Christmas Grands

My side of the family is visiting this weekend for our annual Todd Familly Christmas Weekend.  If I didn't know this because we'd arranged it back in October, then Micah would remind me.  He knows they're coming because we told him.  Yesterday.  You can't give too much lead time with type of event, you know.  Currently, Micah can be found around our house (all around it at once it seems) performing what is best titled "The Yea! Mema and Papa are Coming to My House! Song and Dance Routine."  Fittingly, it is filled with frequent trips to the window. 

I mentioned before that our parents and siblings live hours away.  What must be the greatest benefit of that fact is Micah's response to each visit.  Every visit from any relative is preceded by a similar song and dance performance.  No naps are had during the visits (who could sleep with personal playfellows in the house?!).  And, we get two whole new Micahs out of it.  Pre-family-visit Micah is overly affectionate and constantly says, "Thank You!," for what reason can only be presumed is that his normally oppressive parents are allowing visitors.  I have gotten at least 3, I-want-a-hug's and I have recently lost count of the number of kisses exchanged.  Post-family-visit Micah is like a ball of unexpressed, under-napped energy overcome with hard to relay emotions of anger and sadness and feelings of abandonment.  Apparently, Jared and I can't compete with our siblings and parents for fun factor. 

So, until Sunday at around 3pm, we're living the good life of family holiday fun!

Pin Rolls

As a child, I used to watch my grandma pin roll her mom's hair every Friday or Saturday evening.  Granny's hair, to my knowledge, has always, always been bright white.  Grandma rolled her hair into small, 1-inch diameter swirls and used Goody brand grey bobby pins criss-crossed to hold each little swirl tightly to Granny's head.  Then Granny wore a hairnet, also grey, over it.  It seemed so magical and intimate when I was a little girl.  I looked forward to being old and have tiny curls all around my head just like Granny.  I have scores of these Granny vignettes inside my head, enough to make a very good Southern-setting American novel, I'm sure. 

Now that my hair is quite long and, apparently, I won't have time to get it cut within the forseeable future, I'm getting creative with it.  Enter Granny's pin rolls.   

I made big, 2-3-inch diameter pins and swirled them around the bottom of my head. Then, I went to bed and slept on it.

A little tight and springtastic right after I let it down.

Shake and spray.  It looks a little be... umm... "Southern" but I dig it. 

It's Wednesday which means I'm cooking a giant meal tonight at church, so all of this will be tied tightly back into a ponytail or bun.  Until then, it will be a big, way, length of fun on my head while I shop for vittles.

The GREATEST day EVER

Playing at one of the many train tables while we waited our turn to ride.

"Okay, everyone!  Thomas says he's ready to go!"  This face. 

It EATS!

It's happening.  Outside of the general worries for his immune system and damaged lungs, our great concern for Micah has been growth which he achieves by consumption of calories... like the rest of us.  Flip back through the blog for the past three years and you'll see a theme: tiny, lack-of-food-consuming baby. 

Well, he eats.  He asks to eat.  He asks for specific things to eat.  For example, picture a miniature human clinging, feet aloft, to the freezer door and screaming, "I want brocci, Mommy!"  Yeah. 

It's happening.  It's slow, but it's happening.  Micah is now capable of eating an entire grilled cheese sandwich AND fruit.  It's like watching a magic show every time he sits down to eat.  And, slowly, his appetite is showing up on his frame.  He's finally getting thighs, we've had to adjust the waist looser on his adjustable waist pants, and his shirt sleeves are getting too short. 

This makes Mama happy!

REfashioning Part 3

Remember this?

Well, it got refashioned twice so far.  The second one is this.

A hat!  That I made!  I had about 20 inches left from the bottom of the skirt above.  I measured my noggin around and cut a piece 23 inches long and about 10 inches tall, which is too tall.  I measured 9 inches from crown to the middle of my head, but was afraid that didn't seem like enough.  I have a rather not-small head.  I folded the fabric in fourths and cut halfway down it at the folds, both of them.  Then I cut an arch into the fabric, pinned my four arches together and sewed them then down the one open side.  And I should have taken photos of this process.  It was so very easy.  I have enough left to do it again, so if you insist, I'll take photos along the way next time and post that. 

Refashioning Part 2

How bad is this?  I've owned it since we were married.  That's 10 years, folks.  If I could hold onto it for another 10, then I'm sure this style would be perfectly acceptable and IN.  But, I need clothes now.

REfashioning Part 1

We're not broke, but we aren't ever far from it.  I really need some good work clothes.  You know, the kind that fit, are my personality in fabric, and are business-appropriate.  I know they exist.  I've seen them... from afar.  Currently, I am reworking clothes from when I worked before Micah was born.  For the record, I'm an entire size bigger almost everywhere (except my boobs which have always overachieved and are easily two sizes bigger than ever).  So, it's been challenging.  Every time the seasons change I freak out a little bit.  

