Daddy's Birthday (Video)

Shaylah was so excited to give Daddy his special Diego cake and help him blow out the candles. Here she is singing him Happy Birthday.

Daddy's birthday presents

Since Johnny's birthday is next week, I thought I would ask Shaylah what she would like to get him for his present....she thought Dora presents would be a good idea. I guess I know what she wants for her birthday!

Bobs & Lolo

Every opportunity we get, we like to go see Bobs & Lolo sing. Not only do we get to listen to great music and dance with our new friends, but Bobs & Lolo always come and say "hi" to the kids before every concert. They are so great...if you haven't heard of them, you should definitely check them out!

Enjoying the snow

Mr. Snowman is long gone now, but Shaylah sure enjoyed making him with her dad.

Blues Clues

Shaylah loves to dress up. This is one her favorites!

Star Light, star bright

I was reading a Dora story to Shaylah tonight which talks about wishing on the first star you see each night....her wish was for more Princess dresses in her closet.

Before and After

Shaylah's First Haircut

OK, so I know that Shaylah is almost 3 years old, but she has never even had her hair trimmed before. I took her today to get her first ever haircut and all went well. It was a place that was geared toward kids...she watched Dora on TV, rode in a Spiderman car (which she chose over the pink Barbie car!) and got a prize at the end (a Dinosaur). It was a great experience for both of us!

Christmas

Shaylah has been waiting for Christmas for months....every since she learned that we would be going on a big plane to spend Christmas with her cousins. Despite a along plane ride and several illnesses, the trip was well worth the wait! Here are a few photos from Christmas day.

Baking

Shaylah can often be heard saying "Can we make something?". She got plenty of opportunity to bake and decorate with her cousins.

Outdoor fun

Shaylah has discovered a new love of snow. It is no longer just needed for Santa, but is also a great place to play and go sliding. We had to buy her a new sled as soon as we got home!

Our little princess

Shaylah was so happy to have an older girl cousin to play with. Sarah taught her about make-up, dressing up and dancing. Shaylah loved getting into Sarah's closet and trying on all her princess clothes.

Questions for Shaylah

I have enjoyed asking Shaylah questions lately to see what her answers may be....

What is your favorite number? Two

What is your favorite color? pink

What is your favorite animal? giraffe

What is your favorite sport? swimming

What are you afraid of? giants....but not Mommy giants

Who is in your family? Daddy.

Is Mommy in your family? No silly, you are just my Mom.

What is your favorite show? Dora

What is your favorite food? Candy

Thanks Melanie!

My dearest friend from my TWU days came to visit in September and took a few pictures of the kids at Stanley Park for us. Melanie was my bridesmaid at our wedding and has remained my closest friend, even though she lives so far away. She is an amazing photographer....here are a couple of my favorites of Shaylah! Thanks Mel!

Halloween night

I decided to take the kids to the mall for trick or treating this year, since it was supposed to rain in the evening. Shaylah filled her Dora basket and was satisfied. Her Daddy then took her out around the neighborhood when the rain stopped and she had a blast. Now that Halloween is over, her first question to us this morning was..."Now can we go to Christmas?". She cannot wait to go and visit her cousins!

Pumpkin Patch party at the church

On Thursday night, we went to our church for their annual Pumpkin Patch party. Shaylah got to play games and "win" candy and prizes. She thought the games were great, but was a bit overwhelmed by all the noise and people.

Singing and Dancing at Mother Goose

Just as a side note, the little boy she is dancing with is only 12 days younger than Shaylah...but only comes up to her shoulders. She is quite tall for her age.

Carving the Pumpkins

Shaylah had to be convinced this year that she would like a pumpkin to carve (not sure why!). We got a book out the library called "Dora's Perfect Pumpkin" and told her that we could carve Dora's face. Then, everything was fine. She wasn't really into cleaning the seeds out...too messy for the little princess. She was extremely happy with the end result though! Dora and Swiper now sit proudly on our front steps.

Nature Walks

So we finally decided to get a digital SLR camera and try to learn how to use it. Since I know nothing about photography, I am starting at the beginning. We took a few walks through the woods this weekend and this is me playing with aperture....

Laity Pumpkin Patch

Shaylah enjoyed all the amenities at the Pumpkin Patch, but she did NOT want to bring a pumpkin home with us. There's always next year!