Big Weekend

Holden and Cooper had a very big weekend.  Holden's face says it all ....

We took a trip to Santa's local workshop and met my folks for dinner.

Super Cooper was easy breezy and all smiles.

H was just taking it all in ... all weekend ... I'm sure to replay in his head later.  He was very talkative before his meeting with the Big Guy.  He had a long babblly list of things to tell Santa, but froze when he finally made his way up there.

Holden also rode a Christmas carousel (with some coaxing) and made an ornament.

____________________

The same awestruck Holden appeared when he received an early Christmas gift.  We took him to the live version of his fave show.  That kid has been talking about his "special day with YGG" for MONTHS, literally since JULY!  He jabbered and sang songs from the show all the way there ... all the way to his seat ... all through the pre-show tunes.  But the second the show started he turned into a zombie.  I don't think he blinked once.

When his fave character was introduced, his eyes welled up like he was going to cry.  He didn't say a word, but his face said, "I can't believe I'm in the same room as the Little Green One."

There were many moments during the show that Jordan and I thought we had made a mistake taking him there ... worried he had been traumatized and would never ever watch his favorite show, again.  May even be angry with us for making him go.  When the lights came up he grinned ear-to ear and said, "I'm SO HAPPY!"

He danced, sang and bounced all the way back to the car.  Jabbered for another ten minutes and passed out.

Holden has asked me several times over the last 24 hours if he can call his Mimi, or his best friend M, or his cousin S to tell them about the show.

BEST Christmas present for this little guy, ever!

-Carmen

Happy Holidays!

Here's our Christmas card ...

It's been a wild year for our family.  We are all exhausted, but with tremendous benefit.  The house is looking good.  We still have a lot to do, and we are more than happy to do it!  So good to finally be HOME!

This is a busy season for us not just because of the holiday season, but also because of the onslaught of birthdays in our family (eleven bdays over 16 weeks!)

We hope your family enjoys a magical holiday season filled with family, fun and overindulgence!

Love,
The Stogsdills

Hill Pic

Ok, just one more cousin and hubby pic.  They are so precious.

It's not just the "gag me with a spoon" sweetness oozing from them, that makes me smile, but the gorgeous white horse booty going No. 2 that I had to crop out just to the left.

Oh, yes It's childish, but .... BBBUUUU-WWWAA-HHAAA-HHAA!!!

-Carmen

Visit with Hill

I was given the great honor of hanging out with, and snapping a few pics of my gorgeous cousin, hubby and "baby" Lucy this afternoon.  The warm hugs and (local vino) were an added BONUS!

I couldn't wait to share this pic.  Note the muddy toes .... tromping through the mud for a Christmas card photo?  No problem!

I'd also like to point out that this is what Hill looks like after participating in a 5K earlier, today.  I don't look this amazing with a full 8 hours of sleep, a hearty breakfast and professional styling!

-Carmen

What do You Mean You Have a Roller Coaster in Your Yard?

A little more about our Thanksgiving at Poki Acres ... oh yes, there were cows!

There was not 1 ....

Not 2 ...

Not even 5 ....

BUT 7 little boys at Thanksgiving this year .....

And 1 very special baby girl named Lucy ...

And after the roller coaster rides, T-ball, hayride, "pony" rides and tons of food, all 7 little boys were T-I-R-E-D.  I think Lucy was wiped out, too.

Enjoy!

-Carmen

Happy Thanksgiving 2010 from Coop

Tortured the kids trying to get a Christmas-card-worthy picture this weekend while visiting my folks for our non-traditional Thanksgiving (hay ride, s'mores, queso and wiener roast.)

This isn't the winner, but thought it was so darn cute, and Coop was an angel through the ordeal.

Holden? Not so much.  Had to resort to .... I hate to say ... "toot" jokes to get smiles out of him, or the front side of him for that matter.

We hope everyone has a wonderful and THANKFUL week!

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Carmen

Mr. Beckett

I feel like B was left out of Halloween pics.  Hopefully this will make up for it.  Bee - U - Ti - ful boy!

-Carmen

Happy Halloween 2010!

Here are the last of the "kids in costume" pictures this year .....

Holden is super ticked about the cheesy inflatable wings.  Who can blame him?  They kept sliding up on the back of his head .....

No wings, all better .....

My sweet little bear...

And my sweet not-so-little anymore nephew....

-Carmen

Happy Birthday Cooper and Beckett!

Our little Halloween babies partied hard with our dear friends and family, today.  Cooper and Beckett are clearly worn out by cake time and too tired to entertain, but like PROs they saw it through to the last glob of frosting.

Happy Birthday, you sweet little guys!

-Carmen

Cooper Bear

Ok, I take back what I said .... the kid can smile and charm your socks off....

-Carmen

Arboretum 2010

Here's my little man having the best day ever!  Holden really enjoyed the pumpkins this year.

Poor little Cooper, this is about the only decent picture I could take of him.

I'm not sure if he was "trying" to smile for the camera or what, but in ALL of his pictures except this one, he is donning what I like to call "smell a fart face."

