Lost & Found....

The delay in updated pictures is due to my loss of the camera cable.  I'm pretty sure I let Taylor play with it the last time we uploaded our pictures, and it is probably wrapped around some baby dolls' head somewhere.  I'll finish cleaning the living room tonight and hopefully find it -- however I'm now thinking I've left the camera at my parent's house from Christmas.  Hmmm...

Hopefully everyone had a great holiday, and is either still enjoying time off or is non-working like I am right now.  I have an old picture of T from last Christmas here at work, so I'll post that.  That should get us by until we find the cable, the camera, and our minds ;)

Damn Santa

Scene: Saturday, Downtown Lawrence -- Attempting to sit with Santa

Taylor: "No no no no"

Me: "It's ok T, it's fine. Just sit on his knee for a minute. Santa is nice!"

Taylor: "wahhh wahhhh waaaahhh"

Santa: "Oh, no no- don't make her sit! Mom, you sit with me instead, and she'll think it's ok"

Me: "Uh, I am not sitting on your 70 year old lap! I'll break you! Taylor, just sit..."

Taylor: "Wahhhh wahhh waaaah"

--*Snap*--Picture Accomplished

Santa: (as I pick up a crying Taylor, with snot flying everywhere) "I didn't make you do it! Remember, it was your mom! Your mom is the one that made you sit!"

Is it like this for every one year old who is an hour behind on their nap? Maybe we'll do better next year.

My Girl Wants to Potty All the Time...

Taylor has more new vocabulary words, a few of them: apple, banana, and potty. She correctly identifies banana and potty, apple is just randomly sprinkled in every 'conversation' we have. We'll work on that one....because repeating "Apple" over and over again tends to lose it's effect unless you are shopping for a new computer, or you are playing with Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter.

On the potty thing...we aren't pushing potty training, trust me. I've read over and over (and even Dr. Spock agrees) not to try potty training too early, that it will only backfire and lead to breakdowns and ultimately to a unresolved desire to overachieve as a teenager. Blah blah blah. Whatever. This just happened, we didn't DO anything. We simply talk about the potty, Taylor identifies it, and now will occasionally go sit on her little potty. She even knows the difference between the noun potty and the verb potty; the other day while getting ready for her bath, Taylor was standing in the bathroom-pointing at the potty. She said "Potty?", and I responded "Yes, the potty. Do you want to sit on the potty before your bath?". Again, Taylor said "Potty", this time as a statement, not question. She thus proceeded to pee while standing up, right on the tile floor. Perhaps we should have invested in a floor drain, or a urinal.

Long, long weekends...

Having four consecutive days off is the bees knees. It gives one plenty of time to lounge around in their pajamas...

Where's Taylor? (Seriously, I saw this picture on my camera and could not figure out why I had a pic of the high chair.)

We were in El Dorado on Thanksgiving Day. Taylor "helped" Gram with the cooking. She did not help clean up.

Taylor cruisin' in her car at Gram & Papa's.

This is Taylor, playing the piano and singing. She was serenading me with "White Christmas" while I unpacked our Christmas decorations. The decorating process is underway, which has been quite an experience with a 14 month old. I'm not sure how much decorating actually is getting done, but I do know that between the 4 of us (Huck included) we broke 7 ornaments last night. The decor is definitely going to be minimilized this year...in order to save my sanity. Pictures hopefully soon....

Way back in '08...

My grandma used to make references to really rough times, saying "we didn't have a pot to piss in". Thankfully, we still have the pot, at least...

Please note that we usually don't let our child put her diaper-only butt on a pot - but it was abnormally warm this day and we had to strip off her little jeans so she would stop sweating. It's in her genes to be sweaty. Also, notice that she is somehow sitting on the handle, and not tipping this pan over. That has got to be a talent worth something...

Early Jayhawk Curriculm

This weeks' reading- Three Blind Mice (upside down)
Next week- Basketball: Its Origin and Development by Dr. James Naismith

If she plans on being a cheerleader, she most likely will be a base.

This man is NOT warm!

Happy Halloween...& a two week catch-up!

I think Halloween is the best holiday, and cannot wait to take Taylor trick-or-treating. We, as usual, had a big goose-egg turnout for trick-or-treaters, but fortunately for me, the whole family got to dress up this year....as three of the characters from The Wizard of Oz....

The Cowardly Lion

Dorothy, The Scarecrow & The Cowardly Lion. OH, you think that's hot? You should have seen his socks.

Old News:

Two weeks ago, Taylor and I went to Ark City for world-famous Arkalalah. Taylor thoroughly enjoyed the parade, as seen here while she was sitting with Grammie

We did get to enjoy the traditional food of the pancake feed, chicken & noodles, and I got my roasted ear of corn. I could probably live on roasted corn and Dr. Pepper. But my complexion would quickly look like Pizza the Hut(sorry for the obscure Spaceballs reference). Anywho- we had a great time, and look forward to many years of Shriner's, candy, and two hour parades. We also witnessed timeless parade entries....

Every parade needs a very pregnant woman bouncing up and down on the back of a tractor.

If you can't read this, this float says "Jesus es el Camino". It's not supposed to be as funny as I think it is.

Just to prove that she still does look like her dad.

Finally - if you haven't done so already, VOTE TOMORROW! I'd appreciate it if you'd vote for Barack, but even if not, get out and be part of democracy. And then wave your stars and stripes flag while you whistle Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American" (you are welcome for getting that in your head).