Happy Thanksgiving!

Eliza watching the family run around


Janet and Eliza share a quiet moment


Morgan reads a story to Aunt Janet


Morgan makes up a story to Aunt Janet


Morgan eating the double stuff oreo cookies she and Grand made into little turkeys.

The turkey breast was juicy and the ham was great. Forget the roast at Christmastime, we're having bourbon ham. Mike will like that, I'm sure. The wine was a McDowell 2003 Syrah which complimented Linda's cheesy potatoes nicely. Morgan ate mostly bread and ham while Eliza made her usual grunts at the table. We finished the night with some lovely apple pie with crumble crust Kim made last night. Simply divine if I may say.

Well, time to get Janet and Margaret back to their hotel. Tomorrow we sleep in and get some work done around the house. Tomorrow night will be the viewing of Christmas Vacation and the official start of the Christmas season.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!

Meltdown

When Kim went to get Janet and Margaret at the BART station, Eliza melted down. Screaming, crying and completely inconsolable. Yeah. Good news is Kim eventually returned and we were all able to relax a bit. Janet and Grandma are here safely, although very tired after a full day's travels.
Luckily the girls got adorable when I had the camera out. More tomorrow, time to get the pies going and season the turkey breast.

It has begun

The first wave of guests for the holiday have arrived. Morgan was waiting at the window as Ken, Linda, Sufi and Arnold pulled in just a short while ago. Cleo was found huddled in a bush this morning after refusing to come inside last night before the rain started. With the dogs running around, Cleo has needed to find refuge from them and the rain. I think she's doing just fine.
The pies and stuffing will be prepped tonight and the ham starts at 10 tomorrow morning! Let's go!

A big week coming up

After a rough week with sick Morgan and sick Justin, Kim is anticipating the arrival of 4 additional guests for Thanksgiving. Ken and Linda are coming as well as Ken's sister Janet and their mother Margaret from Indiana. Needless to say it's going to be a full house, but empty compared to the Christmas we are hosting in a month's time.
To get ready for all that I got an early Christmas gift last night at work. With the week sick and a busy week coming I got a full night's sleep last night...AT WORK! A full 9 hours. It was almost like stealing, but not really. Working 2 days in a row now so I can have the whole week off to prep for TG.
Back to work now, time for movie #2 before volleyball. Oh and what a tough place to be stationed for 2 days. Google Earth it - 32nd Avenue at Pacheco.

Morgan feeling better, Justin too

Morgan recovered rather quickly from the stomach bug, mainly by passing it to Justin. I suffered through Monday night on the couch awaking numerous times for business and finally in the morning to Morgan whispering "Shhhh Mommy, Daddy's sleeping on the couch." If poor Morgan had half of what I did she is quite the trooper.

I am back at work today, Wednesday, after going to sleep last night not sure what would happen. I was able to live like a fly on the wall the last few days and watch Kim take care of three whiny people and it reminds me what an amazing woman and mother she really is. She helped me along while dealing with Eliza, who is now teething, and Morgan, who now melts down on a regular basis.

So here's to Kim, wife and mother extraordinaire.

Silent Night...Holy $#!& !

Last night was Eliza's first full night's sleep. Normally parents would awaken on that morning happy and excited that their little one let them sleep.

Unfortunately at the same time Eliza was snoring away, Morgan was recovering from a stomach bug that had her vomiting after she tried eating anything and then every 30 minutes after that. The poor thing was so exhausted every time she got sick she shook and cried. Her first event was before midnight 2 nights ago and had us racing into her room every time we heard her scream "Mommy!" in a way reserved only for real pain. Kim eventually lay down in Morgan's room to be there before Morgan got sick, mainly to make cleanup easier. I offered but Morgan refused to let me sleep in her room. In the middle of the night, when Morgan was starting to feel better she told Kim to go back to her own bed. As Kim was leaving the room Morgan stopped her and said, "Mommy, take your stuff" and pointed at the bedding she had brought in.

Our planned trip up to Laytonville yesterday was understandably postponed as we hoped Morgan would recover from the previous night. She did well for a few hours, but when she was down for her nap we were summoned by that call, "Mommy!" We've done a lot of laundry in the last 36 hours.

Last night, Eliza's night, we were awakened to a version of "Mommy!" that, half asleep, sounded the same, but Morgan only wanted her pacifier.

Eliza is also now teething. Feels like she just got here and she's screaming in the other room. Kim fumbles through the medicine cabinet like an addict looking for a score and in a way she is. She gave Eliza some teething tablets and the kid is silent.

Morgan has kept down everything for the last 16 hours or so, and things are getting back to normal. Good thing I had 4 days off.

So Silent night, Holy $#!& !

More money from the Feds?

I ran across this article and it looks like we will be eligible for another $300 because we had Eliza this year. I know a lot of people who also had a kid this year and could benifit from this. Please pass this information on to any new parents (or new-again parents).

