Aleksza Family Blog: Whew! What a year!

As another blogging mommy friend says… It’s the beginning of 2011. Let’s get you all caught up and wipe the slate clean for 2011! I’ll *try* to be better in 2011 about keeping you updated – but seriously – the girl keeps me GO-ING!

Thanksgiving was great. We were able to get away for a few days to Myrtle Beach (and do a little home improvement project) and then came home to spend a few days with my sister Jacki who flew in to celebrate Turkey Day with us. We decided this year to go “easy” so we ordered most of the food prepared from Fresh Market. It worked out great!! No stress on T-Day and dinner was yummy!!

Black Friday, Stephen and I did our normal run about town starting at 2:45am. It seems to get earlier and earlier! Aunt J and KK had some girl time in the morning while SA and I slept off our shopping gig! Saturday we made our annual trek out to Boone to find the perfect Christmas tree. We came home with two perfect trees. I know, hard to believe, right?!

The tree selecting was fun but I think my most memorable moment of the trip came when we were walking around downtown Boone. We went into a bulk candy stores. You know the kind – big barrels filled with candy. (AKA – Heaven) KK was all bundled up and had a lil pink hat on. She began frantically trying to take the hat off and put the bottom of the hat together (where it straps under your chin). She starts holding it by that part and running around the store going from person to person yelling TRICK OR TREAT!!!!! Oh yeah. It’s Christmas… and we’re still trolling for candy.

This year we deployed our very own “Elf on a Shelf” shortly after Thanksgiving. We decided to name our elf Snowy and he’s traveled all over with us. He’s been to Myrtle Beach, Florida and will be making a trip to NJ later this week. Snowy’s been a big hit!!! Sometimes even Mommy & Daddy can’t (remember) find where Snowy is!! Makes it a real “find” for the whole family!!!

We celebrated the 25th in Florida with Tootsie, Pop, MomMom, Aunt J, Aunt N, Aunt S and a whole host of four-legged friends. All of which were not on KKs list of “friends” for the 3 days – with the exception of Thirteen – the black cat. She tolerated the cat for short periods of time. The dogs… Not a shot. Line of the trip: “Walk away doggies, walk away!!!” She doesn’t care if they’re behind glass, in a cage, etc. No way. No how. (She also seems to believe we have phantom ghosts dogs around our house. Not just in Raleigh either. They also seem to exist in Myrtle Beach. She points and SWEARS there’s a dog. I’ve not seen this ghost dog. Do you think she has an imaginary enemy???)

We had tons of fun in Florida. We painted pottery, went to Busch Gardens and had a great family day. (I’ll spare you our story of Wii Rock Band, except to say that Tasty Therapy is the best band ever! The singers are fantastic, the drummer is hot and the guitar & base player -> the bomb!) I think the highlight of the trip was when KK saw Zoe and Super Grover. She watches a Super Grover video that was passed on by some great friends. KK LOVES the video. It’s all about ABCs, etc. and Super Grover is the “teacher”. When she saw Zoe and Grover she was shaking with excitement. A two year old, shaking because she’s SOOOOOOO excited about seeing her “friends”. WAY cute. She waits patiently in line for her turn and as she goes up she’s beside herself giddy. She starts to hug Grover and Zoe and waits for her picture… Then she turns to Grover and says “I WATCH YOUUUU!!!!!!” She also saw Elmo, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Abby Caddaby and briefly Ernie and Bert. She sang “C is for Cookie” to CM. He dug the tunes. (Another musical highlight could have been when the mother of the two lead singers of Tasty Therapy – in Rock Band – suggested we select songs that weren’t rock. =) hehehehehe)

In Aleksza Family SPORTS news… I know, I know. You’re SHOCKED. Dumb-founded. Downright, befuddled at the mention of SPORTS being part of this family. Alas… Thanks to my JDRF YLC friends… We have been to (get ready for it) THREE NHL games!! I know. I hope you were sitting for that. I’m pretty sure we can now be classified as “caniacs”. The biggest fan?! KK!!! She lovesssssss her some BOYS BOYS BOYS, not to mention she thinks Stormy is pretty cute. Last night we went to our third game and as soon as she saw the ice she started squealing. Serious, ear piercing squeal. MOMMY DADDY BOYS!!! ICE!!!! WHERES STORMY?????? She also got her first bobble. As KK tries to make the head move, I wonder if Tim Gleason knew his ear would be “tickled” by a two year old to get him to “dance”. The lady behind us kept yelling “HIT HIM!!!!” KK would look at me and I’d just shake my head no. She’d go back to watching the game…. Shortly thereafter she started yelling GET HIM!!!! I am *slightly* concerned she’s going to pick up some unfavorable words at one of these events… but the sheer joy on her face as she watches a game & the team scores…. AWESOME!!!! I’m hoping I can get her into basketball!

As we end the year, and this posting, I thought I’d leave you with some KK-isms.
“Mommy, poopy in my pull-up makes me sad.” – Me too, honey. Me too.

“YAYYYY MOMMY, you went peepee in the potty!!! GREAT JOB!! I so proud of you!!!!” *pats mommy’s leg and continues, “you want some monies for the piggy??” (We give her a penny or so when she uses her potty.)

In teaching her how to respond to some basic questions (What’s your name? Where do you live? How old are you? – In that order… her responses/statements.): “My name is Kaferine. I live in Rally. I two years old. MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY!!!” – Yes, Katherine – “I peepee in the potty. It’s yellow!” Okay then. Thanks.

“I be right back. Okay? Okay! Okay? Mommy, Daddy DON’T THROW IT AWAY!! Okay?! Okay! KK be RIGHT BACK!” – Apparently we have a habit of tossing her stuff when she’s not finished?! Oops.

Stephen to KK – “KK, please eat your chips like a nice girl!” – Response: “I no nice girl, I KK!!!!”

“Mommy, I no like it – BLEH!” *spit*

“KK happy!” - FANTASTIC!!!!

While singing ABCs… “H-I-K-K-L-M-N….” (K is important enough to say twice, right?!) Stephen: “Katherine it’s H-I-J-K” Katherine’s Response: “L-M-N-O-P!!!”

While singing Take Me Out to the Ball Game: “to the ollll fall fame!!!!!”

I’d just lectured KK on using her listening ears. (Her version: Sticking her fingers in her ears.) I think we’re copasetic. She agrees to listen to Mommy & Daddy. I go to walk away… She calls me, “Mommy, come here!” I lean down and she puts my listening ears on (by sticking her fingers IN MY EARS). “Mommy, give KK Silly Bandz!” Wow. Really?! Not sure THIS is what I meant.

After stripping off her clothes – unnecessarily: “MOMMYDADDYMOMMYDADDYINAKEDDDDD!!!!!!” – She’ll grow out of this. Right?

My favorite pictures from the last couple of months... Enjoy! =)

Fall Beach Fun (Myrtle Beach, SC)