life in alaska

Tonight we had our first annual Crotts New Year's Eve Family Game Night. It was pretty cool. Logan got a little bummed when he lost the first round of Old Maid, but then he won (and kept a good attitude), and won Go Fish and this cool animal pile-up game too.

It's wild to have kids that are old enough for this stuff. I love playing games with them - and they beg to play all the time. Logan is a whiz at "Memory" - it got a little freaky "searching-for-Bobby-Fisher-ish" the other night when we didn't think he was paying attention and then he cleared five pairs in a row out of the blue.

Riley wants to know how many days until Christmas already. I started to answer and then just said that I'm really not going to count that out for her right now.

The rocking horse has been a huge hit. Emmie's in it all the time, she even sits and reads in it. She loves it, and goes wild if anyone else (Logan) even mentions getting in it. She still thinks it's crying, and will pretend cry and point to its eyes.

We went to Barnes and Noble last night (which Logan STILL calls "Coffee Bell Town" - it started when he was two and he called Starbucks "Coffee Bell" you know, like not Taco Bell but Coffee Bell, and then B&N was "Coffee Bell TOWN") and in the parking lot Emmie looked around and said "Oh! All the cars! They gonna kill me!" Little Miss Paranoia.

Happy new year, everyone.

I just realized that I posted this on the wrong blog - probably because it was super late at night when I was writing. Anyway...

I wasn't going to do this, but I can't resist. The other day I was baking something and Riley was watching. I was trying to think of something to talk about, so I asked her if she knew what the Christmas story was all about. She proceeded with something that was about like this:

Well, an angel came to Mary - I think his name was Solomon - and told her she was going to have a baby and to call him Jesus and Immanuel, which means God With Us, and so then the angel went to tell Joseph but Joseph didn't really believe him so the angel had to make it so he couldn't talk until the baby was born. Then they got married and she had the baby, but before she had the baby they had to go down to Bethlehem and when they got there there were no houses so they had to borrow one. They laid the baby in the manger and all the wise men came, and they stayed there until Jesus was twelve and then they went up to the temple. On the way, they turned around and he was gone! He was in the temple in his father's house teaching all the teachers and grown-ups stuff like how to be a parent and don't yell at your kids and stuff. Then they went home, and when he grew up he ruled over the whole land. The end.

I figure there's a good amount of meat in there - and then some significant problems - but she's listening. When I said "wow, Ri, you know a lot about it" she said "yeah, I always listen to the Bible stories."

She loves it! I just put it together about 15 minutes ago, but she hasn't been off yet. The eyes are tear-shaped and she immediately pointed to the eyes and said "Ohhh! Why you cryin', rockin' horthe?" 

Grandmom & Grandad - Emmie's rocking horse arrived today! 

You can't see Logan's dragon so well here, but you get the idea...it's very cool, and easy to operate.  

Grandmom & Grandad Crotts - Riley loves doing puppet shows with her new marionette! It's a princess, and you gave Logan a green (friendly) dragon so they can do "shows" (a favorite pastime at our home) together. I think I'm supposed to build a theater now... 

Crickets. Now she's afraid of crickets. There was one in the garage the other day and I told Logan to go get it - Emmie went too, but it kind of jumped at her and she ran away yelling, "It gonna kill me! It gonna kill me!"

Grampa, this is the puppy you gave Em - she loves it. Now, when I put her to bed she has to say "I need my blue bear, my baby, my puppy! and you forgot my bobby-ju! and where my binket? My purple binket? I need 'noopy! (Snoopy)." Jeff pointed out that it's a Rottweiler, and I overheard Riley telling Emmie "No one really wants a Rottweiler for a pet." So I had to correct that and spin it, so now we tell Emmie that Rottweilers are very protective. (She kind of gets afraid of things really easily, like the marionettes the older kids got really freak her out.) 

They have been in pajamas all day. It was nice here, and I probably should have sent them outside but then you have to deal with changing everyone and telling them "no, you can't take your new _____ out because you'll leave it there and it'll be ruined" so instead I took the christmas tree down. Ahhhhhh. 

This toy is along the lines of "my child's favorite toy was a cardboard box". All three love it. Emmie was running after Logan this morning yelling "it MY bilibo!" (Another third baby difference - even when they're bad they're cute.) 

This is something I never would have done with my first child. But third child gets Polly Pockets at two. I know, she's way too young, they're chokables. But she loves them and they make her happy. Happy = quiet. 

This is how Jeff spent the day. To be fair, he did take most of Christmas day to spend with us. Do I sound bitter? I'm REALLY trying not to sound bitter...! 

Emmie as turtle 

Emmie's new bilibo - it functions as a rocker, seat, hat, whatever 

This yellow thing was one of the favorites for everyone - it was for Emmie. I found it online, and Jeff doubted me at first. It's simple, but has many functions... 

"It's the only thing I want in the whole world!" Against my better judgment (it'll break in three days), but she loves it... 

Logan and Mom set up a new bridge for his train - very fun 

Elmo makes it a Merry Christmas... 

