Celebration of the Good Old Days

December 29, 2007

Shana came by for an after Christmas visit on Saturday. The "Pappa'razzi was hard at it with the camera. He and Shana are both photography enthusiast! Blocker, Max and I were all still in pj's when she got there so she just hoped on the couch and we chucked it up for awhile until we got hungry. In response to our hunger, Shana suggested fish. As we prepared out meal, Blocker did the fish frying, Shana and I reminisced about our early college days when we would all come home from school (me, Shana, Carla, Denise, and whoever we brought back with us) and have the impromptu fish fry at Nisey's house. We also called Carla and checked out her new food blog which was very enticing, the food looked great, but she didn't include any recipes. In honor of the moment and inspired by the food blog we took a photograph of our prepared plate - fried catfish steaks and fillets, homemade french fried potatoes, salad with dressing of choice, and homemade punch. Not the most healthy or beautiful, but it was absolutely delicious!

Max enjoyed the meal tremendously!

Chef Shana did an excellent job on the fries. I was on salad and beverage -- I'm pregnant!

Skylar Simone Booth

December 27, 2007

My Goddaughter came home for a visit. She has been living in Chicago for the past year and I haven't seen her since the Thanksgiving Holiday last year right before she and her mother moved. Her mother is from Chicago, and decided to move back there after about 15 years in Little Rock, which is where Skylar was born. She spent a couple of days hanging out with the Blockers. We did the movie and the mall and she spent a lot of time texting and playing with Max. I cooked while she was here also, an amazing accomplishment!
I guess it's okay to pose and make a complete idiot of myself, if I am only going to see her once a year. I guess it's okay to be accommodating! I miss her already. Hopefully, we'll get to see her this summer. She used to go to Chicago for the entire summer. Now maybe she'll come here.

Christmas Day - Family & Friends - Part II

Markisha won the prize for most visitors on Christmas day. First we had Drew (ex-boyfreind - turned family friend). He was sporting a lovely velvet jacket and Kool Moe Dee shades. Then we had Edward (a new freind, but non boyfriend). He was very preppy and seemed very nice. He was not at all uncomfortable with our family antics. And I heard he held up to the scrutiny of "The Boys."
This is the first shot ever I have gotten of the latest Knight Family with all kids in tow. Kobi and Lenieka have been married for 3 months longer than Rodney and I - 4 years and 3 months. The man you don't recognize is Lenieka's father.
Kobi Janai wore several different outfits throughout the day (4 in all). I think this one was my favorite. That expression on her face is priceless.

Christmas Day - Family & Friends - Part I

The Blues Brothers is what I entitled this shot. "The Boys" are silly acting, but it's always nice to see them together behaving with civility."The Boys" and the rest of the kids engaged in a little front yard football. It was funny to watch them all scrambling for the ball and making up the rules as they went along.
This was my individual shot on the porch. I might be looking crazy in all the shots, but I still have the killer legs going for me. You can't even tell my feet are swollen.
My little cousins Mercedes and Malcolm were in the house. Malcolm is also my Godson and he celebrated his 12th birthday recently, but is as big as a full grown man.

Aryshona (cousin and Max's nanny) is out resident super model. She is holding Mercedes' 8 month old daughter L'Myia who I think is going to be our next super model.

Christmas Dinner

December 25, 2007

We had dinner around 4 even though almost all of the food was done before we opened gifts around noon. Mama just has this thing for late dinner. Everyone helped get the food out to the dining room. It was too many people for me, but it was good to have everyone there.

Kisha and Aryshona set a very pretty table per the etiquette book I keep in the dining room buffet drawer.
We had the usual spread. Turkey, dressing, ham, duck, greens, mushrooms, gravy, cranberry sauce, mac and cheese, croissants, cornbread, potato salad, and yams.
For dessert we had two citrus cheesecakes, two no-bake key lime pies, an apple pie, and a store bought carrot cake.
After Dinner, James Jr. and Aryshona washed dishes. That has never happened before so we definitely had to capture this Kodak moment.

Christmas Day - Gifts and Stuff - Part II

December 25, 2007

James Jr. and Dion spent the night, but Kobi, Lenieka and the kids didn't arrive until a little after noon. Unwrapping gifts was a chaotic disaster. We were literally wading through wrapping paper and boxes. I won't go through everything, but I will hit the highlights.

Markisha's big gift was a pink 4 GB Zune (a more diverse MP3 player; has less limits than Ipod). She spent five hours a few days later trying to download music to it. She is also into jewelry making so she got a huge set of beads and accessories and a calendar with ideas and techniques for everyday.Mama's big gift was a new Fossil watch; she's been complaining about not having a working one for a few months. So I got her a nice dainty one. Max got her an Ipod Shuffle complete with Itunes card - she's been asking for one of those for years.
I got exactly what I asked for and then some . . . a pair of black Merrills to accommodate my big juicy pregnant feet and two Dustbuster's!!
Jamey made out like a bandit with two big dollar amount gift cards to go toward the purchase of his Play Station 3.

