NARRATING THE CAMERA ROLL....

Here we are at an American Thanksgiving potluck in the courtyard.  So nice of our American friends to think of us on the Fake Thanksgiving ;)

 

Phil and I embraced "Black Friday" in Kuwait.  One of the things we had to pick up was a winter coat for Nory.  We got this pink one for 50% off and Nory wouldn't take it off the whole night!!!  

 

The campus courtyard was my classroom this week :)  I'm determined to make our Earth Science Unit a fun one!

 

Jettie is into her fleecy pajamas!  She's become MISS INDEPENDENT over the last couple of weeks, but still loves her spontaneous cuddles :)

 

Nory has become a big fan of "coloured water".  She is amazed at how the colours change when you mix them together :)

 

The ultimate DO-ER.  Making breakfast for Rapunzel, doing crafts for Grandma, running around the courtyard.....THE GIRL NEVER STOPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a beautiful market we went to last weekend :)  There were activities for kids and the weather was PERFECT!

 GRANDMA IS HERE!!!!!!!  Juliet has become Grandma's little shadow :)  We are so lucky she flew here for Juliet's birthday!!!  WE LOVE YOU, GRANDMA! xo

An update for everyone who relies on the blog for confirmation of our existence :)

1)  Phil and I are officially AGING TOGETHER.  Check out my new specs, supposed to be warn always.  I have a new appreciation for all you glasses-users, I tell ya.  The getting used to them, the cleaning them, the realizing-you-forgot-to-put-them-on-and-subsequent-eye-squinting, and the making-sure-your-toddler-and-baby-don't-rip-them-off-your-face...........

The really good news is that my glasses have hearts on both sides.  And they are from Tiffanys.  It made the acceptance process so much easier.

2)  We're suddenly two cats into the CRAZY CAT PEOPLE game.  Serious about the first part of that sentence.  Totally not serious about the second part.  If there happens to be a crazy cat people game, we quit.  It's over for us.  Two cats and we've removed ourselves from the competition.

Her name is WINKA.  She's also a "campus cat" that was brought back to our complex by #thehouseofnorules, yet somehow ended up at our flat instead of theirs.  Nory is obsessed with her and is the one who came up with the original name :)  After a few days of uncertainty, Ben and Winka are also besties and do everything together.

3)  Christmas is in full swing at the Parkinson Residence!  We decorated the weekend after Remembrance Day and this year our big tree is WHITE.....and pink.......and purple......dotted with cupcakes, ballerinas, carousels, and pink nutcrackers.  There might also be a fluffy, pink tiara on top.

Phil loves us.

And although he hasn't said it out loud, I'm sure he also loves my new CHRISTMAS TREE SWEATER from H&M.  I mean, I realize my intention was to buy a sweater that was appropriate for work.  But then I thought of the big picture.  And I realized that this one was more appropriate for LIFE IN GENERAL.   

4)  CRAFTS.  With my girl "NOR".

On one particular day, she requested to make Anna, Elsa and Olaf from Frozen.  But often times, when I ask what she would like to make, she responds with, "A SPOOKY GHOST!!!!"  I'm really working to transition her away from Halloween into Christmas, but you know the story of Toddler Transitions and you get the struggle.  Albeit, we've made some progress.  Like at least now she says we will say TRICK OR TREAT to Santa.  And that he gives children toys instead of candy.  We're basically winning.

5)  We celebrated our fantastic security guard, Hussein, who is retiring after spending 41 years in Kuwait.  The girls sported their outfits from Egypt (THANK YOU, GEM!) and we had a potluck in the courtyard with people in our community.  It was beautiful weather for such a special gathering :) 

6)  Jettie "TOUGH AS NAILS, SWEET AS PIE" Parkinson.  She deserves a daily award for surviving the Nornado.  And for surviving stegosaurus attacks (picture on the left).  She also deserves a gold star for being the cuddliest, most darling little one around.  I can't believe she's going to be ONE next weekend!  One year ago today, I was enjoying (not really) my first of three hospital stays in the is-she-coming-or-not saga.    

