a few gifts
* decorate the house
* make/send our Christmas cards
* take a Christmas photo of Sofi for the cards.

And all this with Jamie leaving for Singapore next week....

Playing catch-up


I'm slowly posting some photos taken over the past month.

I haven't been able to post because Jamie has the only computer in the house. The laptop hardly has any memory to do anything anymore (other than entertain Sofi with this).

This photo was taken in October at the Washington Arboretum.....

p.s. Thank you for all the birthday wishes for Sofi!
We had her party today. My next post will tell you all about it!