Trying Something New

I just wanted to share a few pictures of the kids finally trying out chopsticks. They both had shied away from trying them out, but they were willing to try them out today. Of course, I NEVER leave home without my camera, and I was able to get a few shots of them:) Now, maybe I can get them to be able to get along with each other longer than 5 minutes at a time...now, that would definitely be something new.:)

I Missed It!

Dear Jeans,

I haven't purchased a pair of you in quite a while, so I was so excited this afternoon when my mom was able to watch the kids so I could go out and find the perfect pair of you. I searched through the store and found the cutest pair of you I could imagine. I couldn't wait to try you on in the fitting room. I thought I was was doing so good and that you and I would be best friends....but I could not have been more wrong. I was able to get you over my hips and thighs...but after I buttoned the top button, you gave me the WORST gift ever....the MUFFIN TOP!!!! I think I stood there staring at myself in the mirror for what seemed like forever. How could you be so unforgiving!!!! How can you be so cold!! I thought we have always had such a good relationship!!! I'll show you!!! Gone will be the holiday treats I have been snacking on since I got to my mom's house and gone will be all the second helpings of my mom's fabulous cooking ( God, please help me show some restraint!!). I am going to come back and find another pair...a more forgiving pair that will make me love jeans once again!!! The worst part of the whole thing is that at the same time I was standing in the fitting room hating you.....there was a 4.1 earthquake right here near my parents' home that I missed because I was too distracted by the bakery item appearing across my middle!!! We will meet again ....and next time I will win!!!!

very insincerely yours,

Meredith


p.s Don't go on going on sale when I come back to find you...I'll be looking for another pair!

Look out Tiger Woods!!!!!!!!

Literally!!!!!! The golf balls were flying all over the place when my mom and I took the kids miniature golfing today. In my head, I had this great idea of how it would turn out...but with a two year old and a five year old, reality set in almost as soon as we started the game. Jeremy had never miniature golfed before let alone held a golf club ( at least one that wasn't made by Fisher-Price , anyway). He was insisting on swinging it like a baseball bat and then getting upset when it didn't make contact with the ball. Elizabeth pretty much had enough on the first hole when she did hit the ball, but it rolled through the fence and into the road. After that she decided that it was better to hold her golf ball in her hand than take any chances of losing it again. After a few near misses of my head with Jeremy's putter, he finally decided to listen to his mom and try to swing the club lower and even held it the right way. Contact was made!!! I have to say that he did do pretty well after he decided that aiming for the ground was a much better idea than aiming for the sky. We played about 10 holes and then decided to go inside because it was only about 45 degrees outside. We are true Nigerians now...we don't know how to handle a little bit of cold.:)

When we got inside, I am almost embarrassed to admit how excited I was to see ski ball!:) I LOVED that game when I was younger and since it is one of the only games at an arcade that doesn't involve coordination with a video machine, it is pretty much the only game I can play. The kids loved it, too.:) ( Maybe a little too much. I had to duck down a few times when Jeremy threw the ball up so hard it hit the end of the table and flew back at us)

Elizabeth had fun riding on the cute merry- go- round. Of course, our visit to a miniature golf course/arcade wouldn't be complete without turning in your cheap tickets for some even cheaper toys!!!:) As they were fighting over their
little toys, I consciously told myself that I need to remember times like these when they think something worth 10 cents is a treasure. All to soon, they will be coming to me and asking for money to go out on a date or for gas. One goal I have for myself in this new year is to pay attention to the moment I am in instead of always looking ahead to what is going to happen next. I have found myself doing that too often. It will be a hard goal for this type A planning girl to achieve, but I am going to try. I have to say it was a really nice day spent watching the kids have fun...and I wasn't thinking about what would happen next:)

Lizzy's First Movie

Today, my mom, Jeremy and myself took Elizabeth to her very first movie ever in a movie theater! We went to see "Tangled", and it was great. I was a little nervous about her talking and getting up during the movie, so you can imagine how happy my heart felt when we walked into the theater and it was completely empty!!!! Yes, that's right...we had the entire theater to ourselves!!! She did great, though...and Jeremy even liked the movie as long as he had his Sprite and popcorn. I was so happy this experience went well. I LOVE to go to the movies and now I have another movie partner to go with me.:) She was so proud about going to the movies that when she came home, she said," That was a fun day!" I thought I'd snap a picture of her with her first movie ticket.:)

Lagniappe:

I am trying to remember things the kids have been saying since we have been back in the states....but since I haven't remembered to put them on the blog lately, I have forgotten some of them, but one happened when we were in Houston. Jeremy, Lizzy and I were walking around my friend's neighborhood in Houston. Jeremy was looking all around and he said, "Wow, Mommy.....they have mailboxes here!!!" He said it in such awe....I didn't want him to see me laugh. But, I realized that he hadn't been out to check the mail with me since we moved to Nigeria.....checking the mail is something I took for granted...but in Nigeria, we don't really get too much mail...and the little bit that we do get goes to Guy's office...so we have no box to check.

