Ramblings of a Crazy Woman

Hubby always says this is a disappointing holiday. Expectations always build this holiday up to be fabulous and it never is...I think the problem is that this holiday is never like it is in the movies and thus, it can be disappointing. I think for the first time ever I totally forgot it was New Year's Eve. It wasn't like we were planning to go to a big party or anything so I went about my day as we have been going about our days...playing with Penny, maybe getting out of the house and maybe having a meal out. Yesterday was the first day that I felt like doing something. For some reason my passion for Legos overtook me in the morning and I all the sudden felt the need to complete my Winter Lego City. I had missed the boat in purchasing this year's special sets so I set off to the Galleria to see if they had anything left after the holidays. We get to the store and the store is super clean and super cleaned out. I see the Winter Post Office on display and I was relieved

Well, this winter vacation has turned out a bit disappointing, as all three of us got sick. Penny has had a runny nose for a few weeks now. When we took her in for her one year check up on Dec 13th, the doc prescribed a 10 day antibiotic to clear up the mucus in her nose. Wouldn't you know it, after the 10 days she contracted another cold and this one was worse! In between the first and second colds, Papa got sick. Then on top of Penny's second cold, she had a pretty bad reaction to some vaccination shots she received. We were warned that in about 15% of kids who get the chicken pox vaccination that a little break out with red dots is possible. We were told usually it's just a few but Penny's whole body was covered! Add in an ear infection and you have one miserable baby over Christmas! (Luckily, she still had some fun in opening presents and general holiday cheer.) We headed to Sanger for the holidays on Dec 22 after hubby's birthday lunch at his

Moses' training of Penny is almost complete, it would seem. Penny has taken to eating her food like a dog. If it wasn't so funny to watch, I'd be concerned. She loves placing food on the floor or the table and then bobbing her head like Moses' does to lick up her food by her tongue. It is in a word, hilarious. Penny hasn't quite learned Moses' name but she definitely has assigned a word to Moses. She calls him and other dogs "Bob." Hubby and I have started referring to Moses as Bob as well. Not too sure he likes that. Penny absolutely loves to lay in Moses' bed and she loves to play with his toys. She also much to hubby and I's dislike, Penny enjoys playing in Moses' water bowl. (What a mess!) Even though we repeatedly say "NO" I think she takes it as a personal challenge to be devilish. What I laugh at is that we say No and she smiles back, stops and then proceeds to the water bowl as if nothing had happened.

Merry Christmas to all of our family and friends from Sanger. Hope you are all enjoying your holidays with loved ones! Hubby's mom had a train set up under her christmas tree and it seemed to entrance both Penny and Moses. They couldn't get enough of watching the train go around and around!

Penny's cousin, Lila is getting big! She is 4 months younger than Penny. My brother sent me this picture. She is totally a Reasner! I can't wait for the girls to meet! Hopefully, this January!

Penny's first birthday was well celebrated! She had her fourth and final cake with our friends, Dave and Verona. Verona's birthday was the day before Penny's so the girls broke cake together. Penny just loves her Aunt Verona and loves to flirt with Uncle Dave so it was a fun time celebrating. Grateful for good friends like them!

Today is a very sad day, tonight is a memorial for teachers and children who were murdered Friday as they were at work and attending school. 6 and 7 year olds so violently harmed. Just makes me sick as I read the news stories this morning. How could someone do this? How could someone be so horribly sick? I am Catholic and of course was taught about the end of days. This week marks the end of the Mayan calendar. Many people believe this Friday is it. When you hear of an event so tragic as this you can't help but think that perhaps this is it. Perhaps, the world has gotten too violent and our maker is ending it. I have to remember the bible and know that if this is it. At least the world will be a better place after Friday.

Penny took her first steps shortly before Thanksgiving and she has been practicing walking and pushing for two weeks now. A good friend got Penny this baby carriage for her birthday and she has been having fun pushing it around ever since. It's fun to watch her develop each day as she seems to figure something out new everyday. I think that is one of the funniest parts of being a parent...watching them discover the world for the first time.

I so can't believe my baby is one years old today! She shares her birthday with Uncle Matt. It hard to believe but I gave birth on the same day my mom did! It feels like was only yesterday that they pulled her out of my tummy. Man, time sure does fly! I can't believe I am looking at a toddler now. I took Penny to school today where they had a special celebration for her. Here is a picture of her and I baking her birthday cake. Her teachers had this crown for her to wear which she painted herself. They also decorated the room all for Penny. And for the first time ever had a baby's birthday party outside. Penny loves he outside so it was just perfect! Penny had a great day playing with her friends. It was funny, it was as if she knew it was her birthday as she had the biggest smile on her face all day and was in such a good mood. Surely, she knew it was her special day!

I just had to do something for my daughter's first birthday to celebrate the fact that we survived our first year as parents and because generally hubs and I take birthdays pretty serious. We don't really do a lot of extravagant things but when it comes to birthdays we go big or we go home! We are pretty big Disney nuts at our house so I thought Penny's fist birthday should be at Disneyland. To the naysayers who say Disneyland isn't for babies, I'd say you are wrong! Despite the fact that Penny probably won't remember her first birthday I know in my heart she had a great time. She had a big smile on her face the whole weekend and I loved watching her take new things in like going on Dumbo's Flying Ride or the very colorful It's A Small World. The thing about taking a baby to Disneyland is that you can't overdue it. Just the few things we did made baby tired. You have to get the naps in and you can't go thinking you are going to do the wh

When Penny and I got home from work tonight, her YaYa, NoNo and Great Grandma Va were waiting for us. They came down for Pennypalooza aka Penny's 1st Birthday Weekend extravaganza at Disneyland. They were very excited for Penny to open their gifts. Penny had no problem because it involved her favorite things, paper and boxes! Here are some pictures from the evenings festivities:

Each week the daycare takes the children out for a walk. Usually they end up at a park but for today's outing they ended up at the big tree. The baby's had a ton of fun touching and feeling the tree. Here is a few pictures of Penny and her classmates and her teachers.

My work's annual tree lighting ceremony aka the company holiday party, took place tonight. I went with one of my mom friends from Penny's daycare and her son, Logan, who is Penny's best friend. We had a good time chatting with co-workers, making flip books, eating a few cookies and of course, seeing the big tree get all light up in all its glory. Work sure went all out tonight as they had fireworks and fake snow. Penny enjoyed her second night with snow.

Tonight Penny had dinner with Aunt Caroline and Uncle Minh at the Cheesecake Factory at The Americana. After dinner we were walking around the outdoor mall and apparently at 7pm each night, The Americana makes it snow as part of their holiday celebration. Penny was fascinated by the snow falling. She reached for the sky trying to grab the snow and she opened her mouth trying to taste it. I had fun dancing around with her. Here are a few pics from our night out: