Advent Happenings and a Whirlwind of Anticipation

Lucy and I had such a wonderful time this Christmas season. We celebrated all month with St. Nicholas day on December 6, cookie and gingerbread house making, reading an advent story every night, getting just the right tree, Veggie Tales Christmas and Rudolph movies, coloring and singing and playing with our nativity set (Lucy liked to take baby Jesus in her truck for rides with one of the wisemen) a visit to the Chirstmas train at the Mall of Georgia with cousin Thomas, and seeing live camels at a Living Nativity with our neighbors and Aunt Amanda. We were so exctied about the anticipation of it all - and there was no dissappointment at Christmas with time with family! Here are a few pictures to recap the whole process -
Tree Hunting was fun but hide and seek in the trees was even more fun...
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All Better

Except for some really bad breath, I'm all better now after my surgery - Thanks to all of you for your prayers. The bad breath should go away soon (after the scabs heal) but it doesn't "bother me at all". Mama is hoping ear infections and trouble breathing will not "bother me at all" in the next year! Mama says I'm sleeping so quietly now that she has worried a couple of times if I'm actually breathing - I've always been a noisy breather especially at night but now it is a silent night sleep.

Here is how I recovered - popsicle in one hand, sucker in the other watching movies...

Artsy - Craftsy

We had a great time making things - especially messes. We did make a few ornaments that Mama really liked - Lucy's hands show how much fun we had - No real works of art yet but lots of fun

Noonan Men

The Sunday after Grandpa Noonan's birthday I went with Daddy, Uncle Jonathan and Grandpa Noonan to the Children's museum in Atlanta and saw a Bob the Builder exhibit and other things. After the museum and lunch, Mr. Troy joined us and we went to my first basketball game - the Hawks and the Pistons. Here are the highlights - thanks guys for a great guy time.

The Force's

The Force's were like Daddy's second family growing up - we went and visited them over the break and had a great visit. Mrs. Cris is loving being a grandma to Mara and she was a great story reader to us on our visit. Thanks for the visit Mrs. Cris and Mr. Ed.

Christmas Eve

We stayed home for Christmas this year and had a great time. Christmas Eve we went to church to a participate in the 9 Lessons in Carols. Mama was so proud of Lucy and me for sitting through the whole thing and behaving - we even sang some of the song because we knew them. In the middle of the lessons we got to go forward and listen to a kid geared story about the candy cane and then we got a candy cane!!! What a great night and here are some pictures of us enjoying the time with our friends and pictures of Lucy and me all spiffied up.

More Christmas

Christmas Morning

Mama took Lucy and me to the thrift store to buy gifts for each other - look at this great knight outfit Lucy got for me - I love it!

Thanks SO much Uncle Pat, Aunt Ann, Madison and Samantha for our books, CD, bath toys and movie!!! We have enjoyed them allready - and Mama REALLY enjoyed her present. THANKS!!

The traditional monkey bread breakfast

Lucy must have eaten 20 of those reese's pieces - she was fast at unwrapping and shoving them in her mouth!

"Oh, Mama, I have always wanted The King - Oh, Thank you!" (the King is a car from the CARS movie for all of you Cars ignorant blog readers.)

Christmas with the Noonan's

Grandpa Noonan came Christmas morning and we had a great time riding my new bike and playing. Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Stephanie came too - we had a great time playing with their dog Elle and seeing them. Thanks Grandpa and Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Stephanie for coming and enjoying the day with us! It was a great Christmas Day!

Sugery Update

Thank you for your prayers and concern - Samuel's surgery went well yesterday and we were home by 9:30am. He had his adenoids and tonsils removed and tubes put in both ears. He ate ("ice on a stick") and drank a little yesterday before the pain medicine wore off but it has been a struggle to get him to take the tylenol since then and swallowing spit is hard. He slept fairly well last night and is up and about a little this morning. Yesterday afternoon when he was going to the bathroom he said "Mama, I'm wobbly!" but this morning he seems fine except for a sore throat and stuffy nose.

