just getting by

Looks like this month will be another period of slapping some pictures on here and calling it good. Lightroom is so backed up with photos, I don’t even know if it’s worth sharing them anymore! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and we are looking forward to Christmas even more. We have already started company parties, planning with both families, and put up the tree.

 

As I mentioned before, Paisley’s behavior has been a huge challenge for us lately (she’s an angel at school, go figure!) and we were starting to wonder where we went wrong. Add to that the 4 day Thanksgiving weekend where she decided not to nap on any of the days without a huge fight. Two of the days, we skipped it all together after hours of trying quiet time and other measures. Last week, she again had a huge breakthrough in her communication and started using her words instead of crying, started practicing a little more patience, and in general being more pleasurable to be around. Her new thing the past week has been “Okay, Mommy” or “Alright, Mommy” and also being agreeable by saying “Yes” or “Okay” for instance when we tell her she needs to eat two more bites before she can have cookies. Wow…we thought we were sinking there for awhile but like all things, it’s on the upside again.

 

Today’s nap has already been over 2 hours, so I think we are winning already. On that note, let me slap in some photos and get this posted!

This day, Paisley informed me that I was wearing “Daddy’s shirt”.

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Thanksgiving feast at school. Look how happy this little bug is! :)

Our first Thanksgiving in our new house really felt like home. (And I made my first Turkey!)

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Offering me “tea” at bath time.

Reason #856 I can’t use my flash.

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Early morning walk with my girl.

Watching the Rockefeller Tree lighting.

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Sally Hansen “Kitty, Kitty” nails.

My two cozies by the tree.

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Monday.

Tuesday.

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Fall came to my town, two months late. She educated me on the fact that the leaves fell from the trees. So cute.

My “uniform”. Sometimes I change up the shoes. I can’t help it that whenever I walk out of my closet, I’m wearing the same-ish thing most days.

No filter. Fall…um, Winter leaves.

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Me & my girl.

I have been listening to SO much Christmas music lately, but when I need a break, I LOVE my Adele Pandora station, especially since it’s mostly Sara and Adele :)

Happy weekend to you! One company party down, three to go…

Finally…Paisley’s second birthday video

instagram sunday

No blog post was coming, no photos looked quite right, I kept clicking back and forth between the internet, Lightroom, Movie Maker. No matter how long I sat there, NOTHING was coming out. Pea’s nap was more than half over and I think I had sat there for an hour thinking about what I COULD be doing. So I just got up and cleaned. It’s something concrete, that has an end (kinda) and gives you something to show for. I knew a blog post would not be at the end of this nap. And lately, I sit terrified that I hear her singing in her bed, we are both wanting to read her this book lately. Yeah, you should click the link. 

So, here we sit with Instagram! It’s the go-to for interim sharing while your other photos pile up and become less relevant by the day. So, here’s what we’ve been up to.

She reads to us now. It’s so wonderful.

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These little characters have not left her side since her cousins gave them to her for her birthday. Mickey yogurt with Mickey and friends. Oh boy.

She *is* still a baby. See?

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Oh my goodness! A braid! Her first braid.

I discovered the app Afterglow this week. It’s even more fun than Instagram. I’m in love.

Mama in stripes.

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Paisley sharing her new hats with Daddy. I love these two cuties! Btw…Wal-Mart has some cute hats this season!

We took her to the local toy store last weekend. Half way to entertain her and let her tear up someone else’s stuff for an hour and half way because we went Christmas shopping. One down, a million to go!

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Surprisingly, she LOVED all the Thomas the Train stuff.

My hunny made me some of PW’s Hot Chocolate. I wish I could have it every day, twice a day.

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Getting a tat.

Another attempt to entertain my girl by taking her to the toy aisle. I think I was tiptoeing on the edge of madness by the time we left on this day.

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See here? So cute, yet so devious!

Someone got her bangs trimmed. Even though she wouldn’t sit on the barber chair, she was great on my lap, and even happier when they gave her a little lollipop.

Someone freaks out when they see flashing lights, arcade games, and the annoying music that comes with these machines. This is after a pajama day at school, wearing the adorable set Nycole got her :)

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It MUST be love because [obsessive change collector] Papa gave her coins to try some of the games.

A Sunday road trip

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At Walgreens shopping makeup!

thoughts

I had a much needed LONG lunchtime conversation with my best friend. We talked about things that you can talk about with your best friend, we complained, we practically said “I know, right!” like a thousand times, which is the grown-up equivalent to “jinx!”. No matter how different our lives are, we always find so much sameness there as well. I love having comforting and understanding conversations, especially when the world around us seems so…divided and well, frankly…stupid.

Life with a two year old has been so much harder lately, but almost easier at the same time. We are riding those waves, taking comfort in the repeated “you are not alone”, “I’ve been there before” and “you are doing a great job”. (Thanks, Mom, for not thinking I've really gone off the deep end some days. )

I’ve been listening to classical music lately, which Paisley perked up this morning right when it came on and said “Barbie Princess!!”. I love that she thinks classical is “Barbie Princess” music. That just rocks.