I'm baking a cheesecake. I can't put it in the fridge till it cools a bit so I'm sitting here thinking of things the kids have said/done lately.

Recently I told Logan and Riley that eventually I'll move Logan into what is now Emmie's room, and move Em in with Riley. I thought he might not like the idea, but he said, "Wow! I could have all my boy stuff in there! No girl stuff will be allowed in MY room!" I'd like to finish off the bonus room (if we could) so I could still have a nursery though. (Not that there's a need for a nursery right now - I'm not announcing anything.)

Emmie's still afraid of everything. She likes me to pretend I'm a puppy, but then when I get down and bark she gets a little freaked and she'll say "do a kitty!" So I'll be a cat and then she'll still get a little freaked. Tonight on the way home from the party there was Christmas music playing on the radio and she said "I don't like that song, it makes me afraid!" It was Karen Carpenter or something like that. Granted, Karen Carpenter's a little scary.

Tonight we had our college group Christmas party and played dirty Santa. Someone opened a present that included a gel eye mask that you put in the fridge to chill and then put on your eyes to kind of relax. When they pulled it out Riley said, "Hey! My dad has one of those!" The person opening (Aaron Wilson) said "Did everyone hear what Riley just said?" and held it up and repeated her comment - needless to say, it was funny. To explain, I bought it for myself, and one day when Jeff was really tired I got it out and made him lie on the couch and try it out. Then he ran around some with the kids with it...

One of the gifts (since it was dirty santa I opened - and then lost - several) I was lucky enough to receive was a dancing hamster. It sang "Everybody was kung-fu fighting" and danced, waving a cute little pair of num-chucks (a word I don't really know how to spell.) Sadly, it was taken from me. I ended up with five bucks instead, so I'm not complaining.

Riley is going to a tea party in the morning with a bunch of little girls. She's so excited. It's a dress-up event, and she's taking a gift to exchange. She's so social, and she's been looking forward to this for weeks. Literally counting the days. Logan is beside himself - whenever she leaves him to go to a friend's house it's as if there was a death in the family. Every time she mentions it he gets so sad. We're working on the concept of "being glad for others when they have a special opportunity." It just isn't getting through yet.

Tonight Riley asked if we could make cookies to put out for Santa on Christmas Eve. I haven't really pushed the idea of Santa at all - either saying he's real or not real - I just haven't talked much about it. Obviously they hear a lot of input regarding "the real meaning of Christmas" and I guess I've just let the Santa stuff play itself out. They think he's kind of real - as in, it's a real person in a costume somehow, and Mom and Dad buy the presents...

Anyway, she said "can we make cookies for Santa?" and I said "sure." So she lit up, and then said "can we leave him some milk, too?" and I said "sure." So she thought for a minute and then added "and can we leave some for Mrs. Claus, because she'll probably have to come with him to help." I love her.

This is a true story.

At the end of breakfast this morning, after eating quite a bit of what the kids call "squishy eggs" which are just scrambled with cheese, Emmie spat out her last bite and said - without any prompting or having recently heard the word - "that's dith-guth-ting!"

Okay. She turned two, what, three days ago.

This morning as we were leaving for church Jeff looked down at the gas gauge and said "wow, the gas is really low" and Emmie immediately said "We're all gonna die!" We laughed, and so she kept saying it - "we're gonna die" most of the way to church. Getting into the car to come home, she started up again, and I said "Emmie, it's okay, we're safe!" and she answered "no, we're gonna die." What's up with that.

She's a bit grumpy this afternoon. She ate lunch, then I took her up for a nap. I was rocking her and said "I love you, Em" to which she replied "I not precious!" So I said "you're wonderful!" and of course she said "I NOT wonderful!" so I asked, "Well, what are you then?" She immediately answered, "HOLY!"

Isn't she great? 

There's marshmallow fluff in the sugar bowl - I tried to lose my OCD side and just let 'em have some fun. 

Riley presided over a tea party (with hot chocolate) - and Logan's more than willing to sit and drink all the hot chocolate she'll pour. 

Emmie had a great birthday - thanks to all who sent gifts. She got a little possessive here and there but generally shared with the older two who acted like toddler toys are the best things ever. Tonight we took them to McD's for dinner, promising to open the rest of the presents when we came home. Coming into the house, Logan and Riley were discussing who would help her and Emmie's response was "NO! It MY happy birthday!" so she's definitely aware of what's happening.

Yesterday morning I heard her singing "mommy, mommy, mommy" to the tune of "holy, holy, holy" - is that endearing or what?

Done for the night.  

I'm happier than I look - just tired - and this is my now-two-year-old! 

Most of my digital pics looked like this today - she wouldn't stop moving and she wouldn't look at the camera - too much to do. 

this is the band - she got a band-in-a-box that everyone loves (even Jeff got into the tambourine a little bit) 

New blocks "with abcd's!" and a tot-friendly version of paper dolls 

Riley took the Lego box and made it into a puppet theater. 

Logan's pretty much a natural builder - he's helping Em build the design from the box...