Christmas Lists

CHRISTMAS NEWS
As requested here are guidelines for gifts for the girls. If you are reading this thinking I want you to get them something, think again. This post is for anyone (mom) who is already wanting to get the girls something for Christmas but wants some guidance first.

Ahem...

For Morgan,
1. She is showing interest in cooking and a play kitchen has already been arranged (Thanks Ken & Linda) as have play foods and the like. She enjoys stirring for whatever reason. But anything else play kitchen wise...
2. Dolls or small toys she can pretend with. Preferable ones that are quiet so she can create the fun instead of having it done for her.
3. Stuffed animals are a big hit right now as are coloring books.
4. Clothes, she is hovering in a 3T-4T winter clothes area with spring and summer likely a 4T. She's good on sweaters, but loves a good variety of long sleeved PJs.
5. NO. Let me repeat that...NO singing books. You know the ones with the buttons you push and it makes a sound? Yeah, um, no. She loves them too much. the ones we have will do just fine.
6. Really anything that comes in a box would go over well here. She's too small for most fun toys and Barbie is a few years off.
7. The best gift for Morgan would be a visit from anyone who wants to come and see her smile. She'll dance for you and introduce you to her..."Lilly sister Eliza Rose."

Eliza is big on stuff that goes in your mouth. Not intentionally of course, just stuff that happens to be in reach or might be fun to chew on.
1. She's in mostly 6-9 month clothing for the winter and we're decently stocked on clothes from Angela and Morgan.
2. Toys that encourage crawling would be fun for her, she already has the little blue talking monkey "hoo hoo hee hee ha ha!" for those in the know.
3. Eliza also loves company and will stare at you, grunt, laugh and pee for no additional charge.

The girls would love a few nights away from mom and dad in the coming year. You could get them( the girls) a coupon book with stuff like "Dad gets 3 hours uninterrupted in the garage" or "Mom gets to sleep tonight"

Just having fun. We are so excited to have everyone up at our new place for Christmas their visits alone are gift enough. More to follow.

3??? Are you out of your mind?

Got you there, didn't I? No we're not expecting, but we watched a friend's little one for an hour this morning and it may have made that difficult decision for us. As it is now, there is time to sneak away when the other is distracted, but 3 requires constant supervision. I was able to get online a bit only because the new visitor fell asleep in my arms, simply I think because the 4 and 2 year olds he usually listens to were gone.
I'm not saying 'no' to a third, but this put things in perspective.

In other news, many of you know we frequent a puzzle site, Tanga for daily brain teasers. You can solve the puzzles for points and even submit your own for consideration. I've been a regular there for about a year and had quite a few puzzles published. They recently made me (us) a puzzle moderator which allows us to review the submitted puzzles and decide if they should be published or not. Sounds simple but for this growing community it is quite an honor and since not much else is happening, this is what I have to show for as a hobby. Tanga is also the ones who sponsor that random question we have here at the site. So link over there from their ad on this page, register and try a puzzle or two.
Our id there is steph_frolin. Happy puzzling!

Justin's christmas list

For all of you friends and family looking for the perfect gift this holiday season, let me show you what I want so there's no awkward mis-sized sweaters or electronics I already have.


YES, that is a 1976 Seagrave 100 foot tractor drawn tiller fire truck located in Canada, near New Jersey. I know it's a long drive and would be a TON in wrapping paper, but only a bow need be placed. I already have a place to park it and a plan for it, which will be revealed in due time.
So put down the Sharper Image catalog and forget gifts for Kim and the Girls, Jerry Jeana, Ken Linda, heck cross everyone off your list because this thing will take up most of your time.

Everyone wants their own fire truck, right?

Thanks and Merry Christmas.

Justin
( I originally spelled catalog 'catalogue,' I think my fingers are British)

2 year olds don't get sarcasm

Morgan has been testing the boundaries of acceptable behavior recently and we've both been trying to keep our cool and stay consistent, but when she screamed at the top of her lungs after leaving the doctor's office today I found myself getting frustrated. It was one of those moments when I understood why some people take out their frustrations on other people. Not to toot my own horn, but a lesser man would have snapped and crashed into a pole hoping the unconsciousness would be a break from the screaming. All she wanted was "Mommy" but Mommy was back at the doctor's with Eliza where Morgan had not followed instructions to stay away from the exam table so we had left.

Its maybe a 10-12 minute drive and she was at full volume the whole way. I tried asking, whispering, hinting, reasoning, reverse psychology (Scream louder Morgan, louder!) and finally sarcasm. Funny thing, it didn't work. She used every tear and every bit of volume her little lungs could muster and then, as if flipping a switch, we pulled into the driveway and she just stopped. We got down from the car and she wandered into the house as if nothing happened.