A birthday video…or at least photos is/are far overdue and I’m already going to be sharing pumpkin decorating pictures in like January…so I better get on it.

another birthday, my sweet.

 

Our most precious Girl,

You have grown so much over the past year. You have truly brought more joy to our lives than we could ever imagine. I hope we make that known to you.

The way you talk is just amazing. You are communicating SO well, it even surprises others sometimes. The assumption that you don’t understand what we are saying is no longer valid. You even perk up and answer me when I'm talking to myself and I am surprised every time. A few good ones recently: “My butt hurts”, “I no like it”, “Mommy, watch!”, “I want go outside, Daddy”, “I see two cars, Mommy”, “BIG truck, mommy”, “I want watch Mickey, Daddy”, “I want dee-dee pancakes”, “Mamu don’t go!”.

When we took you to your well baby appointment, you were less upset by fear this time and more upset by having to follow instructions and not running your own agenda in the Dr.’s office. Not to mention the getting undressed and dressed, which is pretty much the quickest way to upset you. The scale said 30 lbs, almost no weight gain from the last appointment. This means you are actually leveling out and are not a baby anymore :( You were constantly asking to “walk”, which basically means you would like to do anything OTHER than sit the confines of the Dr.’s office with nothing to touch and nobody to ooh and ahh over your cuteness. (This happens every time we go).

Your favorite is school, where you are learning to share, you do at least 3 art projects a day (awesome teachers!) and you secretly sit on the potty when nobody is looking. One of your friends runs up to hug you every morning when you are  dropped off and another chimes “Paisee!!” when he sees you. As many days as I drop you off and say that you had a rough morning or you are upset about having to wear pants or shoes, I come to pick you up and your teachers report not a single tantrum or shoe/pant complaint from you. Thanks for saving the special ones for Mommy and Daddy.

We switch off who “reads” in the evenings, and you thumb through the books, explaining to us what is happening in the pictures and “read” with great expression. Looks like your teachers are reading to you, because you even turn the book around and show Mommy and Daddy the pictures as you get to each page.

Bath time is touch and go, it depends on what other activity we are pulling you away from, but we can’t go wrong with showers. Your favorite activities in the shower are to count the dark-colored tiles, walk circles around Mommy, and get “soap” (shampoo) out of Mommy’s pump bottles. Two nights ago, you counted tiles from three all the way to eight with no mistakes.

As far as family, you love everyone. Daddy is still not allowed to rock you to sleep. If the doorbell rings, it’s Mamu. If  the phone rings, it’s Mamu. If football is on, it’s Bubba playing. When you see both Papa and Mamu, you run to Papa, arms open and give Mamu weird, shy faces and make her work to get close to you. You grab your Grammy’s hand the second she walks into visit and boss her around and tour her all over the house, making her “sit!” where you want her or play ring around the rosies. She always follows every instruction. 

You are the epitome of a two-year old, ferociously curious and laughing one minute, crying the next. Your favorite word is usually NO, but you almost always still accept kisses, hugs, and give them away freely.

Thank you for teaching us patience, for being you, and for brightening every day.

These were shot over a ten minute period of time in pajamas, while horsing around on my bed. I knew posed portraits would be a maddening process at her age and I loved that these photos are so purely two-year old her. I used my Canon 40D and a Canon 35mm/F2. Edited in Lightroom and PSE8.

the cutest minnie

 

Happy Halloween!

 

I’d like to report that out of three Minnie Mouses in her class, Paisley was most definitely the cutest. Okay, just my opinion. :)

A little trick or treating at school ended up being perfect, besides when someone wearing a mask tried to give her candy (see below)! I’m pretty excited  that she wore her costume the entire time and really had fun!

She discovered what candy was…but still was dying for me to open her toothbrush.

Oh-and I caught a few moments with her on-again off-again friend, Batman.

 

This might be the last year I get to choose her costume…

But I will never forget my little elephant (2011)!

Instagram-and a few words

I am obviously just humping by, getting these photos posted before there is an instagram explosion and I can’t even remember what photos I did share and did not because it was so long ago. Tonight is preparation of candy bags, potluck food, and Miss Pea’s costume for school tomorrow.

I am sitting on my lunch hour eating eggs and jelly biscuits (I have shared my obsession with eating breakfast foods) and thinking how I should never EVER buy off brand cinnamon rolls or biscuits again. I’m also thinking about this morning’s tantrum and how my TWO YEAR OLD has decided that it’s a personal injustice that she has to wear pants or shoes on a daily basis to school. I’m sorry Paisley, I did not mean to purchase the pants with razor blades inside them. I’ll re-think that next time.

Spaghetti is her favorite!

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Reading the voter’s guide. Smart girl.

A walk!

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She had her first visit to the fire station. It is reported that when the firefighter put on his entire suit, she ran out screaming.

Fall weather=roast and potatoes (but it had us tricked on that day)

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Picking her (warty) pumpkin

Mama’s day out. Went shopping ALL DAY!

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Decorating our pumpkins!

He asked me on a date night. I had a margarita. We went to Open Mic Night. It was fun.

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Our 2012 pumpkin line up: Easiest face I could find(mom), little “P” (Paisley), batman (daddy)