A Cate Family Christmas '08

We Had a wonderful Christmas! And a great Birthday for Amelia(She's two, and showin' it). Preston, Amelia and I travelled to Alabama to see his Mom and Dad, two sisters and their husbands and kids...Whew. It was tons of fun (and some fighting over toys)...the kids, of course, however, the guys all really took to a dirty santa gift that practically electrocuted the slowest player to push a button on some device that plays this psychotic music over and over again. It's called Lightening Reaction Revenge "this time it's personal". REALLY, I would recommend it to any party-goer wanting to liven up the place.

ABC...It's Easy As 1,2,3

I Have to brag just a smidgen about our smart(genius)daughter who revealed to us today that she knows her ABCs...all of them! We have been playfully reciting it out with her having no real goal in mind, but I suppose they really are like little sponges. She boastfully let Preston know at Ingles while shopping for much needed paper products (how can anyone run out of paper towels, Kleenex, baby wipes,and toilet paper all at once???),anyway, when suddenly, out of the wild blue yonder, Amelia announces her alphabet geniusness (did I say that already). And, I missed it all sense I was at work, so preston recounted the moment like this: She shouts it for others to hear, or for others to join in, saying A!B!Ceeeeeee!Dee!Eeeeeee!!f.(whisper)g.(whisper).Hshhhhhh!Ieeee!J. K. Lllllll!Mmmmmm!Nnnnnn!O.(whisper)PEEEEEEE!Q.R.Sssssssss!Teeeeee!U.Veeeeee.W.X.Y.ZEEEEEEEEE! I asked Preston on the phone if he made a big deal or a BIG DEAL about this. He said that he cheered, but it was a little subdued. I WISH I could have been there to cheer her on. I hate missing these small/BIG deals. It's the small/big deals that make this parenting thing so fun! I am well aware that others out there, those who have kids doing the EXACT same thing as mind, hitting all the same milestones as mine ("let me guess, her favorite word is 'No'")may not be as impressed with this feat. But, most first timers are equally enthusiastic about these small things. To me, it's like she's doing everything she is designed to do at all the correct times. It's amazing to me! There is such a beautiful design that takes place, and I have front row seats for it. There will be many more of these small/big deals to come. I look forward to cheering it all on, even when I can't be right there to see it.

The Rest of Our Trip

Our trip to Winnsboro was wonderful! We got a good bit of outdoor time with the cousins. Preston, myself and Little A stayed at "the cabin" on "the farm" at my Dad's place. Most of the pics are of us chopping down our Christmas tree this past Friday. Such a hallmark family moment. Amelia totally dug the outdoor time, wanting to go there every waking minute. I still can't get over how funny it was to see little Calie (Logan's youngest and closest in age to Amelia)trudgging through the brush, trying to keep up with the tree hunters, all the while holding tight to her precious baby doll and worrying that her bow may somehow fall out onto the dirty ground. Callie, YOU GO GIRL! Way to be a sport, I love ya.

Gobble Gobble (Day 1)

Suzannah's update

Just wanted to give a quick little update on Suzannah. Her surgery went as good as could be expected. I have gotten lost in some of the details, don't want to be misinformative, but all in all, her lymph nodes are cancer free, and there is no need for chemo (A-mazing!!!). We are all so relieved.

Halloween Hooplah 2008

I'm starting to really love Halloween! I mean really love it! And all because of WORK! Growing up, we always dressed up, but it was never too big of a deal. I remember always having so much fun though. As an adult, however, and at WORK no less, Halloween has become something I anticipate joyfully. It's like really being a kid again. Our small department at work put a good bit of thought into what our "look" is going to be in the weeks approaching the big day. Hopefully, it is obviouse that this year we were Alice In Wonderland. There was a lot of creativity involved in this process...none of these dead-on, perfectly peiced together outfits were store bought THANK YOU VERY MUCH!...oh, and that's me as a blond.
And Miss Amelia Bug was none other than a pink poodle. She refused to put on the hood, so the she was more like a headless poodle. She sure did cozzy up nicely to the cutest kangaroo on the block though! Kangaroo and Poodle had a blast chasing each others' tails. Preston, who used his radiation mask to frighten all the little ones, looked more like an albino spiderman peacock. We both took Amelia a couple of blocks over to "trick or treat". They block of a stretch of road for all of the trick or treaters. The houses are decked out and there must have been more than a hundred carved pumpkins within two or so blocks of each other. It was spooktacular! (Sorry, dumb)

Head Gear

And YES, the helmet's necessary. I do get some funny looks around this place with a small toddler zippin' around on a trike with a massive helmet on...sometimes she prefers to just walk about with the head gear still on with the trike parked somewhere safe. I may have been labeled as one of those extreme parents who assume injury is around every corner. But no, if you could see the delight in her eyes as she races down the inclined sidewalk, speed increasing, and demanding I let go right this instant, then you would agree. The helmet stays.

Fall 2008

Oh How we love the Fall! Amelia didn't really enjoy the leaves as much as she leads on in the photos. Only when Katie was hoisting her up in the air and plopping her down (hard) in the pile did she laugh hysterically. I do love the Fall.

World's Most Popular Aunt!

Hey Caroline and Logan, look who came to see me at work! I can't remember their names, but I bet YOU can!!! I told them that I had two very special kiddos in my life that are BIG fans of theirs, and they wanted to send out a little "shout out" to you two. They told me that Caroline and Logan are like their most favorite names in the whole wide world! They gave me a big high five just for being your special aunt! You two are so lucky!!! Well, gotta go! Love you two!!!

