December, the month that's twice as long as all the others

The Parkers

My sister Alexandra gave Abigail a very cute electronic photo album for Christmas: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tomy-Discovery-Forget-Photo-Album/dp/B0019RC632

A recorded voice sounds out as she turns each page. Such a great idea for kids with family far away. So, all the Parkers recorded their voices & then it was up to me to get a portrait shot of each of them for the appropriate page. So, here they are, all my family, including me (& Jake), as of Dec 25th 2008. Don't we all look alike?! I will be carrying the album to California to finish the pages with Grandma Sharon, Aunty Milly & cousin Morgan.

Sedona in December

Abby doesn't get to experience cold very often:

WHY do I leave my Christmas shopping so late?!

That is all.

My Christmas Gift Arrived!

The shoes I've had my eye on since June!! I LOVE them! The metallic, the buckles, yet still feminine. Right, I'm off to strut around the house in them, a la Carrie Bradshaw, before I have to hand them to Jake for wrapping. Who said picking out your own gift isn't festive? I'm feelin' festive!

Seeing old friends in Santa Barbara

We went for drinks in SB while there for Thanksgiving. We worked out we hadn't seen these guys in 4 YEARS!

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving in Ojai. This is tradition for Jake & I but this time my parents got to join the fun:

School Photos

She is SO big!

Enough about Abigail ...

now I have to brag about Jake! Just take a look at this hard work.


Yard when we bought the house:


Yard today:


Abby & I are enjoying all our afternoons outside in the unseasonably warm Phoenix November weather (87 degrees yesterday!)

Just love this kid ....

Parent-Teacher Conference

Yes, I had a Parent-Teacher Conference for our 19mth-old, hee-hee. Complete with Report Card! Here's how she did:

Excels at:
- communication. Uses above average number of words, spoken clearly & used in correct context. Can use 2-3 word sentences & engages in a back & forth conversation with teacher. Can even sing along to nursery rhymes. Great talker!
- likes imaginative play (pretending to talk on phone, feed baby, etc.)
- physical: can run while holding something, climb & ride bikes.

Not so good at:
- despite great communication, does not yet understand feelings of others (i.e. tell her "Amanda is sad, you took her toy" = Abby doesn't care!).
- frustrated very easily, gets angry when she can't make something do what she wants it to. (This one cracks me up, everyone who knows her knows exactly what the teacher is talking about here! What can I say? She's a toddler, I'm OK with this. Just a determined, impatient toddler sometimes, ha.)

So, overall, a great report for Abigail. I, personally, am grinning from ear to ear over this. This is the same child that would not let go of Jake's or my leg for a good 5 long months without many tears. That was a very trying period, as many of you know. Dropping her off at school now and having her shout 'hi' to the teachers is a whole new Abigail, it's wonderful to finally have the happy child. I love her!

Our Halloween Pumpkin

Here she is! Some photos from her daycare party, some from trick-or-treating with friends that night. It took her 3 houses to understand that you don't go IN the person's house!