this morning...

As Jeff and I were getting ready for work, Pete padded off down the hall and disappeared into the living room, in quest of the cat. I was getting dressed, and could hear him speaking with Jiko, but didn't hear any of the usual screeches and yelps that usually ensue when he's alone with her. After about a minute, I took off to investigate this new found peace. Here's the ensuing conversation:

P- "Uh oh. Uh oh, Mama. Jiko stuck." (said Pete, who was about 3 inches from the as-yet-undecorated-but-erect Christmas tree.)

M- "What do you mean 'She's stuck?' "

P- "Jiko stuck tree. Stuck. Uh oh."

M- "Pete, what are you talking about? Jiko, where are you?" (as I walked in for a closer look)

P- "Ohhhh dear. Jiko stuck tree. No no Jiko. Gooown upz, Jiko."

(That last bit is "Grown-Ups," as in "No Pete. We don't put coasters in the DVD player. No touch, Pete. The DVD player is just for grown-ups.")

When what do my wondering eyes see. Jiko, in the Christmas tree. NINE years we've had this cat, and she's never, ever considered climbing the Christmas tree. That is reserved for other people's cats. Not mine. But she's a cat at her breaking point. Pete tries to squeeze and pull and hit the life out of her on a daily basis, and she's losing her mind. So when he was on the warpath and she saw a tree in the middle of the living room, she did what any cat would do...climb for safety.

This year, our Christmas miracle will be surviving with all the ornaments in tact. Between Thing B and my fur person, I've got my work cut out for me...

mark down this date

11/25/11-

Emerson just read a word.

We're watching the Iowa game and she said "Why does the football field say Big?" (We're in the Big 10 conference, and the logo is the letters BIG (and the G looks like a zero. Sort of. If you really use your imagination.)

Anyways, no one said anything about it saying Big, but my smartie girl read it. Read it. READ IT.

Wow. Totally floored and smiling and all warm and fuzzy inside.

Adding it to the list of things to be Thankful for.

buh bye

Know what I did tonight? C'mon, just guess.

Give up?

I put away all of our baby bottles. Pete had his last bottle over the weekend and we haven't looked back. Well, some of us haven't looked back. Pete, for his part, still asks for his "badow" every night, but he's getting over it.

These bottles are gonzo. Like in ziplock baggies and in a box headed for the basement. Cleared off the counter where the drying rack has lived for the past 20 months. Cleaned out the cabinet where the bottles have been since 2007. Smiled BIG the whole time. Felt the teensiest, tiniest twinge of sadness, but not for the reason you'd think. You see, I felt bad because I wasn't feeling bad. Didja catch that? I felt absolutely no uterine contractions whatsoever, and then felt bad because I'm over the the whole baby phase.

So what's THAT all about?

photography tips (from someone with a clue)

I'm not a huge fan of using the flash on my camera. In fact, I hate it. It makes everything look plastic, and gives a blue hue to the photos. I usually only use it outside on a sunny day (I know, opposite of conventional wisdom, right?)

That being said, I've accepted that with my wiggly, giggly kiddos, I'm the not-so-proud owner of a large stash of slight to outrageously blurry photos. But not any more. I've always wondered how to take great action shots without using my flash. And now I know.

Enjoy this article from The House of Smiths blog.

Man, I LOVE the blogging world.

pinterest

Hi all~

You may have noticed the new banner on the top of the page...do you know about Pinterest? It's an online bulletin board where you can "pin" pictures or videos from almost ANY website. It's like folding and dog-earring your favorite magazine, but online. And you can "follow" friends and strangers alike to get inspiration. Like this fun little idea that we cranked out today.

I like to call this the starbox. Emerson quickly turned it in to Starbuck's, and made a sign selling coffee for $.25. Pete just wants to crawl into Emerson's box and torment her. I saw it on Pinterest last week, and we made them this afternoon in about 4 minutes. Oodles of fun. ( I even got to watch one quarter of the Iowa game- woo hoo!)

{as a side note, she had her face painted today at the zoo, so ignore strange markings on her cheeks :) }

Anyhoo, check out Pinterest. You need to be "invited" to join, so just leave me a comment with your email and I'll send you a link. Happy pinning!