. Valentines Day from Janie & Jack.

Option #1:

Option #2:

As previously stated I have a total obsession with Janie & Jack, it is my absolute favorite children's clothing store {my mom suffers from the same affliction} and now that the Christmas season is over they have brought out their Valentines Day clothes! Eek! So freakin' cute!

I have been in talks with other moms from our birthing class {we have get togethers from time to time to catch up and see how big the kiddos have gotten} about having a shared birthday celebration {in addition to the family ones that each family is having privately} for the tykes right around Valentines Day {with the oldest child being born in late December and the youngest being born March 2nd this seemed like perfect timing}.

Here are the two outfits that I'm mulling over for Amelia's 2nd Valentines Day - I love them both. Which do you like more? You can check out more detailed views of each piece at the Janie & Jack website if you want...

.New friends.

Now that Amelia is 11 months old {just 29 days until her birthday!} she's too old/big for the mommy & me class at Good Samaritan Hospital which is a shame because we both loved it. So in addition to her music classes I've been on the lookout for a new social outlet for the two of us to take the place of the group at Good Sam. Thanks to meetup.com {which I've used before for other mommy groups} we have joined a new group! I'm pretty excited, it's a nice well established group with lots of participation and the women are all about my age and it'll give Amelia the chance for some play dates with other littles.
Now that the holidays are almost over I'm already looking ahead to warmer weather activities {which should be more fun this year now that she's old enough to enjoy them} and am thinking of swimming lessons. I have a few friends with kiddos that love love love their swim classes and I've done quite a bit of research {big shock there} and am pretty excited about it. I'm thinking of enrolling at DolFUN Swim Academy because of it's high ratings/reviews, closeness to our house, and excellent facilities. I'm thinking that a Spring start would be best so that by the time the hot weather hits and we need to go cool down with a dip in my mom's pool or at our local community pool Amelia will be pretty used to it and enjoy it. We took her to my mom's last year and she seemed to like it & she's like a fish in the bathtub so I'm thinking that swim lessons should be pretty fun for her.

.Some photos from Amelia's 1st Christmas.

Amelia's 1st Christmas

We were smart enough to break out the video camera on Christmas morning but not quite smart enough to remember to actually CHARGE the camera so all we got was this short little bit but it's still pretty cute.
Amelia's first Christmas was great! She got tons of gifts {including a new big girl car seat from Grandpa} and was the center of attention the whole day {how surprising that my child would love that}. As usual we hosted Christmas dinner and it was fantastic. We had my parents, our friends Tom & Meegan Watts {they're family and therefor staples at every holiday}, and our friends Luis & Sayuri Diaz-Yoshikawa {who are expecting their first baby in late January - a boy named Sebastian}. We ate ourselves silly and laughed until our faces hurt...the perfect Christmas combo. Happy holidays from our home to yours!

p.s. I went with the eggnog tiramisu trifle for dessert and it was amazing!

.Ghosts of birthdays past.

April 12, 1985 - My 3rd birthday {I'm in the arms of my Grandma & Grandad Shalz}. My birthday was just 7 days before my parents wedding anniversary so the parties were combined but we still got separate cakes {mine is a rad Care Bears one while they "had" to have one with roses}.
April 12, 1984 - My 2nd birthday. I think every single relative near and far was at the celebration. Here we have one of my sets of great-grandparents {Grandma & Grandpa Agee}, my mom {looking very tired of her bratty toddler}, my aunt Cyndie, & my gloworm.

April 12, 1984 - My Granny {pictured next to me in the rocking chair} made this awesome Mickey Mouse cake! A few years later she made a He-Man cake for my cousin Derek - It's the only cake that could rival this one.

April 12, 1983 - My first birthday. My parents were still working out the kinks of spelling my name as you can see. Can you see the baby gate behind the high chair {separating the living room and kitchen}? Look at what a difference there is between it and moder ones! Ha!

Since I was going through photos already {see "ghosts of Christmas past" post below} I picked out some photos from my first birthdays. Birthdays are also a big deal in my family with lots of food, friends, family, and gifts. The thought always being "the more the merrier". I'm definitely looking forward to Amelia's birthday next month!

.Ghosts of Christmas Past.

Christmas 1987 - I'm 5 & have a lazy eye. Love those 1980's Popples cartoon Christmas PJs though!
Christmas 1986 - I'm 4 and clearly do not know where to look when getting my photo taken. Note: the tiny stocking is for our dear cat C.C.

