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One major milestone down... Rachel is now eating really well with a spoon and fork. We started off with the fork and she liked stabbing pieces of food and did well with it. The spoon however was a struggle because she likes to turn in upside down midway to her mouth and of course, everything just fell off into her lap. So, I gave the spoon a rest for a week or so and today I gave it back. She ate this mexican casserole and yogurt like a pro! While the yogurt was still a little messy, she was not eating it with her fingers like last time I posted. I am so happy about this achievement! 
Matt and I went to Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM) on Monday. Yes, it was very cold and windy, but we made it. Katie watched Rachel and after being out there for a few minutes, I suddenly felt bad for all of the other children being drug along by their parents in what felt like 30 degree weather. We didn't do everything there, but most of it, and finished in just over 5 hours. Matt went back to work today after being off for 5 days and this morning he called and told me he took pictures of icicles outside. Not too often you will see those in Florida, but it has been a chilly week. I woke up this morning not feeling too well. I think I might be getting a sinus infection. This has hampered my desire to run, but I did run 5 miles at the gym yesterday. I think I will sit today out and do another run tomorrow. I skipped last Saturdays long run and really don't want to do that again. So 11 miles here I come...hopefully. My car is being worked on at the Toyota dealership and we got a rental from there. Matt pulls in a Camry. It drives so nice and looks so pretty. However, I still want an Odyssey. It is always fun to drive something a little different than what you are used to though.
This little girl didn't mind being on Santa's lap at all. She has been very difficult lately in regards to smiling in a picture. We tried to take family pictures at the Winter's house with Katie's dad being our free photographer. We took many pictures and a few turned out good. It is just so hard to get her to smile these days. Nothing at all like last year when all of the pictures were good and we had a hard time choosing which ones we liked best. I will post some of those as soon as I get them from Katie.
Rachel, Lauren, Hannah, Kate, and I met my mom at her work and went to International Plaza to have pictures with Santa and eat pizza at CPK. Last year was not really successful with Hannah and Kate. Rachel didn't get her picture taken last year. I wasn't going to do it this year either, but my mom offered to buy a basic package, so I said okay. We have no Christmas dress and anything that really matches with red, white, green, or black. So, I just took a dress that fit. Rachel was fine sitting on Santa's lap, but she is a real pain when it comes to getting a good smile for a picture. So, she is just kind of staring at the camera. However, this sure beats Hannah and Kate's picture. Hannah was screaming and Kate didn't trust Santa, so Lauren and mom had to sit with them and Santa too. I got such a great laugh from it all! I will put Rachel's picture up sometime. This is at home where she liked to put one shoe on and walk/stumble around in it.
Just taking a fall.
The camera was on a weird setting.
And now to the fish tank. We went out on Friday and bought a clown fish as our first fish. We asked Rachel what she wanted to name him/her and she said "fish" because that is all she knows. Matt thought about it for a few days and came up with something great. I have read the Harry Potter books and Matt has just started getting into them, so he thought that Lord Voldemort would be a great name for our very tiny fish. I loved it!
We got some rock, but need to get more. We can add more fish in a few weeks, so hopefully be can pick up a starfish, some snails, and another fish for Lord Voldemort to play with. If I find the other one dead though...that will not be a good sign. Overall, the tank looks great and Rachel likes to watch the "fish."Tonight is my last class and of course it is finals, so not much for me to do except run them through the scantron machine and submit their final grades. I have really enjoyed my classes this semester and will miss many of my students. However, some of them have signed up for next semester with me, so that will be nice.Matt and I are going to Disney on Monday to use our free passes. It will be a very cold day, but we still haven't decided what park to go to. That will be fun either way. Date day for us! We are also going to Walk Through Bethlehem on Friday with some people and Christmas Lane. Rachel really really likes Christmas trees and lights, so I know she will love Christmas Lane. We have a nice winter coat for the cold now, thanks to a great deal at Children's Place.
Well, the Christmas tree is up and Matt actually helped me with it. That is amazing enough in itself because he really dislikes the tradition of a Christmas tree. I understand, but I knew that Rachel would really enjoy it. I have very few decorations and the tree is not that big and when you only have to decorate half of it, 10 minutes is about all it took us. Rachel has managed to already break on of the stocking holders, but thankfully it didn't shatter, but just a hand fell off. I cannot find it. I am working with her on "one finger touch" so she can touch things, but not pull them off and break them. She walked up to the tree and said "wow" and then reached for it and said "no no" a lot and over and over again. I also have a Veggie Tales nativity scene that sings when you push a button. It is "O Little Town of Bethlehem" in an awful veggie voice, but she loves it.
I taught her who Ernie is.
I cannot believe that her hair goes back into a ponytail better than mine does. It is getting so long, but everyone loves it.
Matt got some stuff for his fish tank in today, so we now have the sand and rock at the bottom and water. We are working on getting the right salinity level and hopefully on Friday, we will go buy our first fish. Probably going to be a clown fish (Nemo). Apparently, they are pretty durable. Rachel loves fish and really enjoyed going into the pet stores and watching the rodents, birds, and fish. She even notices our beta fish, Mr. Henry Robert, on the windowsill as she washed her hands. I will post some pictures soon of the tank. I have 3 more classes left at HCC until my 5 week break!
