Visit to Santa

So I took the kids Christmas shopping on December 8th, while Barry was at work. Yes, I was brave. Alone, in a shopping mall with two kids, one of them...Chloe!

Yes, our little girl is known for her mercurial moods. One second it's all summer...bright, cheery, full of zest, and fun. Next she's turned into a cold, winter day...full of bluster and anger, and crying jags. All four seasons in a day.


Chloe LOVES going to the mall. Most of the time I go with someone, so she is able to get out of her stroller and run around.

Well, I was solo this time (probably my last time until she reaches her teens). She was good for most of the mall trip. Then she wanted down. She wanted to walk. Like I said, most of the time, this wouldn't be a problem if someone else where there, but I had no idea how to keep a hold of the stroller with Fox and his carrier in it, and hold the leash that Chloe was attached to so I would have some modicum of control. But I let her out of the stroller to walk, and for the most part, she was great.

Then I had the brilliant idea of taking the kids to see Santa. Barry wasn't with us and so he couldn't put the keebosh on my plan. I thought since Chloe absolutely LOVED the Easter Bunny, this would be a breeze, right? right? WRONG!

Fox of course was awesome...nothing rattles him. He sits on Santa's lap just as happy as you please. I grab a hold of Chloe to sit her on Santa's lap when I notice she'd spilled her cholocate milk and it looks like she had hull breach with her diapers. I note (and choose to ignore) that Santa gives me this disapproving look and a nervous gesture with his hands. Chloe in the meantime is screaming "DOWN! DOWN! DOWN!" but I AM gonna get my Christmas picture.

So I sit her on Santa's lap and command the kid behind the counter with the camera to take the picture. I look back now and think I must have been like mad Dr. Frankenstein commanding his creature to rise, RISE!! Take the picture, TAKE THE PICTURE NOW!!! Here's the results.


Did you know if you scramble the letters in Santa you get Satan?

Also, I did a lot more shopping on the 'net after that venture.

Another package!

Yipes. So much has happened from my last blog entry. Let's start with Chloe and Fox get a package from Mawmaw and Grandaddy Gregory.

Our day started out normal enough. Chloe and Fox played on the floor while Barry and I worked...then the doorbell rang.
Chloe RAN to the door shouting "PIZZA! PIZZA!!!" What can I say. Papa Johns is an honorary Gregory family inductee.





Anyway, it wasn't the pizza man (this time), it was the USPS gal with a really big package for Chloe and Fox!




Chloe can't wait to tear into the box!








Fox peeks over Chloe's shoulder.










Open at LAST!!!







Fox soooo wants to help open the box. All in due time, my lad.














OOohhhh...what's this thing?














A really cool map of the US. Chloe likes this feeling of sitting atop the world.










Oohhhh...what else is there?? Anything for me?











Booyeah! Toy alert!













Wow. Looks fun!











Mine now! This is neat!











Fox calmly watches Chloe play with his toy.















Another cool toy. Look! I can bite it!
















Chloe asks" Whatcha got, Fox-man?"












It's true, kids like the empty boxes the best.








Chloe had to give it a try.










Pretty fun!





It's exhausting playing with all these cool new toys and clothes! Nap time
(as if! She NEVER takes naps anymore). No she's not sleeping. this is just one of those rare instances she has her eyes closed. Cheeky monkey.

Wow! We are BACK!

Woo hoo! The kids web site is up and running once again! A big hearty thanks to my Barry and Thomas for getting all this back up after all the problems we've had with our servers!

First and foremost:

Merry Christmas!!!

I know, I know I have tons (oodles even!) of photos to upload and stories to tell. I'll get there. For right now, here are some of the photos we took this morning of Chloe opening presents and Fox watching. He played with a couple shiny packages, but it was a no go on him opening anything.

Our morning started about 9:15. Barry and I realized this is probably the last year that we'll be able to sleep in on Christmas morning.


We thought Chloe would tear into the packages. Nope. We had to pretty much open them for her. At first she seemed kinda scared, but then after opening a present she'd want to sit and play with it instead of opening up others.

