Pics from Yule

A few photos of Wilder from Christmas Eve and Christmas. I have some great video, but probably won't be able to post it until after the move on Saturday, depending on when we can get our internet connection back up and running again.



Enjoy and Happy 2008!!!!

A new addition to the toddler lexicon

I think I've mentioned before that Wilder calls Jerry and I "papa" and "mama." A lot of times he'll babble to both of us at the same time ... "blah blah blah papa and yadda yadda yadda mama." A couple weeks ago he made up a new word for when he wants to address us both at the same time: MaPa (pronounced "moppa"). He uses it pretty often these days and it cracks us up every time. Kids' minds work in interesting ways, no?

Our Xmas present: a new house

Well, it's done.

Jerry and I signed one house over to new buyers yesterday and then signed a LOT more papers that made us the proud new owners of a new, bigger, shinier one that will become home to us and Wilder on Dec. 29 and home to The Newb (baby-to-be's nickname for now) in another few weeks.

And, can I just say: halle-frickin'-lujah! What an interesting last three months it's been — and when I say interesting, I mean it's been filled with the kinds of demands, back-breaking labor, check writing and non-stop decision-making that can make a sane person crazy. Luckily, neither of us is too sane to begin with. Jerry probably made no fewer than 60 trips from house to POD in packing up half our house before putting on the market. We toured countless potential new homes with a 2-year-old in tow who found other people's stuff MUCH more interesting than his own and his parents. I mopped so much I got carpal tunnel. We've talked to housecleaning services, electricians, handymen, pool guys, inspectors, tree-service people, etc. etc. — all of whom were happy to offer us wildly differing opinions with their wildly differing estimates for repair work.

Good times, good times ... yeah. Not really.

Anyway, it's not as if it's exactly over. We've not packed a box if you don't count the half the house we already packed up and stored away. That early bit of work will help. Hopefully packing the other half will go smoothly and quickly. Hopefully my delusion will carry me through even if that's not the case.

The new house is great. It's got three bedrooms and a study. A living room, family room and wonderful sun room that looks out onto the pool, hot tub and gazebo. We have a kitchen we can cook in and a fireplace that makes Jerry's heart sing with happiness. It's got four toilets, a factor that seems to overwhelm me more than any of the rest of it. Since Jerry and I have known each other — almost 10 years now — we've never had more than one bathroom. It's a corner lot, which means we have a gigantic front yard for Wilder to run around in and The Newb to loll in.

Anyway, we'll be very happy there, I'm sure. Not because it's bigger and better, but because we'll be there together — me and my beautiful, fun and amazing three guys. What a lucky girl am I ... now THAT'S the real gift.

Yule 2008: Full steam ahead

Well, we've finally swung into the holiday season this week. It started with a lights-viewing carriage ride on Wednesday night, during which the family photo below was taken (Jerry and Wilder looking like their usual handsome selves and me looking like I just pounded a six pack ... I didn't, for clarification).

Then Friday afternoon Wilder and I accompanied Carmen and Owen to the NorthPark Trains, this really incredible holiday deal the local mall does every year. 2,800 square feet, 2,500 feet of tracks, more than 40 trains cruising simultaneously around ... I tried to get some photos there, too, but catching the joy and astonishment of two 2-year-olds surrounded by an uncountable number of their favorite things in the world turned out to be quite a challenge. Mostly I got blur and the backs of heads.

Today we headed to Walls Family Farm for our tree, and I'll let the slide show embedded below speak for itself. Suffice to say we had a blast and it really lit up our holiday spirit, despite the 80-degree temperatures.

Now, if I could just get a few gifts bought and some sugary treats made. Next weekend maybe ...

Cheers, k.

Photo blitz!

Sorry for the mega-post ... life has gotten a little out of control for us recently and it's made it difficult to get on here and write, much less write anything creative. We're in the process of selling our current home, buying another, moving before the end of the year and all during the holidays. Add to this that work has been nut-so for us both and you get an idea of things.

What follows are a few photos from the last few weeks. We had Thanksgiving, went to the Dallas World Aquarium, the Neiman Marcus Christmas Parade. All good fun. Tonight we're being driven around one of Dallas' more affluent neighborhoods in a horse-drawn carriage to look at holiday lights. I'll take the camera.

We're all well. Wilder and I are still getting over coughs and, for those I haven't already told, I was recently diagnosed with a pregnancy complication, complete placenta previa, which makes this one high risk. The baby is fine, I'm fine ... it's just good we know about it, how to proceed from here and how to prepare for what will more than likely involve hospitalization, bed rest and a whole lot of boredom for me and juggling for Jerry in my third trimester. Also, the baby -- who, by the way, is another BOY!!! -- will likely come early, hopefully in early March and not sooner. By then we'll be settled in our new house.

Gotta run and get pizza ordered. Enjoy the photos. Love, k.



Wilder enjoys the Thanksgiving spread. He's going through a bizarro toddler phase where he eats all his vegetables first. Weird and most certainly won't last.

At the aquarium, checking out the wildlife.

Wilder digs fishies.

Sleeping soundly in the big boy bed.

Pointing out otters to mom.

What a cutie at the Xmas parade.

Frosty and George float down the road.

A cute pick of the boys.

Wilder zones out while his friend Owen and Owen's pop Michael enjoy the parade.