Well, here are some pictures from the race. Katie has most of them, especially the action shots because Matt left our camera in the car. If I know Katie, it will take her a little while to get them to me or on her blog. So, you will just have to wait for those. This me, Joy (Katie's sister-in-law), and Katie before the race. We were very happy then and looking energized.
The kids were troopers and kept the guys busy while we ran.
Rachel likes to pick her nose every now and then and I just thought it was funny.
Matt has now taught Rachel to lay in bed with him. So here they are cuddling.
The 10k over in Clearwater was not a pleasant course. It was hot, about 80 or so degrees and much of the run was in the sun. I actually got tan lines. They only provided water 3 times, but that was not enough for me since it was so hot. There were a few inclines and one good one towards mile 5. I actually saw one girl passed out on the ground with the paramedics around her right after that hill. I wonder why...The race seemed to take forever and my Nike chip wasn't calibrated to the correct distance so it was telling me I was done with the race when I had like a mile left. Ugh. I fixed that issue on Sunday. The race ended in Clearwater High School's stadium. Once I hit the track, I sprinted to the finish line. Some older guy was racing me at that point, but I beat him! My time was 1 hour and 5 minutes. I was so happy to finished with that race, but it wore me out for the rest of the day. We went to Matt's parent's house first for lunch and then went home for a nap. For dinner, we headed to my parent's house. Then, we went to Katie and Josiah's so Katie and I could do our Walgreens and CVS Black Friday shopping. Who knew that drugstores could have such great deals. We got a lot of product and made a good amount of money!On Sunday morning, I did my 8 mile run. I was so close to the end until I encountered a big mean rottweiler. I thought that I just wouldn't make eye contact and run by. Ohhh noooo. He barked a lot at me and then I decided my legs could hold out a little longer for me to turn around and backtrack just a bit. So, that stupid dog made me run about a quarter of mile extra. My big toe has a blister on it and I am thinking I am going to have to buy some running shoes. Rachel has a runny nose and Matt had a migraine today. However, Chuck and Lie to Me are coming on tonight so that is bound to make our night better!
One of Rachel's favorite things to do is watch for trains. Well, now if she hears one coming, she will drop whatever she is doing and run as fast as she can (some of you can picture this cute little run) to the window. We have to keep the blinds up for her all the time, otherwise she tries to lift them herself. She has learned how to do the chug a chug a chug a chug a choo choo line. Instead of moving her arms in circles though, she does kind of flaps them up and down. That is what she is doing in the next few pictures. She will however fill in the choo choo part. My Mom is getting her a train for Christmas filled with blocks. Two things she loves in one gift! Awesome!
Matt has also taught her to lay down next to him on the floor on pillows. I guess she thinks it is a game, but he loves his down time!
One of Rachel's famous and lovely open mouth kisses. We love em in this household!
That cell phone kept her laying there for awhile.
She also likes stacking her nesting cups. However, we have lost about 3 or 4 of them, so it doesn't work as well these days.
Guess what sound was coming out of this mouth?
A big fat WHINE
I have class tonight, but then I am off until next Tuesday! Matt also has Wednesday through Friday off, but has to work on Saturday because of the new schedule he got put on. We have a busy week ahead of us! Matt and Rachel are coming to the race on Thursday morning, so hopefully we will have some pictures this time.
There is really nothing new going on with this household. I am trying to balance my time between school (only four weeks left!) and running (which seems to take up a lot of time) and of course Rachel. I am really slacking with school because I can. I don't know what their grades are and I am always tell them to let me know if they want know their grades, but no one does, so I don't figure them until about two weeks before the final. Katie and I are running more these days. Between the four days we run, we put in about 16-18 miles per week. Soon, it will be going up. We have our 10k on Thanksgiving morning. It is a good thing I can do my baking the night before because I am going to be really tired after driving to Clearwater so early in the morning, running 6.2 miles and then driving back. Can we say NAP! Good thing I won't be doing my normal Publix shopping that day. Matt is doing fine, but he is on the hunt for another house to buy. The one that they were supposed to buy had extra leaks and mold, so the deal is off.
Rachel is healthy (praise God!) and a handful! She associates the bed with Daddy (I wonder why...) and loves to climb on the bed and jump. Anything daredevilish she pretty much likes. This girl has no fear. We have been going to the park a little more lately and she is now playing on the bigger playground with bigger slides and stairs/ladders to climb. She loves it. Blocks are a new favorite toy and the shape sorter is always a big hit with her. Of course, she still loves books and stuffed animals. She likes pushing her truck, tractor, and race car on the floor and making a vroom noise. She is on one nap a day finally with the exception of Tuesday and Thursday. I love it because she usually takes at least a 2 hour nap and has slept up to almost 4 hours before. Here are some pictures, although they are not great because I have mostly just not remembered to take pictures.
