Merry Christmas!

Lauren had so much fun this week. She loved decorating the Christmas tree - assisting with the lights, beads, and ornaments. Unwrapping the presents was lots of fun, but playing with her new toys was even more fun. And Christmas dinner was a surprise as well - who knew she liked filet mignon? She wouldn't touch the potatoes or green beans, but steak - 'more, more'!

My First Updo

Lauren came home from daycare on Mon with this new hairdo. She'd just gotten her haircut (so even less hair to work with!), but I guess the teachers there know how to work 'hair magic'. Stew picked her up that evening, and was a tad embarrassed to stop at the grocery store with her on the way home :)

Ho ho ho.....

This year we visited Santa and Mrs. Claus at work - and I was quite impressed by the spread. There were cookies & punch (even cookies to ice and decorate), a table of little toys/trinkets for the kids to pick from (we chose a wooden number puzzle for Lauren), a movie playing in the background, and pictures with Santa for only $1. Sure beats the mall Santa prices and crowds. Now if we could only get Lauren to smile....

The Dog Days of Summer

The day after Halloween, we decided to check out the 'Peek-A-Boo' event at Pecos Park, where pet owners and their dogs dressed up in costumes. Lauren was in heaven; dogs everywhere :) They also had some bounce-houses for the kids, and several tents set up for pet services and products. We strolled around a bit, and also watched a kids costume contest. After that, we headed to the nearby playground so Lauren could have some more fun - until she dropped (or threw?) her sippy cup in the sand. And boy, it was a really hot day for November!

An Apple a Day

Lauren likes to say the word 'apple'. She also likes to eat applesauce, and occasionally, a slice of apple. But she definitely surprised me the other day, when she grabbed the apple from my lunch bag and sunk her 6 little teeth into the tart green skin! Amazingly, she was able to get a few pretty good bites :)

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween! Lauren visited four houses for her first trick-or-treat experience. She received quite a lot of candy for just four houses, but she really liked the little pomeranian doggie who also greeted her at house #2. She had fun inspecting her loot when she got home, but couldn't quite figure out how to tear into the candy wrappers.

Baby Bargain

We were shopping at the mall the other day, and I came upon these cute pink camo baby Crocs at Macy's. They were marked down to $3.99 from $29.98 - what a deal! They are a size 6/7 though, so Lauren will have to wait till next year to wear them. However she does enjoy putting them on and walking around in them anyway; that goes for any other shoes for that matter, including mine.... :)

Chewy Goodness

Made oatmeal raisin cookies this weekend - and the recipe (from Everyday Food) is a keeper. Lauren gave it a thumbs up too. The cookies turned out crispy on the edges, but soft and chewy in the center. I also like that the recipe makes only 2 dozen cookies, so I don't feel obligated to eat too many :)

Under the Weather

Lauren had a rough week. Picked her up early at day care on Mon with a high fever, that peaked at 105+ on Tues night. This prompted a trip to the ER, since the fever would not go down. A virus was suspect, but she had several tests done to rule out other things - strep, UTI, bacterial infection, lung infection - all negative. The fever finally broke on Fri, and the characteristic viral rash appeared all over her body. Along with her fever, she's had a runny nose, cough, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and has been quite lethargic - poor thing. The pediatrician suspects an enterovirus due to all her other symptoms, and she slowly seems to be returning back to her normal self.

Animal Lineup

Ok, which one of you stole my sippy cup? Lauren carefully lined up doggie, turtle, and bear, on the edge of the chair. She readjusted them several times too, giggling all the way. I'm not sure where she learned how to do this. P.S..... Looks like it may be time for a haircut :)