I was glad I was able to be with Samuel until they put him to sleep and was there when he woke up so that he didn't know that I wasn't there. He still has a couple of days to take it easy and keep from getting dehydrated while I keep him busy. Thanks again for your prayers

Ready or not

Tomorrow is the big day (my surgery is first thing in the morning around 7:30 ish) and I'm not sure what is going to happen but I'm pretty sure I have to take a nap at the doctor's place and Mama says I can drink juice from a juice box (my favorite) and watch a movie after we get home - Yippee! We'll let you know how it goes.

Here are some pictures from the fire station. Lucy, Mama and I made Christmas cookies for the fireman and Daddy took us to give them to fire station number 1 while Mama had her final exam. We had a great time climbing on the trucks and we even wore our fireman outfits. Thanks Mr. Fireman for all you do!

the normal

Mama never seems to catch anything extraordinary on video but here is another of the everyday things - bathing...

Lucy playing with the Manger animals

Lucy decided to let the animals from the Little People Nativity set take a break and enjoy snack with her - here is our babbling sweetie girl!

Surgery

After more ear infections than I have fingers and toes (yes, around 20 ear infections in my life), two burst ear drums from the infections, tubes to help prevent infection, sleep apnea, snoring, allergy testing and Mama trying everything she can to help me hear, boost my immune system and prevent infections - I am having surgery next Wednesday, December 17. I will have my adenoids and tonsils out and they will look at my ear drums while they are in there to decide what to do and if any patch work needs to be done. The surgery will be about 30 minutes and I'll be on my way home before lunch. Mama is a little nervous - I'm not sure what is going to happen so I'm not worried at all. Mama says this is a good time to get surgery because Christmas reminds us of the Peace of Jesus - I think we are going to need that. Pray for my surgery, my ears and hearing and for wisdom for my Mama - she does not like the idea of me having surgery but she does like the idea of me hearing for a lifetime.

cousin on the way

As most of you know I am going to get a new first cousin in February - Uncle Casey and Aunt Erin are having a little boy names Wyatt Daniel. I can't wait to play boy things with him.

Over Thanksgiving Daddy asked me how many cousins I had. I told him I had some boy cousins - Thomas, Shay and Wyatt. I wasn't too interested in my girl cousins like Tori and Jordyn or Eden - BECAUSE, they are girls - I think one sister is enough girl for anyone. After I was so matter of fact about the girl and boy distinction I turned to Mama and asked
"Mama, when Wyatt comes out will he still be a boy?"
Mama assured me that if he is a boy now he will be a boy when he comes out in February. I was glad to hear that.

Grandpa Time

Grandpa Noonan and Joanna came yesterday and played with us. They took us to Burger King and played most of the afternoon. Grandpa Noonan and I had a sword fight and played basketball and soccer, he read to me and we had a great time. And everyone's favorite Grandpa game - trot, trot to Boston. We're so glad you came Grandpa Noonan and Joanna!

Rescue Hero Papa

Today I pretended to be "Power Man" and I had xray vision. I used a hammer to look into the walls and see what is in the wall. Mama couldn't figure out what I was doing and she tried to explain that xray vision didn't mean that you hit a hole in the wall to see inside but it made sense to me so I kept it up. Here is the conversation that happened when my "xray vison" AKA hammer, got stuck under the trundle bed in my room that Papa sleeps on when he comes to visit.

Samuel - "Mama, will you please come and get my xray vision out from under Rescue Hero Papa's bed?"
Mama - "I would be glad to but I didn't know that Papa was a Rescue Hero."
Samuel - "Yes, Mama, he is a Rescue Hero and likes to eat Potato Chips and drink Orange Juice."
Mama -"I bet he rides a Ranger too.
Samuel -"He does ... now can you come get my xray vision out from under the bed?"

Thanks Papa for being our Rescue Hero!

Thanksgiving Update and Catch up

Thanksgiving was great! We went to Florida to grandma and Papa's, got to go to the coast and see the Kinsey crew for Thanksgiving day (check out cousin Eden's blog for some picturesLook Here and Here), played on the farm, rode the ranger with Papa and watched movies all day Friday because I had a high fever (so we didn't get to see Mema and Big Papa - so sad)...But later that day Papa took us for a ride on the ranger and we got to go to the chicken houses down the road. We met Jose who let us go in and see all the chickens. Lucy and I loved it - Daddy was even a little impressed with the whole operation and Mama still is cleaning chicken poop off our shoes.

