Santa

After Thanksgiving dinner we went to Moultrie for their lighting festival. Each year they drape the courthouse and square with lights and it is gorgeous. The wutz wanted to see the lights and Santa and his LIVE reindeer. It was a great time, though the reindeer looked more than a little annoyed at the situation.

The wutz got to see Santa and tell him that he wanted Thomas' Misty Island railroad toy. Hopefully he convinced Santa he was a sweet boy with that adorable smile he flashed!

Christmas Program

For weeks now, the wutz's school has been practicing for the Christmas program. Over and over. Bless them, they have worked so hard for this program. The wutz has been singing the songs nonstop. He'll be playing, then suddenly he'll burst out in song - a Christmas song, of course. You likely saw the video I posted of him singing "The Chubby Little Snowman" which is one of the songs they have been practicing.

During practice, my dear child was the loudest and the most boisterous of the entire school, according to the teachers. So that's why I was so surprised when Friday, after waiting for over an hour to make sure I had a good seat, as the Christmas program began, my child came down the aisle with his face as bright as his red pajamas he was wearing. Tears of pure terror streaked his cherub cheeks.

Ut oh.

As soon as he saw me, he ran up to me and I kissed his cheek and whispered he'd be okay. I gave him a loving shove down the aisle, then he suddenly collapsed to the ground. Face first. So there my crying child was. In the aisle as if he'd been struck down and laid out in the Spirit or something, until the teacher ran and picked him up and carried to his seat, where I could hear him crying that he wanted his Mommy.

Awwwwww.

Finally it was his class' turn for their two songs. I waited eagerly to see if he had calmed. But, alas, I did not see my dear child. I looked over each child standing there on the risers. No wutz. Then I leaaaaannnnned over in the pew so I could see down the aisle to the front of the church and what I saw, I shall never forget:

My child, my dear, darling child... was army crawling down the center aisle searching desperately for me. He would raise up at each pew looking for me. Then he finally found me and he scrambled on my lap. Where he proceeded to whisper/sing each and every song in my ear as we watched the rest of the Christmas program from the pew.

*sigh*

Gone away...

Yesterday, we took the wutz to Granny and PopPop's house so we could sneak off and make our annual Christmas toy run. The wutz, as always, was delighted to be able to spend some time with my parents. He adores them, of course, as they do him. So while he got to eat way too much sugar, we trekked to Tallahassee to enter the bowels of hell, otherwise known as Toys R Us.

On approach to the parking lot there were cars lined up waiting for vacant parking spots. Not a good sign. We bypassed as much of the traffic as possible by veering straight to the back of the parking lot because it is easier to hoof it than wait for some idiot to back up and depart.

Upon entrance to purgatory, we were greeted by a line of customers that literally wound around the inside of the store. Damn. After a few moments' panic, we realized that said crazies were in line for Zhu Zhu pets. Hahaha! I already have three of those suckers! So we marched into the frey and began our shopping. We impatiently waited for people blocking us left and right to decide on their purchases and continue on so we could get the things we needed and get the hell outta there. Finally we did. But not before I passed an employee clutching extra Zhu Zhu pet tickets. So I asked him for one, he handed it to me, and I purchased it for $9. No waiting in line required. Take that, suckers!

After we left purgatory, we drove to the outskirts of the city to a restaurant I'd been dying to try. Once we arrived at Z Bardhi's, we realized they didn't open until 5pm. It was 4. But the owner saw us approaching and he quickly unlocked the door and ushered us inside. The waiter asked if we minded waiting about 10 minutes over drinks while they got everything fired up so they could serve us. Of course we didn't mind a bit. We didn't even have to wait that long and we had the entire place to ourselves. The house salad was delicious and the lasagna was even better. But the bread was the best ever, soft and crispy all at the same time. Heaven. I can't speak highly enough of the place and I cannot wait to dine there again.

After leaving a substantial tip, we departed and made our way back to the parents' house to pick up the wutz. But once we got there he refused to leave. R e f u s e d. Why? Because his cousin Michael was there! He wanted to stay and play with his cool cousin. After trying for way too long to persuade him to come home with us, we finally caved and told him he could stay. It was to be his first night away and I was fully prepared for a 3am phone call from a crying kiddo to come pick him up. I am happy to report the call never came! He finally called at 8:30am to tell me he was ready to come home. And by the time we arrived, he'd changed his mind!

So, we all survived not only a harrowing shopping experience, but also the wutz's first night away from home!

Happy Halloween!

