KealeyBlog

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Almost Christmas day

Christmas is only 5 days away, and things are getting busy. Cooking/baking has commenced, cleaning has become a primary chore, and my nails have been bitten to the quick awaiting my presents to come in the mail so I can wrap them.

But the good things overshadow all the busy work; the christmas tree lighting up the living room, the christmas tunes filling the house with cheer and smells that bring you back to your childhood home. Damn, I love this time of year.

Keep it Merry!!

Cake Decorating Over

And I was the winner! At the end of the class, final cakes are judged and the instructor gave me the award. I win a Wilton Tool Caddy. Exciting! The cake had to have 3 words on it, so I chose "Thank You Joey" because he's working hard to support us.

Visit from Ari and Karen

We had a great time with Karen and Ari this weekend. They came for a long weekend, and the kids had lots of fun. Karen got to see all the action here in Maysville, and our new house. Since Karen, Ari, and Jeff won't be here for Chirstmas, we exchanged gifts. Ari and Jeff gave them a play kitchen, which they LOVE, and Karen gave Ava a baby doll and Cooper a bucket FULL of dinosaurs, which they both also LOVED. Cooper said they were "very good gift-givers."

Cooper Talks to Santa Claus

Joey's Batallion Christmas party was last week. The kids had lots of fun running around the dance floor, and it was a nice party. Also, Cooper got to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas! Ava is totally into Santa until she gets close to him, and then the waterworks turn on, so she passed on the lap visit.

Cards for Sorrow, Cards for Pain

As a military family, part of our Christmas cards each year has become the annual Rawson Family newsletter. In between addressing, writing, signing and enclosing pictures, we have to try to capture our year in a page or less. Being far from most of our family, it seems the nice way to keep in touch about major milestones. This year, we moved, and we're still settling in. The newsletter had to, sadly, take a backseat this year. But the cards will go out, however late!

Rainbow Clown Cake

Second class, and I've made the Rainbow Clown Cake. It's supposed to be Rainbow cake one week, and Clown cake another, but we condensed two classes into one and came up with this!

Craft Time in the Kitchen

Painting in the kitchen; for this we had to get them semi-nude!

Santa's Boot

Tonight, we had the kids playing upstairs while Joey finished up on the outside lights and I finished up on dinner. When dinner was ready and Joey came in, we went upstairs together to get the kids from their playroom and bring them down for dinner. This is what we found. At first we thought it was cute they fell asleep on the couch together. But then we noticed Cooper's foot, and couldn't stop laughing.

Joey's my Guitar Hero

Playing his new birthday present, Guitar Hero III

Work vs. Home

So today I took the kids to Books-a-million for a playgroup. The group arranged for storytelling, craft time, and snacks, sponsored by the bookstore. Its a great time for the kids, gets them out of the house, and playing with other kids. On the way home, I asked Cooper if he wanted to go back to school, and Mommy go back to work. He said, No, I had to stay with him and Ava. I said, well, if you two go back to school, what is Mommy going to do. He thought about it, and said, go to work. I said, OK, so should you go back to school and Mommy go to work? He said, no Mommy, you are our best friend, you have to stay with us. Then his chin started to quiver and he started to cry and said he didn't want me to go to work. I told him we were just talking right now, not to get upset. Ouch!!

Cake Decorating

Heidi started a cake decorating class tonight. Very domestic! Four Mondays nights, and she'll be able to make a clown cake! At least Joey and the kids get cake every week!

Wilton Cake Decorating

Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

Back from Thanksgiving and we have to get the Christmas Tree up. We could procrastinate, but, well, there's no point, just do it! We got home Sunday, it's Wednesday, so the tree goes up tonight!

December is here!

Time for the countdown to Christmas! If you haven't already seen it, look to the left of the screen for the Christmas Countdown Clock. Our first Christmas back on the East Coast, and in our new home! Awesome! The year has flown by.

Cooper and School

Found out today, Cooper probably won't be starting Pre-K, afterall. Which is fine. But I was surprised how the county/NC runs the Pre-K program. Apparently the 3 year old Pre-K spots in our county are reserved for low income and/or developmentally neediest children; Cooper fits neither criteria. He'll be on the rolls for August for the 4 year old class, which also has restrictions, but less stringent. However no matter what, all children are guaranteed Kindergarten at 5. I find it interesting that the No Child Left Behind accounts for Kindergarten, but if a public school system offers Pre-Kindergarten, they are not under the same obligations to offer this to all children. The program paperwork indicated of those who apply, roughly 50% actually get into a Pre-K program, which means the first time they'll see a school is at 5ish at Kindergarten.

Thirty-four

What is thirty-four?

Not Heidi's age, though close and a good guess...

That's the cumulative number of teeth Cooper and Ava have! Out of curiosity, we counted them today. We were surprised that Cooper has 20, and Ava has 14! Wow!

