When She's Ready...

We thought maybe she was waiting for Christmas. Maybe she was, there was just so much going on yesterday that maybe she didn't get her chance. But she got it tonight - and took it! So now, finally(!), Burgundy is walking! She has been ready for some time and has been getting up to a standing position from sitting without support for some time now. And she has really good balance and can dance and stand-squat-stand with ease. She just finally let herself do it! And I think it won't be long before she is running!

The big man came! (a long post for family who couldn't be there!)

Burgundy in the snow for the first time, a few days before Christmas.

Well, wouldn't you know it, Santa found our house again this year. And oh what fun! Finn has been looking forward to Christmas for, honestly, months. And then for the last week and a half he was near to bursting with excitement. It was so great that he was really into it for the first time this year.

So, Christmas Eve, we went to Aunt Shirley & Uncle Evan's for annual Christmas Eve chimichangas. Mmmm! Afterwards, we drove through Layton park to see all the lovely Christmas lights they do every year. So it was the normal routine of baths & bed, but we let Finn open one present that night (a Curious George Christmas book - what a coincidence!) and we put out milk and gingerbread cookies for Santa on the table. Then after bed, Cody and I headed down to finish wrapping and assemble the little kitchen from Santa.

Finn has been consistently saying Santa is going to bring him a red train and put it in his room. So I had to make sure his tracks were set up before bed and then I had to sneak in after he was asleep and put this new red Thomas train on the tracks. It is honestly one of the scariest things I have ever done. It took me two attempts to do it because he kept turning and making noises and I was deathly afraid he would wake and catch me. Yikes!

So we went to bed about 1230 and we hardly slept at all. We heard Finn up at around 7 so we figured we'd better get up. Our routine lately has been working pretty well. We put out a bowl of cereal with a spoon, put a cup of milk in the fridge where he can reach it and set up the TV before we go to bed. Then when Finn wakes up all early he just goes out there, turns on the TV, gets his milk, eats his cereal and watches TV until we get up. It's pretty nice. But we decided since it was Christmas morning we would get up early too. It was so cute when we came out. Finn was standing by the plate of (eaten) cookies and he had his little hands together and just this most incredulous look on his face. He was literally shaking with excitement.

Now, I guess I still operate as a child on Christmas because I didn't know what to do! I couldn't decide if I should run and open presents right then or go take a shower before I even came out of the bedroom. Somehow there was no in between in my mind. Luckily, Cody had the plan! So Finn showed us his red train that Santa brought, and then he got to open his stocking and he was so excited he opened it right there on the landing.
Then he saw a note from Santa saying to look in his playroom and found his kitchen! He loved making breakfast for Daddy!
So he was set for a few minutes while Cody and I took showers and made some cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Then we got Burgundy up and she got to open her stocking. And Finn showed her the kitchen that Santa brought for them.
Then it was a somewhat structured free-for-all of opening presents.We all got some really great gifts this year!! Of course Cody & I got a basement and a new TV, but we also got a Wii from Santa. Among Finn's favorites were his helicopter (which now lay in ruins - hey it almost lasted a whole day!), his red train, and his big new train track set. Burgundy LOVES her shopping cart from Gramma Paula & Grampa Jim and also likes her little dolly stroller.

Jim & Paula were able to brave the weather and come over and hang out for a bit after we opened presents, and later on we all went up there for dinner, which was lovely - if somewhat quiet with way fewer people than normal!

We drove home in a crazy blizzard which started out as rain, and transformed to sleet, then snow then LOTS of snow by the time we got home. Everyone was doing 30 on the freeway. But we made it home safely and after the kids were put to bed Cody and stayed up and played with our new Wii - fun!!

So, a very fun day was had by all. A little too much sugar, but what's Christmas without buckets of candy? So now all we have to do is figure out what to do for New Year's! A friend is having a party which would be fun, but it starts at 8 and I doubt our babysitter wants to sit on New Year's Eve. So I guess we will probably be doing nothing.

So I hope you had a wonderful Christmas as well. And have a wonderful New Year!

the lost pictures... a.k.a. before & after

The fun thing about having 2 cameras is sometimes when you download one you don't use that often, you find pictures you forgot you took! I thought we had real before pictures of the basement but couldn't find them... until now. And so, the REAL before & afters:

The Theatre Room
BEFORE

AFTER

The Main Room
BEFORE

AFTER

The Purple Room
BEFORE

AFTER

The Green Room
BEFOREAFTER

not too shabby. so someday (hopefully soon) we will get it all decked out and cleaned up and organized completely.

and the winners are...

Our first guests to stay in the basement were Laci & Ryan and Chrissy & Dan. They stayed over Wednesday evening and a fun time was had by all. Thanks for breaking it it guys!
In other news, we've just been busy loafing in our basement, making final Holiday arrangements, going through clothes and toys and bringing about 10 bags to the donation boxes and just enjoying our time off. And look at the new toys Cody & I got for Christmas!

