Long Time No Blog

January has been a very busy month. Usually, it is one of the least eventful months with very little going on. BUUUUUUT...the Baker family managed to change that this year.

Jan. 5th

We enjoyed the company of my dad's siblings and their families at dinner. My Aunt Joanie and her new husband came in town with my cousin, Dawn and her daughter, Heather. It was quite a treat. We do not get to see Aunt Joanie or Dawn very frequently and we haven't seen Heather since she was a toddler. It's hard to believe that she is now married and expecting a baby! Where does the time go??? It's nice to see dad enjoying some time with his siblings.


Jan. 6th

Shannon and I participated in the Feast of Lights pageant at St. John's with the boys. Shannon, Sam and I were all Shepherds and Fulton was the sweetest little Lamb you've ever seen. I was unable to take pictures because we were in the pageant and I forgot to get my Mom and/or Dad to. Their first pageant and NO PICTURES. What kind of mother am I???? The reception afterwards was very nice up until...Fulton was running full speed ahead in the gym and fell. He did the usual silence and sucking in of air until he let out his HUGE wail. There was lots of blood, bruising and swelling. I thought his sweet little nose was going to be broken but it looked much better the next morning. Poor little guy...it had to have hurt


Jan. 13th
We loaded up the kids and went to stay with Michael and Kristin in Summerville. Dad went with us too, but Mom couldn't because she was at home with Bronchitis! YUK!!! We spent the night and I think everyone had a really good time. As usual, Michael and Kristin were great hosts. Sam and Jameson played outside forever. Fulton and Isabella just toddled around. We played a few rounds of "Corn-Hole" and let the kids stay up way past bed time!!! We headed home on Sunday to get back to the daily grind.


Jan. 20th

We went out to Country Adventures Farm in Blythewood for Robert Harrington's birthday party. If you've never been...I highly recommend it! We had Sam's birthday there when he turned 3 and we had a ball. It is the BEST package deal for a party. Best of all...NO CLEAN UP!

Any who, the kids love the animals, hayride on the tractor and the marshmallow roast. They both rested very well that afternoon and it was a good thing because Sam went to the Circus for the first time that night.


Fulton on the Old-timey wagon

Sam petting the bunny

Fulton and Sam brushing the donkey

The Birthday Boy and his mommy

Sam and Shannon roasting Marshmallows

Mike Wilson trying to give Fulton a kiss

Robert enjoying his birthday song

Shannon and Patrick Kelley took Sam and Anna to the circus that night. I think they ate their weight in cotton candy and came home with the dollar store toys that cost $75 each as souvenirs. Patrick took pictures but I have not yet seen them. I will post them when I get them.

Jan. 25th-28th

I hosted the Just Ducky clothing show at my house. It looked like Chinese laundry as usual. The clothes were precious. It was also great to see so many of my sweet friends as they picked out some fun outfits for their children for the Spring and Summer. If you missed it...You can place orders anytime online...just remember to put me as your hostess. They have really cute custom made clothing for children. I have been hosting since 2003 and have yet to be disappointed in their line.

It was a busy weekend but it's always worth it.

This week we were also able to spend some time with Isabella. Michael brought her in town with him and they spent the night with Mom and Dad. She got her dose of Sam and Fulton. As a matter of fact, I think she got quite enough!!!

Unfortunately, this was not a very photographic month. I added a few extras just for fun since I fell down on the job. Any who, I hope you all are off to a great start in 2007. I tried to put everyone into the Valentine's mode with my red back ground. If you have any favorite love songs...let me know and I'll add them to my blog amp for you in the month of February.

Fulton is enjoying learning to feed himself

Fulton pimpin' the wipe container (He somehow got his pacie stuck in the wipe container and carried it around with him on his pacie clip.)

This is a nightly ritual. It began when he was still in the crib. Sam gets his OCD's quite honestly. We're going on the 3rd generation now. His Muzzy is famous for symmetrically aligning canned goods, contents of the refrigerator and various other household items. And I was the child who wouldn't leave the house unless my white knee socks were folded to perfection and "matched" evenly just below the knee. I would stand in front of the mirror every morning until I got it just right! We were late many times due to sock tantrums. SICK...I know! Thank goodness Sam's car alignment doesn't interfere with leaving the house.

More to come...

You never know what's next!

Yes, friends, What's Bakin'? has reached an entirely different level. And I, your blogger, have officially become certifiably crazy!!!
Keeping in theme with my new baking obsession (October's posts) and "What's Bakin'?", please note the newest link on the right just below the giant cupcake...
Pass it along to friends.
More to come later...

Addendum to New Years Eve

Allison made a fabulous dip on New Years Eve. It was the talk of the night!!! She has sent me the recipe. Enjoy!!!!!

