Tag Archives: coraline

Photoblogging: Profile

Coraline in Profile

I took this photo right after we washed Coraline’s hair. It helps give you an idea of how long her hair is before it re-curls as it dries, even though it had already started curling again by the time I snapped this. (5/11/14)

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Photoblogging: Mother’s Day 2014

Yesterday I enjoyed a low-key Mother’s Day, my fourth as Coraline’s lucky mom. We started the day with brunch — Coraline’s favorite meal — at The Egg & I, our first visit and one of the few places with a less than two-hour wait. Then we came home, where Rich and Coraline presented me with cards and presents. Coraline’s card made me cry (Rich chose well), while Rich’s was sweet and heartfelt. They gifted me with Lily Allen‘s new album, Sheezus, which I really like; a gift certificate to my favorite Italian restaurant, Altruda’s; and the Evil Dead Blu-Ray, which is a huge deal. It’s a huge deal because while I LOVE horror movies, Rich does not. At all. So he really took one for the team, because now that I own it, he knows there’s a chance he might have to watch it with me. That’s a good man right there. As far as Coraline is concerned, it’s a “people” (read: adult) movie that she can’t watch for a very long time.

Rich then offered to watch Coraline so I could enjoy a solo trip to Barnes & Noble without my tiny bookworm in tow — so luxurious. After the bookstore I went to my parents’ house to give Mom her card and presents. Coraline will be personally presenting her abuela with her Mother’s Day card today; we knew she’d want to do that herself. I got home, hung out a bit more, then when Coraline went down for her nap, I passed out on the couch with my cats. Then it was time for dinner, which we picked up from a nearby restaurant, and more family time. All in all, it was another great Mother’s Day. I’m really fortunate to be mom to such a fabulous kid, which I would never be without an equally fabulous husband.

Speaking of, said husband indulged me and took some pics of me with our curly-topped cutie to commemorate the day.

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Coraline insists she be called Darth Vader when wielding this little inflatable light saber.

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A kiss from Mommy

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Smiles

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A kiss from Coraline

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A BIG kiss from Coraline

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She’s very into making silly faces for photos these days.

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Me and my little girl

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From the Heart

Coraline made this for me at day care. She told the teachers what she wanted to tell me, and they wrote it on this little butterfly made from tracing her hands. It’s the most perfect Mother’s Day present I could have hoped for. Artwork like this makes day care worth every cent.

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Butterfly Hands

I hope all my fellow moms — to both little humans and fur kids — have a wonderful Mother’s Day this weekend. I know I’m looking forward to spending it with my favorite curly-haired munchkin.

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Photoblogging: Rapunzelesque

"Look, Mommy! I look just like Rapunzel in the tower!"

“Look, Mommy! I look just like Rapunzel in the tower!”

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Photoblogging: Natural

"Coraline, look at me. Smile! Act natural." Sigh.

“Coraline, look at me. Smile! Act natural. Natural.” Sigh.

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Photoblogging: Coraline’s 1st Letter to Santa

Coraline dictated a letter to Santa. She also decided on the menu of chocolate chip cookies, which she helped make, and chocolate milk, because surely Santa would prefer chocolate over white milk.

Coraline dictated a letter to Santa. She also decided on the menu of chocolate chip cookies, which she helped make, and chocolate milk, because surely Santa would prefer chocolate over white milk.

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Photoblogging: Coraline at Christmastime

Coraline by the Christmas Tree

Coraline poses by our Christmas tree in the dress she chose for the holidays this year (12/8/13).

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A Long-Awaited Date With Santa

Song Lyric of the Day:

He’s making a list / And checking it twice / He’s gonna find out / Who’s naughty and nice / Santa Claus is coming to town

Fred Astaire / “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town

Yesterday we took Coraline to visit Santa Claus at the mall. She’s been asking since January to see Santa again as he made quite the impression last December, so it’s been a long year of:

“Is Santa at the mall? Is he there yet?”

“When will Santa be back?”

“I don’t want to see the Easter Bunny! I don’t like the Easter Bunny! The Easter Bunny is friends with Santa?!?”

“When will Santa come back to the mall?”

“Is Santa at the mall again?”

“Mommy, I saw Santa at the mall! He waved at me!”

“I’m going to be brave and talk to Santa.”

“I get to go see Santa after Thanksgiving.”

“YAY! SANTA!!!”

Hamming It Up

Coraline hamming it up while waiting in line to meet Santa.

