catch up

It's been a busy week. I'll break it down:

- Took Jolie to her final feeding experiment appointment at W&M in beautiful, historic Williamsburg. Last time they focused on her diet and my diet with about a bajillion surveys. They also had me masked and feeding her spinach and potatoes. She wolfed it down because I think she was distracted by the two way mirror.
This time we did the feeding again but included about six little tests to determine her "personality" according to the sweet grad students. They seriously seemed to be 12 to me- but so smart and good with babies!
One of the tests involved a black posterboard and a bright orange parosol. It was for the "startle test"- who knew babies would be scared of such a thing? They also did something called the activity test, which involved a large velour blanket. They positioned her on the blanket facing the camera and she had to lay there for three minutes on her back. She didn't move a muscle. We couldn't speak or move while they were doing this and I swear she was looking from one of us to the other with serious questions in her eye. It was like the bit in Jurassic Park where they "say if you don't move they won't eat you."
The students couldn't tell us their thesis because they said it could influence the study, but they will send us a copy once it's finished in the next few months. I'm pretty sure it'll be easy to pick Jolie out- she'll be the one with high enthusiasm for food and very little activity levels.

- Made gingerbread houses at church while trying to convince the kids not to eat the decorations. Later that same day, Galon took Susannah to see the Christmas parade where Jolie and I met with them later and went to "see" Santa. It ended up being a drive by santa sighting due to Susannah's trepidation, but we did get a book out of the deal as it was being sponsored by the friendly local library (my fellow bookies!)
The highlight of that whole endeavor was seeing the Budweiser Clydesdales. It was a serious operation with lovely tack, trailers and tail bobbing.
After all that, we went to across the street to choose a tree from the United Methodist Men's booth and ended up with a sweet little Fraiser Fir strapped to my roof before long. It has since been lit, decorated and partially climbed by a crawling baby and one of our pets.

- Christmas cards! As you all know (at least those who have been slugging through this since last holiday season) I struggle with what cards to send and to whom. This year I didn't struggle, just went whole hog. Ordered photo cards and lots of them. Bought stamps and lots of them. Updated all my holes in the address list and whammo presto, cards are in the mail! If you don't normally get one from us and would like to (or if you haven't sent us anything since my computer ate all our files in March) email me at maggieghall@yahoo.com with your details.

- Shopping. I only have two things left to get for anybody and one of those is for my dad, one of those perpetually difficult gift recipients. I did try to sticker his car on the sly recently with an environmentally friendly logo and that didn't go over well towards the whole holiday spirit. I'll try again, this time with the Sierra Club sticker I've been saving for that special someone. Anybody with good ideas for a middle aged marina owner let me know. I've already tapped into the Starbucks/Barnes and Noble giftcards-

- Football- o football. Honestly, I don't even watch real football. But college games, or particuarlly the SEC teams, I can watch. I can root for. I can scream at the TV about. Let's not mention the Iron Bowl- but I am keeping my fingers crossed for someone to roll that Tide before they get another (?) championship. Love all my Bama fan folks, but honestly. The whole poison the tree thing should send some kind of karma their way... I am going to be stressed out watching this game with LSU and AL. As one former boss would say (or wear a tie saying actually) Geaux Tigers!

Here are some pics of the little ones. It's been a while since I put some up-

Jolie's sporting her Alpaca love hat from a local farmer's market.
I love that it has not one, but four pom poms!

Here, smiling big and showing off all two teeth so far.

Susannah with her soccer ball- she still enjoys playing
around in the yard even though the season is over.

Practicing writing her name and other letters.