This is my preschool class picture. I think I must have disliked the boy in the front row middle because I have an unpleasant association when I look at his picture. Poor kid. We wore our nametags upside down so the teachers could read them when they looked over our shoulder. Two girls in the front row have an extra tag, shaped like a hand. I believe this was rotational and stood for "helping hand" and was given to the kids who were particularly helpful or something. It's been a long time ago, I can't quite remember!

It sounds so cliche, but I simply cannot believe that in a blink of an eye, Melody has turned three years old. Seems like just a while ago, she was this tiny little baby who was completely dependent on us for everything. Now she is very INdependent and probably wishes we'd leave her alone at times. Well, maybe not leave her alone, but tonight she did tell me "Mommy, I want you to be nice to me when I poop my pants." Guess, I've been a bit stern about this whole "using the potty" concept.

To celebrate this milestone (seems as though TWO was a huge milestone and ONE was a huge milestone, do they every diminish in their importance??), last week I took Melody and some of her daycare buddies and Rhonda to the Santa Ana Zoo. It was really such a fun and relaxing day! How could I relax at the zoo with four under 4, you ask? It was so easy! Two were in strollers and Mark and Melody walked everywhere. Their enthusiasm for the emu, llamas, bald eagle, golden lion capuchin, and of course the blue tongued skink, all just carried me through on a wave of enjoyment. The little ones were so good, too. Little Kiana is only 19 months and her cute little "look at that!" at everything was so funny, I just had to laugh. The Santa Ana Zoo is perfect for this crowd because it's over quickly but they feel like they have seen every kind of animal there is.

Saturday of course was Melody's birthday and we had a party for her here at the house. We had a bounce house again, but surprisingly, Melody was not interested in it until Delaney got here and went into it. From that point until cake, we couldn't really get her out of it. Caelen came over and bounced, and the three were fast friends. Once Danika and Geneva, Mark and Kadie joined in, the bounce house was full of laughing, tumbling, happy kids. Kudos go out to Diane B who created a sort of game of "throwing" the kids from the side of the bounce house into the middle. It's hard to explain, but let me tell you, every one of them wanted Diane to grab their butts and throw them. Delaney is particularly aerodynamic and flew the farthest! My friend Melissa and her mom made the gorgeous Tinkerbell cake and it was delicious too. Amazing work, ladies!

Valentine's Day we just puttered around the house as we were all three exhausted. Of course, that was after Melody and I spent about three hours over at Fort Knott's for their Civil War encampment. In the past we tried to participate in this event, but since it will always fall on the weekend of Melody's birthday and Valentine's Day, I figured it was time to hang up my hoop skirts over President's Day Weekend and instead be with my family. Didn't stop me from visiting incognito, but we were able to leave, heh. I did find a beautiful toddler dress that someone had made and altered very poorly. I can only imagine they didn't know what the heck they were doing since the armscye was only big enough for a doll's arm to get through. Fortunately I happen to know what I'm doing and I can alter it much better and Melody will have a new dress with a corded petticoat that is simply adorable. It coincidentally perfectly matches the shawl Gramma Alice knitted for Melody's birthday present.

Today Melody and I were home together and we did a few "fun" chores. We took the front off her crib and turned it into a big girl bed, gulp! She was very excited about it and fascinated with the Tinkerbell sheet set we put on the bed. Very clever, the top sheet has elastic on one end - like a bottom sheet - to keep it tucked in. Dad and I are a teeny tiny bit nervous about her getting out of bed in the middle of the night, but it's got to happen eventually. Her third birthday is as good a time as any. She also happened to wear big girl panties all day today and didn't have one accident.

Yes, my baby is growing up and turning into a little girl! Check out new albums in the photo gallery for more pictures.

...I wanted to share it none the less. I don't think my pictures are good enough yet for SkyWatch Friday, which is a global link-up every Friday featuring the skies of the world. If you like pretty skylines, check them out here.

Thursday last week, a storm was rolling in to bring us some more rain. As I drove home, the first clouds were making their way across Orange County, and the sun was obscured, yet still shining brightly. I took a couple photos with my phone - we were in the "stop" phase of stop-and-go traffic, don't worry - and here is the best shot.