Birthdays

We have a rash of birthdays at the end of November; Mommymom, Tracy, and Joey all share the same day, Joe Rawson and Chad are shortly after!
Happy Birthday to everyone!

Joey got presents at Thanksgiving and another present he'd been waiting for at home, Guitar Hero III for PS2.

Thanksgiving Photos

Most of these photos are courtesy of Chad:

• Return to the kids table; grown up table
• After Thanksgiving walk (and run)
• Ari & Jeff; Ride em’ up Cooper; and Papa & Coopie
• Birthday Gifts; Riding Uncle Jeff’s Tractor
• Wearing Daddy’s Jersey; riding the lawnmower (it seems like a tractor riding backwards)
  

Thanksgiving is here!

It's Thanksgiving and this year, there is lot that's changed, but a lot to be thankful for.

This year, we're thankful for:

• Our children, the awesomest!
• I'm thankful for Joey, who's doing such a good job supporting us right now
• Our new home in Maysville
• My former employer, 1st MLG, for all they did for me when I was there
• My sister and her husband for host Thanksgiving so everyone could be together
  
• All my in-laws for travelling so we could be together
• My parents, I'm thankful they're enjoying their retirement together
• My grandparents, I'm thankful they are still together, sometimes bickering but loving each other all the same
• Karen for coming home at Christmas
• My new cousin Danny

Pumpkin Bread

Today the kids "helped" make Pumpkin Bread and Gingerbread cake to freeze and bring to Thanksgiving. Tonight we'll be making the Spritz cookies!! Mmmmm.

Start Cooking!

Next week is Thanksgiving! We're starting to get everything ready to bring down to my sister's house in VA for the holiday. It's going to be a full house, with 4 adult couples and 3 small kids in the house, but it will be lots of fun!

Chef Boyardee, the Next Food Network Star

I don't know if Food Network would consider Chef Boyardee a candidate for the Next Food Network Star, but I witnessed an amazing thing; when trying to come up with lunch today, I resorted to a single can of CB Ravioli we had. When I put them in front of the kids, they seemed indifferent, but once they started eating, it was another story!
Ava started saying "Mmm, mmm, mmmmmmmm!!" while shaking her head up and down. Cooper, on the other hand didn't say a thing for the first half dozen bites, before he looked up at me and said, "Mommy, this is so good, so good. This is veerry good!"
In my opinion, CB is one of the worst, most unpalatable foods known. How CB has been able to create a food so universally gross, while at the same time delicious to kids, is pure genius!

Preschool at 3?

We've found out in our County, Cooper is eligible to attend Pre-K at 3 years old. It is 5 days a week, 8-3pm. We were a little apprehensive at first, Cooper, already in school? Time flys. But we're going to register him and see what happens.

Mommy Group

I've joined a meetup/playgroup here, and the kids have lots of fun. I get to meet grownups, and the kids get out, get fresh air, and play with other kids. It's a win-win!

Click here to check out
The Mamas & Munchkins of Camp Lejeune and Jacksonville!

Great Fast Food

Here in Jacksonville we have a couple Sonic Drive-In's. I really like them; not for the fast food, but because Sonic has gated in, clean, outdoor playgrounds, where ordering is extremely easy. And everyday in November from 2-4pm drinks are half price, and according to them they have 168,894 drink combinations. Like a chocolate, blue coconut diet Dr. Pepper. Or the kids love the Apple Slushie or Orange Cream Slush. So I can take them there for a drink and to play, and they have a great time!

Our Son is Eastern European

Cooper has started telling us when he's hungry, "Mom, I'm Hung-ary."

Playground Time

Mom vs. Mommy

An interesting thing happened in our house this week. Cooper changed from "Mommy" to "Mom." I thought I had at least until 7 years old for that change. And maybe he'll transition back. But for now, I'm "Mom." How strange. It was only 3 years ago that I became "Mommy," moving out coupledom and alientating my single, childless friends with babytalk. Now I'm graduating from Mommy to Mom, and so soon. I noticed the first time Cooper said it early in the week and thought, that's odd. By the third day I was wondering where he had picked it up, and how could I change things back. By the end of the week, I was down right perplexed. But I have to be patient, and hope my little boy goes back to Mommy, and if not, be satisfied with Mom. (By the way, Joey is now Dad, no longer Daddy.)

Visitors

We had a great visit from Auntie Ari and "Uncle" Keenan this weekend. We went to Mike's Farm for dinner (recommend to anyone) and hung around the house. Ari and Keenan got to see our new house for the first time and the kids got to play with someone new besides Mommy and Daddy!

Sunday in Maysville

Here in Maysville, North Carolina, the First Baptist Church posted the below sign on their church; pretty creative, especially since there isn't a Baskin-Robbins for more than 20 miles!