UNBELIEVABLE!

Uncle Bubba was so kind to spend two days watching Nora during the day since Mrs. Dorothy was closed. The day was "eventful" says Uncle Bubba.

I call Bubba around noon to see how things were going. Here is our conversation.

Kendra: Hey Bubba! How is the day going?
Bubba: It has been an eventful day.
Kendra: What time did Nora wake up?
Bubba: 9:00. I tried to get her to lay back down, but she just didn't want to. Then, Lincoln came running up to me, I guess to tell on Nora because I found her laying in the dog bed without her pull-up on. She was saying something about poo poo on the floor. I looked in the hall and she had pooped on the floor, and Lincoln ate it.
Kendra: (laughing histerically) WOW!
Bubba: So then I was cleaning that up and Nora went into the bathroom and found the hair grease. She rubbed it all over herself. She's crazy! I keep trying not to laugh because I don't want to encourage her, but she is funny.
Kendra: (still laughing) Well, did she eat breakfast?
Bubba: I gave her a bagel and some cut up apple, but I don't know if she ate it or if Lincoln ate it.
Kendra: Where did she eat?
Bubba: In the media room
Kendra: Oh, that's why we eat in the high chair. Well, I'll see you after school. Thank you. Do you need anything?
Bubba: No. Just get home soon.

I still laugh when I think about this. Nora was just whipping Bubba into shapre for when Austen gets up and moving. This was a training day. Anyhow, both Bubba and Nora survived these 2 days. In fact, Nora was very unhappy when Uncle Bubba tried to leave. Thanks Bubba! You're the best brother ever!

Baby Einstein

Theory: Nora is a smarter than the average (even above average) child her age.

Data/Observations:
#1: Nora already pretends to read. Ocassionally, we will catch her saying the actual words that are on the page! (My Baby Can READ!)

#2: Nora picks her books to be read aloud each night by title. For example she will say "I wan (want) Pocket" for the book There's a Wocket in My Pocket or "I wan (want) Paint No More" for the book I aint Gonna Paint No More. She also says "Apples on Top" for Ten Apples Up On Top and "Bear" for Brown Bear, Brown Bear. But she melts my heart when she says "one more, Mommy"

#3: Nora counts to ten now - without skipping any numbers. She can even start from anywhere and go up. She also does not always count to ten. She realizes that there are different values and that there is not always ten. :D

#4: Nora will be writing and you will hear her say "N-O-R-A" she is spelling her name. Now I do know that she has no idea what she is saying or that it spells her name, but she is not even 2 yet!

#5: We're using the potty! (not consistently, but hey she knows when she has to go) She will even tell me "good job, mommy" when I go. :D

I could go on and on, but I will spare you the long drawn out observations, but there is only one logical conclusion.

Disclaimer: I am Nora's mother and I will always see her through rose colored glasses. This information in the following announcement may be a little exaggerated, but is indeed a fact. (to me) :D

Conclusion: NORA GABRIELLE BROOKS IS A GENIUS!

Christmas Time is Family Time!

The Christmas tree is up and boy is it beautiful! Nora seemed disinterested at first, so Tim and I put up the tree as she napped. When Nora woke up and came downstairs, she started adding ornaments to the bottom of the tree and you could finally see the magic of Christmas in her eyes.

Funny thing, she goes to the Christmas tree almost daily to quiz Tim and I on the color of the ornaments. "Daddy, what color is this?" "Good job, Daddy!" - Nora

Bubba reminded us of last year when Nora was just saying "tee". My time has flown, and she's grown up so much!

Thanksgiving '09

"Hey Good Lookin'
What ya got cookin'
How 'bout cookin' something good for me!"

Nora was quite the chef in helping us prepare for Thanksgiving dinner. She helped make the green bean casserole, the cranberry compote, the sweet potato casserole, and the cornbread dressing. "Help! Help! I wan (want to) help!" is what Nora kept saying as we prepared our small meal for three. She wanted to do everything. :D It was a lovely time together, and the food was not too bad either.



(I'm not too sure Nora was happy with the results of the cranberry compote.)


I am so thankful for my family, near and far. There is no other thing in the world that matters more than family. They all have a special piece of my heart. I think about how blessed I am that I have so many people to love and so many people who love me back. My family is the best part of me. I love you all. I AM BLESSED!

Yooooooooo Gabba Gabba!

Trick or Treat!
Nana, Poppa, Bubba, Jackie, and Austen all joined us for some Halloween fun!



Friday night, We finally cut open our pumpkins for some ooey, gooey, pumpkin fun! We didn't know how Nora would do putting her hand in all the slime, etc. since she has can be somewhat prissy. At first, she didn't like it, but then she saw everybody else digging in. I think she figured "Oh well, let's do this." By the end of the night Nora was elbow deep in the pumpkin and even helped Poppa carve his pumpkin. (So cute- She walked up to him and said "I wanna help." How could he resist?) Here are our pumpkins.
(from left to right: Kendra, Tim, Nora, Poppa)


Nora was Foofa from Yo Gabba Gabba this Halloween. (I'm so proud that I actually made her costume. Goooo Mommy Mommy!) :D Tim and I also joined the party and dressed up as Tootie and Mundo. As sweet irony would have it, we opened our front door only to find our friends, DJ Lance Rock and an Aqua-bot! It was fabulous!



