Heartwarming

I have always enjoyed reading the Peanuts comic strip on Sundays at my Grandparents as a little girl and also enjoyed all the specials each holiday with my family that aired on TV.

I am now watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special with Allyson and even though they are vintage in more ways than one they never seem to go out of style. Maybe it is the simplicity that orginated so long ago by a simple, and plain fellow named Charles Schulz, that focused on children's honesty and innocence that makes me proud to share with my daughter as she snuggles next to me in her jammies, or maybe it is about the traditions that begin with your own children, so effortlessly.

Either way, my heart is filled with warmth.

Our tree...

This is our first Fraser fir Christmas tree and even though it is hard to get the full effect from a picture, it turned out to be the best looking Chritmas tree we have ever owned. We trimmed our tree with primitive decor and white lights. As Ally says, "it is bootiful!". After we decorated our tree, Keith and I took a few minutes to cuddle in the chair as we gazed it over a few 100 times :-)



Special Happy Birthday Wishes to my friend Cindy who is incredibly homesick in England...it won't be long until you are home with your family for the holidays! Miss you!!

Gaining perspective

After a few days of big girl underpants...Ally decides to tell me something important tonight.

She says, "Mommy, I poopie in my pants not in potty."

I say, "No, Allyson big girls go on the potty when they wear underwear."

She pauses, and then finally replies with, "I don't wanna put my poopie in dere". As she pointed to the hole in the toilet.

I laughed so hard.

Seeing this world through toddler's eyes certainly helps me gain a whole new perspective on things.

Back to basics...

I decided my blog needed an upgrade. Let me know what you think if you get a chance.


Guess whose behind this pretty pink mask? Yep, it's Allyson!

Make a Wish!

Allyson and Kate having some fun making a wish after Thanksgiving dinner. These two had so much fun when my brother gave them the wishbone to split.

Potty Training Boot Camp

This is how we spent most of today, except for all of 4 hours. Ally is proudly sporting her "big girl underpants" covered in Ariel the Mermaid. So far, we have had no accidents, only because she managed to poopie while in her pull-up. I have the ole steam vac on stand-by just in case.

Grand Opening

The new LL Bean store opened in Pittsburgh on Friday. Of course, this outdoorsey family loves the fact that we will save many shipping and handling charges now that the store is local - yipee!

As Ally and I were leaving the store this afternoon, she noticed the life-size boot outside the store. As we proceeded to walk by, Ally says, "Mommy look, someone's shoe, someone's shoe!" I had to chuckle at the urgency in her little voice, that someone might be without a shoe in the vicinity. She really is a caring little soul. I convinced her that it was just a statue, but I thought it was cute enough to share.