{video} Charlie Sings "We Will Rock You"

Charlie's absolute all time favorite song is Queen's "We Will Rock You." It is the only song he will sing without being prompted--sometimes he just walks around the house belting out the chorus. :)

The Everybody Birthday Party

As part of our May parting festivities, we had an Everybody Birthday Party--a little shindig for Gracie and all her best girlfriends, because they all have summer birthdays, and two of the group were preparing for big moves!

We decided to do a low-key swimming party, so all the mamas (and some of the daddies) sat back and watched while the girls and their little sibs scampered around Robyn's backyard splashing around and wearing themselves out.

We couldn't have asked for a more perfect party! The weather was cool enough to be comfortable, but still warm enough for lots of pool time. When they got a little chilly everyone dried off and plopped down on Emily's blanket to open gifts (everyone got gifts!) and eat cupcakes (everyone blew out a candle!). They all had such fun, and since everyone was treated so specially, they ALL had a good time. I don't think we had one tear shed. They were just so happy. Best party, best friends, best birthday party ever.

And in case you wanted it in living color, here's the footage!

Preschool Play Day {video}

Gracie & her buddies finished up their first year of at-home preschool and in lieu of a formal graduation we had a play day at the park, complete with tons of games, awards, treats, and a picnic. If you don't like to watch little kids frolic and play, don't watch this video of it:

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner

So our grocery store, Harris Teeter, has been holding a video contest for the past month; winners would get a grocery gift card (almost equal to what we spend on groceries for the entire month!). I came across it on their facebook page, and saw that only a couple people had entered (and there would be 5 prizes total!) so I made up this video and submitted it a couple weeks ago. (A few of you might have seen it already on facebook.) Well last week I got an email letting me know that we had won! Woohoo!!! And we could literally get a chicken dinner with our winnings. So clearly I had to make that the title. ;)

So, for your viewing pleasure, here is my embarrassing (but winning) video:





The contest is still going on, and I think there will be two more winners. You can check their facebook page for contest details. I would love it if somebody else around here won, too! :)

Gracie Tells the Christmas Story

Merry Christmas. :)

 

Gracie the Red Nosed Reindeer

Part of Your World

Nobody sings this like Gracie sings it.

How to End a Toddler Riot

Gracie's Daddy Is...

A Fart Man from J Walton on Vimeo.

Dad--to download this video, click this link and look on the right hand side above the statistics. It will have a link to "download this video." Click on it! :)

Interview with Gracie

Steve's Turn

So, you know that I have been life hacking along and Gracie has been meeting frogs and playing with rabbits, but what on earth has Steve been up to?

Uncertain Parentage

Gracie discloses the secret of her good looks and magical powers.

Baby Party

On Wednesday mornings a few of us do a babysitting co-op. The little girlies get to play, and two mommies get to scamper off on their own for a few hours to run errands or sit in a Barnes & Noble alone. Today it was our turn!

merry christmas :)

From Charlie Brown tree to... a happier Charlie Brown tree. :)

Gracie Takes a Walk

This video features: Gracie walking, baby jabber, a spider-crawl, and a kiss for Jesus.

Gracie Makes a Bunny Face

Since Britta specifically requested more video, here we are. Gracie will now teach you how to make a bunny face:

Gracie's Halloween Shirt

Gracie got a Halloween shirt in the mail from my mom & dad, and she has been SO excited about it because there is an owl on the tummy. Check it out, she even does sound effects. :)

Baby Mommies

One of the best things about living out here is the Better Halves--the group of wives/girlfriends of med students who get together to hang out. I love it--we have so much good girlie time. Bonus for Gracie--she has a girl club, too! There are a bunch of little girls all Gracie's age who get hang out together for playgroups, babysitting co-ops, and lots of other family party stuff.

Last night we babysat for Abby, who is a couple months older than Grace. (Gracie is currently crawling around the house saying "Abby! Abby! Abby!" because we told her she is coming over again tonight.) They had a blast playing Mommy to one of Gracie's baby dolls. Check it out. My favorite is their intense "conversation."

Gracie Moos

Gracie is just learning her animal sounds (except for woofing like a dog, which she has done since abot 8 months old). She can do a bird, a cat, a dog, and a pig, but her very favorite is a cow. She is convinced that all four-legged animals that aren't dogs are cows--especially horses and sheep.

When she was in the tub the other day she started mooing emphatically, and it took me a minute to figure out she was conversing with her Little People Farm sheep, as you see below. She is also learning to give things kisses, so there is a lot of sheep-kissing going on as well. :) Oh! And she got a really bad rash from a food allergy, so that is what the redness all over her is about.

If the video doesn't work you can also see it here.

Our Place (The "Before" Shots)

As of yesterday we have officially been Carolinians for one week, but it feels like an age since Gracie and I got on the plane to come out here. I've never been very good at change--even good change--so I'm afraid I've been a little bit of an emotional tornado; first happy, then sad, nervouse, lonely, excited, contend--and I'm not the one who's starting med school.

But as the boxes are slowly dissipating and our tired brains become more familiar with the insanity that is the road system out east, Winston-Salem is beginning to feel like home. I don't think I have ever met a friendlier state full of people. Yesterday I went to get a haircut and forgot cash, and they let me walk out the door, down the street, to an ATM and back (trusting that I would return and pay them!) without hassling me or giving me a "you-are-a-total-moron" look.

Our place still isn't settled enough for me to show you around properly, but I have some photos from last week, before our furniture and boxes showed up. I also have a super short video for those of you who prefer a personal tour (see the bottom of this post).

This is the view from the front door. To my right is the door to Gracie's room (you can't see it in this pic), and just ahead of me in the pic are double doors for a washer/dryer. We're looking into the living room, kitchen is the doorway off to the left, with the sunroom beyond.

Here's the kitchen. Yes, it is wallpapered--it came that way--but luckily its not too bad. While I wouldn't choose it on my own, I don't mind it. It's actually kind of cheery, yellow with some little blue dotted pattern.

This is a view of the living room from the kitchen, with a door opening into the sunroom (we're using it as an office/music room). The living room is a comfortable size and fits our massive couch. I just love it. There is a ceiling fan above which keeps a nice breeze going, we just leave it on all the time. We have AC, too, which we run a few times a day to cool down the house.

And a view of the kitchen (and Gracie) from the living room. Check out that fruit-basket wallpaper border--sweet, right? ;) You can also see the doorway to Gracie's room on the left, now. Its the one furthest down the hallway--you can't see the door. There is also a coat closet there.

And this is Miss Gracie's room. She has her own bathroom, lucky girl! Our room is about the same, but a little bigger.