7)  You're probably wondering about Phil.  But, really.  It's basketball season.  So, what's there to wonder?  I'll update you on that guy in March ;)

Halloween Weekend :)

*** NOTE - I started to write this post a week ago.  #whoops

For the record, Nory pointed to our Halloween decorations yesterday and exclaimed with disgust, "those are for Halloween, Mom, and Halloween is over, Mom."

HAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!

When your toddler tells you its time to take the decorations down, it's TIME TO TAKE THE DECORATIONS DOWN!  On the same account, it's time to blog about the holiday so that I can say an official good riddance and get geared up for the best time of the year.  You're about to see me go full-blown CHRISTMAS, you guys! #youcringe #Iamnotashamed

But first!  HALLOWEEN.

Halloween weekend happened to coincide with Phil's trip to Jordan for a volleyball tournament.  It was a bummer that Phil had to miss out on getting the girls into their costumes (HA!) and trick-or-treating around our complex.  At the same time, the weekend went by faster than expected because we had so many Halloween activities to keep us busy!  Here's a look at our GIRLS ONLY weekend:

Halloween cupcakes....baked on NATIONAL CHOCOLATE DAY, of course!

Mummy-making in the courtyard.  It was an indoor activity until she begged for glitter.

Ghost pancakes for breakfast :)

Halloween!  Nory and Juliet dressed up like mice and I went as a cat :)

The two of them racing around the house, giggling like crazy :)

Some smothering.......

And some more smothering.....

Playing in the courtyard puddles :)

Overall it was a successful, Dad-less weekend.  I survived a bad rain storm that had me moving furniture and mopping up water at midnight.  I survived the urge to throw in the Halloween towel and skip the trick or treating part altogether.  I survived Nory's post trick-or-treating tantrum related to the departure of her Uncle Steve.  And I survived all three of us getting sick and both girls wanting ME AND ONLY ME the day before Daddy got home.  So, as I said, it was a successful, Dad-less weekend overall :)

HALLOWEEN IS OVER, you guys.

It's now CHRISTMAS, SWEET CHRISTMAS :)

THREE MONTHS away from being THREE!!!!

Things I want to remember about THIS GIRL at THIS AGE...

1)  She continues to be WATER OBSESSED.  Pools, puddles, rain, taps, YOU NAME IT.

2)  She's a crafter and her current favorite materials include:  glue, googly eyes, and GLITTER.  This means we do a lot of crafts in the courtyard, rather than at the kitchen table ;)

3)  Nory loves to FAKE SLEEP, an activity she practices several times a day (and it's one of her go-to games when company comes over).  But the girl hates to go to sleep FOR REAL.  Thank goodness that once she IS asleep, she sleeps a good 12-14 hours. 

4)  She has yet to embrace a messy life.  Let's talk about yesterday (and just ONE EXAMPLE from yesterday):  Nory gets marker on her hands, freaks out and says she must immediately wash her hands.  In doing so, she gets her dress wet and then insists she must change into a new dress.  Situations like this one happen multiple times a day and we no longer sweat it.  It just IS WHAT IT IS.  (And I make sure to say I LOVE YOU to Kumari every time she throws on another load of laundry).     

5) BUT REALLY, YOU GUYS.  Even if there is just a SINGLE SPECK OF DIRT or a SINGLE DROP OF WATER on her clothes, it's GAME OVER.  (Now you know why I'm going to start carrying a backpack rather than a purse.  I have half a wardrobe in there, people!)

6)  Pink is her favourite colour.  There are many days when she refuses to wear anything OTHER THAN PINK (DRESSES).  Which is why you should be super impressed any time you see a picture of her wearing another colour.  If she's not wearing pink, it means we've run out of pink (see points 4 and 5) AND that I have some super-amazing distraction skills that allowed me to get another colour on her.

