week 47

Despite being on vacation and having extra time, I just didn't feel like posting. I guess I fool myself into thinking time isn't passing by not blogging. Crazy, but true. Now it's already 2009, and I have to catch up. I'm doing laundry at the corner laundromat (faster than at home) while using their internet to upload the rest of the photos and catch up.

Ok I started this post at the laundromat, but as it got longer and longer, I realized I needed to just summarize the holiday and move on. So here's the bulleted list of the week of Christmas:

• In total, we had five separate present opening/paper shredding events for PJ (Shannon's parents, her Aunt Jeannie's house, her Aunt Monica's house, my mom and my dad). PJ is well on her way to being an expert paper ripper. Often she cared a little more about the paper than the presents, but that's what kids do.


• PJ is in the middle of a separation anxiety phase. She clings to either Shannon or myself and cannot be set down or held by anyone else for a good 20-30 minutes when arrive somewhere new. It made the holidays a little less fun for her, but she warmed up to the relatives in her own time. Luckily it only applied to large groups, not the grandmas or anything. Most of our relatives were respectful, but some were a bit grabby.
  


• Each car trip (MN to IA, IA to MO and back again) went better than I feared. There were some tears, but never for long. The weather was fine. I think the worst we encountered was fog. There was a frozen carcass that I drove over (we suspected racoon) but it didn't seem to leave any lasting car damage. By the time we were driving home Sunday afternoon, PJ slept the entire time. We made it in 3 hours, 45 mins, a total record for us.
  
  
• My mother took our suggestion for musical instruments and turned it into musical toys. PJ didn't seem to mind and now Shannon and I have new, innane songs to get lodged in our heads. One of the toys ends up shooting balls all over the living room and taught PJ how to ooh and ahh as a side effect. Now whenever we turn it on, she makes these hilarious excited sounds.
  
  
• We got to see Laurie, Rick and Ellen for breakfast the day after Christmas and eat pancakes together. It was lovely to see them and get out of the house without the baby. My mom jumped at the chance to baby-sit.
  
  
• PJ loved the ride and push fire engine at Marlys' house as well as the push toy she got from my mom. At the Williams Christmas party the Sunday before we came back home, she was pushing it all around the community center. I love watching her be so proud of herself at what she can accomplish.
  
  
• I also love watching PJ and Shannon interact. PJ will sit for stories from Shannon differently from me, more patiently it seems to me. She is enraptured when Shannon does the itsy bitsy spider or patty cake. Having two weeks to spend together was super awesome. I am having a harder time adjusting back to regular life than I expected.
  
  
• Note to self, remember to put the car in the shop when it's been rainy all day and expected to freeze overnight. Iowa is colder than Missouri and scraping ice is no fun.