things I don't want to forget...

this post is going to be BORING for everyone but me, and maybe people who REALLY REALLY love us. don't say I didn't warn you. I have a list of things that I want to write down that cate said/did that is not getting written down. if I just sit here and type it out it will actually get done and be recorded. so, really this post is for me more than anything. :) Although, if you decide to skip most of it, make sure you read the story at the bottom from this weekend (starts at "Almost done".) Pretty dang funny.

before I start the list, anna was SO CUTE this morning. I can't believe how much she was "talking" laying in bed next to me. it was crazy! then cate came in with us - it was so fun cuddling with the two girls in bed, esp with anna so animated. also, anna can really hold her head up now - it's amazing. I really feel like she perfected that ability overnight. sunday we started noticing her holding it up for long periods of time...and now she's a champ. so cute, but it sure does make her seem older. not so floppy anymore. kind of sad, but of course happy too.

okay, here is my list of stuff I need to remember. promise the next post will have pictures and maybe more current material! :)

- setting the stage: cate and I went to the dry cleaners last march to get some stuff cleaned, including her car seat cover. 7 or 8 months later she and I are driving to music class...there's a dry cleaners near there, a totally different dry cleaners, mind you. as we pull up to the plaza cate says, "there's the dry cleaners where they clean my car seat." it was so crazy that she knew it was a dry cleaners!!!

- setting the stage: there is never any parking in our lot anymore because of this new apartment complex next to us - it's really frustrating, those residents park in our lot all the time, we can't ever find spots, etc. okay, here's the real story - cate and I were, again, on our way to music class. I needed to pick up stamps at the post office. we were on a very tight schedule. we get to the post office and it's closed b/c their credit card machine was broken. I was so annoyed - hello, doesn't cash work anymore? okay, so I really did remain calm but I said, "oh cate, that is so frustrating...I don't know why they're closed. what are we going to do? this is so frustrating." so, we go back to the car and we're on the road and cate says, "you get mad at everything, mom." WHAT?!?! so, I think she's going to talk about the post office but instead she says, "there aren't any parking spots, and they don't have passes." it was SOOOOO FUNNY. moral of the story - I'm working at not getting "mad at everything." :)

- Oh that story reminds me...cate always asks us, "Are you a little bit frustrated?" or "Is that a little bit frustrating?" It's the cutest thing. Although, the other night I was calling her Silly Sally over and over, b/c it makes her mad, which is funny. Then Cate said, "I'm a little bit frustrated with Mom."

- This goes WAY back...Cate's 1st successful potty experience was November 30, 2006. Meant to put that in the baby book. Hasn't happened yet. Funny enough she didn't actually get potty trained until January 2008! :)

- The Maynards always have chinese food for Xmas Eve, a tradition we've continued. This past christmas after we were done with dinner we were reading our fortunes. Cate picks up her fortune from her cookie and reads it as follows: "Watched Winnie the Pooh, that was my job, and I got a little sister." Pretty good fortune for a 3 year old! :)

- November 2007: Cate has the hiccups. she comes in and says "I don't want to do the hiccups."

- November 2007: Thumper is one of her favorite stuffed animals and Debbie is her baby doll. "Thumper doesn't poop. His bum doesn't work. Debbie's bum doesn't work either."

- November 2007: Anne is visiting, and we're watching Project Runway. Cate has seen probably about 5 minutes of it. Suddenly she says, "I want to be like a perfect model." WHAT THE?!?! Then she starts doing a catwalk, seriously one foot in front of the other, back and forth across the apartment. Wow, she picked up on that pretty quick! Anne and I must have been discussing who was going to win b/c Cate at one point turns to Nate and says, "Who's gonna win, Dad?" So funny. By the way, Nate does a pretty mean catwalk himself. ;)

- November 2007: We were trying to decide where to go out for dinner with Anne. Nate asks Cate, "Where's your favorite place to eat?" Cate replies, "On the table." (as opposed to the highchair, of course!)

- Cate had me listening to Christmas songs as early as the beginning of November. I don't even know how she knew what they are. It was fun, though. At night we only let her listen to "sleepy songs" - if we put in music she really likes she's stay up. Kurt Bestor became the Christmas music option at night - sleepy christmas music. We were in the car and I just wanted to listen to Kurt Bestor, calm. Cate says, "Not sleepy christmas songs! With singing!" I was never allowed to listen to Christmas songs without words in the car.

ALMOST DONE...
This weekend my Aunt Barbara spent a night with us. When we got to the apartment, I had to go out and get more bags out of the car, so Cate gave Barb the grand tour of the place. It went down something like this:

Cate and Barb enter Cate's room.

C: "This is where I sleep" pointing to her big girl bed

B: "Is this where Anna sleeps?" pointing to the crib

C: "No, Anna sleeps in here." Takes Barbara to our room, shows her the Pack N Play.

C: "That's where Mommy sleeps, and Daddy sleeps out here" taking her out to show Barb the couch.

UH-OH. The secret's out! Jane and Nate are sleeping in separate rooms! Oh no! Should we get them in counseling?!?!

B: "Why does your Daddy sleep out here?"

C: "Because Anna wakes him up."

PHEW. The REAL truth comes out. No worries, everyone. Nate and I are JUST fine and very happy - he just needs sleep while he finishes up the dissertation. Promise! :)