Spent all my days off at Camp Bailey this week, helping Amanda audition and cast her spring musical.  I'm stoked!  If I don't get worked into the ground this weekend, I'll post some more photos and info.  For now, here's Jack after eating macaroni and beef with veggies. 

I nominate this for cutest Jack video yet.

Flips! from Rachel Mason on Vimeo.

And here we test Jem's patience with babies.  She's looks pretty miserable.


A future in rodeo from Rachel Mason on Vimeo.

It's the time of year when we celebrate, er, possibly offend the Jewish community by getting eight pairs of socks.  Ben has received eight pairs of socks for eight days every Hanakkuh since 1990 when Hanakkuh Harry appeared on SNL.  When I came into the family I happily joined in the ritual.  Seriously, socks are awesome.  This was Jack's first time getting socks and getting to open presents.  Good practice for Christmas.  I had to miss it because of work, but Ben taped it for all of us!

First Hanukkah Socks from Rachel Mason on Vimeo.

Happy December to all!  Ben bought me a "happy holidays" gift - a woot shirt that made me laugh out loud.  Here's a link to the image.  He also taught Jack how to high five.  No kidding!  He drops his toy and softly brings his hand to yours.  It's a start!  I'm working on "so big!" next. 

I have a couple days off.  We're going to see Amanda's kids do Macbeth and go to the holiday craft fair Friday evening.  I'm hopeful that the food trucks they mention include the little orange rocket, which I discovered parked outside my hospital one day.  What else to do with my time off??  caramels? needle felted ornaments? gift shopping? peanut butter bars? or my default - tv shows and knitting?

UPDATE:  I made these.  They are tasty tasty yum.  I'm still thinking about making these.

Already??  What a big kiddo.  We're STILL on the cusp of teething and sprouting hair.  I think crawling is farther away, but he is a much stronger sitter than he was a month ago.  He figured out how to sleep on his stomach and has been doing that all month.  He got his first cold and first stomach flu.  Reviews: they suck.  But having to put up with more crying and comfort needs just shows me what an awesome baby he is.  He's so self-sufficient and well behaved, we are so lucky.  He outgrew his infant car seat and upgraded to a convertible booster type.   He started disliking solids.  Maybe we aren't offering them often enough.  

My parents pointed out that he's quite the observer.  Now I notice that other babies don't look around constantly like he does.  Everywhere we go, he's turning his head left, right, left, right taking in the full panorama.  He prefers quietly watching others to doing things himself. 

Anyone asking about toy ideas for him for Christmas?  My response = none.  He has many already, and his favorite thing to play with is burp rags anyway.  This guys needs clothes.  He currently wears 9 month size, and is closing in on 12 months.  Sleepers with snaps and feet are a favorite in this house.

Blame our colds for these pics, which I didn't edit as nicely as I usually do and are taken on an unmade bed.  At least I moved the laundry to the floor.  Oh, and watch out for Ol' Whiskers McGrouch, who did not like me interrupting her nap space. 

 



 

I may have been up for 28 hours . . .
I may have had to work a 13 hour day, then an 8 hour night . . .
I may have lost my voice from working while recovering from a cold . . .
I may have spiked a fever this morning . . .
I may not be recovering from the cold yet . . .
I may have passed the cold to Jack . . .
I may have slept all morning while Ben's parents cooked the turkey . . .
I may have to go out tonight on another call . . .

. . . but, dammit,  I'm not going to bed without having my fill of cheese log and wheat thins.  It's Thanksgiving after all. 

PS: I may have an awesome husband at my beck and call all day, and kind in-laws who made the entire Thanksgiving dinner in my house AND did the dishes.  Thanksgiving indeed.

Last night I finished Mary Roach's latest, Packing for Mars: the Curious Science of Life in the Void on my kindle.  I'm so sad it's over!  Her books at fascinating and hilarious, and I think this was her best yet.  Go read it now so we can talk about space poop.