Mommy's "SAHM for 9 Days" To-Do List

Mommy is thrilled to have this week off of school.  She's looking forward to 9 whole days of SAHMing and doing lots of things she enjoys but just can't make time to do when she's working. 

Here's what's on her To-Do List:

Sleep past 5:40.

Go over to Kelly and Cooper's house for a playdate.

Read a book that has nothing to do with teaching.

Bake Christmas presents for her co-workers.

Bake Thanksgiving desserts.

Sell some of my outgrown clothes to Kid to Kid.

Visit the dermatologist about a few skin spots that are troubling her.

Clean.Up.This.House.

Catch up on a teeeeny bit of paperwork from school.

Catch up on a not-so-teeny bit of paperwork from home.

Blog everyday.

Spend lots of time with family.

Start decorating our house for Christmas.

Yes, it's an ambitious list for 9 days. And a few items on the list will probably have to be postponed due to my present illness (such as the playdate that's already crossed out). But Mommy isn't nearly as concerned with accomplishing everything on the list as she is with making the most of this time off. 

And if making the most of this time off means cuddling a sick toddler back to health...then Mommy will be more than happy to spend her time doing just that!

Sunday Best: Loungewear Edition

Today was most definitely not an ordinary Sunday for me. 

Actually, the unordinariness began on Friday when Daddy and I went up to Mommy's school for the first grade Thanksgiving Feast.  Mommy and her students had been looking forward to our visit for a week and a half...but they were all quite disappointed when said visit was cut short by my body's sudden decision to throw up. 

(Thankfully, I let out a warning cry right before the hurling began.  It gave Daddy just enough time to get me out of the classroom and into a nearly unoccupied hallway.  Mommy is pretty certain that, had the vomiting taken place in the classroom, a handful of her students probably would have followed suit.)

I haven't thrown up since hurl #4 on Friday afternoon, but my body just hasn't been able to shake the bothersome fever that set in shortly after the classroom chaos mentioned above.

Which brings me back to the first sentence in this post.  Clearly, the church nursery was not an option for me today.  Mimi offered to stay at home with me, though, and Mommy took her up on the offer since it was her Sunday to work in the nursery.

So instead of getting dressed up and going to church this morning, Mommy put me in a onesie and comfy pants (an ensemble she refers to as my loungewear) and dropped me off at Mimi and Poppy's house.

Mimi and I hung out while waiting for Nana and Papa to come into town for Thanksgiving.  I sure was happy to see those two!

Mimi also put my hair in double ponies...

and put me down for a little nap. 

Which turned into a big, 4.5 hour nap.  And ended with Mommy waking me up and finding that the two ponies had magically morphed into one mushroom.

Once Mimi re-ponified my hair, I was ready to check out the tiny Christmas tree Mimi and Poppy have set aside for my entertainment.

I also played with some old-school toys Mommy found in M&P's garage.  Mommy vividly remembers these toys from her own childhood, so it warmed her heart to watch me thoroughly enjoy them.

Mommy and I will head out the pediatrician's office again tomorrow (we were there Friday afternoon), so hopefully I will be back to normal long before next Sunday.

Until then, please enjoy this real Sunday Best pic of me from last week.

And one of me in the same dress last March.

Playdate with Grampa

This past Saturday, I got to spend some quality time with my Grampa.  Yup, that's right, just my Grampa...no Gramma supervision required*! 

Here are a few photos from our time together:

Grampa let me try on lots of hats at Abbey's Playtown!

I checked out a handful of ride-on toys there, too.

And, of course, I just had to try on Grampa's size 15 shoes once we got back to his house.  I look kind of like Mickey Mouse, huh?

Grampa, thanks for taking such good care of me.  I had a lot of fun with you!

*Actually, Gramma would have loved to join us, but she was battling a nasty cold and didn't want to pass it on to me.  Isn't she a sweetie?

A Parent's Holiday Buying Guide

Last week Mommy posted the following comment on Facebook:

  Just ordered Katelyn's first Christmas present! As exciting as her first Christmas was, this one's going to be even more exciting. I love it that she really understands what's going on now!

