Lumber Jackery

The University ward decided to have a beardfest challenge for no shave November. So, this is what Andrew looks like with a beard. I am not going to lie, I like him clean shaven, but it was pretty fun to see him and the ward guys growing out beards. In the end, Andrew won the prize for best lumber jackery. I think it fits the bill pretty well. Too bad we couldn't find a flannel shirt for his beard shot.

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I was really excited to meet you, until I saw you. All that red was pretty intimidating and you didn't look familiar. However, mom and dad insisted that, if I wanted a play kitchen I had to tell you. So, even though I was crying and I quickly ran to my mother's arms after this picture was taken, I did in fact turn back and say, "I want a kitchen." I am just a little worried you missed that part. Perhaps next year I won't be quite as taken aback by all the red.

Sincerely,

Little Bug

Merry Christmas everyone!

Welcome to the family

I know I have said this before, but I can't stand laundry. For various personal and economic reasons, I lug all our dirty laundry up to my parents house and do it there once a week. By far the biggest downer of the week. Makes me grumpy to even think about it. However, things are looking up on the laundry front, we bought a washer and dryer this past black Friday! We really are not into black Friday shopping/deals, but my sister called on Thursday to inform us of all the good washer/dryer finds she was seeing. I am way more excited about this purchase than Andrew. Tickled and giddy are a couple good descriptions of my mood on the subject. This at least gives me one good reason to be excited about our upcoming move to Washington in January.

I think I could kiss them.

4 years

We recently passed our 4th wedding anniversary. This was the first picture we took together and marks the first family Sunday dinner Andrew was invited too at my house. It brings a smile to my face when looking at it. In part because Andrew is wearing a three wise women cooking apron, but mostly because I am just as happy now to be with Andrew as I was then. As Andrew describes it when asked, "It's pretty fun being married."

We decided to celebrate a couple weeks late when Andrew would be done with his dissertation (signed and turned in two weeks ago)! We used my sister's time share and stayed at a place in Windsor where we caught up on cable tv, slept to our hearts content, and ate all the cake we wanted. Can't wait till next year!

A party two year old style

This year Little Bug requested a "pink cake" and "pink lady cookies." Lady is our word for princess. The reality is Little Bug only likes cake and cookies in theory. She gets excited about them, but won't actually try them. Apparently, it is too risky. However, she is a fan of strawberry ice cream. I thought if there was any hope of Little Bug trying her cake this year I should do an ice cream cake.

She was excited all week as she saw me making lots of pink stuff. She even got to pick out a pair of fancy dress shoes and necklace to match her tutu. Come birthday day, she was thrilled. She even came up to me and told me she wanted to wear her tutu. That's where the excitement ended. She was too excited for the upcoming party to nap and only fell asleep for an hour. This girl needs at least a two hour nap to function happily. Unfortunately, she did not feel like participating after that. I guess she really is two.

This is as close as she got to trying the cake. She couldn't even bring herself to touch it.

When the candles were lite the cake became even more threatening. Daddy was needed.

She was too grumpy to wear anything but her lady shoes.

After the presents, she spent the rest of the time hoarding. She tried diligently to get her new baby bed and herself on top of her new chair, with unforeseen spacial problems.

At least she was pleased with her presents, especially her chair. I saw it in the window of a second-hand store. It looked like it had been used as someone's stepping stool in the garage. So we cleaned it up with some steel wool and oil and then reupholstered it. Little Bug picked the fabric, literally. She rejected every fabric I showed her by stating, "No, I don't like it." So I told her to tell me when she saw a fabric she liked. When she found the pink with polka-dots she exclaimed, "I like it. I want it chair. I hold it." And she was very upset when she had to let go of it for the cashier to ring it up.

Eventually, she relaxed enough to play pedicure/manicure with cousin Z.

From now on, all two year olds get a good nap and a surprise birthday party.

Halloween

In anticipation of Halloween this year we practiced Little Bug's "trunk or treat" and talked up all our Toy Story character costumes. She was pretty excited until she found out that meant putting on a cowgirl belt and tucking her shirt in. However, upon arriving at our event and learning quickly you get candy every time you say "trunk or treat" to someone really changed her attitude. She ended up not wanting to leave. It certainly made a mark on her two year old mind because the first thing she said the next day was "where the candy?" For our second trunk or treat she was begging to put on her Jessie costume, except for the shirt being tucked in. That was still a "I don't like it!"

Off to trunk or treat!

Stopping at Papa and Grandma's trunk. Are you recognizing a theme in costumes?

Checking out her loot.

The hat she finally consented to putting on for the last five minutes. She spent the next couple days carrying it around with her as one of her prize possessions.

"To infinity and beyond!" "yeehaw!"

My sister-in-law, with the help of Little Z's "please," convinced everyone in my family minus one to be a Toy Story characters this year.

We definitley had a lot of fun this year. Especially when Andrew realized to be a true Buzz he had to pull out his sweet talking Spanish skills and take his Jessie for a romantic twirl.

Pumpkin Patch

We went to two pumpkin patches this year and I would not be opposed to going to another one. I had no idea how much fun they were; train rides, pony rides, corn mazes, animals to look at... Either they have improved since I was a kid or we were just going to the wrong patch.

Little Bug insisted on pulling the wagon despite us trying to help.

But soon realized maybe mom and dad had a point in wanting to help.

Her choice of pumpkins.

Little Bug was so excited to see there was a "horsie ride" at our first patch. We didn't know if she would actually like to ride or if she just liked the theory of a horse ride. Before we joined the ranks of suckers paying way to much for a few minutes on a small horse, we tested it out to see if she would stay on the pony. This is the face we got. She loved it!

A couple days later when we went to another pumpkin patch with Z (my brother and his family). As soon as we got there Little Bug started talking about riding another pony, "horsie ride! horsie ride!" Sure enough she found another pony ride. This time around she noticed her cousin didn't have any assistance while riding. Of course this started adamant declarations of, "no touch mommy, no" while swatting my hand away.

The super slide was the major reason for the trip to the second pumpkin patch. I took Little Bug down it, but I think it was more traumatizing than fun. There were tears afterward and she is now refusing to go down slides at the park. This is a picture of Andrew right before he got some major air on the last bump. Hindsight bias, he didn't need to give himself such a big push before going down. Apparently even watching someone go down a slide is scary cause Little Bug also burst into tears when Andrew got to the bottom.

Now we are just working on Little Bug's "trick or treat" in preparation for the upcoming holiday.

Light

Assignment #3: Light experimentation

Waiting

Little Bug is a daddy's girl. As soon as he comes home she is all about "daddy." You can imagine her disapproval when her long lost daddy has to make a pit stop before playing with her. She does not approve. She use to shed tears, but has since learned to wait by the door, knock, and say, in a sweet voice, "please open daddy."

A Little Bug Original

We went through Little Bug's closet today. I say "we" because Little Bug was definitely involved. She rediscovered some very beloved items and insisted on wearing them. As we were heading out the door I tried telling her that the boots, hat and tutu didn't quite fit together. My attempts to take the hat off and switch out the boots for shoes were met with adamant tears. It was then I realized I need to start adjusting to Little Bug having a say about what she wears.