The wutz decided over a month ago that he wanted to be Thomas the Tank Engine for Halloween. I was saddened that he picked out a cheap costume from Target instead of some of the uber-cute costumes I'd found online, though. Apparently he's grown out of the stage where I can use him as my dress-up doll. *sniffle*

So tonight we dressed him up in his little costume and took him first to Grandma's house, where she gave him a handpainted cauldron of treats. Inside the cauldron was a toy tractor and trailer. Wutz bliss in a cardboard box.

Next we drove to town and went to Granny and PopPop's house. There he got an entire bag of chocolate and another toy package that contained a truck, tractor, and trailer. He was thrilled to death and immediately started playing with his loot.

Finally it got dark enough to go Trick or Treating. We went to the Polo Grounds because they close off the streets so vehicles cannot drive through. It is very crowded with children, so it really makes it a lot of fun. Except for the handful of snotty kids with zero manners that I want to bop in the head with the wutz's treat pail. And I did it several times in my head, too. It made me feel a little better. But I digress...

After the first house, the wutz realized something was very wrong. We walked up to the second house and he stepped closer to the steps and the lady handing out candy. He hesitated. Then he leaned forward and looked into the basket containing oodles and oodles of candy. When he realized there really was no tractors in the basket he shook his head and turned around to leave. Fortunately, the lady had no clue why he stepped back and turned, so I eased in quickly and steered his shoulders so he had to accept the candy in a quasi-polite manner.

Back on the street we had to have a brief little talk about what Trick or Treating is really supposed to be about. Fortunately, he got the hang of it and ended up having a great time.

The best money I never spent...

Right before Christmas there was a toy that the wutz was totally and completely enamored with in the stores. Every time he saw it, we had to go up and push the button and make the thing walk and do its noisy thing. I thought it was a cool toy, but there was no way I was going to spend the $130-something bucks to purchase said toy. Even for Christmas.

However, my father apparently had no qualms about adding it to the never-ending list of purchases he made for the wutz.

And I am here to declare that this over-priced toy is absolutely the best thing since sliced bread. Better even. It has no equal.



What makes this toy so special?
It is the fact that, though the wutz loved it in the stores, he is totally and irreversibly terrified of this robotic dinosaur. He shakes like a leaf if he even hears it turned on. Even if he cannot see the damned thing he trembles and instantly begins screaming like a chick running up the stairs in a horror flick.

And this is a good thing... why??
I know, I know. I shouldn't make light of my son's true terror, but it really has been the best solution I couldn't think of! Now, if I want the wutz to do something... or stop doing something... all I have to say is, "Do you want me to go get the dinosaur???" BAM! Mommy gets exactly what she wants.

I can completely and absolutely turn my little menace into an obedient little darling with that simple question.

And I ask it often.


I have no shame.

Happy Birthday, Mr. C!

Happy Easter!

Yesterday, after baking the cake, I had some leftover batter in various colors. I decided not to waste it, and instead I made cupcakes. Below are pictures of the process, but please ignore the poor quality of the cupcakes in the end. I may be able to bake something that tastes good, but the whole 'pretty cupcakes' ability is beyond me. I cannot figure out how to make them look nice, so I have given up even trying. They do taste a heckuvalot better than they look. But you'll just have to trust me on that!

And here is the finished product of the rainbow cake!

After the day's chores were finished yesterday, we took some time to dye Easter eggs. The wutz considered it to be a very serious matter:

Rainbow Cake

I baked the wutz's birthday cake today. It was an exhausting process, but I am very pleased with the result.

Here are a few pictures of the batter before I baked it:

I'll post the results tomorrow. I'm exhausted.

A New You?!?

This past year was, obviously, the first year that the wutz began to grasp the concept of Christmas. He still doesn't quite get the true meaning of the season, but he's got the whole Santa thing nailed.

In fact, I believe it made a pretty big impression, since we are half way through January and he's still talking about it.

He was playing with a toy train that he got for Christmas and as he was pushing it around he said, "MERRY CHRISTMAS! And a Happy New You!"

I know we've all high hopes for the new year, but he's wishing me a new you?!?

Christmas Morning!

I ask for so little...

Today was the annual Santa Fly In. Santa, as always, arrived in style.


(That's my sister in black, btw.)


Once Santa and Mrs. Claus settled in, Mrs. Claus read a book to the children. After the book the kids got to sit on Santa's lap and tell them what they wanted. The wutz loved it. He told Santa he had been a very good boy.


Then when Santa asked the wutz what he wanted, he proceeded to point to the object of his desire:







What was it that my dear child wanted, you ask? Here, let me show you:

Best Friend

Today the wutz nestled in beside me on the couch and gave me a squeeze. Then he told me I was his best friend.

Merry Christmas to me! I think that was the best gift ever.

Decorating the Tree!

Helping put the lights on the tree:




First Ornament of 2008:






Bits of the tree:

Belated Halloween Pictures