Mexicorn Dip: 2 cans Del Monte Mexicorn
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons grated onion
Dashes of Tabasco
Mix all together and chill for several hours. I like to serve mine with the "scoops" tortilla chips. Very easy recipe! Enjoy!

The Mullet Is Gone!

Fulton received his first haircut the other day. He was a champ. He sat so still and let Ms. Kelly snip away. He still looks like a baby but it was certainly a monumental moment, as we cherished the days of the baby mullet. Our friend Allen, preferred the pronunciation Moo-lay. He said it sounds a little more sophisticated.


Any who...he is beginning to morph into a little boy. I was so very tired of random Joes coming up and saying..."what a precious little girl" despite the fact that Fulton typically has on an outfit with a train, car, football, or ALL blue with his BLUE pacie in his mouth. I feel like saying..."we think SHE is quite precious too, but we really wanted another boy. So we have decided to do some early training in becoming a transvestite." Come on people...let's put it together before you open your mouth.

He looks very cute!

"Old-School"...Dinner with Kathleen

Kathleen gave us all a crash course in striking a pose for the camera. She claims she learned it on Oprah! Supposedly, it's something like...chin out, tilt head, and turn your shoulder. Obviously, I have not mastered it!!!

We all gave it a try! But I think Kathleen has been secretly practicing her moves.

My dear friend from the days of old, Kathleen, was in town for the Christmas holidays. We get to see each other two, maybe three, times a year. I feel like I'm 16 again when she's in town. And though she hasn't lived here in several years, it seems like no time at all has gone by since we last saw each other. That's the great thing about growing up with people. There's a line in the movie "Stand by Me", it says something like... "you'll never have friends like the ones you had when you were a teenager." There is so much truth to that. They are the friends that love you for who you are. They know ALL about you and STILL love you!
We decided to go out to dinner to celebrate friendship and the holidays. I just love being with all the girls I grew up with in Columbia. We have such great, often silly conversations. There is ALWAYS so much to get caught up on. It was so hard to conclude the evening and go home. I felt we should be having an old fashioned sleep-over, where we would end up in the Burger King drive thru at 2 a.m.

My, how I miss those days!

Left, Front to Back: Meredith, Sazy, Kathleen, Anna, Me and Right, Front to Back: Eron, Mason, Helen, Katherine, Jenny

Kathleen and I took our little sweet potatoes to Leapin' Lizards on Thursday. They all played so nicely together. Ford and Fulton were as good as gold and Elizabeth and Sam jumped until they couldn't jump any more. In fact, they jumped so much that I couldn't get a decent picture of them. If Kathleen has any better ones to send, I'll re-post later. But you get the idea!

We look forward to playing with them again very soon!

I miss you Kathleen!!!! I'll see you this Summer!

Ford and Fulton

Elizabeth and Sam

Happy New Year!!!

Welcome 2007!!!!

L to R and back to front: Sam, Michaela, Grace, Eliza, Anna, Jack, Robert, Fulton, Mason...Not pictured: Newton, Liddy, Alec, Zachary, and Hawkins (It's so hard to get all those little monkeys to stay in one place long enough to get a photo.)

We hosted an impromptu child-friendly New Years Eve party. We brought the New Year in with a huge BANG!!! We celebrated from early evening all the way past midnight. There was lots of eating, drinking, and playing! I made a huge pot of chili with all the fixin's. Our appetizers, snacks and sweets were divine!

"They" say whatever you're doing on New Years Eve/Day is what you'll be doing the rest of the year! I hope that holds true because we were having a ball!

The kids really enjoyed the fireworks and sparklers. And they all looked so adorable in their party hats and crowns. The glow necklaces and noise-makers were also a big hit! Most of all, I think the kids enjoyed staying up until WAAAAAAAY past their bedtimes.

Clean up the next day lacked a little to be desired. Let's just say it's a good thing my dad owns a floor-covering company!!!! But it was all worth it!!!!!

I think we may have quite possibly started the next Baker tradition!

No one ever said sparklers were just for kids! Jimmy seems to be enjoying himself :-)

Lorri and I stop for a quick photo opp.

Ansley, Darby, Allison, and Marie retreat to the kitchen for drinks and snacks

Fulton...already a ladies man!

Spiderman and Superman even made an appearance

Dr. Dorothy and Momma tied one on with us

The girls gave me a little crash course in the Chicken Noodle Soup dance.

Newton poses in his giant party hat

The Daddies set up our fireworks show

Eliza enjoyed writing her name with her sparkler

Hawkins is so proud of his party hat

Zachary takes a little cat nap on mommy before ringing in 2007

We wish you a blessed and prosperous New Year!