(Not) Dancing with Retired Mr. Roboto

It's been a rainy Washington week. I generally don't mind the rain too much--as long as I've got a waterproof coat to wear I actually enjoy taking Alice for a stroller ride or Savvy for a nature walk in a downpour. But it's been a lotttt of cloudy days in a row now. I'm looking forward to hopefully a few days of blue skies next week. 

Jared and I went out on a date this week! It was the first or maybe second time we've ever hired a babysitter since moving to Washington two years ago. Before Alice was born we always did Tuesday afternoon dates while Jack was in preschool, and since Alice was born we've had Jared's parents babysit a couple of times. For our date this week we met Jared's mom at a casino in Marysville to watch a Styx cover band concert (his dad was going to come but had to travel to Japan last-minute for work). It was actually very fun. We don't know much Styx music but the band was really talented and it was a great time. The audience was 95% retiree couples reliving their glory days, and they were very cute dancing throughout the concert. An older gentleman tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to dance at one point (I was sitting across from Jared's Mom at a table, and then Jared was next to her but diagonal from me, so it probably wasn't clear we were together). I was caught so completely off guard that I didn't even think and just stood up to go dance!! Jared gave me this odd look and I was like, "Hey, that guy asked me to dance. Should I--shouldn't I?" Jared was like, "Uhhhhhhh? Maybe shouldn't?" I waved the older gentleman to go without me (he looked annoyed) and then I sat down SO flustered through the next song. Jared and his mom were just laughing and laughing. I was pretty grateful it was time to head home to relieve the babysitter since it was a school night. Awkward. 

I have no explanation for why my knee-jerk reaction was to just follow this rando when I was literally sitting across from my husband and mother-in-law. Deeply seated people-pleasing engrained in my bones probably. The only situation I've been in like that is when I'd go to cousins' weddings and maybe an uncle  would ask me to dance? I'm not even sure that's really happened, but that's the only reason I can think for my reflex. Jared thinks the whole experience was very funny and will never let me live it down. I am forever grateful he reeled me back in because honestly, best case scenario, that would have been a super uncomfortable dance. Worst case scenario, could have been iffy. Yikes. 

Hm, other happenings this week. Jack's lego advent calendar continues to be the hero of December. It takes him half an hour to build each lego creation after he opens it, then he plays with it for another half our. It's the advent gift that keeps on giving. Alice is our dancing queen. Any time a song comes on she is either spinning in circles or head banging to the beat, or waving her arms in the air. She is a bundle of fun. Here are some pictures from our week:

^^Jared's mom gave me some old picture frames, and one had a picture of toddler Jared in it. I showed Alice and said, "This is Dada!" She then grabbed the picture, hugged it into her chest, and laid her head down on it while saying, "Dada, dada." 10/10 cuteness. Would recommend Baby Alice. 

^^Our stake nativity festival is incredible, year after year. It is open to the public and the entire church is decked out in decor and displays. There are hundreds of nativity sets and poinsettias (members can sign up to purchase one, and then we just pick it up after the nativity festival is over).

^^Homemade pizza night! This is actually a pretty big deal. I haven't pulled out our pizza steel in probably a year now, between Alice's food issues and my avoiding dairy while breastfeeding last year. But things are going very well on the food front for Alice these days. She's grown out of her tomato allergy completely. Her egg allergy seems to be a thing of the past as well (she has some lingering diaper issues with egg but no rashes or hives anymore!). There are signs of her being over the beef allergy too, but we will do an official test for that sometime this month. Dairy hasn't been giving her nearly as much grief. We let her have cheese and she seems to do just fine with it. I'm really optimistic that she will outgrow all of her allergies except for possibly the peanut allergy. 50% of babies with food sensitivities/allergies outgrow them by 12 months. 75% outgrow them by 24 months. And a full 90-95% of baby food issues are outgrown by the time they hit 5 years old. Peanut is one of the few allergies that tends to persist, but I honestly think she'll be able to eat everything else by the time she turns two. And as for me, I get to eat anything I want again! We are so grateful! I feel waaaay lighter making our meal plans now than I did at the beginning of 2023. 

^^I don't know if this is a baby girl thing or just an Alice thing, but she LOVES putting on necklaces, socks, this random elf headband . . . really anything. And she keeps it on, too. Baby Jack would have ripped it off the second it hit his head if I tried it on him. But Alice brings this headband to me with a grunt of a request for me to put it on her at least once a day. She's my little ham sandwich. 

^^Watching Shaun the Sheep Christmas.

^^The coziest view. These built-ins have been our best home project decision ever. Lots of work, and very worth it.