Fun with colors

I thought that it would be fun to let Taylie experiment with coloring. Since I was lacking crayons, I decided that markers couldn't be too bad. It actually went quite well until ran (literally ran!!!) to get the camera (not even one room away) and came back to her coloring on her leg. She did a very good job on the washable pad there, but I guess the temptation was too strong. It is a good idea to make sure that you have everything you need before starting an art project because it can take a turn in no time.

Hmm...I just noticed that she got the bottom of her feet too....

I figured that since she had already started, what was the harm in letting her finish?.....

Don't worry....Grandma Brooks bought us some crayons. Thanks Grandma!

What was the harm in letting her finish right? That was what I thought until I tried to wash it off. Apparently my Crayola markers are not the "washable" kind. It took a couple of days to completely get her clean.

Easter at Grandpa and Grandma's house

Grandpa wanted to do an Easter egg hunt for Taylie. So he got more plastic eggs and put them around the yard. As soon as she was shown what to do she went and gatherd the eggs, two at a time (one for each hand), and then put them into her basket.

She actually only got distracted 2 times. Once to look at the fire pit and the other time she wanted to sit on the swing and rock back and forth. It didn't take her long to get back on track.

Once she finished her hunt and realized that she had more of these eggs, she decided to open them up and see if they had candy in them. And of course they did. We have so many treats that we probably have enough to last a couple of months. She is able to eat a few jellybeans a weeks as a special treat.

I must say, that she looked so cute in her little dress!!!

Easter 2008

We had so much fun for Easter this year, having a little kid around makes it alot more fun. It didn't take Taylie long to find her Easter basket. It seems like she has a radar for things that may cause potental trouble.

I now know for next year to put togethor her basket without her around. She saw me putting little treats into the eggs and so when she got into her basket, she knew that there was some way to get to those treats. It took her all of 30 seconds to figure out how to open it. In her basket she got a few treats, a bunny that hangs from its ears, and a book about ABC's.

...and once she opened them, we had to take the basket away. As hard as we tried, there was no taking away the treats that she already found....and shoved into her mouth.

potty trained by 11/27/2008....???

Taylie has become so interested in the potty lately. She has to follow us in every time we go (as weird as it is, I guess we all learn by example....) and she grabs her potty chair out of the drawer and puts it right on. She likes to sit on the potty, but not take her bottoms off. She is a pretty quick learner and we are hoping that she will put her skills to use and get herself potty trained before the new baby comes in late november of this year.

Yes.....that means exactly what you think it means. Surprise!!!



She seemed to decide that it was a better idea to wear the potty seat on her head than put it where it belongs. Oh well.....maybe we won't get that lucky and end up with two kids in diapers anyway.

end of a long day

This was where we found Taylie after a very long day of running errands and playing. She was supposed to go take a bath, but we found her plopped in her pile of stuffed animals

I really made this....

I just had to brag...I made this cake all by myself. I promise!!! I know that those of you who know me really well are quite skeptical but I really did!! It tasted really good too.

I think I did a pretty good job, especially considering that some of the directions were missing. It is a yellow cake mix with a cream cheese/dream whip frosting and a strawberry topping.

Bedtime

We love bedtime in our house. Each of us have our little special bonding time with Taylie. Jacob gives her the bath and drys her off and plays with her in the tub and I get to dress and diaper her while she drinks her milk, then we both give her hugs and it is time for bed.

This was after the first time that dryed her hair and it stuck up everywhere. She was my own personal troll doll! It is also Dad's job to brush her teeth. It used to be mine, but I always made her cry and she is as sweet as pie for her daddy.

we try to give her a chance to brush her teeth all by herself too because she feels like such a big girl!!!

dynamite comes in small packages....

Just when I think I have it all figured out, she finds a new way to get into trouble. I believe this was around Christmas and we decided to give her a little treat. Now we know to belt her into her highchair. After she got it all nice and slobbery, then she decided to climb all over the couches and onto me and pretty much everywhere she could go, she did....and left a trail of blue behind her.


I started using baby gates to block Taylie out of the bathroom when I take a shower because one morning I got an unexpected visit when she decided to come in with me, clothes and all. Of course, when I try to deter her behavior, she only finds a way around it (or over it). This was the day she learned that she was almost able to climb over the gates. I decided after that to take them down, because I decided an unexpected visitor is better than a broken head.

Maybe dad didn't think that she knew enough ways to get into trouble, so he decided to teacher her how to sword fight with my kitchen spatulas, turners and whatever else they could get there hands on. Now that she is tall enough to open my drawers and reach inside, I am constantly getting swatted by kitchen tools.

Once she realized that she couldn't beat dad, she decided to grab two things in one hand and try that way. She still lost, dad gets the belly button everytime!!!

nurse in training

Poor Taylie was sick so much this winter that she learned very quickly how to take her temperature using an ear thermometer. She can turn it on and put on one of the protective covers and then stick it in her ear and take her temperature. She also likes to take her monkey, Stanley, and stick it in his ear to get his temperature too.

Christmas 2007

Because Taylie's birthday is about 3 weeks before Christmas, it made for a busy shopping season. It's okay...she the only one, we are allowed to spoil her!! By the time Christms got here, she had plenty of time and experience from her birthday to learn how to unwrap presents. She still needed a little help from dad.

Even with all the toys, the wrapping paper is still better....

She got a little basketball hoop, (you have to start them young!), a magna doodle (great for church), and a baby doll complete with her own pint size basketball (we added that last part into the package). Note that not one of these makes noise. We thought that we were being so smart! Not quite.

Now we cannot forget that Taylie has 3 sets of grandparents, so all of this stuff that we bought her, only accounts for about 25% of the day. We still got to go to Grandpa and Grandma S'. house and play with their presents, all of which made some kind of sound (except the clothes). Thanks for that by the way.... just kidding. Grandma Linda gave her a sesame street toy that lets you listen to Ernie, Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Oscar the Grouch sing songs. There is no volume control. Grandpa Jon and Grandma Karen got her a little scooter car that comes complete with horn and many other button that play music and make various other noises. It also has a seat that can lift up and things can be hidden in it. I usually find chicken nuggets and other such snacks days after they have been put there. Again, there is no volume control. Taylie had a very good Christmas this year, and we are still enjoying it....everyday in the voices of Elmo and Ernie and so on.

This is Mr. Bear. He belongs to Grandpa S. Taylie loves to go and find the bear as one of the first things that she does when she come over to their house. She welcomes him with a big "HI" and likes to poke him and sit on him. Mr. Bear recently broke into about a hundred pieces. So we consider him retired.