Rodney of course got his camera and more camera accessories. The kids got lots of clothes, undies, shoes, and a few toys - keep in mind this is Gigi's house. Rodney and I always get the whole family movies passes so that they can go together as a family. I agreed to keep the two little ones when they went. Kobi and Lenika got a really cool picture of Kobi Janai taken at Max's birthday party, a new DVD player, and a dictionary. God is good!

Christmas Day - Gifts and Stuff - Part I

Before the rest of the clan arrived

December 25, 2007

We all watched patiently as Max bounded down the stairs and into the great room. Of course he didn't know that there would be anything waiting for him or that it was even Christmas morning. But instead of passing the great room and heading for the kitchen as he normally does, something stopped him in his tracks and there he stood in awe of . . . . .

the train table! He played with it for the rest of the morning with or without the rest of us.


He had other gifts, not very many, but there were a few more to unwrap and he had a good time ripping through the paper.

All I want for Christmas . . . .

Wee Hours of the Morning
December 25, 2007

All I wanted for Christmas was for Max to wake up to his new train table from Santa and peace! After a little moaning and groaning "Daddy" was able to make that a possibility. Over the past several months Daddy/Rodney has also been moaning and groaning about how awful our digital camera is. It has worked fine for me if I wasn't trying to capture Max in motion, but it was evident on Light Night that he wasn't going to last much longer without a new camera. I had to keep him from throwing it into some bushes at one point. What he didn't know was that I had already visited the friendly neighborhood camera store. These are the last set of pictures that we took with the old camera (Nikon Coolpix 5.1). Since I wanted really great pictures of the train set, I gave him his gift early before he was off to bed again. Below are pictures of him opening his big gift.

He took 350 pictures on Christmas day. It was him, his pj's, and the mega camera (Nikon D40) all day long! Now we call him "Pappa"razzi!

Christmas Eve Madness

December 24, 2007

Max woke up Christmas Eve morning bright and early with a big ole' swollen eye. After a trip to the pediatrician it was determined he had pinkeye. Supposedly it was in its early stages but the baby looked like he had been in a fight with Mike Tyson. Thank you Rodney for taking him to the Doctor while I busily prepared for the next day.

Markisha and I wrapped about 100 gifts. Literally, Mama and I buy gifts for all of the nieces and nephews, each other, the boys, Lenieka, Max, Markisha, and Rodney, in addition to a few special family friends. All in all I think our immediate family consists of about 6 adults and 8 children (17 and under). I know some people whose tree is as full as ours with only a few people exchanging gifts. KWK doesn't understand the "small" concept. My kiddos got one big gift each.

Cookie Decorating Party

December 22, 2007

Max has a full social calendar, not to exclude the annual cookie decorating party held by my friend Anne Weaver and her daughter Olivia. This year he was able to do more decorating than eating. Olivia provides the cookies and frosting and the children bring their on sprinkles. Rodney took Max while I stayed behind to do house work and wrap gifts. They had a great time. Rodney ended up leaving his knife at Anne and Tony's - I still haven't figured out what he needed a knife for at a cookie decorating party?!?!?!


As usual Max enjoyed playtime in the kitchen. Olivia has an indoor playground in her house so he also enjoyed the slide and other play areas.

Light Night

December 20, 2007

Rodney and I made an appointment with our oldest child for some family time. On the day she was able to fit us into her busy schedule, we gathered up the children and ventured out for a night to check out Christmas lights in nearby areas. We started at Burns Park, then on the Heritage Park in Lakewood. You know we are an eating family so we stopped for food . . .

at your friendly neighborhood HOOTERS!!!! I have decided it is the perfect restaurant for babies. Max was able to be as loud as he wanted to because the whole place was loud with sporting events on every big screen and men yelling at the top of their lungs. And he was totally enamoured by the bright orange short shorts that the waitresses wear.
After Hooters we drove by the State Capitol to see its' lights, to check out the manger scene and to go inside for the big electric train they have set up in the rotunda area where they used to put the giant tree. Of course we missed it by 30 minutes, but we were able to enjoy the lights. Maybe next year.

Christmas is a time for giving.

December 19, 2007

I was off on the 19th for an OB appointment (everything checked out normally) and took the opportunity to finish up my Christmas shopping. I made the treat bags for Max's class, which included a Crayola Tadoodle for toddlers and crayons. His teachers got Body Shoppe products and the big box in the middle was for the secret Santa card I pulled from the tree at he school it was a Soulja Boy CD and some Bath and Body Works products.

The other boxes are the gifts I gave to people at work. I thought I did such a good job wrapping them that I should take a picture of them.

CMO Christmas Party

December 16, 2007

The City Manager's Office Annual Christmas Party

was held at Carlette and Don's House this year. Thanks again for hosting us! I loved the white feather tree. I wish I could pull that off at my house. I live with way too many traditionalists. It always has to be done the same way or it's just not right.

Rodney and I were an hour late for the party, but once we got there, I kicked it off with a little Cupid shuffle (pictured below). Off course I missed the Swing lessons given by our resident dancer, Frederick, but I am going to get up with him later about that!

Like I said before, Carlette was our most gracious hostess and Starla, our office cruise director, pulled off another one. Thanks, Starla!
I actually put on makeup for this one and a shiny gold top. I am sure I was looking like a big giant Christmas ornament!