Oops...gotta run...more later.

Fox's groove

So I'm getting to know Fox's personality better. He's now almost 5 months (wow! How time has flown!!).

Fox is soooo interactive now. He loves to practice standing. He just wants to bypass the tripod/sitting up phase and go directly to standing.

His favorite thing to do is just stand there holding onto your finger tips as he takes in his world.



The things that I have learned about Fox so far:

Absolutely loves to cuddle. I'm all about the cuddle so this is fanstastic for me.


Chloe...she must have been a cat in a previous life. Like a cat if she's in the mood for a cuddle, she'll get back to you and in her own terms and in her own time allow you to cuddle her.

Fox is perfectly content to snuggle close. For long wonderful periods of time.




Fox is all about the bath. Actually, this one is a toss up...I don't know who enjoys the bathing experience more, Chloe or Fox.


She asks every night to take a bath with Fox! She is really kind to him in (and out of) the bath. We have never had to worry about her being careless around him. She always notes where he's laying or placed and she walks or moves very carefully around him.


He can't stand sudden jumpy movements or loud things.




He hates to have his toes cold. His feet have to be covered and warm at all times.

Chloe couldn't careless about being hot or cold. She just has to be on the go!



Like his Mommy, he LOVES to sleep. He pretty much has his own arranged schedule (unlike Chloe where it's a never ending battle to get her to bed EVERY night!)
Fox likes to be in his bed between 10:30 and 11:00. He's perfectly happy to be put into his crib wide awake. He settles down very easily on his own.

Before I go to work, I'm the one to wake him up an hour or so to feed. He'd probably sleep on his own for 9 or so hours each night.

This morning he didn't want me to put him back to bed after his early morning feeding. The little scamp wanted to play! But luckily I gave him his pacifier and he drifted off to sleep shortly after I got out of the shower.

He is utterly and totally in love with his big sister. He smiles and lights up the room when she's by him. He's all eyes watching whatever she is involved in. Luckily Chloe seems just as devoted to Fox as he is to her.

She gets upset when he cries, she picks up on his cues very quickly.

Fox's contintues to grow soooo strong and big everyday. We call Chloe our Amazon Princess. I think Fox will be 'The Berzerker". I think he's got that nordic look going and he's a tall strong boy. He was 7 lbs 14 oz at birth and almost 22 inches long. His 3 month check up had him at 11.7 lbs, and 23 3/4 inches (that was on 9/21/05), and on his 4 month visit he was 26 inches long and weighed 14.6 lbs. Ok, in the beginning he sure had a rough go, but he's now in the 90th percentile for his age (whatever that means...I think it's Dr speak for he's a tall li'l fella ).

I'm also delighted to find each and every ticklish spot he has. Right now he loves to have his back tickled. He gurgles and swiggles when you dance your fingers up his spine. He loves to get his toes tickled and he REALLY loves to lean back and show you his neck so you have to kiss and tickle him there. He squeals and giggles for a long, long time.

Let's make-up

I'm getting ready for work yesterday...running behind. Chloe loves to get in my way (ie play in my makeup) especially when I'm running behind. She has this knack for being able to judge my desperation I guess.






I was drying my hair and Chloe disappeared. I thought she had gone into the living room to watch Dora or something on the tv. I'm just about ready to leave the bedroom and in waltzed Chloe her face ALL made up!!

I haven't looked down at her yet, but I can hear her and sense her right by me.


All the sudden she says "I'm soooooo beautiful!"







I suddenly look down and there she is in my wonderful favorite purple eyeliner.

Now the thing is, she did a pretty darn good job applying her makeup.






She got her lips, she got her eyes. I think it's very 80's Flashdance kinda vibe.





Especially the nightie---which she styled on her own earlier that morning. Barry nor I had anything to do with this look.


It amazes me how much she observes. She knows what to do with makeup.



Maybe it's just because she's a girl.





OH yeah, and she did all this without a mirror.








We went to Thomas and Nana's today (more on that later).
Chloe had to bring Stegy along.








She cuddled him all the way over to their house.

Some very tired, beautiful eyes.