Since Cora’s been talking about Santa all year long, Rich and I figured she’d either go through with a solo visit like she’s been saying (“I’m going to be brave!”) or she’d end up choking at the last minute. She did us proud, though. She waved and yelled hi when Santa entered the courtyard and took his seat. Then when it was her turn, she held my hand on the way to Santa’s chair, happily swinging her free arm the whole way. Once in front of him, she smiled and said, “Hi, Santa.” I asked her if she was ready to sit down with him and if she was going to do it by herself. She said yes, I placed her on Santa’s lap, and my brave girl came through.

Coraline and Santa Claus

Coraline finally gets her moment with the man in the red suit.

I stayed close by since Rich and I are trying to get gift ideas out of her. Whenever we’ve asked what she was going to ask Santa for, she’d answer, “Christmas presents!” What kind of presents? “Toys!” So she hasn’t been terribly helpful there. Today, though, the first thing she asked for was books — she is her parents’ daughter, after all. When Santa asked which ones, I gently reminded her about the Ladybug Girl series and how she mentioned wanting Dora books. She also asked for princess dolls (there’s a big set at Target she’s got her eye on). The last thing she asked Santa for was “Blocks.” Then a few seconds later: “Legos!” Since Santa realized he wasn’t going to get too many specific requests out of her, he asked if she’d like surprise presents. You can imagine how excited she got at that prospect.

Asking for Presents

Coraline asking for books, princess dolls, and Lego blocks.

I think she would’ve hung out with Santa all day if it had been possible. She wished him a merry Christmas and we went on our way. Once we were a little ways away from the courtyard, she hollered, “I. SAW. SAN. TA!”

I. SAW. SAN. TA!

Coraline at home celebrating once again how brave she was when she saw Santa Claus.

I predict it’ll be maybe three days after Christmas before she asks, “When can I see Santa again?”

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La Di Da Di, She Likes to Potty*

Song Lyric of the Day:

La-di-da-di, we like to party / We don’t cause trouble, we don’t bother nobody / We’re, just some men that’s on the mic / And when we rock upon the mic we rock the mic right / For all of y’all, keep y’all in health / Just to see you smile and enjoy yourself

Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh / “La Di Da Di

Today marks 7 weeks and 1 day since one of the most magical, glorious, long-awaited things that can ever happen to a parent happened to me: Coraline became fully potty-trained. So yes, there will be some talk of pee and poop within this post.

Thanks to day care — probably the only time I’ll ever be happy about peer pressure — Coraline had been practicing going potty for more than a year. She first successfully peed on the potty just shy of her second birthday. For months now, she’s been accident-free at day care, wearing BIG GIRL PANTIES!!! (her enthusiasm, I assure you) and only wearing Pull-Ups at naptime. On the days I work from home, she’s worn her BIG GIRL PANTIES!!! during naptime without any accidents.

So on that magical, glorious, long-awaited day 7 weeks and 1 day ago, I was working when she walked over and quietly, almost shyly, said, “Mommy, I have to go potty.” Nothing unusual about that (except for the quiet shyness) since that’s what she said any time she had to pee. So you can imagine my surprise when she ended up dropping off the kids at the pool, a first. I could have thrown a party for her right then. As it is, I thought of her breakthrough as her early birthday present to herself, since it was six days before her 3rd birthday. She even came up with a potty-training mantra on her own: Pee and poop go only in the potty!

She’s had a few accidents since then, like an accident at school one day the teacher blamed on Coraline’s enthusiasm to get the job done, or not getting to the toilet quickly enough here at home. But overall she’s done great. And just two nights ago, she announced that she was going potty on her own, no doubt inspired by seeing her two big cousins do just that this past weekend. She was so serious about going on her own that she made me wait in the hall, around the corner from the bathroom door. You know, so she could have some privacy and, oh, not have to see her mother.

Even if Coraline were still working on the whole potty-training thing, I’d still be proud of her. But now that she is fully potty-trained, I thought I’d share it with all of you exactly how proud I am of my (big in her mind) little girl.

Coraline hamming it up the day of The Big Breakthrough (9/18/13).

*My apologies to Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh, but I just couldn’t resist.

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Three: Happy Birthday to Coraline

Coraline on the morning of her third birthday

Coraline is now officially a 3-year-old. Happy birthday to my little princess, who has her own distinct (toddler) fashion sense, great comedic timing, is whip-smart, and has a kind heart. I love you, sweetie. Happy birthday!

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