7)  She loves to bake, do playdough, make crafts, play outside, play with Ben, FAKE SLEEP, have a "tubby", do her nails, and play with her "figures" (what we call her little characters).  It's so awesome to watch her imagination, but also to hear her suggestions on what she would like to do.  "I want to make YELLOW PLAYDOUGH" or "I want to make a spooky ghost" are some recent examples.  She's full of ideas!

8)  She's a chatter box.  I have no idea where she learns the words she says, but I am non-stop smiling when I hear her vocabulary go to work.  I really need to start using the video option on my phone more...

9)  You aren't going to believe this, but after what's felt like YEARS of Nory being SUPER INTO "DADDY", she's become a MOMMY'S GIRL!!!!!!!  Kumari says that she asks for me all day long while I am at work and she does the same thing whenever she's feeling sad, angry or sick.  I never, ever thought that day would come!!!! 

10)  She loves her sister, but has no problem telling us the facts when we get home from work:  "Juliet took my toys, and so I pushed her, and Juliet was crying, but I said SORRY SISTER!!!!!"  We usually get a report like this every day upon our return from school.

With Nory talking up a storm, Phil and I agree that this is our favourite NORY AGE so far.  We love all of the conversations we're having with her, even though she frustrates the heck out of us when a single drop of water on her shirt sends us back to the bedroom for an outfit change. 

We love you, Eleanor!!!!  XOXO

Juliet is ELEVEN MONTHS OLD!

Only one more month until her TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE STAR 1st Birthday Party :)  I can't even believe it!

Some interesting things about Juliet at age 11 months:

1)  You know how most kids have a favourite blanket?  Or a favourite toy?  Well....Juliet is into MARKERS.  Crayola markers, to be specific.  And if she had her ultimate choice - the Pipsqueak line blows the rest of the competition away.  This girl chooses a marker at the start of the day and carries that marker around with her wherever she goes.  In fact, today she had a three hour nap in her crib with an extra-tight grasp on a purple pipsqueak.  I love a girl who appreciates the Crayola brand from such a young age ;)

2)  Furniture is another one of Jet's best friends forever.  She crawls towards it and instantly stands up to observe the chaos before her.  Phil and I are trying to enjoy these last few months of "a crawler and a runner".  It's going to be so seriously over for us when our life transitions to "a runner and an even faster runner."  (I think I can hear y'all snickering....)

3)  GOOD LUCK changing this munchkin.  Even Kumari Poppins (who is magic and does everything that I can't on first attempt) struggles to get the girl changed and dressed.  Jettie doesn't understand why we can't change her while she's rolling around and crawling about.  I have no idea how I'm going to change her on the flight to Helsinki in December.  At its smoothest, it takes two adults and one distracting toddler to get the job done. 

4)  We weighed her today and she is 18.8 pounds.  I went through her closet yesterday and she has ALMOST grown out of all of her 3-6 month clothes.  There are still a few t-shirts in the mix, with the rest of her wardrobe being all 6-9 month stuff.  The 9-12 month bin continues to be on standby in the storage room.  Hopefully she grows into it by December, so we can re-use all of the winter gear Nory wore in Denmark and Sweden!!!

5)  She is a DADDY'S GIRL.  Had an audience been present when Phil came home last Sunday night, there would have been a room full of tears.  I've never seen a reunion like that one ;) 

6)  Hairbands are a no-go.  As is anything else intended for her head.  (My vision of our HAPPY family holiday in Finland is slowly beginning to change.....)

7)  She's still a sweet, cuddly and smiley wee thing, but she does prefer to be in the hands of someone who is familiar to her.  Someone who is EXTRA FAMILIAR to her.....ha!  :)

8)  Other cute things she's doing:  following Nory and Ben around, clapping her hands, mimicking sounds, and waving to others. 

Juliet and her Crayola markers.  That last picture makes me burst into laughter. 

We love you so much, JULIET TYKO!  We can't wait to celebrate your first birthday next month!  (And take you to your very first hockey game!!!!)

XOXOXO