Christmas 2008

The Barbie house was Sydney's big gift from Santa this year. Although I didn't get the response I expected from her when she saw it, I know she loves it and has already completely ransacked it. So, it's getting some use.

Christmas morning. She needed the Aquadoodle since she tells me that our walls just look like paper and that's why she writes on them.

She REALLY wanted this movie

Our family on Christmas Eve. I don't know what her problem was. And Chris looks like he might be part of the mafia.

Her new winter coat from Great Aunt Sissy. Very pretty, and not white, like last year's!

My niece, Cali, opening her HSM bulletin board we got her.

Pure Christmas joy and excitement! They were both so beautiful in their pretty dresses. I originally had Sydney in jeans and a turtleneck so she'd be comfortable, but she insisted on the dress. I'm happy she did. Otherwise, Addison would've shown her up!

Chris and his mom. Awwww

They love each other soooo much!

This is what I found, Sydney passed out, BEFORE we even left the house to go to his mom's. So sweet though. I don't have any pics from my mom's Christmas, cause I left the camera at home. Ooops. So now Dad has to put his pics on a CD for me or whatever. So, now Sydney has her new toys strewn throughout the house in true day after Christmas fashion and is, for some reason, watching an old movie instead of a new one. Sigh... Time to clean up! Hope everyone had a good holiday!

Singing in Church and other cute pics

Once again, my pics are out of order and my OCD is really acting up, but I'll work through it.

This is how she was sleeping the other day during nap time. Reminds me of Chris.

This is Sydney after church, snuggling the dog in the "warm shadow" as she called it.

This is Sydney being a butthead during church. She was supposed to be singing and wanted NO part of it! Which is too bad, cause they were cute! She just wasn't in a good mood this morning. I had a hard time even getting her to go to class. I think it had something to do with her being sick yesterday.

I even fixed her hair in curls for the occasion! BTW, I did this with my straight iron, which I realize sounds contradictory, but it is a machine of much versatility!

My pretty girl! She looks so old in this picture.

Posing in her new Christmas dress. Of course, the dog just has to stick her nose in everything.

A picture Sydney took of the dog. I think she did a pretty good job. Please ignore the still unfinished floor. We are a house of procrastinators.

And finally, this is what Sydney wanted to wear to swim class last week. Much to her dismay, she had to change, since it was cold outside.

Prayers

The other night, we were supposed to be following Chris to a restaurant where we were meeting friends. I know where this restaurant is and could find my way there if I had to, but always get confused which turn to take off the highway. So, I couldn't see him up ahead of me and Sydney asked where he was. I told her I didn't know, but I hoped we could find him, cause I wasn't sure exactly how to get where we were going. So, she told me she'd ask God to help us find him. So, I said "you're going to pray about it?" And she said yes, so she closes her eyes, folds her hands and bows her head and said something along the lines of "God, please help us find dada so we know where to go." It was soooo sweet! Then she settles back in and a few minutes later, she says "you know how some kids pick their boogers?" To which I replied "yes, but we don't do that, do we?" She told me no, she didn't, but she wanted to pray for the other kids to stop picking their boogers. So, she bows her little head, folds her hands again, and says "God, please let the other kids stop picking their boogers. Amen." So, this is the largest concern apparantly to a 4 year old. It cracked me up!!

The tree is up

Aww, poor kitty. Held against his will.

Sydney decided to hang this old tree skirt from the knob of the door. It's for Santa, he'll think it's beautiful.

I think this is one of the pics we'll be using for our cards this year.

Putting up the tree was exhausting for Cori.

All finished!

We put the tree up in the basement this year, since the upstairs is a war zone of missing flooring and possible painting. Sydney hung pretty much every ornament this year and did a pretty good job. She really got into helping me.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

We had the usual busy, fun filled turkey day that we have every year. We go to my mom's first, and then off to his family's, wherever it may be that year. This year it was in Campbellsburg, so we had a little hike. This is Sydney when we first got to mom's. She had fallen asleep on the way there, and it's never a pretty picture when she first gets up. So, for the first couple minutes, she just hung out on the stairs.

We brought Addison home with us from Chris's aunt's house and she cried for the first 25 minutes we were in the car. She has major separation issues. But, eventually, she calmed down and the conversation turned to coyotes, Sydney's favorite thing to talk about. Addison told her she liked coyotes, especially the purple ones. To which Sydney replied, "oh, you mean hyenas." I have no idea where these kids come up with this stuff, but it cracks me up. Later, Sydney was singing along with "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt. Where on earth did she learn that song? Anyway, I'm thankful for a good day with good food and good family.

Budding Artist

Here are some of the things Sydney's been drawing lately. That's pretty much all she does anymore. Sit down with a piece of paper and a pen and just draw for hours. Maybe this will be a talent of hers. I think she's pretty good, for her age, but maybe I'm biased.

This is a drawing of her crabs. This is my favorite.

She's been asking me to draw things for her, so she can see what they look like. This is really a bad idea if she's trying to develop some skills, cause I absolutely cannot draw. But she's currently working on being able to draw a guitar, a hippopotamous, and a dragon.

Update on swim lessons...not going well. She loves to be in the water and she's perfectly fine with doing all the things required of her, except being let go by the teacher. The teacher wants them to swim to her, face in the water and Sydney just will not do it. And when I say will not, I mean screaming, sobbing, "no no no" So now the teacher has to hold on to her fingers and swim backwards in front of her. I have a feeling unless she can get over this, that we're not moving on to the next level here. Sydney tells me she doesn't want to go anymore, that she wants to do "nastics" (aka gymnastics). I'm trying to teach her that we finish what we start and that you need to face your fear head on and conquer it, but I think it's lost on her.

We're Back!!!!-Warning--Major Picture Overload

So, we're finally home from our wonderful 9 day journey across the Caribbean. And it was everything I thought it could be. Anyway, this first picture is for Kelly. Cause we had a deal. And now I get to hold the baby. HeeHee...

So, this is St. Maarten, which was actually our last stop. I apologize that these are not in chronological order. This is one of my OCD things. It really freakin' bugs me. Anyhow, it was raining when we got there and our excursion was a Snuba dive, which is a cross between snorkeling and scuba diving and it was a totally awesome experience. I did have problems with getting the pressure in my ears to equalize, so I'm not sure I could do scuba, but it was so neat.

I just thought this rock was really cool.

More of St. Maarten, which is one island, but two countries. The island has a French side and a Dutch side. Pretty nifty.

I don't know what this is, but it looked really cool. Some kind of old fort maybe? I didn't get a chance to ask.

And here we are in Puerto Rico, our first stop. Let me just say, B-E-A utiful! I love old stuff and ruins and this place had it. Loved it. Too bad we got there at 5 and everything pretty much closes at 5, but we found a man who took us on an hour long taxi ride around the city.

The name of this place escapes me right now, but really, just look at it. Awesome!!

I love this picture. I can't figure out what happened to Chris's shirt, but I can fix that...

This is is St. Thomas. And this goat is named Monica Lewinsky. No kidding. I thought she was cute, but she didn't like me, she kept trying to eat me.

And here is yet another example for my God given talent for photography. Not that I'm bragging or anything.

At an overlook in St. Thomas. Looking down onto Magen's Beach.

A rain fall coming in. This is from our balcony on a sea day at like 6 am. It never did catch up with us though.

This is from our second formal night and the evening of our cocktail party. Wooo! Much fun was had that night!

See, I told ya.

Chris, trying to be a bad ass with his Taz "tattoo" What a pansy.

Ok, so that's it folks. All of the pictures will be uploaded to myspace at some point this week. So, check it out!