A Giggle Fest For YOU

I was researching record covers when I happened upon something truly amazing... Follow this link to some of the most fun you are going to have today.

Sometimes You Just CAN'T

Do what someone wants you to - especially when you're not even two:)

Happy Birthday Mac!!

Well, it was officially yesterday that she was officialy Eleven!! Here are a couple of blasts from our past with you. We LOVE you!

Bye Bye Bottle!

We went to the doctor today and found out what we suspected was true - Finley is the height of a three year old and the weight of a FOUR year old (almost 35 pounds!) She's top of the curve for that big noggin of hers too. I would also like to share that every night we read Cat in the Hat and Goodnight Moon sometimes twice and her favorite part is "goodnight nobody..." she screams "yeah, nobody!! yay nobody!!" - gets very excited for nobody - she's either a fan of the ironic or the underdog or both, I guess...

Some things she's up to...

She repeats everything you say and is asking "what's this?" incessantly which I seem to have endless patience for - who knew? Is asking the dreaded "why?" which conversely I don't have much of that same patience for. In fact she may just be gearing up because she doesn't even seem to care or listen to the answer, just likes asking the question (which is maybe why I can't take it!) It has degenerated to "because and because Mama said so"... Last night in the drug store at the checkout I put her down for 1 second to grab bags and go and she snatched some jelly beans lightning fast and as I wrestled them from her she actually cried "but I NEED these!" A full sentence with complex begging! I couldn't even believe it. She is changing so fast and absorbing at such great speed that I can totally see why they call them sponges at this age. Though she is still saying "hold you??" when she wants to be picked up which is one of my all time favorites and I hope she still says it when she's thirty.

Firsts...

Here is my sweet sweet nephew Silas on his first day of preschool. Click here for the whole heart-crushing post over at the Plump Otter.

Now, let's see if you can figure out what "first" I had yesterday.

Quite on the opposite ends of the experience spectrum, I believe...

Al Franken Rocks!!

I found this on Talking Points Memo today. If I were a politician and people were digging stuff up about me I would wish it to be this cool. I hope he gets sworn in tomorrow!!

!!Happy 2009!!

Craig and I went to his regular New Year's gig at Tribeca Grill and had another great time ringing in the new year with great muscians, food and friends. This video is dark but who needs to see when you can hear... my favorite tune of the evening...





Random (floating?) merrymaker getting lost in the groove.


Pops and Bebe did their regular babysitting gig too:) Thanks guys!

Jotting down her resolutions perhaps?

Merry Christmas Everyone!

She gets it already! - and was up in the middle of the night several times - wanted to "Open?!" and wondered about "Santa cookie!?" Now...
The house is quiet, the baby asleep, Craig is at a gig, the house is clean(ish?), the tree and all the Christmas lights are on... Whew, Christmas with a kid is a whole new deal... What a great day. Thanks again to Pops and Lisa for sharing the holiday with us - 8 years running!



Most of the Geiger family (we missed you Bill!) came over for Christmas Eve. The boys were so sweet, even when Finley was taking swipes at them for touching her stuff.


Lisa Nirvana - with a grandchild, opening presents Christmas morning!

Post present frenzy CRASH with Papa, Dr. Suess, sucker, and belly button.

Betcha never knew you could eat a dinner roll with a spoon! (bib courtesy Sandy)

The meal...

Finley's own little corner of the kitchen. Can't wait to see what she cooks up!

Christmas Comes Early For Annie

It was such a sweet request we had to see it through... So here it is: Finley eating sugar cookies say "Aunt Annie" over and over! Guess what her favorite word is now? "Coooooookkkiiieeeee!"

Before All Else Fails

I found this beautiful vintage sewing machine at the dump and lugged it home. An internet search and a few days later, I had the manual. It's a tank and it does work. Thing is I HAVE NO FRIGGIN IDEA what I'm doing - manual or not. I need to take it to a sewing shop (? do those exist? I don't know!) and get a few of the accessories that it no longer has and some needles and thread and stuff. Until then, things are getting done my way. I believe they call this style "by hook or by crook":)

Manual...


