Happy OH-NINE!

Isabelle rang in the new year at 9pm at her Fairy Godmother's (aka Auntie F's) house in Menauhant -- banging on a metal sauce pot with a serving spoon. Had there not been five inches of freshly fallen snow and whipping winds, we would've gone outside to make all the noise.

Highlights of the night: Isabelle octuple dipping the shrimp cocktail. Shane's gnome recordings. Lucky dog giving lots of kisses and getting lots of hugs (the most comfortable Isabelle has been around a dog). Robbie Knieval's volcano jump in Vegas (the graphics of what could've happened were priceless. Commentator: "Or worse: he lands IN the volcano.") Learning that the town will plow a dirt road if they see a house light on. Having 5 mouths to feed, and enough food for 50 (hence Dennis' lobster salad breakfast). Watching F's horror as her Taboo partner found new and inventive ways to mutilate easy clues. We will never let Dennis live down his Taboo performance. In brief: Uh. Uh. Hmmm. Uhh. Pass. (Repeat) Alternatively: Uh. Uh. Rhymes with chicken.

I was excited to sub Ally's spin class New Year's morning - and expected a packed house. Even though only 3 people showed (what happened to those exercise resolutions??!!), it was still a great way to kick off 2009. We wanted take the polar bear plunge at Old Silver Beach, but decided against it when we drove to the beach and felt the temps (10 degrees in the sun, and negative 7 with wind chill). Now, a day later we're looking at the pictures of kids jumping in and have decided we are total wimps. Next year.

Even going to the pool and coming outside with wet hair seemed like more than we wanted to handle. So, we went to the grocery store. And, there, Isabelle spotted Santa! She was pointing and yelling, "Santa! Santa! Santa!" I looked everywhere - well, mostly up at the decorations - thinking she had her eye on a small Santa picture in the wrapping paper of some presents decorating the top of the cheese aisle. No, she had her eye on the BIG man with the gray beard who was shopping in the cheese aisle!

Isabelle's new evening entertainment is jumping from the ottoman to the couch. We usually count for her: One! Two! Three! For the first time last night, she counted to three on her own. (She has been saying "One, two!" for a little while now - usually in response to our asking, "How old are you?")

Nose blowing has become quite the rage in the house. It's like a switch flipped just before Christmas, and she perfected her nose blowing technique. Between the act of actually blowing and the excitemet involved in throwing away the tissue, there is great joy in Kleenexville!