Nora had a fantabulous time. She was so excited about going from house to house getting candy. It was cold and rainy, but Nora did NOT want to come inside.
Here are some of the cute things Nora said throughout the night.
Nora: "House! House! Trick or Treat! House!"
Nora: "I wanna walk! Walk!" (We were just trying to pick her up to speed the process, but Nora was not having that!)
Nora: "My BAG!" (This was yelled as anyone reached to help Nora carry her bag)

Now, how many years do you think we can keep it a secret from Nora that you are supposed to eat the candy you get?

Hillcrest Orchards: Boo Baby Day 2009

A is for APPLE!
Fall just isn't fall without a visit to the apple orchard, so our family tagged along with Aunt Mandy for her family's 8th annual Boo Baby Day. A lot happened that day. Let's see . . .

-Nora had her first cup of hot (warm) apple cider.

-Nora and Daddy visited the cow while it was laying on the ground. Nora was a little afraid, but not much. Later, Nora said "I want cow." Tim took her back over to see the cow, who was now standing. It was hilarious to see the look on Nora's face. She grabbed Tim's leg and would not let go. Nora - "There is no way this is the same animal we saw a minute ago! Save me Daddy!"

-Nora rode her first pony. (Not sure if she liked it or not . . .)

-Daddy and Nora slid down a pretty big slide. Tim went EXTRA slow as to protect his little girl, who looked totally bored. They tried again and went a little faster. Still no reaction from Nora. Only a couple more years before we try out a roller coaster. How old do you have to be for that?

-During the pig race, Farmer Seth was introducing the children who would be cheering for the pigs. Nora grew a bit impatient and yelled through the silence "GO!" It was very funny.

We had a really good time, and we ate way too many apple goodies. We had apple cider, apple pie, apple fritters, caramel apples, candy apples, apple doughnuts, apple brandy cake . . . I sound like Bubba from Forrest Gump. Anyhow, we will definitely use our apples for none other than homemade applesauce.

Pumpkin Patch Farm

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Big and round,
I'm glad your grow upon the ground.
I'm glad you don't grow in a tree.
For then you might fall down on me!

It was a VERY cold day when we visited Pumpkin Patch Farm with Aunt Mandy, Uncle Nick, and Preston, but we had a BLAST! Nora especially seemed to enjoy riding the John Deer scooter, and Preston lit up while running through the hay maze! There was a petting farm (that did not allow you to pet most of the animals . . . go figure) a hay ride, and pumpkins galore. There were big pumpkins, small pumpkins, and ones in between, but none of them were nearly as cute as my pumpkin, Nora. :D

We bought three pumpkins, a daddy pumpkin, a mama pumpkin, and a baby pumpkin. We cannot wait to cut them open. It will be so exciting to see Nora play in all that gooey mess.

I Scream. You Scream. Nora screams "ICE-CREAM!"

Today's Menu:

Breakfast: Ice cream
Lunch: Ice cream
Dinner: Ice cream

PROBLEM?????

I asked Nora "What mommy should make for dinner?" "ICE CREAM!" Nora responded. We have created an ice cream loving monster!

Yellow River Game Ranch

We visited the Yellow River Game Ranch with our good friends Evan, Nicole, and Lamonte (Mr. and Mrs. Cooper) Nora and Evan really seemed to have a good time feeding the animals. This was Nora's first time seeing deer, but she enjoyed the pig most of all. Later on, we looked through the pictures and all she kept saying wsa "PIG! OINK! OINK!" She also has been doing her whole "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" thing randomly. She always burst out laughing afterward. (Too cute.) Here are a few pics.




Funny Story: Nora saw the cougar and said "Cat. Meow!" -I guess a cougar is a type of cat, but I don't think it meows. :D

AUSTEN!!!!!!!

Welcome Cousin AJ!


Nora has a new baby cousin, Austen Jack Nora. We are already in love with him even though Nora has yet to meet him. We are planning to let the two meet for the first time this Saturday. I can't wait to see how Nora acts around the new addition to our wonderful family. Congrats Uncle Bubba & Aunt Jackie! You both will make fantastic parents.

Myrtle Beach: Sandy Toes and Salty Kisses

Sand - Surf - Sunshine
What a weekend! We drove to Myrtle Beach with our friends, the Coopers. It was Nora's first trip to the ocean. As soon as we put Nora's bathing suit on her, she ran to the mirror and looked at herself. She smiled and posed as if she knew she was cute, and of course, she was and always is. :D Anyhow, Nora LOVED the sand. She threw it. She played in it, and even ate it! What can I say, kids will be kids. We spent time in the ocean, but Nora definitely preferred the sand. I believe she could have stayed there all day.

We visited the aquarium between our trips to the beach. Nora really enjoyed it. This was her 3rd trip to an aquarium and she REALLY knows her fish! Could she be a marine biologist? Who knows. The sky is her limit!