I was still a little sick when we got home on Sunday but since I just finished antibiotic for an ear infection that lead to a torn ear drum last week Mama just thought I had a cold. WELL, Tuesday night I was hurting and by Wednesday morning - early Wednesday morning- Mama knew I had another busted ear drum and planned to get me to the doctors soon. I went, doctor confirmed the hole in the ear drum and infection - Lucy had one too and RSV (glad we weren't around Mema with that icky stuff)- and we were off to the ENT with a probable tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy surgery. I will have the surgery later the month HOPEFULLY (before the end of the calendar year when insurance deductibles start over).

Besides being sick we have had a fun week. We made reindeer cookies and watched Rudolph, we are reading and Advent Book about a Little Bear following a star, and we are getting ready for Christmas later this month and St. Nicholas Day tomorrow. We are taking cookies to the firemen today and I get to wear my fireman outfit. I hope they like the reindeer cookies we made (I think Mama took some of the ones out we made - like the reindeer Lucy made that had 6 M&M's for the eyes - reindeers don't have 6 eyes but I really think Lucy knows that - she just wanted to eat the 6 M&M's - why have two when you can have 6?

OK - Here are some highlights of pictures

Our cutie Pie - look at Eden's blog to how sneaky she can be - and how much she likes ham!
We drove about 3 minutes down the road from Uncle Abe and Aunt Ann's to the little beach and played for a while - it was chilly but I still go to play in the sand.
Mama and Me...
Tiptoe...
Fishing with Frank!

Reindeer Cookies

Here is my favorite
Here is Lucy's favorite

Here are some of the cookies we made this week - I love cookies!

Mystery Cleaning man to the rescue!

Last night when it was time to clean I found this mask and told Mama I was the cleaning man. Mama called me the "mystery cleaning man" and I was good. I cleaned up our toys and vacuumed under the table and I was so excited because all the super heroes wear masks and I was kind of like a mystery hero - coming to save the day with my cleaning powers and janitor cart!!!!! Mystery Cleaning Man to the rescue....... It's amazing what a mask can do for your motivation. Mama is looking into a mask for her - maybe she'll get a little more motivation to clean too! (FYI: No I do not always clean out of the kindness of my heart - it is usually drudgery - but the mask is magic!)

Mat Man

I love to draw and Mama was a little surprised when I asked her to come and see the man I drew - named Mat Man. He even has a belly button! Mama put the words on but I drew him all by myself.

Our little Laura Ingalls

The Sunday before Thanksgiving Mama got us dressed for church (THANK you so much Mrs. Leerssen and Virginia for all the pretty clothes for Lucy!!!!) and put Lucy's black patten leather shoes on that a neighbor friend (named Lucy) just gave her. Well, my Lucy wasn't so sure about the shoe choice and made a fashion statement all her own - here is how it went --


Mama - "Lucy, where are you're shoes?"
Lucy - "Right here Mama - can't you see?"

Mama: "Lucy, you can't wear Samuel's cowboy boots to church!"
Lucy: "But why not Mama? I like these better."Lucy: "Yippee, Daddy said I could wear them to church - yippee - I love Sunday's! (you can see the black shoes in the top corner of the picture)

Fun with my sister

Mama wondered what I was doing laying in the sidewalk - I told her I was praying for the Indians who helped the pilgrims - like Squanto and Sitting Bull. OK, Sitting Bull didn't help the pilgrims but he rode a neat horse and wore feathers in his hair.
The Fall days are shorter but the weather is so nice for playing outside in the yard. Our favorite "toy" these days are empty boxes. Lucy likes to crawl, I like to jump and we can make the boxes into a wall, a tower, a yard for our playhouse and all kinds of things.
Mama likes to dress Lucy in tights - they make the same outfit go a long way - here are Lucy's favorite tights (while she sails away like a princess in her pink boat)