The Bloggy Blog Blogger

AHHHHHH, we got our internet back up. What a relief. I love checking other's blogs and keeping "plugged in". It has really turned into an outlet for me, and a perfect way to drown out...I mean, relax with my hubby while he strums his second love. No really, Preston has always had his music as his vice, and now I can say that mine is BLOGGIN'. Dorky, maybe. A co-worker wrote on her site about having a goal to post at least 100 posts within the first year of starting. Well, I'm not sure how many posts I have so far, and I have been posting for over a year now, but I like the thought! It encourages me to write more!

Scooter poop is still scootin' and definately poopin' her way to becoming a two year old. Soon, she will be refusing to potty train, and telling me "NO" in three and four word sentences. I'll be honest, the 2s and 3s have always been a big nightmare of mine...not my favorite age. HOWEVER, there is too much to look forward to for me to outright dread this develpmental process. It is so amazing to me watching her progress. "No like it!" and "No want it!" is a new sentence we have been marveling in recently, but it is so adorable...what's not adorable is the off-the-charts, only-dogs-can-hear-it screaming. Happy or very very mad, it still sounds the same.

On a different note, and much sadder one too, a sweet family who many of us all new very well sadly lost their little boy to AML (leukemia) this morning. What a little fighter he was. We will all miss him terribly. Please pray for the Jones family. They are strengthened only by the Lord as they face the most difficult part of their battle.

One Man's Box...

Well, one man's discarded 60' LCD flat screen TV box is another toddler's DREAM CASTLE!...ssssscore! I stalked this HUGE box outside our door for hours Thursday night hoping to catch the lucky owner of this new TV and ask him if I could take his trash into my home. He never came by, so my friend Robin (my hip downtown buisness owner/interior designer friend)helped me tug it in. Robin, I know cause she told me, thought I was a little dilusional about my visons of grandure. But NOW she understands, and is bowing down at my decorative talents. Actually, the castle was so much fun to make, and I've always wanted to do this. Preston helped paint it, and Amelia is helping to decorate the interior with crayon scribbles. It is obviously for HER to play with, but P and I have had too much fun with it. It is a perfect hidding spot, and p is thinking about making it into his new recording studio. Really, it's not as big as I'm making it sound (we may need to add on later with a sun room or layer out back). It does take up a good amount of space, so it will have to go at some point, but it is something different and fun for now.

My Secret To Sanity

We have been soaking up the extra time that we now have in the evenings with our sweet friend Katie (aka KiKi)who loves to come over and entertain Amelia. She's only 10, but she has an amazing gift with kids. Amelia just freaks out every time she sees her (Katie lives in our building, so we run into her often). Katie, lately has been coming over for dinner, and helping out with the hussle and bussle of dinner-bath-PJ-brush teeth-story time. Little by little, Katie has taken on a bit more responsibility with getting Amelia ready for bed. She can confidently handle bath time,diapering, and getting her PJs on. It's been tremendous! I actually have laundry put up where it needs to be, and I can relax just a tad while Katie happily chases her naked little bottom all around the place!

My Kid DID Paint that!

So if you haven't seen the documentary 'My Kid Could Paint That', you really should! We saw it a while ago during one of our Netflix phases. The daycare will thoughtfully place a piece of colorful construction paper with a smidge of paint on it inside Amelia's cubbie with a title like "Expressions by Amelia". I politely take it home and admire it for a day or so. Some of the things they send home are so sweet/obscure. But, the other day we got another stack of pointless(but still sweet and appriciated)artistic expressions, and then noticed that, turned upside down, one of them really was quite brilliant! Can you see the geniusness??? If not, squint. If you still can't see that it is obviously a whale catching his squid dinner, then you may need to have your eyes checked.

Tantrums...Luv Um? Hate Um?

Well, I LOVE them. (Of course not at all, but just for conversations' sake),I find it gives me some personal time to sit down for a change(in the other room). Especially when we're in the "red zone", and there's no point of return. There is no other solution I can possibly come up with (and working with children of ALL types for my entire adulthood has given me no imagination with this) except to simply walk away. I keep calm just fine if I can detach myself physically and mentally. Preston has more of a do-something-about-it mentality. I think it is just being a man, and feeling as though there should be a solution for everything, and definitely a solution that he can bring forth. Well, my solution is to dust my hands of the unsolvable mess, relax, and ride out the storm...now days, these storms are a good 20-30 minutes at best, and about, oh, a bajillian times a day. Well, I may be exaggerating a tad. She's only 20 months old. How hard can this really be?

Nothing New Update

Life is the same as usual. Preston and I are constantly working , but we it only makes having the time together even better. Amelia speaks two word sentences now (go milly bug!). Mostly it is "no,(fill in the blank)". Every once and a while we get a "more please", or "Hello mama". Thrilling. Well, we hope to go see 'Grand Doty' next weekend, and to see their new additions, their three donkeys. We want to see Sipsey too...she's been staying with them for a few months now, and I think she has such a better quality of life there.

Preston's parents are coming this way in a couple of weeks, and we always look forward to that. Thet haven't seen Amelia in while, so it should be a great visit.

Party at Lily's House!

New Trike!

Well I saw this tricycle in a second hand store in perfect condition and had to get it. She is way too small and uncoordinated to get it YET, but I think she will be wizzin' around the hallways and lobby so soon.

Cute Little Donkeys!!!

My dad and Katherine got three donkeys for the two-mile place (aka "the farm"). a male named Billy-Jack, a female named Mary-something, and a wee little baby named Short Cake. We only have seen them in pictures, but look forward to meeting them in person soon. Amelia has been practicing the word "donkey", it comes out pretty good.

Happy Anniversary To Us!

Preston and I celebrated our 4th year of marriage today! We had a really great day of hangin out as a family. We went out to dinner and a movie (yes, you heard me). We never get to do the simplest of things normally. But really, we enjoyed just having that time to be with each other and to catch up with life. Yeah! 4 years! (actually 11 1/2 years total!)