Surrounded by Family. Surrounded by Love

Deramus Family Reunion 2009

This year, the Deramus Family Reunion was held in Tampa, Florida. Nora was able to meet her Uncle Buddy and Aunt Patti for the first time. She even got to spend the night at their house in Orlando. This is where we discovered that Nora does like baked beans. I guess I just don't make them as well as Uncle Buddy does. :D

In Tampa, we were able to spend lots of time with Cousin Rebekah and Aunt Necie. They are so much fun! I think we were the loudest room on our hallway. Nora and Cousin Preston ran from room to room laughing and playing. Later, Nora won a prize for being the youngest family member at the banquet. It was a lovely piggy bank that said "college fund." If only that was all the money we need for her to go to college. Wouldn't that be awesome?

A Weekend like No Utter!

We had a fabulous weekend celebrating National Cow Appreciation Day. We began by going to Cagle Dairy Farm. Yes, we actually made it this time, and we had a good time!

Nora tried to be such an independent little lady. She didn't want any help when given the opportunity to feed a calf. It was quite amusing to see her go from "I can do this all by myself" to "HOLY COW!" (Sorry about the joke. I couldn't help it.:D) Nora also had a mooey old time sticking her finger in the milking machine, but the highlight was the hayride. The cows came up and literally ate from the hay we were sitting on. It was great. Nora stood up and mooed most of the ride.




Our next part of this celebration included dressing up like a cow to get a free meal at Chik-fil-a. (The things people do for free food...) Nora and I dressed up, but Daddy was too cool. I guess that's why he only had a milkshake for dinner. :D

America's Sweetheart

This is my favorite patriot song. I really get goose bumps and a warm feeling every time I hear it.

And I’m proud to be an American where as least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.

We spent the 4th of July at home. Daddy cooked out on the grill. Later, we ate apple pie and ice cream while watching the fireworks from the Walmart parking lot. (Now that I am typing that, it sounds a little red-neckish...)

Anyway, God Bless America!

Let's Potty!

Nora has started coming over to me saying "poo" whenever she has to have a bowel movement. Shortly after she says it, she will go over to a corner and squat. Next thing you know, her diaper is full of poop.

So . . . (drum roll please) we bought a potty. For now we are just letting Nora explore it and sit on it whenever she says she has to "poo". We won't get serious for a while now, but I figure the more experience she has with it the easier potty training may be later. Here is her Princess Potty. It plays a couple of songs when you go in it. (not that I tried, but we did put water in it.) :D

Side Note: Tim hates the word poo. I asked what he would rather Nora say. I think defecate is a little too hard for her to pronounce right now and the word crap is just inappropriate for a young lady. :D

Summer Adventures: Our Trip to Blue Ridge

This year the family spent Father's Day weekend in Blue Ridge, GA. We had a fantastic time just being together.

Gone Fishin'
We spent a day on the Toccoa river fishing. Papa and Uncle Nick caught 4 fish (2 got away. . . and the other two needed some time to grow up, but hey, we all still had a "REEL" good time.) Daddy showed Preston, Aunt Mandy, and me how o skip rocks. Good Times!


Father's Day
Happy Father's Day Daddy, Papa, Uncle Nick, and Uncle Bubba. We hope you all enjoyed the day.



Hanging out with Nana and Mama J
Mommy and Daddy went rafting while Nora spent the day with Mama J and Nana.
1 grandma + 1 grand daughter = a SPOILED girl
2 grandmas + 1 grand daughter = a MAJORLY SPOILED girl

Summer Adventures (cont)

Story Time (Part II)
This week when we went to story time, Nora walked in like she owned the place. I really think she thought it was time for the Nora Show. She stood at the very front of the group without regard for anyone else. She clapped and danced and basically showed off. I wonder where she gets that from? Could it be from her father the step master? :D



Braves Game
Nora attended her first Braves game yesterday. She was as cute as a button with her Braves paraphernalia, her visor, and her very own sign. We were hoping to get to be on television, but oh well. We did, however, get our seats upgraded. We were supposed to be sitting in the nose bleed section with the sun beating down on us, but a security guard walked up to us and said how much he wants a little grand daughter. Then he told us to follow him right down to the TERRACE level seats. He was funny because he said had it not been for Nora we would've been sitting in the blazing sun. :D Thanks Nora! Whoever said good looks won't get you far, was obviously wrong in this case. :D




Jump Toons
Today, we met friends for lunch and a play date at Jump Toons. Nora was a little afraid at first. No, let's be honest, she was terrified at first. She would not let go of me at all. However, after about 30 minutes of testing the waters and watching the other kids, she was ready to go. Nora slid down the small slide and seemed to like it, so we had a go at the BIG slide - about 10 feet tall. She LOVED it! We must have gone down about 7 or 8 times. She even went down alone twice. The first time Nora went down alone, she sat at the bottom giggling and then she said "Whoa!" She was too cute! Of course, she fell asleep before we even pulled out of the parking lot. I knew she had a good workout and a good time. I just didn't expect it to be such a workout for me too. (I was sweating and exhausted!)


Comments from the pictures above: Nora- "OMG! You must have lost your mind to think I'm going to do this."



What a change in Nora's confidence level by the time she was asking to go on this slide again!