Christmas Cards!

A big thank you to those who took the extra effort to send Christmas cards across the pond! We always enjoy them but being so far away makes them extra special.

Globetrotting I

We are now globetrotters…and not the Harlem types. George took his first flight and received his first passport stamp. We went to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Brent went for work and we had enough notice to get to tag along. I understand why Brits love Dubai. It is warm and sunny. A cross between Arizona and Florida – desert and humid. There were hundreds of tall buildings and many more under construction.

The low point of the trip was EVERY TIME George went into his car seat to go out he screamed. Funny enough he would nap and sleep in it at night. That boy! It was a shame because taxis were unbelievably inexpensive. They practically paid you to ride in them. But it was torture as the poor taxi driver had to listen to him scream. Thankfully they were all very gracious and said they have children too.

We only spent the day of arrival with Brent and the rest he was working. The children and I ventured out one day on our own to one of the mega malls. We watched the indoor skiing which was amazing considering it was 90 degrees outside. Shopping was even more expensive than London and George is not a good shopper. We spent most of the time in the mother’s lounge trying to calm George. So the next two days we spent by the pool…

On an exciting note I performed my first lifeguard save. Caroline jumped into the pool on Mary Kate. Unconsciously I thought it might not be a good idea. Sure enough…it was not. The girls thought it was so funny I ran and jumped in to get them. But they were shouting “Mommy help”! They were never in trouble but my heart still pounded for a good 15 minutes afterward.

Does not seem possible this little angel would scream across Dubai...

The children and I flew back to London to prepare for our US trip. It was so easy. The flight was empty. The girls had four seats and George and I had four seats. He literally slept the entire flight laying buckled in the seat next to me. We were in the back of the plane so the noise and movement were just right for him. For this I was truly thankful.

Dubai was nice. I had never considered visiting. It is very family friendly and the girls had a great time. So much so Caroline wants to live there when she is a grown up. I wish we could have seen more of it - taken a desert safari, went to the beach, the water park, explored the Creek area. But we had a good taste of it this time!

Overalls

One of my favorite baby/toddler things is overalls. George wore them for the first time last week...

Making Muffins

On Saturday mornings Brent and the girls make muffins or coffee cake or the like. Georgie now joins in...

Caroline is 6!

6 Things I Love About Caroline...

1. Your smile
2. You are a good friend
3. You sing all day
4. You LOVE tomatoes

5. You like to sleep in late
6. You just for being you

Sailor

Caroline: Jesus was a sailor.

Jody: How do you know?

Caroline singing: A sailor is born tonight...

Be Our Guests

Caroline & Millie

Maggie & George


Millie & George

Family Uno

After several weeks of counting down, the Morans finally arrived to visit London and meet George. Kim & Patrick took a side trip to Germany and Austria, while the girls stayed in London. Maggie & Millie were angels and we all had a splendid time. They were very helpful with George, especially Maggie. She is going to be a big help with George's identical cousin! Mary Kate & Caroline took a day off school and we all (minus Brent) ventured to Hampton Court Palace. We are happy they came to visit and hope they will be back soon!

Three and Four Months

George filled out a just a bit.

Boo!

Two Months

Two Months

For comparison purposes...

One Month

Georgie weighs in at just over 12 pounds. Maybe it was growing pains making him so fussy?!?

What Do You Call Him?

Rather than 'ask what is his name', they ask 'what do you call him'. Funny!

Blogging Kick

I'm on a blogging kick. Here are a few recent pictures of Georgie...

Cowboy George

I know something...


My what big eyes you have!

I am hesitant to say this...George is settling down. He is sleeping longer and having periods of contentment. At times when he cries I can talk to him and he will smile while crying. We hosted his playgroup today and he was only awake for the last 10 minutes of it. For the first time he took a nap on his own for over two hours! Tonight I was going to hold him to sleep but he would not give it up. I put him down and have not heard a peep in 3 hours! Woo hoo! For the past week he has consistently slept for 6 hours at night. So I need to sign off and sleep myself...

Worded Wednesday

The Nestle version of Nutella in Azerbaijan.

Wonder if the name would impact sales in the west?

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Caroline's first soccer game.

Surprisingly football or soccer is a boy sport here. We found an American league for the girls. Their first day was intense. We took a taxi to the fields. Side note: Caroline rode in a car almost everyday for her first five years. Now she rides on a car once or twice a month and feels sick each time. All this to say: she was sick as we pulled into the parking lot. She drank cran-blueberry juice for breakfast. She was amazed because she'd never seen pink puke. The driver's second language was English. He kept looking at me. What could I do about it? I used all but one wipe to clean her up. Georgie would need to hold it until we returned home.

The rest of the morning was without drama. The girls were assigned their teams. They had a clinic with real Spurs. It was impossible for me as the solo parent to be on two fields at once, all the while wearing George. I managed to be in the right place during injuries and water breaks. We capped off our American morning with lunch at McDonald's. I'm still surprised I managed have them at the fields on time on my own after staying up too late doing tax work. Soccer Saturdays will be a breeze with two parents. The girls will have a good season!

School is Back In

We are starting our second full week of school. Things are busy but it suits us. Georgie is along for the ride - while I am wearing him. The girls are up and ready to go every morning. Mary Kate is now in the upper school. She is in a house and has a big sister. Caroline thought year 1 would be all work and no play, but they still have "golden" time.

Above Average

Where are all the snazzy posts?

That Jody is a total slacker.

Well my children are above average. They say 1 in 5 babies are "fussy". We have beat the odds. Our count is 2 in 3 babies with "high needs".

This is where Georgie would like to spend all his days:

Brent calls this his baby burka.

After each feed we get about 10 minutes of this...

So life is not all crying and screaming, just mostly. The good news is he is exclusively nursing and he is busting out of his newborn clothes. Mary Kate is very good at calming him, especially when I insist on a daily shower. I've promised the girls he will be more fun soon, but I do not think they believe me.

This and That

Three Children.
Sorry Caroline - as long as he is happy you have to keep holding him.

Nice earrings.

Chilin relaxin - like Uncle Madison.