Still Craving Candy?

If you haven't completely gotten your Halloween fix, click on over to Pink Diary and check out all the entries in her 2006 Halloween Costume Contest. Norah is entered, so please leave a comment on the Pink Diary to vote for "Robinson County Post" for cutest kid costume--there's some stiff competition, and a Amazon.com gift card is on the line...and you know we love books, here in Robinson County!

Happy Halloween!

As promised, here are a couple of photos of Norah in her first Halloween costume. In case you aren't up on your imaginary fairytale creatures, she's a baby mermaid. I can honestly say it was the most fun I've ever had sewing anything! The "tail" fabric was my inspiration. I found it at JoAnn's a couple of months back and immediately decided that she had to be a mermaid--after all, this is the only year she wont be walking (ie--that she wouldn't mind having her legs stuffed together in a green, lycra sack), so it was too perfect.

There weren't any mermaid patterns, so Gramps helped me make one of my own, using a good, old-fashioned paper bag. I think the costume is even more special to me, knowing that I made it one-of-a-kind, just for Norah.

Norah absolutely loves her tail. I've tried it on her several times over the past few weeks, and every time she's put it on, she's seemed to get really excited. Sunday, Jason and I carried her all over our church's Trunk or Treat and every time we greeted anyone, Norah would flip her tail. (She likes to watch it sparkle when it moves)

Speaking of Trunk or Treat...Jason and I had a great time walking around together, taking pictures, laughing and marveling at all the awesome costumes, and of course, showing off our pride and joy. For your viewing pleasure, I've included a few photos of some of my personal favorite costumes of the 2006 Halloween Season..enjoy!

9-Month News

Last week, Grandma (that's Mom Robinson, for those of you who can't keep all the grandma nicknames straight) surprised Norah with a super-cool 9-month birthday present. Its a fun new convertable walker/musical activity toy, and Norah LOVES it! She's not quite steady enough on her feet to walk behind and push it (it takes off and she face plants), but it can convert down to a rolling toy and she's had a blast with it all week, figuring out all the different things it can do. My personal favorite came Friday, when I turned around just in time to see her up on top of the toy, on her belly, using both arms to "paddle" her way across the room! It was too hillarious! I ran for the camera, but she was so excited that I was coming toward her with it that she crawled over her "Norah Coaster", trying to get to me and her good friend, the camera. ( I did manage to get one picture of her on top of it, but it wasn't nearly as funny as the memory in my mind of her paddling with her arms!)

Speaking of someone turning 9 months...we went in for our 9-month well-check a week ago Thursday (the 19th), and our doctor still wasn't too keen on Norah's weight gain (or lack thereof--she weighed-in at 13lbs.), so he set us up with an appointment with a specialist from Temple. Thankfully, he comes to B-CS every few weeks, and we were able to get in with him here in town. We saw him this past Thursday, and Jason and I absolutely loved him! In the week between the appointments, we increased Norah's intake and she had gained a whopping 1 lb. 14 oz. in just 7 days. The specialist (Dr. Easely) checked her out and said she looks fantastic and that as long as she continues to gain a little weight each week, he sees no reason to worry. That was welcome news. He also gave us the green light to turn Norah loose on table foods. Norah LOVES to eat, and has been covetting table food for quite a while now, so it is going to be fun to "share"some of our meals with her!

We went to our church's "Trunk or Treat" today and had a blast seeing all the cute and hillarious costumes on the kids and parents...and of course we had fun showing off Norah and her first Halloween costume! I'll try to post pictures of some of my favorites tomorrow. (Gotta give you something to look forward to on Monday, right?)

13 Things I'd Like to Do

This week's T-13 is a list of 13 selfish things I'd like to do...some realistic, some, not so much...but this is just for fun anyways, right?

1. Go on a cruise. I'm not really partial to where. I've just heard they're a lot of fun, and I've never been on a boat with an "inside" before.
2. Go to a major (or even minor) league baseball game. Especially a Texas team. I think it would be fun to sit in the cheap seats and maybe even eat one of those fabulous $9 ballpark hotdogs.
3. Ride in a convertible with the top down--preferably with my hubby in the driver's seat....ooooo at sunset on the beach...this just keeps getting better and better!
4. Plant a "cut flowers" garden in my backyard and keep fresh, cut flowers in vases in my house. Maybe even have an "herbs" section (not that kind of herbs!) and grow my own mint, rosemary, etc. to cook with.
5. Go backpacking in Europe. I'd love to tour a castle in England and imagine what it would have been like to wake up and have to walk on those cold stone floors! And I would love to see all the beautiful cathedrals, and the Sisteen Chapel, and ride in a gondola...oh there is so much i'd like to see and do in Europe!
   
6. Sing in a local choral group. I miss being a part of a choir so much!
7. See the Northern Lights, in person. (I saw them on Dave & Lisa's blog and the photos made me want to see the real deal---so mysterious and so beautiful!)
8. Attempt to surf. (Preferably in non-shark-infested waters...although I think New Zealand would be the most beautiful place ever to go, and I have a feeling its probably crawling...err...swimming with sharks!)
9. Publish something I've written (blog articles don't count, but I do get a little rush from hitting that orange button that says, "Publish Post"), or that I will write in the future. I really love to write, and it would be a dream come true to be able to proffit from doing something that I have a passion for.
10. Get the Camelot Disc Golf Course back! Jason and I live 2 blocks from Camelot park, and it used to have the greatest disc golf course ever in it. Last December, the city pulled the course because of a ridiculous complaint from ONE couple. Jason and I used to play that course together almost every day after work (It was our #1 source of recreational companionship.) and several other families played together (moms, dads, and teenagers). I'd give almost anything to have that course back...
11. Play the lead in "The Sound of Music" (even in the local theatre). Man, I love that show. But this "thing I'd like to do" is one of my unrealistic ones, because being in a show takes SO much time, and I'm not willing to lose that much time away from my family. (Not to mention, ithere is no way I could kiss another guy besides my husband...and there is no WAY Jason would EVER go out for the part of Captain Von Trapp...or any other musical role, for that matter!)
12. Have a house and some land in the country and own horses and take evening rides with my family, almost every day!
    