But, this year I already have two new skirts and a new sweater vest.  'Cause I made 'em.  Okay, so I made a whole skirt then I sort of made the the other one and the vest in that I remade them.  I'll show you.  

Here's one now and more later:

It's a less-than-flattering vest from years and years ago.  I know I bought it on clearance and that used to be part of a twin set (remember those?) that had lost its sweater, so I paid around $3 or $4 for it at least 5 years ago.  It was too small and it had a bizarre squareness that couldn't flatter anyone.  

I cut it!  It was very cathartic.

Ta da!

Halloween 2011 (like you've never been two weeks late on a blog post)

I have almost no memories of Halloween as a kid.  It makes sense because it is, of course, the Devil's holiday.  There is a picture of me dressed as a clown (Mom's Amway sample catalog makeup smeared all over my face), my brother is "A Army Man" and my sister is an old lady.  It has only struck me just now how very symbolic and futuristic that is.  Holy Cow.  I'm not blogging that; it will have to be saved for an intense therapy session later... much later.  Well, I don't know why we were allowed to dress up that year and I don't remember trick-or-treating, so maybe we went to a party?  

This is Micah's first Halloween.  I mean, he's been alive for other Halloweens and even went Trick-or-Treating last year.  But this year he really knew what Halloween was and how to say "Trick or Treat!" and pick a piece of candy (literally two pieces that he wasn't allergic to all night).  And boy, was it fun!  

Monkey rides tractor.

We spent Saturday at five events.  Yep.  Five.  It was too much.  We started at our farmer's market, their last one of the year, with Micah dressed in costume and trick-or-treating at each stand.  One farmer gave away carrots.  At our house, carrots are called "carrots-like-George."  It's all one word and due to an episode of Curious George growing and eating his own carrots.  It's amazing and left quite the impression.  Event number 2 was our neighborhood pumpkin painting (we had a painting instead of a carving because of me, by the way... you're welcome neighbors!); then on to the Grant Park children's costume parade (3).  It was the first time that there has ever been observers at this parade.  True story; ask anybody.  We trooped with the group around the park up to our church where an enormous, like HUGE-ENORMOUS, fall festival ensued(4).  I'm so impressed that a church with so few resources pulled together such a big, fun party.  

We ended the night at a play group party that Micah is technically too old for, but his due date fit into their age bracket and we love Kennedy and her mama.  Five.  

Fall = Favorite

Micah is his father's child.  He proves this frequently.  The first time we stepped out onto the front porch and crunched leaves -- courtesy of our scary, giant oaks -- Micah yelled out, "YAY!!!  LEAVES!!!"  Not kidding.  Everything about fall excites my boys.  Micah is a nut for pumpkins and fall squashes of every variety and style.  He also seriously nuts up over some Halloween decor.  We can't walk into Target without a chant of, "I want Boo!  I see Halloween!" until we reach the demanded destination at the farthest corner of the store.  In fact, if I tell him we need to go to the store, his automatic response is, "I go to Target, see Halloween?!"  

Jared loves his favorite apple, the Arkansas Black, and gets 1 peck every year, the first weekend in October when we visit Ellijay.  The Arkansas Blacks are firm, tart, thick- and shiny-skinned and very round and squat.  They're great apples, but hard to come by.  My favorite, the Pink Lady apple, has begun showing up in my supermarket the last couple of years, but Jared's still hasn't.  So, fall has yet another charm for him.

This year we also went to Dahlonega with Mimi and picked out pumpkins at the Kinsey Family Farm.  I am a little remiss to tell you about it since it was so very amazing and busy without being crowded.  For around $25 we (three of us plus J's mom) rode a great hay ride, fed fish halfway through said hay ride, saw the animals at the farm [though skipping the petting zoo (free) for the sake of time], AND got to play with hundreds of pumpkins, securing two of our own to take home.  Not too shabby at all!

See some photos of our fun in Ellijay, Dahlonega, and general Fall-ness.

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3 Years Ago Today

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We got a baby!

We left Scottish Rite with Micah in our arms.  He weighed 6 lbs 7.5oz and came home on a feeding tube and apnea monitor and swaddled in a blanket crocheted by my Grandma.  And it felt like we were buying a house.  We had so much paperwork to fill out!  There was a form for everything and they wouldn't let us leave without an appointment set with each of our 8 specialists.  Holy cow.

I'd had visions of being wheeled out with our baby in my arms, but Scottish doesn't have many grown-up wheelchairs, so I carried him instead.  It felt like we were stealing him.  After abandoning him daily for months and months and months, we finally got to take him with us... and it felt so weird.  We could hardly believe that we were actually going to get to take him home with us!

But we did! 

Micah sleeping in his nest at home for the first time.

Micah's first bath at home.  We kept the feeding tube in!!!

Ready to head out for our first outdoor walk.  How cute is this outfit?!