at the park with uncle rob!

I think the only thing that could have made the park more fun for Mary Beth was going to it with Uncle Rob. She had a blast!

dancin queen

Seriously, the girl's got mad skills. You MUST watch this video of her dancing to the end of her video before bed...

sleeping beauty

Yes, I'm horrible and haven't posted in a long, long time. So I've just downloaded a TON of photos from my phone and will try to post them for everyone. First up, a collection of our lovely little one in her quietest time: sleep. I LOVE taking pictures of her sleeping. Especially when she's snuggling up to her "Tugga."

mary beth's park

Well, she thinks it belongs to her, at least. Last Saturday we spent over an hour there. So Sunday Bob and I took her back. It was starting to get cold, so we didn't stay as long - but she couldn't get enough of the slides and swing! Little did we know she'd be park-less for a while. It's 14 degrees here right now! Gees! Anyway, enjoy these gems!

from texas to arizona...

I'd love to have a theme for this post -- but really it's just that I'm cleaning up my camera. And Bob is in Arizona and asked me to send him "lots of photos of my baby girl." Awwww. And poor Bob is under the weather so he could use some smiles! Enjoy!

 Mary Beth got some new, sparkly kicks. We matched last week,
though hers are obviously way cooler.

Grandma would be proud that she pulls Tigger down
and sleeps with him!!

  She's got mad dancing skills. Especially to Elmo videos.

And Momma can make pigtails!

Again, Grandma would be so proud!

leaf stomping

A great thing about the house: tons of trees.

A bad thing about the house during the Fall:  tons and tons and tons and tons of leaves.

This video is obviously from a month or two ago - when it wasn't 25 degrees outside. But who can resist a munchkin in a trashcan jumping on leaves? That's what I thought. Enjoy.

swinger

Mary Beth LOVES the park. Loves the swing and loves the slide. And she's quite nimble on the swing. In the video below, she proved how much she digs her shoes, and how she belongs in the circus. Yes Rob, I said it.

seriously?

Could she be any cuter???

photo-taking fiend

I've been wanting a new camera - a GOOD camera - for a while now. And my digital camera decided that it randomly only wants to shoot in video sometimes. Cue a fantastic present for the holidays and I've got a mack-daddy new camera. Still learning how to use it, but in the meantime I took some test photos with the world's best subject. The pictures don't seem to look as crisp on the blog here, but on the computer they're just striking! Of course any picture of little Mary Beth is the best!

for kim, rob and my texas peeps...

I taught her something during the baseball playoffs, but it fits with her shirt as well...

catching up...

I know, I know... still catching up. And getting ready to head south down I-35 for a belated Christmas with Kim and possibly a New Year's layover in Austin. So to end the year, I thought I'd post some recent pictures and a video from the playground. She LOVES that place! Enjoy!!

FINALLY smiling after freaking out with Santa 

I like to watch tv before I go to bed 

Mommy said her boots were knee-high. They're actually hip-high. 

Weeeeeee 

I'm Queen of the slide!

mary beth's new bike

I think Bob's been counting down the days until he could buy Mary Beth a bike since he found out we were pregnant with her. And it was so cute - he did the research on getting her a bike with training wheels or a  glider/slider/whatever-it's-called where it doesn't have pedals at all but teaches her to balance and push off with her feet. So we all went to the store together this week and tried them out. Cue the video this morning when Bob brought her into the living room to see the bike and helmet:



I'm thinking every parent has had this happen.  :-)  But she really does like it. Bob and I had to take turns with her today pushing her through the house since it was cold and wet outside:



She's a cutie. We'll keep her.

Sidenote - the bike had some competition this morning when she walked in the room. Last night she and I were coloring in her Peanuts Holiday Coloring Book (what - you don't have one?). She loved it so much that she went to bed with it. Literally.





christmas!!

 

First of all, WOW - I HAVEN'T POSTED SINCE DECEMBER 1ST!!! I guess that's what happens when your baby becomes a toddler, doesn't sit still for more than three seconds and runs the entire household. That and she gets really frustrated when I'm typing on my computer and don't let her bang on all the keys. I know. I'm such a horrible mother.

So. I have a lot of pictures and videos to post. I'll work backwards for the next couple of days and bring everyone up to speed. But since it is Christmas, I'll post those first today! Bob and I think this is the last Christmas where we'll really get to relax. She likes new things, but doesn't understand the concept of Santa and gift-giving yet. In fact, she's scared of Santa. That's a great picture I still need to scan in actually... 

Anyway, I was quite happy to find a Strawberry Shortcake doll for Mary Beth. Oh the memories of my own childhood. And you know I love giving her redheaded dolls as well. Here's the video from her dancing around with it and deciding that it was better than the musical Woodstock doll that was in her stocking (sorry Kim and Geimps!). And it also stars her new pink chair that she's in love with.



New pajamas (that she made us put the pants on right away, of course) and new Mickey slippers... poodles and froggies and mice, oh my!!

Next up: bike photos and videos!! Stay tuned!

like mommy and daddy, like daughter?

When I was little, I couldn't go to sleep until my room was completely clean. And the house has to be clean BEFORE we leave for vacation because it will drive me insane knowing we're coming home to a dirty house.

It drives Bob crazy when rooms or hallways that have two light switches are in different positions - like one flipped up and the other flipped down.

So it really didn't come as a surprise tonight when we saw, well, our own little future OCD'er. She has a box of 26 books - one for each letter of the alphabet. At first we thought it was just a coincidence that the books were all put away in order. Not alphabetical or anything - because then I'd be screaming WE'RE RICH - OUR 20 MONTH OLD IS A GENIUS!! No, they were all facing the same direction. Color binding on the left. Letter with animal facing out.

Once again, karma hits. This is going to be interesting.

Don't believe us? Watch for yourselves...

putting mary beth to work...

... well, sort of.

Last weekend we attacked the front yard and all of the kazillion leaves. And when I say "we," I really mean Bob. And Mary Beth. As you can see from the video below, she wanted to help! And then the pictures were too dang cute to pass up. Daddy's rake was too big so we found her mini-me rake. Special thanks to Grandma-ish Rosemarie for the green and pink outfit. It took a while, but she finally fit in it. Of course I had to add a pink barn coat. (I have a toddler clothing shopping problem...) Enjoy!