Happy New Year's 2016

Can NOT wrap my head around that it is 2016.  I remember in 1974, when I graduated high school and the thought of being in the 2000's was just confusing for my brain.  Now, here we are, 2016!  So very weird and to think I could live another 30 years to the 2040's!  Wow, just mind blowing.  Plus all the things that have happened in my lifetime.  The electronic age alone is just amazing.  Who would have thought we would be instantly chatting face to face across the globe and into outer space, instantly!

Spent the evening watching Snicklefritz while her parents enjoyed a kid free party!  The Hubby went to a dance with his dance friends so it was just me and her and she was in bed by 9.
WooHoo!  Happy New Year.

Snicklefritz discovered a box under the big Christmas tree that had some old tiny wooden ornaments in it.  We found a small tree in my tablescape and she decorated. 

In the box she found my star that I have been looking for.  She was so excited to find it and was thrilled to put it on her tiny tree.

I was awakened this morning about 5:39, after going to bed about 1:30...YAWN... by an earthquake.  Thought I felt a tremor last night about 9:30 but didn't see anything on my twitter account.  It's going to be a very, very long day with Snicklefritz because she was up at 7:30 today.  She got up with a dry diaper and we sat in the chair for a bit and watched the news then it was off to toys and breakfast of scrambled eggs, blueberries, bacon and a banana.  This kiddo can eat.  Now, at 9:05 a.m. she is contentedly sitting on the floor in my art room working her markers and her sketch book.  She's staying another night and hopefully will enjoy black eye peas and pork tenderloin!  

No New Year's resolutions except to clean out my pantry...CHECK...DONE;

Clean out my closet...today;

Read more;

Paint more and enter more contests/shows/opportunities;

Blog more as I go into the 10th year here at Jill of All Trades;

Happy New Year my friends and I promise I shall visit your blogs more often than as of late.  

A Little Visitor

 This past Saturday night I offered to watch Rio overnight again.  I really love having her spend the night.  She is so much fun and interactive now.  Saturday evening after we had dinner we were sitting in the living room watching TV when The Hubby decided he wanted to try out the new smart TV and our NetFlix.  What popped out on the screen was Breaking Bad.  I realized that Rio was WATCHING it while playing with her cars, I mean WATCHING it.  I quickly got her sidetracked and got her bath going, which she loves.  Back into the living room and it was still on so back into her room and book reading.  Good Grief, he wanted to watch what HE wanted to watch.  So seven books later I was able to get her down for the night very easily.  The Hubby marathon watched Breaking Bad till about 12:30 then off to bed.  I was afraid he would dream about it all night long.

Sunday morning right at 8:00 I hear a soft voice, "Granny!"  I jumped up and ran into the guest room and she was awake and smiling.  Since she is potty training I wanted to make sure she was able to use the potty quickly.  Her overnight pull-up was almost dry!  We went to the kitchen and I fixed her scrambled eggs (with her help stirring), fresh fruit and cinnamon toast for the first time.  It was quite yummy and she cleaned her plate.  

The Hubby got up and was again watching television but this time his recorded MMA Extreme fighting.  YUCK, blood and hitting, she was so engrossed, so outside we went to enjoy the morning air and sunshine till he went to the office.

Finally, I got a turn at the television and my shows of choice are cooking shows.  Rio loves watching them to and they are parent approved. 

We had a great sleepover and I can't wait to do it again.

Granny Fail

ME

I am a granny fail.  Last night we were to keep Rio overnight and everything seemed to be going great until bedtime.  I think the bad stuff started earlier in the day at the office.  I was trying to put her down for her nap and usually it is no problem.  I pick her up pat a few times and then she is asleep.  Yesterday she wanted her momma and cried and cried and sobbed and sobbed until Briana had to come in and take over.   

