Baker's Blunders '07

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Bad Hair Day

I know how it feels, Olice - that's why some days are just great for hats!

This sure is a big stocking to fill!

Olice can't think of a better stocking stuffer than his new baby sister, Georgia!!

Trying to find ways to minimize our Carbon Footprint

How's this for beating the 'no clotheslines in our neighborhood' rule!! I don't have to worry if it starts to rain while I'm at the store. And there aren't any birds or pine trees to mess up the clean clothes, either! All I have to do is stand on our back step and reel the line in and out. Then, with two windows in the garage, we can still get that ultra fresh smell of air-dried sheets & towels - and we're saving the world's electricity at the same time. Send more ideas our way, if you please!!

'Drop Back and Punt' - I think this title is a football term -

Not many outside of our family knew that Ken and I were getting ready to go to Newark and Boston for the Thanksgiving weekend. It would have been so great to see Ken's folks again and especially my dutch cousin, her family and her parents! However, it wasn't 'meant to be'. Ken just wasn't well enough to put him through the riggors of flying and socializing. We didn't want pneumonia to set in, after all. And so we stayed home for an unexpected time alone.
First we ate our turkey dinner at a local English Tea Room with a wonderful older couple from church, Earl and Marge Eckerson, and her sister, Jane. Next we went to their home for some fabulous blueberry pie - how relaxing can you get! (Obviously we hadn't planned to cook so didn't have groceries in the house. Ask me if I was sad!! NOT.)



The next day we started thinking about unpacking some of the new boxes that were brought over from the warehouse. And then we even considered planting some more pansies around the front of the house.




On Day Three of our weekend, I started asking myself if one can actually get TOO relaxed? I mean, I know Ken had doctor's orders to rest but I found myself taking some pretty lame pictures: of other people's Thanksgiving company leaving, low clouds and sunsets over outhouses! And still there were boxes and flowers to tend to.





But finally, after inspiration from a neighbor's pretty Christmas wreath, we actually did something! Thomas helped us set up our push-button tree! It may not be real and therefore lacks a lot of smell and character but, let me tell you, it's been a big hit for Olice. He spent the night over here last night and I thought I had lost him in the house one time. Then I saw his socks sticking out from underneath the tree. (His little light-struck body was completely hidden behind this new addition to the house. As a matter of fact, he could have easily knocked the whole thing down like so many other male toddlers his age might have been tempted to do.)

Since we hadn't found any ornaments yet to put on the tree, we left this little sign on it - it's the 'made in china' tag. It hung there until Olice took it off and ate it. Maybe it's a good thing that we left the tree so sparsely decorated, eh?

Anyway, since all we have is a picture of that 'ornament' now, it reminds me that Ken is very close to being A-OK again! Not that we'll be taking any trips anytime soon - he will be covered up with work for the next month or so. But at least we might motivate each other to open some boxes. Who knows - we might even find some unbreakable ornaments with which to decorate for the holidays...

So, to Mom & Dad and all our very sweet Dutch relatives who we didn't get to see, we say:
May it not be too long 'til we see you again!

Happy Holidays to one and all from K&M and all the Greenville Baker's (like Thomas and Georgia).


P.S. There was a very big football game on TV yesterday that HAD to be watched - two rival teams were doing their annual battle down here in South Carolina. It's hard for Thomas to know who to cheer for now - he'd been a USC Gamecock fan all his life, like his Colorado family but now he's going to school at Clemson (Nancy, Reid and Olice all root for the Tigers!) Yes, we're a family divided but it's not as bad as you'd think! I guess I just said all that to explain the title...
Thanks for putting up with my ramblings - and someone please tell me to stop relaxing please! - Marijke

It's Another Girl!

I don't have a picture to share - of the happy family. (They're all on the office computer or on a CD somewhere in this messy office.) But Jack Greer is going to have a SISTER in April and we're all thrilled - especially Todd and Schelyn and, of course, Caroline and Georgia!

You can go to their blogspot to check it out:

www.tootietales.blogspot.com

What Was Going On While the Boys Played

I was right - these memories didn't get blogged. It was when Dot and Ray got to meet little Caroline for the first time. Naturally they saw a big difference in her two older brothers as well - and loved seeing her parents - but the real thrill was getting to fuss over the new little pink bundle. And how could one ignore the little pink cousin, Georgia? All in all, it was a sweet, sweet time. Thanks, Nancy for letting us converge at your place again...

Whoopin' in up in Olice's Room or 'Hats R Us'

Don't know if I published any of these 'behind the scenes' shots when the Counts' visited Dot and Ray at the Fisher's; that was a month or so ago. But I just love these three bigger boys!!

Soon Jack Greer will be participating bigtime - he's walking now and when Daniel saw him for the first time he exclaimed: "Mommy, Look at Jack Greer - he's one of us!"

Just 'cause I can't do anything but smile, don't forget about me!

Red got to spend some time with Oma and Pops while his folks went on a date - he's the sweetest baby and takes a bottle so well. Naturally we had to have a photoshoot - check out the cheeks on this little man! His mom has cream, not milk! Oh, and let it be known that Red had his first visit to Home Depot with his Oma! (Sorry, Will!)

Time spent with Olice on Veteran's Day

While Georgia slept, us two O's wandered into the nearby cemetary for a quick stroll. Naturally it would be too hard for a two year old to resist picking up a flag. He did put it back, though; this Oma made sure!

cousins playdates...

while i've been on Maternity leave, Nancy and I have been enjoying once a week playdates. The last two have even included tea parties for us while the boys are napping. I say boys, because Georgia seems to know that a ladies tea party is going on and refuses to sleep. She would rather sit with us at the table and socialize. Mom even joined in for one playdate, which was real fun.

Anyway, this week we decided to venture out to one of our favorite cheap lunch spots: Taco Casa. Who says you can't get three carseats in the back seat of a Toyota Camry? Where there's a will there's a way. Here's a quick shot of the three babes riding to the Casa... with Olice refusing to look at the camera.

Our trip to Casa was quite interesting. When we arrived, we rounded up all three highchairs in the place and made a ridiculous little semi-circle with them around our table... i think all the other customers knew what was coming. We had arranged to meet two friends who are single and childless... for me they epitomize freedom that so quickly has become other-worldly to me now. We chit-chatted for about 20 minutes before all hell broke loose. The climax of our meal was when Georgia started to loose it (she is usually quite agreeable), Olice (who was covered in maccaroni and refried beans at this point) put refried beans in one of our friends' hair, and my lap suddenly got quite warm... and wet. RM decided to totally blow it out while i was feeding him a bottle. Might i add the restroom is a "onsie" without any changing facilities, and that i have poop all over my legs at this point? AWESOME. I think our friends are done with us for a while.

ps- Floyd calls me in the midst of this because he thought RM and I had been kidnapped. He arrived home for lunch expecting to find us there. i had left no note, my car at home, the dog tied up outside, the radio on, a full pot of maccaroni out on the counter, and toys thrown all about the house. He was in a full panic.

Halloween

What can I say? Hysterical. I love these boys.
The baby Girl didn't have a costume this year...she could have been a sumo wrestler, couldn't she? On Halloween she went to the doctor and weighed in at 18.4. Her rolls are amazing.

More Playing with the Babes