Lunar Eclipse

Here we are at one in the morning waiting for the moon to turn red...


We had hot cocoa, binoculars, blankets, and plenty of complaining. We took turns coming out, checking out the eclipse outside, coming in, watching videos about what was going on, complaining about how cold it was, wondering why it was all happening so slow...

Moral of the story: MOM SHOULD DO MORE RESEARCH before waking babies up in the middle of the night to witness celestial events.

Here is what it looked like before we all fell asleep:

We did get to see the eclipse part before we crashed, but I didn't get a great picture of it.

I woke up at 2:45 and this is what it had evolved into:

I should have woken the kids back up. I didn't because it was so far away you could barely see it, and it was more orange than red. We get to see cool colored moons all the time around here, so I didn't think it was that big of a deal. And, it was 2:45 in the morning.

They angrily ran into my bed at 6:00 am and bombarded me with accusations about why I didn't wake them back up.

Luke found our hot chocolate this morning while we watched the whole thing on television.


This was the best part of the whole event. I will be cleaning carpet all day if you'd like to come over and keep me company!

Santa Baby

Yesterday we took the kids to Bass Pro to see Santa.

Julie and I were exhausted when we got out of the parking lot.

Ross brought Santa a sweet tea, as usual. This year he dropped his sweet tea all over the floor and the nice elves raaaaaaaan to Starbucks and got Santa a new tea before Ross totally came apart.

This was also the day I decided to switch Luke from two naps a day to one nap. I thought Santa would be exciting enough to stay awake for when you are 14 months old and sleepy. I was right, except I wasn't fighting him for his Binky. I could not get it out no matter how hard I tried. He delights in being stronger than me. He was just chomping down on that thing and giggling! I made several sneaky attempts and finally gave up, grateful that he was being so good during nap time.

Addison and her Bunny

All of the cousins

Ross asking for his caster scooter, water gun,
and roller back pack with wheels that light up.

Good luck finding that water gun in December, Santa ;)
If you want to help me invent a rolling back pack with wheels that light up,
we could get rich together.

Addison asking for her "America Doll"

Ellie asking for her iPod and Dairy Queen Blizzard Maker.
I need a raise.

Baby Luke and that Binky I couldn't get out!

Look at sweet Addison writing HO HO HO on her paper.
Smarty Pants 3 year old!

Ellie's list

This slide reminded me of the slide on "A Christmas Story"

Here goes Luke.
He thinks he's seven.

Ellie was so good, she did this over and over with him.

After Santa, we decided to take the kids to Hemmingway's.

That took some real bravery.

Julie kept telling everyone she was just the nanny.
People believed her.

Hemmingway's has unlimited food & beverages
which were worth the risk.

After two diaper changes,
about 16 trips to the buffet,
12 of those being for "chocolate smooth" - little chocolate mousse things in cute little plastic cups lots of screams of "NEMO, I KNOW HIM!",
and about 2 pounds of buffet on the floor,
we made it!

The kids did so great. We joked that our key to restaurant success must be the
sleep-deprived-zombie babies.

2010 Flashback - Luke's Birthday

(I was a little busy filling big brains with important science knowledge, little brains with important reading, writing, math knowledge, and cleaning up after little Toot this semester, so I have been somewhat of a BLOG SLACKER. My goal over the break is to update you on what I've missed since school started.)

Topic Number One - Luke turned ONE!

We had a small party at the house for close friends & family.


Sweet Addison with Elle's truffles.

I have to say, I would have never pulled this party off without the help of my good friend, Anne Marie. She and I had been training each Saturday morning for the Turkey Trot, and I was freaking out the morning of the party because I wasn't ready! She went to the grocery store with me, helped me pick out cute little decorations from the Farmer's Market and this cute little shop in Galloway Village called "Inspirational Home". She came back to the house with me and totally got busy while I scrubbed toilets. She tied ribbon on candles, and decorated these Mason jars with hay from our front porch to put the silverware in. I am still mad I did not take a picture of those jars because they were freakin' cute! Here are the flowers, but they are a close second to the cleverness of the jars:

The kids painted pumpkins outside in the back yard.

Here's the pumpkin cake for the littlest pumpkin


Close up of the cake

He blew out his candle! Have you ever seen a baby do that?
I thought he was going to burn his finger off, I was so nervous.
It was worth it to watch him blow that candle out!



He is starting to tear into it...


Feeding some to Mimi

Sugar Coma!

After the baby fell asleep we hung out by the bonfire.