One of her friends, DeeDee (who has three daughters of her own), replied with some great gift buying advice.  She said that she tries to get her girls, "Something they want, something they need, something to play with, and something to read."  This little rhyme helps DeeDee narrow down what to buy for Christmas...and saves her from buyers remorse.

Mommy shared the rhyme with Daddy, and they both decided that it's something they'll aim to stick with.  Apparently, they've already bought me "something to play with" and "something to read", so all they have left is to figure out what I really want and need!

Stream of Consciousness: Thinkin' About Birthday #2

Mommy has been brainstorming party themes for my second birthday, which is now just three months away.

Her initial ideas were: ladybug theme, random animal theme, "The Very Hungry Kater-pillar" theme.

She decided the first theme could wait until I'm older, the second theme isn't organized enough, and the third theme should definitely be saved for an older birthday I will actually remember.

After a Facebook friend sent out theme requests for her own daughter's second birthday party, a Two-Two (tutu) party became Mommy's favorite idea.  A quick Google search for tutu party ideas made Mommy think that this was yet abother party theme will probably be better saved for a later birthday...when I can have lots of little girlfriends over in their tutus...and actually appreciate the cuteness...even if the wordplay will be lost.

This realization led Mommy to ask herself what kind of a theme I would appreciate at two years old. 

This question has only two answers. 

I think you know what they are:

and

 

Since Mommy can't think of too many ways to throw a cute Barney party, it looks like Elmo is the man for the job.

Sunday Best

Happy first Sunday of November!

This morning, the grown-ups at church learned a new song during worship.  It's a great song for anytime of the year, but it is especially apropos during this month.  Here are the lyrics:

Thank You

by Rueben Morgan and Ben Fielding

Copyright Hillsong Publishing, 2009

Thank You for Your kindness

Thank You for Your mercy

Thank You for the cross

Thank You for the price You paid

Thank You for salvation

Thank You for unending grace

Thank You for Your hope

Thank You for this life You give

There is no one like You

There is no one like You God

All my hope is in You

Jesus Jesus

Thank You for Your promise

Thank You for Your favor

Thank You for Your love

Everything You've done for me

To Your Name we give all the glory

To Your Name we give all the praise

You're alive our God everlasting

Let Your face shine on us

What a great song for the Thanksgiving season!  It may be partly responsible for the fact that Mommy remembered to put this guy out when we got home:

Trunk or Treat

I had a blast at theLighthouse Trunk or Treat last night! 

Daddy did a great job on my milk carton costume.  He was giving Mommmy credit for the costume idea...but even the idea his doing!

Daddy pretty much sealed his fate as official-Moss-costume-maker when Mommy came home from school one Halloween to find him wearing this creation.

Thankfully, my milk carton was a bit more wieldy than Daddy's Reese's costume!

 Preston was looking quite heroic in his fireman costume. 

And Ian was Mr. Dapper as a proper golfer.

Karsyn was the cutest kitty cat on the block.

(I should also mention that she was also this year's winner of the "Lighthouse Baby Race".  I am proud to pass such an honor on to her.)

Kaylee sported the "horse and rider" combo.

And Leila was the cutest owl I ever did see.

Even though they're not really kiddos anymore, I wanted to make sure you saw Thomas and Yari's costumes, too.  They fit right into the young adult's 50's trunk theme!

I had so much fun checking out all of the costumed ToT attendees.  There were even a few Lady Gagas in the mix!

If I were forced to choose my favorite portion of the night, though, it would have to involve this wonderful invention.

 Aren't bounce houses glorious?

I saw these air filled wonders being inflated as we left church this morning and I talked about them all afternoon.  Mommy and Daddy were really suprised at how subdued I was once I actually got inside of them.  I didn't do much bouncing at all...just a lot of sitting and bigger-kid-watching.  As soon as my feet were back on firm ground, though, I kept right on talking about them.  Obviously, my parents have not yet figured out that I am fully capable of concealing my excitement when I want to be.