Earlier this evening she was in one of her moods following another bi-polar episode. We were all at the table and just started eating when she said, "May I be excused please?" adorable right? Then after being told she may not, she cried, faked a bathroom run and then melted down again. With Kim needing to eat before putting Eliza down it fell upon me to corral the flimsy crier and either punish her with a bath and bed time an hour early or convince her to return to the table. Much like a scene from a horror movie, it was while I was holding her over the bath water that she broke down and agreed to return to the table and eat.

Add to this day the usual bath time panic and wiggling, the almost tortuous teeth brushing and then calming her enough to comb her hair before bed. Groan.

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

We did it

President Elect Barack Obama!

Now the real work begins. Goodnight from Carriage House, tomorrow is the first day of a better America.

Way to go New Mexico

After 8 years there and trying desperately to convince folks there of the benefits of the blue, New Mexico does the right thing in choosing Obama. Morgan is running around the house looking for Obama, Kim and Eliza are having a lopsided screaming match and I'm cleaning up the dishes and sneaking onto the computer here in the Kitchen. It looks as if we did it. Not to celebrate too soon, I've taken the wine out of the fridge, but it's still wrapped and corked. I think a 2003 Coro Mendocino will go nicely with some election results when the west coast closes. As of this posting McCain has to win EVERY remaining state, including California, to win.
Now to see the results of local initiatives...

Polls are closing

Our big day draws to a close. We were out and off to vote shortly after 9 AM and reached our polling place when Morgan looked around and asked, "Where's Barack Obama?" We had to tell her to quiet down and that our vote was our own business.
Then off to story time at the library and hot dogs at Costco.
After a break nap for Morgan and Daddy we awake to polls closing and Indiana still in the balance. This is a day the girls will tell their grandchildren about. Either way today is history.

Eliza wakes first on big day

Eliza awoke just before 6 this morning, clearly knowing its a big day for us. Not just the election, but its our story time Costco hot dog day too. When Eliza wakes in a happy mood she talks, which wakes her sister who's first words this morning were, "I don't want to go back to bed."

Kim is still asleep, apparently having a rough night with Eliza and I was able to trick Eliza back to sleep so here Morgan and I are watching Little Einsteins and MSNBC, which can get confusing from time to time when you forget which one you're watching. Why is Chris Mathews driving a big red rocket? How come Quincy has a different electoral vote count than everyone else? I need more coffee. We'll leave updates throughout the day. Don't forget to vote!

Welcome Parker!

Parker Ryan Hambel arrived today weighing in at 7 lbs 14 oz just after 1 PM this afternoon. Mom and baby are doing well and we can only imagine how excited Daddy and Emma are. So Happy Birthday Parker and sorry I thought you'd be a girl.

Morgan says the darndest things III

While dressing her before playgroup I asked her if she was looking forward to going to McDonalds since it has been raining playgroup would be indoors. She smiled and I asked her what she would see there. She responded, "Horses, cows and chickens!" Huh? I asked and she began to sing Old McDonald had a farm.
A popsicle is no longer a "parking lot" but now a "Pock-ill-lull." We've been trying to get her to sound it out in syllables which came back at us recently as Kim asked her, "What are you eating Morgan?" she responded "Mommy say Pop" "Now sick..." and Kim laughed so hard she never made it to "cull."

Election Day approaches

Those tricky political folks are at it again. Even here at the Carriage House Blog, the "protect marriage" folks are busy hiding their true identity to the folks over at google that run our ads. We are able to choose certain advertisers we do not want on our page so the ads reflect our beliefs. However, the "Yes on 8" campaign identified themselves as "Voter Guide 2008" allowing their ads to go straight through the filter and onto our page.
We do not support the constitution being altered to deny rights to any group of persons for any reason.
Proposition 8 will amend the State constitution to define "marriage" as the union between a man and a woman. Why? Religious groups from out of state have poured millions of dollars into California to get this initiative on the ballot to ensure that THEIR beliefs and their beliefs alone are recognized. They hide behind the Bible but refuse to read the entire book. By eliminating rights they clear the way for any majority of voters to pass religious doctrine into law.

A quick Voter's Guide 2008 - For real

President - Barack Obama
YES on 2 - Safer, cleaner, healthier food. Eggs will cost you another 3-6 cents a dozen.
NO on 8 - If you want to protect "Traditional Marriage" love your spouse, raise your children to love other people and expect nothing of them but to be themselves.

EDIT - Just a few mometns after altering our ad filter to remove the deceptive "yes on 8" ads, they have another group of ads under the title "Safer Children." If you see an ad for them on this page, please click on it all day long today and tomorrow. They refuse to clearly state their affiliation which makes them cowards. Maybe they realize that no one will support them if they tell the truth?

Double Edit - It's been a little over and hour since the ads were changed and here are a few of the ad titles submitted by the deceptive "Yes on 8" campaign - "Biden", "Safe Children" (they dropped the 'r'), "Equal Rights 2008" (That one cracks me up), "Schools need your help" and the last straw was "Marriage Equality". They lie about the content of their advertising so I have pulled all the ads from the site. Is this really the only way they can advertise their hateful message of inequality?