The library had a Fancy Nancy Tea Party today. Hailey had SO much fun! They read stories, played games, did a craft, had a parade, learned some french, and had some goodies. I took the camera but the battery was dead. (I've had a bad habit of that lately) When we got home I tried to take some pictures because she looked so cute in the dress she wore to be "fancy," but she wouldn't hold still. So this is what you get.
My tiny girl is SO pretty!
And GOOFY!
If you've ever been to our house, you've probably noticed the Lord of the Rings decor subtly placed around. If you've ever looked at our books shelves you've probably noticed the large amount of books that either were written by Tolkien, inspired by Tolkien, or inspiring to Tolkien's writing. If you've ever looked at our games, you've probably noticed that we have every LOTR themed game ever made. If you've ever looked at my dad's music, you've probably noticed that he has a whole genre dedicated to Tolkien songs.
I was raised on this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSHLGnexe-w
and this:
Both of which still creep me out.
I thought it was normal for a family to bust out with this song:
(how I love Leonard Nimoy)
When the new movies came out, my parents took us to the midnight showings.
My dad once decided that reading The Silmarillion out loud would be a great family bonding activity. (We all had very nice naps, while he read)
Despite my dad's obsession. I always refused to read the books.
Until now.
I don't really know what changed my mind. After 27 years of being the odd one in the family, I guess I just decided it was time. I started in secret. I worried I would crush my dad's poor heart if I didn't like the books. On the now historic date of February 14, 2011, I finished. AND I loved it. I think I made my dad proud.
It's several days late, but the actual day Matthew hit 11 months was the same day Hailey had her first stomach flu. Which also happened to be one of the worst days ever.
Matthew eats like a champ. Seriously, I think he could win some sort of eating contest. He now carries his favorite book, Where is Baby's Belly Button?, all over the house. He takes a few steps at a time and then decides crawling is easier. He doesn't fall. He then gets down on his knees and crawls. He like to sleep, cuddle, and play. He is finally starting to branch out and likes my parents and not just Alex and I. I think he likes Stemanda alright too. He's still very picky about who he will go to. He has started to try and talk. He has been saying, "mama,' for a while. He doesn't say much else though. I think Hailey says more than enough for both of them. ;) He is still all smiles and giggles and we adore him.
The tiny girl will be three next month. I can hardly believe it!
Now you can enjoy some cuteness.
Match-y Valentines day skirts!
Have I ever told you how much I enjoy learning about other cultures? For Christmas this year we had several parties revolving around Christmas celebrations in other countries. It's actually how I stumbled on this little gem:
On Christmas Eve in Sweden everyone drops EVERYTHING to watch it. So, this year we watched it. We also did some Mexican, German, and Italian traditions. Next year I plan on doing some more. It's been fun to learn about this stuff and even more fun to teach Hailey about it.
We have had a fun couple of months doing some other holiday stuff and mixing it up with holidays from other countries. So today we celebrated Chinese New Year. I know it was yesterday but Alex had school. We started out with a homemade Chinese feast. Chinese Salad, egg drop soup, egg rolls, sweet and sour, fried rice, and lemon chicken all made from scratch. (no mixes, my friends) And it was delicious. I forgot to take pictures of that part though. After that we popped open some crackers that we bought at an after new years sale, ate some store bought Asian goodies, and played some games. Then we all got Lucky Red envelopes. Hailey is already dreaming of what to buy with her $1.
So excited for her cracker!
I have been throwing the idea of starting a recipe blog for a while. I even got myself an url for it. Time and a need for sleep have not been my friends in this endeavor though.
Speaking of sleep, I am seriously lacking.
I've gotten some really awesome freebies and deals lately. I've shared a few on facebook, but I fear if I share too many I will become that annoying friend that everyone blocks. BUT I also want to hook everyone interested up with great deals. Maybe when I finally start my other blog, it'll be for more than just recipes.
I think it is hilarious when Hailey sings rock songs. A two year old rocking out is the funniest thing ever.
One of my best friends from high school (one of the few I actually still talk to) shared this on facebook yesterday. I LOVE it. To Kill a Mocking Bird is my favorite works of fiction and Atticus Finch is my hero. He is the kind of man I want to be. ;)
It looks I will no longer be the black sheep in my family. I have read The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and most of The Return of the King. I actually like them. My dad will not have to disown me. I still WILL NOT read The Silmarillion. So I guess I am still the black sheep.
Even after reading the books I still don't understand why they didn't use the eagles sooner. When I saw this clip for the first time, I knew I was not alone. I'll warn you now that there is a cartoon bum in it.