November passed quickly and there were a number of events I had intended to post about but never found the time. Here's a brief wrap up of our month.

November 9th, John and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. Our tradition is to return to PJ's Abbey where we were married, and enjoy dinner. We did so again this year and I had nearly the same thing for dinner as we had on our wedding day. The atmosphere is gorgeous at PJ's. The high ceilings, arching stained glass window, and the history of over 100 years all fill me with a deep sense of love and comfort. For many years, the building was the Antioch Baptist Church. You can imagine the many people who worshipped there, wedded there, and held their funerals there. To have joined our lives in a building filled with emotions only strengthens my convictions that we are truly blessed to be together. And that we had The. Best. Wedding. Ever.

We baked in honor of a departed soldier, Rob Sanchez. That was such an emotional experience that I don't think I'll bake in memorium again. This round we signed up to bake for Ray Acosta, stationed in Okinawa. Ray and his wife just had a baby and they miss the States very very much. We will bake some Christmas treats and include other fun things like candy canes and M&Ms. I would love to send some frosted chewies, and since he's not in the desert, I might just do so!

Papa endured hip replacement surgery and Melody and I visited him in the hospital and in the rehab center. We actually went to see him on Halloween, and Melody was dressed as Tinkerbell. Tinkerbell is Melody's new favorite movie. Her other new favorite movie is Up. And of course her old favorite movie is Cars. And Bolt. And Finding Nemo. Anyhow, Papa is doing a lot better now and we have visited him at home too.

I took Melody on my day off to a pizza party at my office. All I can say is that Melody demanded a piece of crust from my friend Laurie, and then looked like The Joker after she ate a cupcake with hot pink icing. My girl actually told me she wanted applesauce and not pizza. Somehow I think I might have done something right.

I'm in an ornament exchange with my girls from my pregnancy support group, and I found the most gorgeous glass butterfly and dragonfly to send. I liked them so much I got a set for myself. Just this past weekend, however, I found a much better gift. I wanted to send something that could only be gotten here, and while at Calico this past weekend, I found an ornament that looks like their school house, and it says Calico, of course. Perfect! Jackie I sure hope I didn't just ruin the surprise, lol.

We had Thanksgiving at our place again this year. I worried very much about the turkey defrosting completely, as in some years in the past, that dang turkey has been icy on the inside right up until the moment I put it in the oven. This year it was completely defrosted. I premade so much food and it all turned out great! My favorite side dish was the stuffing because I put sage sausage in it. Yummmmm! I also made a brand new dessert this year called Pavlova. My boss made this dish for us at the office a while back, and John and I fell in love with it! It's a meringue base, topped with whipped cream and fruit. I made meringues for the first time. I whipped cream for the first time, and I ate passion fruit for the first time. It was delicious and I can't wait to make it again.

We also got Melody's pictures for our Christmas cards. They turned out so cute, if I do say so myself. She was a little bit of a ham (surprise, right?) and played with everything she came in contact with, including props for Halloween, summer, sports, boys, etc. I decided that she would wear her great-grandmother's gold ring (on a chain) and a little silver bracelet I can remember wearing as a child to Sunday School. I don't know where it came from before that.

Finally, Calico this past weekend. Please check my other site Past Periods Press for the instructions on how to make a poppet. Between me, Pauline and Pauline's friend Laurel, we made and gave away nearly 80 poppets to little girls who came into the Lane House Museum. It was very cold that day, down into the 40s due to rain, and Melody was such a trooper. She didn't want to wear a shawl or even a hat, but I finally just tied a scarf over her head and she looked like a tiny babushka. Traffic was horrible coming home but in Dad's nice car, it was manageable.

Tonight we hung our first Christmas decorations - little ornaments that Melody made at day care. They are super cute! December looks to be shaping up just as busy as November. I'll try to post often, but if I miss a week it's because I'm focusing on my family. Today I learned of two people I have worked with for 12 years who passed away over the weekend, both to tragic and unexpected accidents. It puts the fragility of human life into perspective.

Why am I writing a blog when I could be snuggling up to my honey? See ya!