Two peas with sippy cups.

We had a goodbye dinner last night. Scott brought Dillon over so that we could get some quality time in with D before he goes back to California for a couple of months.

Liam and Dillon don't really do so well playing together. They usually both want to play with the same toy which ends in tears, typically Liam's as he really can't hold his own in a tugging match.

However, there is one thing they can both agree on:

Juice and Nick Jr. The great unifier.

Most Thankful

For my beautiful, healthy son, loving husband and our cherished family and friends both near and far.



From our home to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.

Hold your applause (until your mother gets up)

Whenever Liam gets excited he throws his hands in the air and waves them around. Its also his signature dance move which, incedently, is really funny when "Party in the USA" comes on over the radio.

All the baby books and websites say he should be clapping his hands by now and we all know that his development is a direct reflection of my parenting skills so I figured it was high time I set the bottle down and taught him something.

kidding...

Actually I've been trying to get him to clap for months. He usually just rolls his eyes at me and turns back to his newspaper.

So yesterday morning, I was sleeping in and Chris and Liam were downstairs. Chris was watching SportsCenter and Liam was... clapping.

He just started clapping. And Chris was all, "Hey Lara, look what I taught Liam to do"

Nice Liam, real nice.

Of course, now, he's a clapping fool.

I drop the remote on my foot and double over in pain, Liam claps.

Coral gets eaten by a barracuda, Liam claps.

Chris shouts at Wade Phillips, because that's what Chris does on Sundays, Liam claps
(secretly, I clap too).

The Queen City Soccer Tournament

A couple of weekends ago Chris's U11 team had a tournament in Charlotte. Liam and I had nothing going on that weekend so we decided to tag along. If you should know anything about me, its that I LOVE to stay in a hotel, that is, if its a nice one. And this one was, with a Starbucks in the lobby!! What more could a new mother ask for?
On a related tangent: how long am I allow to refer to myself as a new mother? I'm setting the statute of limitations at a year. And not a day sooner. Besides he's a little guy, he could easily pass for a 7 month old.

Anyway, we went, the kids played some soccer, Chris shouted a little, Liam was mesmerized by the 40 inch plasma TV in our room and appalled that we were even thinking of making him sleep in the rickety pack and play provided by the hotel. He is SO my son.

I was too busy trying to track down which soccer mom had Liam to take many pictures but I did get a few.

This is a soccer field; grass, not turf, on top of a parking garage.

It's rather ironic that we had to park half a mile a way and walk in.




This is Liam, warming down with some stretches, after the game.

A welcome sunset after several days of hurricane Ida rain. It made the walk back to the car peaceful which was good because we were about to take 10 rowdy ten year olds to Golden Corral restaurant. Which, in case you've never been, is not peaceful... or a place anyone should eat. EVER.

The Forsaken

For those of you who don't know, I had my first day back to work yesterday. Not just any work either, I'm back at the restaurant! I must admit, I was a little nervous leaving the house. I know well, almost everyone that works there, I love my manager, a gal I hired back when I was in her position. And with the exception of a new point of sale computer system and few menu changes I know the job comfortably. So whats with the nerves? At first I thought it might be that I'm feeling as if I'm moving backwards. But after some real thought on the issue I ruled that out because this is a great job that fits my needs perfectly, with wonderful people. I have always been uncomfortable with putting Liam in daycare full time. I realize there is nothing wrong with daycare, in fact its great in facilitating socialization of 'only children', its just not for us. I am WAYYYY too type A to have my kid spend most of his waking hours with a non-family caregiver. We have had to make some lifestyle sacrifices for me to stay home full time but it has been worth it. Now with the holidays fast approaching Chris's work schedule is opening up which allows me to get out a few nights a week. I decided that it must be just normal first day jitters because once I got there, I felt right at home. Meanwhile, back at home, Liam was giving Chris a run for his money. I had put Liam down for a nap before I left which pleased Chris because he was thinking he would get a nap in himself. HAHAHAH. Silly man. Rule of life # 34: You can not plan sleep with a baby in the house. As soon as I left Liam woke up. Maybe it was the fact that he woke up and I was gone, maybe Chris was tired and slightly less than patient, whatever it was they fought each other for the next few hours. Li had little interest in play and ended up on all fours crying face down on the living room floor, a tactic he usually reserves for when he's told 'no'. It's the most pathetic thing you've ever seen and it takes every ounce of restraint I have to not scoop him up and give him whatever he's crying for. At dinner time Liam wouldn't eat, he cried so hard in his chair that he made himself choke and gag.

I'm not sure who was happier to see me by the time I got home (I was gone a total of 3 hours). However, I did get a very stern look from Liam as if to say "you have some explaining to do."

Today is day two at the restaurant. I'm thinking I should let Kris, my manager,know that its very likely we could see Chris and Liam outside the front doors with their faces pressed up against the glass.

Imitation is sincerely annoying.

"So Liam are you going to wear your gray wool sweater to the corn maze today?"

"Yeah? Cool, me too! Like totally."


"She always copies me."

Finish your chicken young man.

Liam is 10 and a half months now. I can hardly believe we are fast closing in on a year! Around this age most babes are learning to flex their independence muscles. So to encourage this behavior I have started offering Liam finger foods.


He loves feeding himself the cereal puffs and the rice rusks, which to me was a STRONG indicator that he was ready to try self feeding other foods. He will eat most anything I'm eating if I share it with him so I figured we would start with a few things that he is familiar with and and few he is not. The menu was whole wheat bread with ham and cream cheese, peas and carrots and butternut squash soup. He tried the ham and cheese sandwich and though he seemed to enjoy the taste all that chewing proved to be too much work. The carrots were more fun to squish between his fingers than to eat and the peas, well, they're tricky so most of them ended up in his lap rather than his mouth. But the soup, oh the soup. Chris told me not to give it to him. In making it I added a good bit of white pepper which gave it a nice kick. Chris is a little more sensitive to heat than I am so he may have been a better judge but I figured we'd try it and if its too spicy, then Liam will make a face and we won't continue.

This is the face we got. Which, in case you are wondering is NOT a face of displeasure. He loved it. With any luck, I have dodged a bullet and he may end up being more like me than his father in the food department. Chris has a... selective palate. Which is a nice way of saying he's a PICKY EATER. I'm afraid at some point I'm going to have to make them dine separately so Liam doesn't see the pile of refuse left behind on daddy's dinner plate. This kind of example could prove to be disastrous when we are trying to get him to "take just one more bite." I can hear Liam now: " but daddy didn't eat all his chicken!"

Great. " Daaaady, would you please eat all of your chicken so that Liam will eat his peas?"

You see where I am going here right? Its enough to drive a woman mad.

And I dont have time to go mad so Liam, please be a good eater for your mama.