Crate Training

Here's the big 2-yr old before we left for Tejas. We have been in TX since mid-June and are having a really good time with Grandma & PawPaw and Great Granny and her cousins.
When we first arrived, the weather was hot, but really nice compared to the weather we'd been having in Willits before I left. No rain in sight! Yea - what a nice relief since Willits had had more than its share of rain.

The next few shots are of P playing in the front yard with the sprinkler. My mom's latest edition, Coo-Coo, I mean CoCo, played with her as well.

I'm always trying to get a decent shot - it's getting harder and harder as she gets older and more independent. I have about 1200 pics on my memory thingy b/c someone gets a hold of my camera and walks around saying "Okay, smile" while pointing the camera at herself instead of her subject.

And here's the best shot so far. The best babysitter money can buy. You can play on the computer, do dishes, even take a nap and you know your little one is safe.

The best toy $5 can buy. My mom needed a new toy bin for CoCo, but P decided it was better suited for her. It was pretty cute coming upon her and PawPaw in Wal-Mart - him pushing the cart with her sitting inside this tub. She loved it and rode inside it for at least half the trip through the aisles.

What a cutie! And how talented - she took this shot, not that she meant too, but still...

Well, here it is. Our new kitchen table. We really like it. It feels great to finally have a new table.
I watched Sehla while her parents packed for their move. The girls had a good time together. We're very sad they moved this week to their new home, but are grateful for the time we were able to spend with one another.




Next week is Spring Break and I will try very, very hard to update the blog with more videos. We've got some good ones of P reading and singing and dancing.

Here's some picture updates of our little one, well our big "little" one. I can't believe she's 2 months shy of 2 years old! The time has flown. She's such a gift.

We got new couches! Yea! P loves to climb all over the new set-up like its a jungle gym.


Sometimes it's just easier to let her "help" with dinner with her own set of "tools". She had fun and flour's not that hard to clean up. She did get a bath before dinner instead of after when she was done playing.



We've recently begun fingerpainting. I get the bath ready while she paints. She seems to really enjoy letting artist out.

I found some time to download ALOT of videos today. And P let me! Mainly b/c she LOVES to watch videos of herself and her family. So, below is a sampling of some of our favorites. They were taped in her 17-20 month age range. Enjoy!

I took this footage today. She loves "workout" music and right now one of my faves is Pitbull. She actually starts to sing along a bit. Daddy's been working with her on her "moves". We might have a professional singer/dancer on our hands. =)





Here's P "reading".




A sampling of why it's difficult to get good video of her. She sees the camera and has to see herself on it.



Nothing sounds so precious to me as when a baby belly laughs. Here's a couple of clips of some of P's.









Here's some cute talk and dance from P.



And, my time is up. Gotta get back to my sweet baby girl.

Photo Update

Here's our pretty girl. It's been hard to stay on top of updating the blog - sorry 'bout that. Anytime we are near the computer and P sees, she HAS to see the "ABCs" (keyboard) and punch on them. So, we don't use the computer much these days. Anyway, enjoy the pics. She'll be 20 months old on the 11th. Such a big girl!

Happy Halloween

It has been awhile since our last post. We have been busy both working full time and updating the blog has not been a priority. However below you will find a few snap shots of what Penelope has been gettin into. We hope to have another entry soon with some video updates, untill then....enjoy.

Video Update

So, summer is officially over and a new school year has begun. It's been a challenging week for us all. My heart is at home with Penelope and she's missing her mommy (more likely the milk Mommy can give her=). I know things will get better, but as the first video will show you below, I'm not sure how.

A little bit of background for this first video. We have a student rally at the very start of our first school day. There's always a teacher skit and usually the newbies are required to partake. Somehow I usually get bullied or guilted to join in. I held out well this year and missed the first 20 minutes of practice b/c I hadn't really committed. This year's skit was a dance to "Thriller". I'm not going to tell you where I am, but I did mess up twice (probably b/c I didn't go to the first bit of practice).



What I said above about not seeing how things can get better was a segway to the awesome dancing technique of the Willits High teachers. I know it will get better with P at home and me at work. We'll both adjust and re-learn to appreciate every second we have together. I have to say, this is much harder this year than it was last year. That first year is quite a challenge and I have to be honest and admit that when school started last year, part of me looked forward to getting a little break from full-time parenting. This year, I just want to be home with her. She's at such a fun stage and every day brings something new with her - a word, a sign, a look, a move, or a sound. She's just so amazing to us.

The videos below are a few clips of hard-t0-capture Penelope moments. As soon as she sees a camera, she's gotta have it, so needless to say, it's beginning to get difficult to take a decent pic of her or capture her cute moments on the video camera. I was going to post some pictures too on this update, but as I already mentioned, she's too savvy to the camera and I don't have any cute ones right now.

This one involves her Magic Carpet ride that Daddy invented with her the other night. Thank goodness, only Daddy can do this. She won't ride with Mommy. There's also some demonstration of her signs at the end.







This is a short clip of what she does when she sees the camera.





Here's her playing peek-a-boo with us.



Hope you enjoyed this quick update of Penelope. We miss everyone and are looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas when we'll get to catch up in person. Take care!