Seat cover with duct tape!

A Potty and The Moon

Finley has expressed a lot of interest lately, backing her caboose up to the toilet and making "pssssss" sounds and what-not, so here we go - officially potty training!



One of Finley's great loves at the moment is the moon. "MOOON!" Annie already knows, "Moon!, I hug you!" and tonight was the biggest, fattest, moon of her little life. I was teaching her to howl at it and she was trying to "Jump!" to it. It is actually one of the most awesome moons of my little life too:) Here it is from her bedroom window.




In her new red power snuggly suit listening to mixes in the studio and checking the mail with a feather duster.

Finley's First Toddler Snow

Art? Therapy? Madness?

Finley and I decided to do some art. We feel these represents a few of our conversations...
-Papa D

Happy Thanksgiving!

May your food be scrumptious and your list of things to be thankful for be long.

A year ago today!

Finley Updates

At our first time at a sporting event - EVER! Luke Geiger's hockey game. It was great to see the gang and I even let Jack Micoli give Finley her first lollipop. Blowpops are heaven - I took it back when we got to the gum:)

Here she is rocking her baby.

Babies on the move.

Making corn cobb art with Mrs. Costigan at Mommy and Me class.

Sentences are happening! In really interesting ways too. "Murray, hold you, Me!" and "C'mon!" "Walking, Me!" "Mo jooos, peees!"

I usually wait for her to go to bed to watch a movie, but I have been sick this weekend - the kind that requires a doctor visit and antibiotics and I thought a drama with no violence would be okay - she just plays around the house anyway. I was watching a steamy Woody Allen movie moment and just when I wondered if I should fast forward I noticed she was looking at me and I said "yes, they are kissing" and she climbs up on the couch, straddles me and comes at me all open mouthed and drooly. I am cracking up and trying to push her off, now this kid is getting big and she was relentless - she kept diving at me! The more she attacked the more I cracked up - the weaker I got. Totally defeated by my 18 month old.

Her "no" period has lessened (for now:) - thank god! Though, when she says it she means it! Now she says, "Yeah!"and "OKAY!" with Great Enthusiasm (Annie, must be like the "of course!" Silas stage)

We (well, I - to be fair Craig was mixing the record) painted the kitchen and it turned out great (though it could be a touch more yellow:). Finley walks in takes one look, points and says "Niiiice!"

She reminds me of the Nightmare Before Christmas song "What's This?" - everything is "what's this?" Sadly for me in a weird way, she is says "sucker" and no longer "gucker" - i'll miss that.

She loves chicken, all shoes, my soup (the feeling I get when she obviously loves something I make is SO ridiculously satisfying), playing in the cars forever.

Finley/Mama turkey art from class




If you are wondering where Craig is - he is always mixing the record or putting Finley to sleep:)

Photographic Inspiration

Our tasty toddler eating toast with her tiny teeth.

Colorado Weddin'

My oldest brother Scott got married to a wonderful woman, Debbie on Saturday in Denver. Craig had to work, but Finley and I were there to witness. The best part was how ridiculously happy they were. One big bummer was that I forgot my camera. My Camera! I had the charger and an extra battery but NO camera. The optimist in me decided to get some disposables and I was actually excited to take some actual film for a change. That is until I got the actual film back today. The quality is worse than bad digital. At least my romantic idea of film can finally be squashed.

Gracie and her son Max picked us up at DIA. She is a truly great friend who always makes time for me no matter what is going on in her crazy life.

Finley and I with Gracie and Lori in their fabulous mountain house.
Finley had a great time with Uncle Chris - he's such a big sweetie!

A walk with Grandpa.

Here they are - Mr.& Mrs. Happy

Here is the last couple leaving the dance floor as my folks win the anniversary dance with 48 years! It was very sweet.
My niece and nephew who won the bouquet and garter tosses (though Christopher stole his!)

Here's the proof!

Finley partied the longest of her whole little life!

We love you guys!!

At The VERY least its....

p.s. Thanks for the huge F*@#ing mess we now have to clean up, a$$hole!