After you have three babies, you realize the first birthday party isn't about the baby!
It's about celebrating you made it through the first year!
All of the sleepless nights!

We recognize this milestone with a new appreciation after getting through a healthy year with a healthy baby. When Ross turned one, all we could do was fall on our faces with gratitude that he made it. We ALL had a long recovery period of catching up on sleep after that birthday, followed by more surgery and trips to the hospital. When Ellie turned one, it was a whirlwind and we had no idea how lucky we were. At this celebration, all of that thankfulness, hope, and knowledge of what we could have lost were all bundled up together. I felt so calm and overwhelmed with love. Happy Birthday, Sweet Luke!

I got a new camera!

So, you don't have to hear me complain any longer when I'm trying to take a picture and my cheap old camera -----pauuuuuuses----- ; says -------- proooooocesssssing ------ ; and blurrs your face! WOO!

Before I figured out how to work the new flash, this horrible bright red light came on. It's probably some red eye reduction gadget, but I got some hilarious shots of Luke trying his best to smile in that bright light!

Sorry, Lukey!

He is trying so hard to smile and be good, bless his heart! I am so excited because my camera started acting funky around mid-September, so I am going to be a picture taking maniac this Christmas.

All is Bright

Family Christmas Card Pictures - Professional Assistance Required!

Thank you to April Gebken Photography for catching all five of us looking. You are amazing, woman! If you need family portraits taken, I would HIGHLY recommend April.

She even caught Butters taking his first step. Which clearly felt like a scene in a great chick flick it was that fabulous.







Christmas preparations are underway at the Douglas house. I skipped blogging about Halloween, Luke's Birthday, and many other great events because we've been too busy partying. Hopefully, I will have time over the break to write a quick 2010 highlights post with all of these fun memories. One day, like when Gene and I actually get to make a Thanksgiving plate and eat it in the same hour, I will be a much more diligent blogger. Until then... we are busy getting ice chunks out of post-snowball-fighter hair, wiping up exploded blow-out diapers in the middle of the Battlefield Mall Food Court, checking on our semi-home-made cinnamon rolls, and answering important questions such as whether or not Santa Claus will still recognize us after a hair cut.

I realized this year that when everyone else has a "break" that means "more work" for the Mom. Happy Christmas Decorating / Planning / Partying to all of my Friends! Love your guts.

Happy Tears

Today I caught sweet Ellie crying happy tears. Sometimes, she gets so emotional the tears just spill out and she hopes no one catches her.

Ross found his "Dickie" ~ not sure this needs to be in cyberspace, but since the only people reading this are the 4 of you who love me, you need to hear about "Dickie". My Aunt Shelley gave the kids a book called "The Three Little Pigs Buy the White House" about a pig named "Dub-ya" and his friends. One is named, wait for it, "Dickie".

Ross liked the name so much that he named his little teddy bear that you pull and it plays a lullaby, which you need to know is the SAME lullaby that Gene and I both had in our cribs as babies, and this lullaby teddy-bear is what I bought for Gene the day I found out I was pregnant with Ross. So, Dickie is pretty important around here.

What we weren't ready for, and what you will NEVER mention until he is at least 18, is that every night, baby Ross would roll over in his bed and sweetly ask, "Pull my Dickie".

Well, today Ross found Dickie in a far away corner of his reading loft and proudly decided he was old enough to not need it any more, marched confidently over to Luke and gave it to him. It was moving. I was touched. Then I looked up and caught Ellie with the sweetest look she gets only rarely when she is so happy that real tears come out.

I wish she wouldn't shut down when I catch it! I tried to ask her what hit her heart and all she could say was "I'm so happy Ross is growing up, but time flies! Like, ten seconds ago it was this morning and now it's almost dinner. He is getting so big!"

Now raise your right hand, or put it on the Bible and PROMISE ME you will not tell any of my children that Luke is pulling Ross' Dickie.

Butter Update

Today the tooter ripped a big one, looked at me, and then stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry. Yes he did.
Another child confirms that 9 months is my favorite age.



I've been outside playing too much to blog. Here's what we've been up to...

Luke's first turn in the big boy car seat.
He outgrew the pumpkin seat at 8 months weighing in at 23 pounds. Whoopsie!



First taste of Nutella:




Getting tagged with "The Force":










Winning all wrestling matches:





Rockin' out on Gee-tar:



Teething - suckin' on some ice, ice, baby:




Chillin' with my cousin. What 'up, cuz?




Pokin' my cousin in the eyeball on accident:


So, there you have it. That's all for this time.
Until we meet again, may The Force be with you.