Christmas card pics attempts

Taking a Christmas card picture with an 18 month old is not easy. I have been trying to do it by myself, but found that you need one person to perform and another to take the picture. So, I told Paul that this was the weekend we had to do it. By the time, it was over with, we had played chase around the tree and turned on music to dance to in order to try to get a smile. There were many that I deleted that were simply a flash of light, because Mary Ellen had moved so fast. This is just a sampling of some of the funny ones.

These are when I was trying to do them by myself before we went places this week.

She decided it was more fun to lay on the floor with bunny and watch tv!


She is actually watching tv behind me.



This is her "cheese" smile!


Another "Cheese" Smile


These are from our two part photo shoot with both of us there.

Yes, that is her tongue sticking out of her mouth.


I asked her to sit by the tree. I guess I didn't ask for a smile. Or maybe, she was tired of things.


One of the many pics of her walking around the tree. I just got this when she wasn't moving.


Our little dancer - she was having fun to the music, but it didn't help with the picture!

Saturday morning at the Park

Today is a beautiful day. It is warm today, but cold weather is ahead, so we took advantage of the day to try out the park close to our house. Mary Ellen had a blast! We played for a long time and will be venturing back there on other pretty days.


I love this riding toy!



I can even make it go on my own!



Mary Ellen and Daddy having a riding competition.



Weeee! I like the swings.




Mary Ellen is a daredevil on the slide. She doesn't care if anyone is at the bottom waiting for her, and she will go any which way down.

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving in Fayetteville! We traveled up there on Wednesday and came back on Friday. Caki and Bo also came from Little Rock for the festivities. We got to see Granny, Aunt Connie, and Susie again, and meet Nathan and Zuleika's new baby, Nora. Mary Ellen loved seeing the baby. She even got to the point that she wanted to introduce everyone else to the "Baby," as she said many times!


Mary Ellen looking at Nora


Mary Ellen wants to play with her, but she doesn't understand why we keep telling her not to touch.


Nathan, Zuleika and Nora


Playing outside before eating


Introducing Bo to Nora


Aunt Susie and Nora


Cousin Susie and Mary Ellen


We forgot to get a family picture before we put Mary Ellen down to eat. She was more focused on the food!


"Are you kidding me? You really want me to take a picture right now! I am eating!"


Mommy and me


The Girls!


The Thanksgiving bunch!


Family photo!


Reading with cousin Nathan


During the end of the car ride home, Mary Ellen liked playing with a big Sonic cup!

Independent Play

Mary Ellen has started doing a little bit of independent play time. She especially likes reading books. This is how I found her at first.



5 minutes later, this is how I found her. She is still very happy, but she doesn't quite understand clean-up, so it was a fun mess for Mommy to clean-up.

Catching up

Sorry for the weeks of not posting pictures. We have been in the process of moving, so the computer got packed up and just now got back online. I have also been sorting through boxes, but rest assure that there have still been pictures of Mary Ellen in the midst of our own chaos. Mary Ellen seems to be adjusting well to her new house. We look forward to sharing much more with you as we experience the holiday season with Mary Ellen, who says, "Gobb. Gobb, Gobb," when you ask her what the turkey says, and calls Santa Claus, "Ho Ho."



Our Little Fashionista!



Mary Ellen playing at Chick-fil-a with her good friend, Caroline on Caroline's first Birthday. Mary Ellen loves going to Chick-fil-a and showing Caroline how to do different things. Sometimes, when we pull into the parking lot, she asks for Caroline.







Mary Ellen loves to dance to whatever music she hears. As you can see in this video clip, she has learned how to start the music on her kitchen and dance away!

Sunday morning reading of the paper

As Mary Ellen turned 18 months old, she let us know that she wanted to read the Sunday morning paper while she was eating breakfast. She was enjoying the Target toys ad and really liked seeing the baby dolls and saying, "babies." I think that we have a clue of what she may ask Santa for for Christmas!

Mary Ellen had her 18 month appointment today. She cried through it, even though she didn't get any shots. It was a fight between Mary Ellen, myself, and two nurses, but we were able to get her weight and height. She weighs 27 lbs and 9 oz, and she is 32 1/4 inches. Everything looked great, and the doctor and nurse reassured me that her reaction was normal for this age. It made me feel a little better!

Halloween Fun!

We had a great Halloween Weekend! We started on Friday night at Boo in the Zoo, then on Saturday, we trick-or-treated at a few houses and then had trunk-or-treat at the church. Mary Ellen was a bumblebee that "buzzed" her way through all of the fun!


When we got to Boo in the Zoo, we realized that we forgot her trick-or-treat bag, so she used her purse to collect candy.


Of course, we had to stop at all of the pum-pums!




Mary Ellen enjoying the candy when we got home from the zoo.





Getting ready to trick-or-treat


With one of our neighborhood friends, Rose





Trick-or-treat, Aunt Rayni!


Mary Ellen and Holly (the dog) were both bumblebees! Aren't they cute!





Mary Ellen getting ready to hand out candy at Trunk-or-Treat. She loved giving candy to all the kids that came by and seeing what they were dressed up as.


Once Mary Ellen had a little candy, she was running all around the parking lot.


Look Daddy, I have more candy that I am eating!