Video Monday: Car Obsession

Years ago, my two youngest cousins on Nola’s side, Tommy and Billy, couldn’t keep straight how our other cousin, Brian, was related to us. So it became a family joke that he was “Cousin Uncle Brian.” Thus, the nickname “Cub” was born and it sticks with Brian to this day. Then, when Brian married Rachel in 2009, she became “Cousin Aunt Rachel,” or “Car.”

Riley hadn’t seen Cub or Car since Christmas 2010, when he was only 4 months old, so he didn’t really remember them. But he warmed up to both of them fairly quickly and especially took a liking to Car.

He wanted to be around her whenever we were all together, and he’d do his little hunching-of-the-shoulders and tilting-his-head-to-the-side-while-grinning-like-a-fool thing that he does whenever he’s enamored with someone or something. For her part, Car was awfully patient with his requests to sit by her and to play with her and to have her feed him. (I, however, drew the line at having her change his stinky diaper. That was his one request I deemed unnecessary to indulge.) Then again, she is a second-grade teacher and is thus used to kiddos.

Later on Christmas night, Car was chatting with QP while Riley danced around her trying to get her attention. This went on for three solid minutes. Then Riley had a little fun with all of the discarded Christmas wrapping. Nopsi captured it all on video, so please enjoy.

Happy {New Year’s Eve} Monday!

Riley Rocks

Even with all of the cool gifts that Riley received on Christmas Day, it was the most mundane one that he liked the best (naturally). After our lunch out early last month, Nola decided that she wanted to get Riley some landscaping river rocks. So she sent Nopsi off to find them before Christmas, which he finally did at Jefferson Feed. They piled them in an old milk crate, made a sign, and tied a bow around the whole thing. Voila! Riley’s favorite gift of Christmas 2012.

He quickly proceeded to completely empty the entire crate onto Nola’s floor and then decided he wanted to push some of the rocks around in the new shopping cart Nola had also gotten him. Needless to say, they were a hit.

The rocks are currently residing in a place of honor on our front porch, right next to the big blue pot full of sticks.

Wonk potatoes.

Christmas Day 2012

When Riley woke up on Christmas morning, Kenny and I both went up to get him and wish him a Merry Christmas. However, before I would let him come down, I made him sit at the top of the stairs for a picture. I’m so glad we have stairs so I can continue that tradition from my childhood.

As soon as Riley got to the landing and rounded the corner, he spotted what Santa had left for him in front of the Christmas tree: a workbench and a cool blue car.

Then we moved onto stockings, one for each of us. Riley’s was filled with a Buzz Lightyear, a Life Is Good tshirt, and a whole lotta dinosaurs. I got Kenny a new pair of slippers, work socks, boxers, candy, and caramel butter cookies. He got me candy, Kona coffee, chocolate lava cake mix, a cute penguin mug, a DVD of Prep and Landing, yoga pants, and a pair of really pretty earrings. We also gave Riley a model Jeep that Ken will have fun helping him put together, as well as an Aquadoodle mat, which is tres cool.

Next it was time to go over to Nola and Nopsi’s for my family’s gathering. We had our customary scrambled eggs with bacon for breakfast (Nola even gave up her Fins biscuit mix and made a batch of those to share with everyone) before moving into the living room to open presents. That’s when the chaos ensued!

Next on our agenda was to meet up with Kenny’s family for a few hours to visit and exchange gifts. Riley got a little cranky while we were there (it was right in the middle of his naptime) but he pushed past it (especially once Grandma took him outside to find some rocks) and eventually enjoyed opening presents and playing with Zac. And everyone liked the special 63-page Disney photobooks I made for them. Thank goodness; that was quite a project!

Then it was back to Nola and Nopsi’s for dinner with my family and one final round of presents with Uncle Jeff, Aunt E, and Kate, who spent the earlier part of the day with Kel-Kel and Skeets. Jeff and I ordered half a case of that elusive bottle of wine for Nola, who was shocked we had found it (albeit in Belgium); I found a really cute snoball onesie for Kate from Etsy; and Jeff got me good with another Noel-themed gift.

 

It was a very long day but a very fun day. I love that Riley is starting to get into the whole Christmas-Santa-present thing, and I know that will only get better with each passing year. And Kenny and I will get to experience another First Christmas next year, this time with Sprout, which will be so special.

But for now, Christmas 2012: done. We hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season!

Christmas Eve 2012

Christmas Eve of course meant we were back at GW Fins in the French Quarter for our traditional dinner out. My whole family was in town this year, so there were 17 of us at two fairly big tables in the main dining room.

We always enjoy our Christmas Eve dinner at Fins, and this year was no exception. Even though I wasn’t feeling my best (it’s super awesome to be pregnant AND sick during the holidays), dinner was fabulous as always. It’s so fun and festive in the restaurant, and being surrounded by family at this time of year is so special.

And, for the third year in a row, the restaurant gave away bags of their famous biscuit mix to each family who dined with them that night. Score. I think Riley ate two complete biscuits with his dinner; he obviously remembered from last year how much he loved them.

Riley did great throughout most of dinner, thanks in part to Rachel, whom he took quite a liking to and kept flirting with from his spot at the head of the table. This was slightly different from Kate, who fought sleep most of the night and was thus passed from person to person in an attempt to get her to settle. She was just too darned curious about everything going on around her to be bothered with sleeping! Finally tired enough to close her eyes, her mother was eventually forced to hold her in one arm and her Almond Joy martini in her other hand. That may be the true mark of motherhood: being able to cradle your child while sipping on a much-needed drink. Too funny.

Once we were back home, Riley got a quick bath and then we brought him back downstairs in his pjs to start a new Christmas Eve tradition. I decided I wanted to give him a new book to open every Christmas Eve night, and we started that this year. He actually got two books, Santa’s Hat and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and he was pretty excited to unwrap them.

  

We took his new books upstairs to read, and then it was into bed so Santa could come…..Christmas Day recap coming up next!