Happy Halloween!

-Carmen

Let there be LIGHT!!!

Finally!  We!  Have!  Electricity!

Today, I enjoyed the ceiling fans for the first time, and not only is there light in our house, but there is light at the end of that oh-so-long tunnel.

Hopefully, air conditioning is next.

Send up some good thoughts for us.  That last bought of rain infiltrated our fortress.  I'm trying to look at the bright side ... no carpet was installed, etc., but it's difficult and incredibly unnerving.  It was a LOT of water and I'm feeling a little vulnerable.

-Carmen

Adventures in Potty Training

I have waited in dread for the day we would officially take that leap into serious potty training.

I must say it has gone 100 times smoother than I ever anticipated.

For Holden all it took was "big kid underpants" featuring his favorite characters.  He has been diaper free (except for sleeping) for two weeks.  He hasn't had even one "accident" this entire week!  I think that is pretty impressive for a little boy who NEVER seemed bothered to sit in a wet/dirty diaper.

Holden (a lot like his mother) responds well when expectations and steps are outlined up front.  It becomes a sort of game or challenge.

My goal was to have him using a potty full time by his third birthday.  We are 3 and a half months away so I'd call that a "success!"


-Carmen

Swim, Anyone?

Ain't she purdy?

Calgon and I have standing reservations.

-Carmen

House Updates

Moving date has been pushed back twice in the last week.  Didn't see that coming! (Snarky sarcasm fully intended.)

I almost finished staining the island yesterday ... minus a second coat on the newly added column and sealing the whole thing.  I am very happy with the color now.

Jordan tiled the shower and grouted the whole bathroom.

Note the lack of lip at the shower entrance and that the tile flows right into the shower.  We did this for several reasons, but like most of the choices for the house it is because I HaTe cleaning.  I love a spotless house, but despise that I will spend hours and hours of my week making sure this happens.  So..... the tile and grout are purposely "dirt" color and I can  just mop right into the shower with no threshold or door to collect gunk.

Also, when I'm "seasoned," a.k.a. OLD, I can shuffle right in, no muss, no fuss.  The bathtub on the other hand may require the assistance of a lift .... even today ... in my most nimble of states (more on the tub later.)

The walls will be marble and installed this week, along with kitchen counters.

Other than that we are still waiting on the electrician to cooperate, the gas guy to come out and do his thing, which will then make way for the A/C guy.

It would be nice to turn some lights on.

Harping and hounding .... hounding and harping.

-Carmen

Carmen en la Casa

So here is some stuff to look at from the house..... (phone pics, not too bad ... not too great.)

His majesty's porcelain throne ....

One of my bigger projects ... (the color is still off, but I'm getting close.)

And the long awaited handle ... Apparently, when you select a giant door you must purchase a special handle.  The kind of handle that only specialty hardware shops order and charge a small fortune for.  Much searching and impatient waiting paid off with a great looking handle at a great price ....

Funny side note about the handle .... the store manager that sold me the handle made the mistake of telling me it would arrive in 9 - 10 days.

For the next 5 weeks, I called him every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. to ask him if my handle had made it in.

This week, I gave up.  He assured me many times he would call me when it came in.  At 10:38 on Tuesday, he called me to say it would be in Friday.

He was almost as excited as I was!  "So, should I call you on Friday?" I asked.

"NO, No ... no ... you don't have to call me.  Someone will call you.  Your purchase order is up on the wall where everyone can see it, with a BIG note on it that says to "CALL CARMEN!" as soon as the handle comes in," he said.

"So you're saying not to call, then?"

-Carmen

Amidst Feeling Bummed

At the cusp of a tremendous life changing event, anxious anticipation chokes the breath out of you.  Every pore drips, your heart sprints and flutters, and your stomach now resides in your throat ..... your troubled thoughts and dreams are crowded with checklists and worry ...

the journey

has been interesting ...

... so

ready for it to end.

Miss my husband most of all.

"two ships passing ..... " and all that.

-Carmen

Hi, All!

I've been having computer woes (among other woes.)  Hope to be on track soon.

A few highlights:

--Cooper is now 9 months old, and crawling (thank you very much!)
--We have a deadline to move into the house (though we will be living in a construction zone,)
--And it has recently come to my attention that one accustom to modern plumbing facilities must become "creative" when finding herself without said conveniences during a mad dash to make her house habitable.

Paints a lovely picture, doesn't it?

-Carmen

And Everybody says.......

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Happy 8 Months Cooper!

It's so hard being around this kid .... and keeping a straight face! Cooper is seriously the happiest kid ever.  He squeals, plays and laughs like he is on a mission.  Such a sweetie.

Cooper now assumes crawling position and scoots across the floor on his knees.  He is not fond of sitting on his bottom and likes to stand while balancing his palms on the sofa.

Cooper says "momma," "dada," and "hi."

Big brother Holden has given up the battle and decided his "baby Coops [Cooper]" is not so bad.  He actually asked if could play "toys" with "Coops" this morning.

Love love love these boys.

-Carmen

Lazy Day

-Carmen