Christmas 1985 - I'm 3 and am wearing the pajamas of a ye olde tyme feudal serf. This is the Christmas that I found the "Santa gifts" a week earlier in my parents room and spent an hour playing with them before my mom caught me. On Christmas morning when I got up to see what loot had been left and realized that I had already played with those same toys I asked if I could go back to bed. Note: That's C.C. sitting next to me.

Christmas 1984 - I'm 2. There are actually several photos from this Christmas but being at the height of my "terrible twos" I am running around like a banshee in each one and am little more than a blur. This is the only one where I am still...

As I was putting yet more gifts for Amelia under our tree this morning I got a warm happy feeling thinking of all of the great Christmases that I've had in my life and got so excited to be able to share them with my own little one now. Celebrations are a big deal in my family {well, that goes for most families im guessing} and any chance for a party with family, friends, and food is pounced on - if gift giving is involved than all the better.

In the spirit of nostalgia here are a few photos from my first Christmases.

.Totally adorable version of the Christmas Story.

My personal favorites are the sheep and the Star of Bethlehem. Enjoy!

.Too awesome not to share.

.Amelia.

This post has nothing to do with Amelia Grace Clark but rather other "Amelias" that make me smile.
First off, in the news today there is new research to suggest that bones found on the South Pacific island of Nikumaroro belonged to Amelia Earhart {after whom my own Amelia was named}. DNA testing is being done but could take months. You can read the full story here.
Next, in less exciting news but still fun, I "found" a fun little getaway that until this weekend I didn't know existed. Amelia Island is off the far Northern coast of Florida {almost Georgia} and looks like a perfect vacation spot. My new plan is a family vacation to this quaint island at some point in the not too distant future.

In news of my own Amelia we have a little lady on the verge of walking. She's been pulling up on everything and "cruising" and if I stand near her and hold out my hand she'll pivot and grab my hand then walk towards me while holding my hands. I'm hoping to get her walking in time for her first birthday but it all comes down to when she feels ready.

.It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Last night was cold and clear so we bundled up and went out for one of my favorite Christmas traditions, a stroll down Peacock Lane. It was super cold but between the pretty lights, holiday cheer, hot cocoa, and children caroling it was definitely worth it. Few things get me in the holiday spirit quite like houses made up like a Christmas wonderland. Our camera died {of course} so I didn't get any of my own photos, the ones here are from a Google search to give the out of towners that read this an idea of what Peacock Lane is all about.

Today we're snuggled in while it rains and the wind howls and watching Christmas movies. Christmas Vacation and Christmas Story are done - now we have Christmas Carol {I prefer the George C. Scott version} and It's a Wonderful Life to go {earlier in the month we watched The Grinch, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and Charlie Brown's Christmas}. Tomorrow I'm shopping for Christmas dinner and baking. Just 7 days left of Christmasy goodness...on the 26th all Christmas talk stops full force for Cheyenne's birthday.

"Yummy"?

Say hello to mechanically separated chicken. It’s what all fast-food chicken is made from—things like chicken nuggets and patties. Also, the processed frozen chicken in the stores is made from it.
Basically, the entire chicken is smashed and pressed through a sieve—bones, eyes, guts, and all. it comes out looking like this.
There’s more: because it’s crawling with bacteria, it will be washed with ammonia, soaked in it, actually. Then, because it tastes gross, it will be reflavored artificially. Then, because it is weirdly pink, it will be dyed with artificial color. (courtesy of The Naughty Librarian)

This is seriously gross. I cannot even begin to guess when the last time that I had a chicken nugget was thanks to a long held belief that there is no "nugget" area of a chicken. However, now that I have a tiny person to feed, little bite sized pieces of protein that are tasty and have the ability to be dipped in various sauces sounds pretty darn kid friendly. Amelia is now only willing to have me feed her if she's sleepy and insists on feeding herself instead. So the search began a while ago for healthier kid friendly alternatives to the above photo. I've been going with Quorn brand chik'n nuggets and they are perfect! They actually do taste just like chicken {trust me - I know my meats. I am the lady that believes turduckhen - a chicken stuffed in a duck stuffed in a turkey - is best eaten when covered in bacon} but they are meatless, soy-free, made from all natural ingredients and are high in protein while being 43% less fat than "traditional" chicken nuggets. If you have little ones that love processed chicken {or if you are known to dabble in the ways of mechanical separation} give these a shot. I'm sure your colon will thank you!