An Alternative New Year's

After several days of no sickies - I came down with a lighter version of the stomach bug that everyone had over Christmas.  We postponed our traditional NYE celebrations with friends and family and canceled our new year's day festivities due to the bug.  :-(

We'll be spending a "quiet" New Year's Eve at home this year (how quiet is a night in with a 2.5 year old!)

Here are some pictures from earlier this evening with Gramps in the fresh snow. 

Merry Christmas

Hope everyone had a merry Christmas!  We had a very nice time visiting Grandma & Grandpa Follick.  Unfortunately, we had a round of stomach bug hit the house and a few of us got sick (Eric & I managed to come out unscathed, thank goodness!)  Despite the sickies we had a very good visit and Taylor had a wonderful Christmas.  Here are a few pictures...

Eric got the job of putting together the tricycle

Whew!  That was tough work!

Eric caught me in the act of wrapping!

Taylor and her "loot!"

"Merry Christmas, Everyone!"

A Cold Trip to the Zoo

Last weekend we took a very cold trip to the zoo.  We had promised Taylor the day before that we'd go - not knowing it would be so cold!  We literally ran from indoor exhibit to indoor exhibit.  I've never been so cold!  (we had fun, though!)

Taylor & her turtle friends

This is a picture of our dashboard - yes, it was 9º out!

A Christmas Song

Enjoy a Christmas greeting from Taylor!

A Reindeer Project

Last night we finished up a candy cane reindeer project we've been working on.  We got a little hot glue on the table, and some on my leather dining chair but we managed to have a good time!  (glue spots fixable!!)  These are going to be Christmas gifts from Taylor for the family!  

All the pictures I took have her eyes shut - this must be the new "smile!"

Donner & Blitzen having a talk!

"See, momma!"

A Hike in the Dark?

Last weekend we went on a hike in a great preserve nearby.  These pictures are pretty dark - it wasn't that dark out but I was afraid we'd get stuck out there in the wilderness with no flashlight and in the rain (it had started to sprinkle!)  We had a great time and collected some fun "pets" (rocks and nuts from the trees!)

This is an old limestone kiln from the 1800's - built to make limestone powder to use in mortar.  Its really cool in person - and very big!!

Deck the Halls...

First of all, to all my southern readers... The snow looks beautiful!  Hope it was fun.  I think it has been too darn cold up here to even think about snowing.  (we've had ice on our cars every morning and it seems to stay in the 20's until noon!)

I've enjoyed seeing everyone's Christmas decor and so I thought I'd share my "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree with y'all.  Our apartment is too small to house my regular tree so I got a set of urn trees the day after Thanksgiving.  One sits on our front porch and I've decorated the other inside.  (I figure I can use them on a front porch when we buy a house.)  

Speaking of housing, we would really appreciate your prayers on our house in Texas.  Its getting some activity from lease possibilities but no purchase bites.  Please pray that we'll have a contract soon (either lease or purchase!)

Eric didn't know it but his speaker system makes a great tree stand! 

Making Cookies

Eric, Taylor & I made Christmas cookies last night - we used my cookie press to make some fun and yummy treats.  Taylor had a great time helping me cook, and an even better time tasting the results!

Professional Picture?

Those of you who know Eric will probably understand (and appreciate) this...

Ever since I've known Eric, I've had a hard time getting him to take a "good" picture.  His idea of fine photography is making a horrible face just as the camera goes off. (See our examples below)  In fact, he prides himself on taking the best driver's license photos each time we change states. (The people at the airports always laugh when they see his ID.)  This is fine, I'll bear the burden of pestering him until I get a smile, but I'm not sure the people at his new job knew quite what to make of his "professional work picture!"  (Its the very last picture)

My Examples:

...and THIS  is his Work Photo:

I hope they share his sense of humor!

Funny Things a 2.5 Year Old Says...

Taylor has quite the vocabulary.  Whenever we go out she's always receiving comments from others on how well she talks... and talks!  (She's quite the conversationalist!)  Despite her eloquent nature, she still has a few words that come out "Taylor Style"...  Here are a few of our favorites (of the ones I can remember!)

"Some-ping"  Something

"I'm A gonna..."  I'm going to...

"Ba-ket-ball"  Basketball

"EEE-oops"  Oops

"C-O-T-M-E-N"  That's how she spells our last name

"DE-addy"  This is what she says when she really wants daddy

"What's De-At?" What's That?

"A Couple One Times"  A Couple of Times

"You Can Do That, If You Want?"  This is how she asks to do something

"Where's My Coloring Fing"  How she asks for her magnetic doodle pad

A Few More I Came Up With...

"Speddi-Geddi"  Spaghetti

"Apple Auce"  Apple Sauce

"What You Say-ed"  What did you say?  (We're getting tenses, just not quite right!)

This is all I can think of right now... its late!  If I think of any more I'll add on!

Last Hoorah!

Our last outing with Mimi and Pop-Pop was to the Science Center.  Taylor had a great time going from exhibit to exhibit... it was like sensory overload!  We spent our time chasing her around the place.  (Literally... her favorite thing to do you'll see in the last picture!)

Today we sent Mimi and Pop-Pop back to Austin, Daddy back to work and we went back to work on our potty training!  It was a lonely, quiet (and wet) house.  I'm just not sure about the whole potty training thing!  Taylor is either very strong-willed and wills NOT to be toilet trained or I'm not very good at the whole teaching thing.  I had her stripped down this morning and she held "it" until nap time.  When I put a diaper on her for bed, she "went" and leaked out all over before I even got her down for a nap!  Any ideas?  (We've tried almost everything I can think of!)