13. Take a trip to Disney World with all of our friends and their kids. I've always wanted to go to Disney World, and I think it would be SO much fun to tour the Magical Kingdom with a posse of friends! Oh, the pictures we'd take and the memories we'd make. Guess I'd better start saving!!

Norah's First Banana

Norah tried her first "banana ala peel" (as opposed to the jar food she's accustomed to) yesterday. Grammy had brought a banana over in her lunch when she came to visit, and thought she'd see if Norah would like a bite. Little did she know, Norah didn't "just want a piece of it...she wanted the whole thing"! (That's a little "Happy Gilmore" humor for all those members of the Gilmore clan who've seen that movie more times than I care to admit...and anyone else who's particularly good at movie quote trivia)

It was a pretty cute scene, and definately photo documentary-worthy. I'll break it down for you in a brief narrative...

Norah's eyes were huge with disbelief as she glanced back and forth between Mommy and Grammy, as if to ask, "Is this really for me?!" When she recieved no words of protest, she dove in, lower teeth first, leaving two distinct grooves down the side of the banana. After a timid first bite, Norah paused briefly, as if to assess the flavor and texture circulating around her palette. She quickly decided this new way of eating bananas was definately a good thing, because she took down the rest of the banana (including a small portion of peel, which she quickly determined was not so much a good thing) with impressive vigor. Grammy was a good sport about the loss of her banana. Honestly, I think she enjoyed watching Norah eat it more than she would have enjoyed eating it herself, anyhow.

For your viewing pleasure, I give you this series of photos, commemorating our most recent achievement in banana-dom. I hope it makes you want a banana--everyone needs a little potassium boost now and then.

Norah's Nook

Norah has found yet another "special place". Last night while Jason and I were eating dinner (Norah was post-dinner, hence the topless state of dress), watching Norah play, she inadventenly tossed one of her blocks into the lower cubby of our tv tower. Completely undaunted, she climbed right into the cubby! It was pretty cute watching her figure out how to lean in with her upper body and crawl the rest of the way.

Once she was there, she decided she liked it. So, she leaned over and began pulling her toys into the cubby with her, one, by one. Unfortunately, not all of her toys were within arm's reach. By about her third toy, she leaned a little too far-out and belly-surfed back down to the carpet. (Don't worry, she was fine--she didn't even sniffle) She must have decided that the cubby wasn't worth the hike, because she hasn't attempted to take up residence there again, just yet. (I'm just glad we had the camera handy for the first time!)

13 New(er) Hymns

As promised, I'll continue my "favorite hymns" topic this week. This week was a lot harder for me because so many of the new songs I know aren't in our hymnal, and I was having trouble remembering them all, so here's my list of "newer" hymns that I could remember the names of, even though a lot of them I've been singing for over 10 years. (That beats the 200 years that some of the others I know have been around for) Some of these are camp/devo songs--I really have a soft spot for that genre--good memories. Feel free to add your favorites, too. Maybe you can help me remember some of the new songs I forgot! I love to hear what other people are singing!

1. Thomas' Song (If I could only hold your hand, and touch the scars where nails were driven; I would need to feel your side where holy flesh by spear was riven. Then I'd believe, only then I'd believe your cruel death was part of a heavenly plan)
2. Someday (Gonna be ready when he calls my name, so-uh-uhm-day) This one has "Camp Bandina" written all over it. Good times. Great singing.
3. Days of Elijah--I love this song! But, I must admit, I loved it a lot more before the youth group started shouting "WOO!" after every other line. Not that I have anything against making a joyful noise to the Lord...its just the way they look at eachother and laugh everytime they do it, because they know they're driving all the traditionalists crazy, that gets my goat.
4. Glory (Glo-oh-oh-oh-ry to the King of Kings, Ma-ah-ah-jesty, power and strength to the Lord of lords)--I can't think of this song without picturing Steve Smith leading it.
   
5. The Worship Song (He is Alpha, Omega, beginning and end, He's my Savior, Messiah, Redeemer and friend, He's my Prince of Peace and I will live my life for Him)
6. All Praises Be (to the King of King and the Lord our God he is Wonderful....)
7. Blessed Jesus (Glorious, marvelous grace that rescued me; Holy, worthy is the Lamb who died for me!)
8. There's A Stirring ( I will rise up! I'll rise up! Then I'll bow down....)
   
9. He's Always Been Faithful to Me (All I have need of, thy hand will provide, He's always been faithful to me)--this one may just be one our church sings, I think one of our member's arranged it, but it is beautiful and one of my new favorites!
   
10. This Is the Day --(so let the heavens (praise Him) and let the earth (praise Him) and let the wind (praise Him) and let the rain (praise Him) and let the sun (praise Him)...)
    
11. Surely the Presence of the Lord (I can hear the brush of angel's wings, I see glory on each face)
12. Great Are You Lord (Holy Lord, most holy Lord, you alone are worthy of our praise...)--when our church sings this one, we sing it all together, then just the women, then just the men, then all together again. I always get goose bumps when we split up into our gender parts. It just sounds so beautiful!
13. The Greatest Commands (Love one another, for love is of God...)--this is the first song I remember hearing the first time I visited A&M Church of Christ with Jason. It was the most beautiful singing I'd ever heard. I still love this song!