Christmas Party



HOld on a second, I have to go on a rant about Christmas parties.  I want to precede my comments by acknowledging that I am a scrooge when it comes to these things and openly embrace that and these opinions are mine and mine alone and are not necessarily shared by lela.  I really don't like Christmas parties.  Lela and I were previously cursed as Deloitte and PwC always had their christmas parties in completely different places on the same night (both in denver and in KC).  So what that generally led to was us going to one of the two christmas parties fairly early, and being there with one of two groups - 1) the people who are nerdy (even for accountants) who don't understand you don't show up when the party starts and 2) the people who were trying to get a head start and who's sole purpose was to get smashed only they weren't smashed enough yet to be entertaining, only drinking heavily enough to remind you of the Fieldhouse parking lot on game days before they closed it down (Hawkeye fans, you know what I mean).  So we would stand there awkwardly with said parties and just as people started to show up, we would have to leave so we would be able to make the other one.  Oh and did I mention that generally we would either miss the food at the first party, or not think it was worthy of eating and wait for the second party which was always a mistake? 

So we drive the half hour to the other one (again, never close) and we show up to the second party, and every one is inevitably in their spot.  Food is generally gone, and drinks are waning.  People are generally either wasted to the point where they are annoying (not entertaining) to talk to or if they are more sober they are in the process of starting to make their way to the door.  I don't know how this works based on how the first parties always seemed to work, but it always seemed to work this way.  So we have various awkward conversations and eventually go home.  Oh and all of this was after Lela see sawed about which dress to buy/wear and whether it looked good after spending hours shopping for it.  Not to mention the fact we didn't have kids so childcare was not an issue.

So anyway, yeah, i generally hate Christmas parties.  Sprint luckily has mostly done away with them an we simply have a potluck at work.  Big fan of that.  And now, ATI had another decent plan.  Sunday early evening, kids are invited, business casual rather than cocktail attire.  At a place that is approximately 5 min from our house.  So basically it was the heaven of christmas parties in my opinion.  We were obviously worried that Emma would boycott naps that day or just decide she is bored, but she was perfect.   She got a little annoyed with her dress as she tripped over it some, but not enough to warrant more than a wimper.  Food was decent and we were even there to eat it!  So word to the wise, schedule christmas parties on Sunday's, allow kids, and make it near our house.  Thanks.

I will now do what annoys lela to no end, post a bunch of similar pictures.  In this case I think she will approve as it gives a bit of the story of Emma and her dress and all of them were decent also!





Chocolate cheerios

 Chocolate cheerios

I need a minute to complain and sulk here. Our Hawkeyes have let us down. We were all pumped for a good to great season and ended with 7-5. I have spent many nights not able to eat or sleep, just lying awake wondering why oh why. And Emma has gone on a weekend nap strike just to show she doesn’t tolerate this kind of season. But, many of our problems were solved one day as we walked through Costco and saw this. . . .





We didn’t buy any at the time, as there weren’t any samples and we have a strict policy against buying things we don’t know that we like from costco, but the seed was planted. I soon found myself in the Walmart cereal isle grabbing the first box I could find and when I got it home, after Emma went to bed. . . Heaven. Emma has not yet been allowed to try it, Honey Nut Cherrios are her drug of choice, she likely would refuse all food if she ever got Chocolate Cheerios. . . Seriously, it can operate as breakfast, as a snack, as a dessert, if I were a single guy, it would likely also be dinner on several occasions a week. 



Anyway, I digress. We have been relatively busy, with the holidays and all that lately. Emma’s favorite word continues to be “Mine”. She doesn’t yet really understand that word, apparently it’s a word said frequently by her classmates at daycare, so to Emma its just a word she uses when she wants something that’s in your hands. She is quite the monger (made up term we have in our house for being a beggar, but more fun than that word). If you have HN Cheerios or a pumpkin muffin (which is one of lela’s excellent, not so bad for you goods) or any other tasty treat, emma will follow you around saying “Mine, Mine, Mine” like the bird on Up until you relinquish some. Its hard to resist, but at that point she is clearly mongering (good use of the term, eh?). Emma no longer walks places, she generally runs, which is interesting. She is obsessed with Cooper, her favorite word is “dah” which she especially says when he is around, but also uses for any 4 legged animal. Emma had great fun playing with her cousins over tgiving break, we didn’t get any pics of them playing, but generally every toy imaginable was on the floor by the end of the day. . .good times. She also seems to be talking a lot more since we got back, likely an attribute who she picked up from her cousin Julia who is rarely at a loss for words. She also LOVES when books are read to her, especially before bed. When you combine that with Grandma’s love of reading/singing, good luck getting your hands on Emma at night while in Iowa!



This is the first year we have decorated much for the holidays. Last year we didn’t as we were selling our house and it was a no-no apparently. Not decorating clearly worked since we had about 30 showings around the holidays and didn’t sell our house for 5 more months. But at least I am not bitter about it or anything:)


Oh on the wife front, Lela accepted a new position at Assessment Technologies Institute. Her previous employment was not what was advertised, so it was a good move. And for now (though they may move due to growth) it is literally a 2 minute commute. As in if there were sidewalks she could walk there commute (though there are not).



I might be crazy and post twice this week, you wait and see.

  

Emma loves to pat cooper.  cooper, well he endures it

Even the hard slaps!

Pictures are hard with Ems as she generally thinks mom is the funniest. . .

In spite of food or bugar, I am still cute!

Favorite word "dooooooooh"

Tickle fights are fun

Sup gangsta, you want some of this?

Fake waffle and Los Numeros in hand (see previous post on that book), time to blow this pop sickle stand.

Halloween

Last weekend we headed back to our first Hawkeye game since Emma was born. Shockingly, Grandpa and Grandma agreed to take her off our hands. I know, who knew grandparents would want to take a little ball of fun back with them with no parents messing up gparent time! Anyway, we had a great time, perfect weather and of course the perfect outcome. It was our first game since Iowa beat Penn State (then undefeated #3) in 2008. With a great outcome Saturday against number 5 (37-6 for you sad Jayhawk fans who think its already bball season), I told Lela if Ohio State comes to town in a few weeks in the top 5 we are obligated to go back. Kirk Ferentz would want us to. Hayden Fry would want us to. Heck, I bet Nile Kinnick is looking down wanting us to. We’ll see, it’ll probably be too much and we’ll probably blow it beforehand (I say we as if Lela and I are a part of 20 yr olds’ lives) but I will feel bad if we don’t go back and they lose. Yeah, totally not a crazy, illogical Iowa fan at all.



Anyway, we had our first Halloween experience (putting emma in her costume for 75 seconds last year doesn’t count). As you can see, emma was a pumpkin. She didn’t seem to notice that she was wearing what was essentially y a big orange cloth bag and just walked around like it was no big deal. We got to meet some more of our neighbors (which seems to be a never ending process in a neighborhood with houses still going up). Oh, met a few Ohio State alums, think it’s a sign????? Yeah, one track mind. Anyway, it was a good time but I am sure it’ll be even more fun when emma can walk around and at least think its neat when people give her a substance she can’t eat:)


Oh, and we also had Emma’s 15 month appointment. All was well, she’s still in the 60s for weight, 40s for height and has a good sized noggin. We also did a little self assessment thing with our Parents as Teachers rep. Emma scored REALLY well on all the fine and gross motor stuff and is doing well in language though its not her focus yet. Apparently they work on one or the other for periods of time, which is interesting. Anyway, could have fooled me, the girl likes to talk! After we picked her up from the gparents she talked for an hour straight “telling us” about her time in Alden.