If you recall from this post, we went to Ceramicafe for my surprise birthday party. The above mug is what Tony (and Ali) made for me. We didn’t get to pick up our stuff until Thanksgiving. Well, Alyssa picked it up for us, but it was at my parents’ and we hadn’t seen it. I made a frame but it’s nothing next to this beautiful mug that turned out so great. Here are my favorite thigns about it:

• It says "MOMMY."
• The handprint you can kind of see is Ali’s.
• Green is pretty much my favorite color and there are, not one, but three shades.
• It’s oversized! More coffee!!
• The inside is the EXACT color of my perfect cup of coffee. So I can use it as a guide for when to stop putting in the rather large amount of half and half that I enjoy.
• It was made, especially for me, with love from my two loves.

What? Well, kind of. Impromptu. And, if you can’t tell, Tony took most of these photos NOT me. He is absolutely the true photographer in the family. Below are some highlights but there’s more from our day at the park.

Hmmm, can you tell I’m pretty much at the tail end of my schoolwork this term? It is SO nice to have a bit more wiggle room with my time and get something besides homework done! Thus, the increase in posting. Here’s to hoping it lasts!

Tony bought Ali a little potty for Christmas. We’ve had one of the ones to put atop the regular toilet for ages and even engaged in some moderate elimination communication. But that has tapered off as of late and, well…a box from Amazon came in the mail yesterday. To be honest it was a surprise to me too.

Yesterday Ali and I go grocery shopping and when we come back the potty is out (forgotten) and the child BEELINES. It was hilarious, she carried it all around the house sitting on it every few feet. And putting her dolls, cups, Elmo inside. So we let her have it. And, somehow, we have begun (as, in started…and may not continue) potty training. Our seventeen month old.

To be fair, rumer has it that both Tony and myself were potty trained early, like 18 months. But, let’s be honest, we can’t very well verify these claims. No offense parents.

Ali totally understands the concept and tries so hard (pushing, etc.) that she gets frustrated and cries. She has yet to go. She was running around diaper-less this morning though….and peed on her baby doll! It was rather hilarious, she dropped in on the floor (the doll) and then just let it go. Now she says pee-pee bay-bee, so they’re going to be associated for quite awhile.

If you have kids, when did they potty train? How successful were your attempts?

This is last weekend, after returning home from our Thanksgiving "trip."

Ali had managed to crawl onto the kitchen table and decided she wanted to play with finger paints. Which, by the way, didn’t close once you had opened them. They just had sealed foil stuff like a cup of applesauce does. Anyway, of course her canvas of choice (besides herself) was my schoolbooks. Thank god it was washable paint! In the bottom picutre she is probably saying "Nah, nah, nah." Meaning No, no, no. Which she has said about every time she sees the kitchen table since.

I should have known she was playing too quietly.

So, we got our pictures taken a few weeks ago as a fundraiser for MOPS. By this company. I guess they usually do the old fashioned looking ones. Anyway, we were pleased (the session didn’t go well and I wasn’t counting on getting any decent shots) and bought much more than planned to. Of course, with their prices buying ANYTHING was much more. But, we just don’t have the opportunity to go get pictures taken like if we lived in a populated area. And, the window the get Christmas cards out if quickly passing us by!

Also, these images have been scanned in, so please don’t hold any off coloring against Antiquities. You can hold the fact that they don’t offer their photos in any sort of digital form against them though…

There is just so much to be done with too little time. The end of fall quarter in fast approaching and, while I’m looking forward to a bit more free time (or at least free to choose what I do when), it’s kind of come to my attention that acquired quite a to-do list during what is sure to be a busy few weeks.

For example, an expanse of days at both my parents’ house and Billie’s. Ah, travelling. So invirgorating and yet exhausting. We do hate to love you.

Anyway, the need for a blog is nagging at me. So much that I am avoiding other, probably more pressing, things. So, no lengthy post on the joys of Thanksgiving or the time spent with loved ones. Not even a post dedicated to all that I/we are thankful for (hint: it’s a LOT). I will give a shout out though to all of YOU. This has been a long and, at times, lonely year. Blogging has been an outlet like no other. But the best part is the interaction, the feedback. So, a special thanks to anyone who ever commented. There were days when your words may have made all the difference.

I don’t think I took but a handful of pictures in all the festivities, so I’ll have to go with what I’ve got.

Ali and Tony at the Tillamook Cheese Factory some two weeks ago.

I ordered these shoes from The Children’s Place for under $5. But I think they’re too small. Ali is growing SO FAST!

Billie came down the weekend before Thanksgiving and we had our own little dinner. Thank you Fred Meyers !

Aunt Alyssa, pretty much Ali’s new favorite person.

From the left; Trista, my mom, and Alyssa. Getting in the line outside Walmart about 5am on Black Friday. Yeah, we scored big…

Adorable Adriah who is getting so big! I had the pleasure of spending a few minutes with her the day after T-giving.

Out to dinner for Cass’s birthday. And, of course, there is no group shot.

Tony and Ali on Sunday when we went to get our Christmas tree.

We did good!

I need to have one. I know!

Hopefully soon