Lizzy and Jeremy: The other night when Guy and I were out for our anniversary dinner, my mom and dad watched the kids for us. My dad put them to bed and he said, "Now, you are as snug as a bug in a rug." The kids started laughing at him. When we got home, Dad asked me if I had ever said "Snug as a bug in a rug." I told him I thought I had, but I really couldn't remember. Dad was pretty happy because he had taught them something new and made them laugh. So, fast forward to Monday morning and the kids woke up and ran into our room. Jeremy said, " You know what your daddy told us last night?" I said "What?" They both simultaneously said really loud " Snug as a bug in a butt!!!" and they started literally rolling on the floor laughing. I started laughing and so did Guy. I guess my dad did teach them something...just not what he thought he did.:)

4,380 days and counting:)

Yesterday, Guy and I celebrated our 12 year wedding anniversary! Wow!! It's hard to believe that 12 years ago we got married in a blizzard in central Illinois! My dad has already vetoed any ideas about winter weddings for his grand children.:) We've come a long way since we were students at the University of Illinois...and I am looking forward to all the adventures we still have ahead of us.:)

We went out to eat for a really nice dinner ( Thanks again, Mom and Dad, for babysitting!)For our anniversary, Guy gave me a Mother's ring. Those of you who know me also know what a hard road it was for me to actually become a mom...and the fact that I have two children still blows me away sometimes. :) Now I can always carry them close to me.:) Thank you, Guy, for such a sweet gift.:)

Our New Year's Eve

On new Year's, Guy and my dad went to a market nearby my parents' home and brought back lobsters for dinner.

Here are the two chefs making the great dinner.:)

Sitting down for our lobster feast.:) No, the kids didn't eat the lobster...they were a little scared of it actually. Jeremy was watching Guy eat his lobster and Guy asked him if he wanted to touch the lobster. Jeremy said," Is it still alive? It looks like it is alive." So, our lobster dinner was also a lesson on the food chain.:)

We played a few games and Lizzy thought she would be funny with some new glasses she got for Christmas.:)

Jeremy learned how to play checkers.:)

Watching Toy Story 3...an all new favorite.:)

Dad enjoying a good drink after the kids went to bed.:) We enjoyed the rest of the evening watching T.V. and having champagne. I hope you all have a wonderful and prosperous new year!!

What is Telegraph Hill???

Happy New Year to you all!!!:) On Thursday ( I started this post on Friday and then didn't get to finish it until today), Guy and I went into San Francisco while my parents watched the kids for us for the day. ( Thanks Mom and Dad). I was all set to go and see Alcatraz ( I have wanted to go there for a long time...not to be an inmate..ha ha) until Guy found out that all the tickets were sold out for tours for that day...so he came up with a back up plan..."Let's go to Telegraph Hill."he said. What is telegraph hill??, you may ask....well...come along with us and I'll show you what we saw.:) Above is a picture of me in front of the ferry building in downtown San Francisco.


Inside the ferry building, I couldn't believe that I saw Ghana baskets being sold in a gardening shop for about 80 U.S. dollars....I can get them in Nigeria for about 10 dollars....mental note...perk number 1 about living in Nigeria...you can get cheap Ghana baskets.:)

There were a ton of baskets at the shop...I couldn't believe it!!!

Of course, no day out away from the kids would be complete without going wine tasting while I am out here in great wine country.:)

I really must drink a ton of wine since they named a valley after me!!!:)
(Salinas Valley)

Oh, yes...I still need to hike up to Telegraph hill!!!! At least I won't be able to feel my feet after all those glasses of wine!!!:)

So, Telegraph Hill is a tower which was built back in 1929 as a token of appreciation for the fire fighters of San Francisco. It is called Telegraph Hill because it was the first place where telegraph wires were received in the later 1800's. Now, it is an eclectic neighborhood built around the tower. It is located at the top of a very tall and steep hill. There are many houses which are built into the hill and only one road that winds up the hill. Many of the houses are only accessible by steps.....I can't imagine bringing groceries up there every week!

At the top of the hill below the tower, you can see the Golden Gate bridge,

Alcatraz....so close...yet so far away!

another picture of Alcatraz

Me at the top of the hill:)

Of course, we had to make the smooshed pennies for the kids...they love those.:)

On our way back down the hill...

Just some neat homes built in the hill....these could actually be accessed by cars....

Then, we were off to Chinatown. Everything was decorated for New Year's.

Last stop ...sushi in Chinatown.:) After Guy found himself just the right green tea pot...we stopped and had sushi at a really neat place with little boats floating by with sushi on them...
It was a great end to a great day.....no kids...much needed time with my husband...lots of wine...and sushi! ... and I found out about Telegraph Hill.:)