Rio and Vera

So then they brought her over about dinner time and as it turned out we went next door for a holiday drink with the neighbors and I took her over to show off.  She was so sweet and sat in my lap for about 20 minutes eating cheese and being adorable.  I left before The Hubby to feed her and get her ready for bed.  Dinner was a great success with squash, cottage cheese and dried pears.  She did a lot of walking around and around the house and every time she got close to her bedroom with the sound machine on and lights low she would cry.  I had an inkling that something was not right with that.  I then began the routine for bedtime.  We brushed her teeth, changed the diaper, lotioned, pajamas and read her little "Good Night Moon" book.  Bottle and sound machine on but WOW, nothing to do with closing the eyes.  She started to nod off until Clayton pushed open the door and cried to get on the bed where we were sitting.  RATS!  Then it was on, the crying and sobbing and screaming and squirming.  I spent 15 minutes with that and was wrung out.  I could not stand for her to be so upset, my heart was breaking.  She was so upset with the crying and she was doing the hiccuping thing.  We went into the living room and I sent a text to Briana that I didn't think it was going to work.  She said she would come get her but I should persist, that eventually she would give it up.  I guess I just am not tough enough anymore.  I could not stand to see the usually happy Rio so upset.  The Hubby said, "Why did you do that.  Just let her cry!" Oh gosh, I just have lost my confidence in childcare but I think it's a combination of things.  I didn't want to have Rio not like being at Granny's and not like her room.  (I have got to clean out the guest room - paintings to the ceiling.)  I caved and had to be rescued.  I think too I don't want to rock the routine that B&B have set up for Rio but maybe I need to do Granny rules at Granny's house.  This has got to be fixed as we are going to try this again on New Year's Eve and there is no calling to be rescued.  It is definitely an all-nighter as they are having a huge party.  I need to get the easy flow of getting her down again.  I don't want to be a Granny Failure.  

Sleep is Overated

It is 5 AM...yes I just wrote that down.  Actually, I have been awake since 4:15 but only just started writing here.  Last night we kept little Miss Snicklefritz overnight and she has slept pretty darn well with a whimper about 1 and again about 4:15.  Yes, that is when I gave it up.  When I wake up in the middle of the night the mind immediately starts whirring and I'm awake anywhere from 5 minutes to HOURS!  This week I've had several of those nights.  So the little princess is snoozing and her Granny is wide awake this morning but it's my usual time to get up anyway.  

She slept all through the night basically and that is a wonderful thing.  Her momma is in the process of trying to wean from the breast.  She has dropped the two middle of the day feedings and last night I was to give breast milk in a bottle but she thought that was a game.  Rio kept biting down on the nipple of the bottle and pulling it between her teeth till it popped out splattering milk on her and me.  Oh, that was great fun but I cringed thinking of her momma!  She laughed and giggled until I'd had enough.  At least she got about an ounce down her then I popped in the pacifier and she was out and has been all night.  The picture above she is eating some of her crunchies and occasionally one would fly off as she pulled it out of her little cup and Clayton was happy to retrieve it for his tummy.  She wore herself out crawling around our kitchen island over and over again.  Someday she will walk it but right now she is faster crawling.  She can walk but just not as steady as she would like.

Friday I was recruited to go with her and her momma to the pediatrician for her 12 month well check up.  She did fantastic and is above in her height right now.  It was also a day of SHOTS!  That face was soon transformed into crying and pain.  Poor baby.  She had 5 shots and then a blood test that they do now by government requirement for lead testing.  She also got the first of two for the flu shot.  I am a HUGE proponent of any kind of vaccinations because I've had a lot of the stuff they vaccinate against and it is not fun.  Mumps, measles, chicken pox, with some of the scars to prove it.  With the chicken pox I also have the dark cloud hanging over my head for shingles.  I know it is painful and her poor little arms looked like a war zone with band aids when we walked out the door but she is just fine today and she has never had a reaction or even swelling from the shots, unlike her momma with swelling and redness.  Rio's immunities are fabulous!  Like her mother she has only had a little virus once and a sniffle, once.  

Oh, and I had my flu vaccination this week too.

DADDY UPDATE:  He is doing marvelous and will come home this week!