Christmas came early

Well it was supposed to be delivered between noon & four. And I think Cody wore a strip out of the carpet where he was pacing back and forth for four hours. Finally, it came at about 4:15.

So he is busily working to set it up and fighting off a "can I try it?" repeating Finn. I tried to explain to Finn that all those presents under the tree were his and he would be able to play with them soon and not even have to share them if he didn't want. And that this was daddy's Christmas present. So he got that, and that worked, for a few minutes...

Look at this cutie. How could you get mad at that face?? (let me count the ways)This little girl is moments from walking, and has taken a tentative step here and there. It won't be long now!This is Finn's favorite thing at the moment. A Christmas train from Grandma & Grandpa to go around (and around... and around...) the tree.

Here also are some pictures of the basement. Still a work in progress, but fitting with the title of this blog so I thought I'd put them in. Please disregard the mess. I said it's a work in progress.

little computerer

Here's my cute little guy. He wanted to see choo choo's on the computer and Cody found some train videos on you tube. So that's how he wanted to spend the rest of the evening. And I showed him how to use the mouse and click and of course he got it right away. Pretty cute to see.

The Lower Level

So it is weird to have my computer in the basement. I love love LOVE having my desk back. I am so very happy to have a desk again. I feel like I can almost breathe when I am working now. And as soon as I get all my paperwork organized into said desk I will be breathing freely.

BUT the weird thing is my computer was on a little tiny table right in the middle of our house. And every time I walked past it I could glance at it to see if I had gotten e-mail or whatever else. I could just sit down and work on it and not feel like I had to dedicate time. So that is good & bad. Because it was right there I WOULD just sit down and work and probably ignore many other tasks that needed to be attended to e.g. laundry, dirty dishes, feeding children, etc.

But now it is on the lower level of our home. And probably because there is still a child safety gate (of sorts) blocking the stairs I guess I feel like I can't just run down and look at it and then go back up. I feel like I have to dedicate time and say "ok, I am going downstairs now".

So I think I am having some withdrawal because I am addicted to checking my email 50 times a day. And now I can't do it as often or as easily. But Burgundy has almost mastered the stairs so soon I will feel a little freer to run down for a second. Hopefully.

Other than that, we are loving the basement. It doesn't quite feel done yet because our new TV hasn't arrived. And that is a whole other ordeal. But it should be here in a week and then it will be our getaway.

I have often heard couples talk of having room to get away - even from each other. And that is sort of a bad thing about the basement. We can get away from each other. Our house is so open and all in one spot that if everyone is home we're all right on top of each other. And being able to get away from my kids is great for a few minutes. But if Cody and I are on different levels I get lonely. The price you pay I guess!

So those are the ups & down of having a finished basement so far & in my opinion. But for the most part we love it. And it still amazes us that it's done!

All Christmassy

We finally got the tree and some decorations put up. Every year I wait until right after Christmas & I try to buy more decorations for dirt cheap. And then they're new to me next year. So I have lots of new tree decorations this year! Pretty gold beads and pine cones.

I need to get some more house decorations. I have tree stuff and my "mantle" setup. But other than that it is pretty sparse!Anyway here are some pics of our tree and our stockings (don't mention the fact that our stockings don't match. I knew when I bought the 3 I should have bought 4, but I thought well if I do have another baby - hopefully I'll be able to find another one. nope)

Click on the tree picture to zoom in and see if you can count how many birds are in our tree! Also here are some cute pictures of the kids. Burgundy got new boots and was pretty impressed with them. Unfortunately we can't zip them up over her chubby little legs! Good thing they have velcro too.

my dad

Well with the craziness of finishing the basement in the last month, I realized that I skipped right over my dad and didn't post about him on his birthday. Sorry this is late. (just like Burgundy, who was supposed to be born on his birthday of 11/7)

My dad is the smartest guy I know. We used to be very close. Every weekend he would pick me up in Chicago and drive me home, and then every Sunday night we would drive back to Loyola. I really enjoyed those car rides. We would talk about stuff or sometimes we would just ride in silence. But either way, I enjoyed spending that time with my dad.
I guess since moving away and starting out on my own path, we talk less. It makes me sad sometimes. I don't get to see my parents as often as I'd like. And sometimes, I feel like I'm not as close with my dad anymore. But he is, and shall remain, my hero.
I have learned so much from you, dad. The honorable way you carry yourself. And in some cases, I have learned from your mistakes. And I guess that is all any parent can hope to teach their child.
Anyway, I will make this of few words - just like my dad. And hopefully, as my dad is somehow always able to do, each word will carry a world of meaning.
So, to my dad: a man of great substance and character. A man I wish I was closer to. Geographically and otherwise. A man I wish my kids could be around more often.
I love you, dad.