A Look Back at 2011

This year has been really full of pretty cool stuff for the Albandia family and the ones they love. Here is a little "Year In Review" that all us real cool bloggity peeps like to do right before New Year's Eve happens.

January 2011: We spent last New Year's Eve with Betty and Rog eating crab legs. AJ enjoyed Mac and Cheese or one of his other 2 foods he would eat at the time.

January also saw this really cool chick become a Rockin' Mama. Totally the coolest thing I ever witnessed.

February brought us "The Blizzard!" and lots of togetherness time for goofy pics.

In April, we visited the Firehouse and got a hat!

We went to have a family pic taken in May.

June brought a haircut so he could look all sharp for his baptism.

We tried to take another family pic at AJ's baptism, but not everyone was cooperative.

In July, AJ started to come out of his shell and try new things.

Mike and I went to a fancy wedding in August. We dressed up.

September was so nice, we went to the Train Museum LOTS of times.

October was so warm, we played outside with the neighbors and enjoyed the leaves.

Dad taught AJ to play Angry Birds in November. He has been hooked since.

December 3, 2011, my favorite guy turned 4 years old.

2012 has so many possibilities and we can't wait to start enjoying life and we will keep bringing you the joy, adoring public!

Shoozapalooza

Bogs Boots (the picture links to the source)

Sometime in the recent past, AJ became a little boy. I mentioned this a few times, I believe. Anyway, this is hard for any mother to embrace - especially if his is the only baby/toddler/boy progression she will experience (sorry mom). So I have been prolonging the inevitable and not gotten him good shoes/boots recently. I apparently have been jamming his now SIZE 9.5 feeties in size 8 shoes/boots. The lady at the store said he should be wearing a 10. A 10! Thanks to Lolo and Lola, AJ was able to get a pair of church shoes, new gyms that have velcro that actually sticks (they light up, too. They have Lightsabers on them), and a new pair of Bogs boots. I was not sold on Bogs, but after having a pair for him that he was only able to wear a few times, I will purchase these again and I will recommend them to friends. They are really good boots.

Stride Rite Star Wars Dueling Lightsaber Shoes (the picture links to the source)

Now that he's wearing these really big shoes for his really big feeties, he looks even older. So I put him in his new feetie jammies he got from Gramma Betty this Christmas and he doesn't look so old to me now. And he still loves his Blankie...

Sun City Model Trains

AJ and I went to the Kishwaukee Valley-Eakin Creek Model Railroad Club of Sun City’s holiday train display in Huntley this morning. The have multiple gauge model railroads set up in a winter scene in the big Lodge building there. It was hard to see the real small ones, but AJ enjoyed looking at all the buildings, trees, trains and classic cars that were included. Santa was even driving one of the trains! We didn't stay more than 25 minutes, but it was worth the drive.

My Kid Has Lots of New Stuff

I feel a little overwhelmed at all the generosity that AJ's relatives showed this holiday season.

This is the first year that he knew what was really going on. He can tell you that Baby Jesus has a birthday and we celebrate Christmas because of it. He can tell you that the angels told the world that a King would be born and they should follow a star, that King Herrod was mad, that Baby Jesus was born in a stable, and His parents on Earth, Mary and Joseph, loved Him.

He also knows that Santa brings gifts to good kids and that our elf, Swopey, gave him a daily report about it. He learned that during Christmas your loved ones give and receive gifts, too. We eat LOTS of food, stay up late, and make a mess and it's okay. Then we wear all our new clothes, read all our new books, put on our new slippers, and play with all the new toys. For days.

Here is a 5 min movie I made highlighting the fun so AJ can enjoy his first "Christmas with understanding" when he's older. If you care to invest 5 min of your life, feel free to watch all the madness that was CHRISTMAS 2011!

A Very Bickham Christmas Eve

I am going to make a Christmas movie, as I am known to do. But here is a sneak peek at the craziness that was the Bickham Christmas Eve party 2011. We missed the Voras side, of course- but they are awaiting Cori's baby in MN, so we can excuse them.

Quotes that we won't ever forget, although we might want to:

"Excuse me Aunt Elaine, may I please have Uncle Rich's underpants?"

"Martha Stewart's Topless Christmas Special!"

"Do you have that in the key of C?"

Here are just a few pictures that made the night memorable.

My cousin Laurie and Special Guest Star Sir Elton John

Me. I am memorable.

Uncle Rich's model train and Jessica and her fancy camera.

The 7 Up garbage can.

All of this and more will be documented in my movie and

I will play nice music, so stay tuned. I need a nap now, though.

Make Mine a Double Shot

AJ received the book, The Polar Express, for his birthday. He REALLY likes it. There is a part when the children are on the train and they drink hot cocoa described as, "hot cocoa as thick and rich as melted chocolate bars." Well, that sounded like something we would like so we had some.

Click the pic to get the book!

My old espresso set was just AJ's size. We looked out the window to see a little snow was on the grass.

He likes to sit at his little table in the living room and survey his domain while sipping some deelish drink.

December Doings

Our Science experiment for the day was to put Ivory soap in the microwave. First we guessed what might happen. AJ said it would "be milk" which meant it would melt. We looked at it in the micro and we were amazed and delighted that it puffed up into a big soap cloud.

Then we compared the bar of soap to the cloud and thought of ways it was same and different. We thought of things the could was similar to. Snow piles, whipped cream, a blanket (?).

Then we could crush it up and it looked like snow falling. It was great except that it made us sneeze and out eyes were red. We can use it in the tub later. Nothing like an Ivory soap film all over you to make you feel real clean. Ahem. Sorry Ivory.

HOW CAN MY BABY BE FOUR!?!?!?!?!

He's not a baby, he's not a toddler, he's a boy. A little boy. And he's my favorite thing ever.

Making Merry!

Happy Holiday Season from Mom and Pop Albandia!

Here's a close up of our heads.

Santa's Little Pal

We visited the Big Guy in the Red Suit the day after Thanksgiving. AJ and Santa had a long talk during which they carefully considered each and every page in AJ's train catalog. Santa was very nice. AJ, Dad and Mama were pleased with the outcome of the afternoon. Along with a ride on a train inside the mall, we settled into a free ice cream cone and dreamt up ways to pass the days in December a little quicker. But not too quick...

Giving Thanks For Lots and Lots

Thanksgiving 2011 was a year to be grateful.

for my boys...

for the relief I felt after my turkey was done...

for family and loved ones close and far away...

and for cute kiddos we love!

Halloweeeeek!

My little skeleton and I had a great time trick or treating this year. Dad and AJ collected lots of candy and mom tried in vain not to eat it.

Annie and AJ got some loot around the hood.

My fabu carving job.

So happy!

Not so happy.

Invisifriend Visits

I have known a group of women since 2006, when we all experienced a craptacular event together. We found strength and unity and a common pain that lead us out of a bad time. That was 5 years ago. I had not met any of the women until last week.

Alicia was in town for work and we got together for dinner. It reminded me of how wonderful this bunch is and how I could not have driven out of that dark tunnel back then without all of their support.