"Purple Vacuum is Nice!"

Finally! She's is over her fear of the vacuum! Usually if I mention the word "vacuum", the tears start and she starts crying about "No vacuum!". But Wednesday night, I mentioned that I needed to do a quick vacuum and Bug said "I like the vacuum. The Purple vacuum is nice."

So I got it out and she was watching me vacuum from her chair at the kitchen table. I asked her if she wanted to try, and she got down and ran over (hence the bib on in the pic). It was a tad heavy for her, but she managed a couple little pushes - while this mama grabbed the little camera out of my purse.

Once we were done, she immediately wanted her toy vacuum from Christmas taken out of it's package. She's been playing with either that or her broom pretty much every waking moment.

Just look at this vacuuming form:

"Cheese"

Thursday morning the first thing she asked for when she woke up was her vacuum. I told her we needed to potty and get dressed first. That got those done quickly (although it was a no-go with the potty). So Bug played a bit before leaving for daycare:

(yes, she's wearing her old baby legs as leg warmers. It was supposed to be high 70's during the day, but at 6:30am when we leave it was like 45)

and for those keeping score (not really). Bug's jeans in the first pics are size 18mo. And her dress in later pics is 24mo. Annabelle's outfit is 12mo. Soon, I forsee Annabelle in 12-18 and Sydney still wearing her 18-24's. They'll be sharing clothes before I know it.

Christmas Day!!

We arrived at Nana's house wearing our Santa/Church dresses. All dolled up! Aren't we looking pretty?

someone's teething:

C'mon people! Let's get these presents opened!

Not very Christmasy, but a pretty pic of Annabelle (and her sippy cup)

Daddy helps Annabelle unwrap a present.....

followed closely by Sydney trying to barge in and open it herself

This one is fun!

but what we really like is tissue paper!

Another gift that Annabelle loves

Nana found for Sydney a Cinderella broom & dustpan set. Sydney LOVES it. Spent quite a bit of time sweeping the floor

Tinkerbell Jammies!! (to go with her Tinkerbell nightgown, Tinkerbell bed-tent, Tinkerbell plush blanket, etc...)

playing with the new light-up musical ball

Underwears!

(I see we are now wearing our new Tinkerbell nightgown over our shorts and tank). A gift to end all gifts... Bubble wrap! Sydney LOVES jumping on bubble wrap!

2 cuties. Annabelle and the orange:

The tree my mom put up this year (slacker!)

After a nice warm bottle, Annabelle dozed off. Sydney on the other hand would not nap for anything. No nap for her at all on Christmas day.

To stay out of the way in the kitchen (when she wanted to be in there seeing what was going on) I told her she had to stand under the counter. She fits as of now. Not sure how much longer.

Christmas Eve @ the Rocks

Sydney was excited to open this big present
Oh my! A Tinkerbell suitcase!

and it's stuffed FULL of beanie babies:

Annabelle is not quite as excited as her sister to be opening gifts. She actually cried for a moment.

moving on...

this is better:

And this bow she tried to leave on. Why won't she work so hard to keep hair bows in?

Dawn got a moment with Annabelle

Denise and Sydney

Annabelle with Grammy

Sydney putting baby Jesus in the nativity

and more baby Jesus action

and I thought her curls were cute last year....

baby curls vs. little girl curls..... awwwwwwwwww.

more christmas stuff to come.

10 months old!

squeezed into Sydney's 1st Christmas outfit. Buggy was only 5 mo. old when she wore this. It's really snug on ChunkerBelle.

A Visit with the Galindo Family 12/17/11

Trisha, my BFF from High School, and her family (husband Michael and 2 kids Isabella and Gabriel) flew into LAX from Everett, Washington. They were leaving on a cruise the next morning, but were staying overnight in the Hilton at LAX.

The last time I saw Trish was when Sydney was 18 days old (early Aug2009). So, I loaded up Sydney in the car and we drove on out to spend a couple hours with the Galindo family. We arrived at the hotel around 3:15 and met up in the lobby. Trisha's parents also stopped by for a few moments to say hello.

We made our way to the Starbucks/lounge area and found a comfortable place to sit and chat.
When we had initially met up in the lobby, Bug got really shy and clingy to me with all the new faces around looking at her. But once we sat down, it took her no time at all to warm up to Trish and Isabella. She eagerly climbed up into their laps.

Since we were indoors, I decided to try out the speedlight. I like the results:

This was the first pic I took and the ISO was a bit high so it's a bit washed out, but I like that both are looking/smiling.
reset the ISO, and no cooperation from Bug. Notice she has already stolen Trisha's necklace to wear.

Trish, by the way, looks FABulous.

Here is where Sydney somehow got the multi-strand necklace all tangled up in her hair and around her head. Go Bug! Isabella to the rescue:

a sweet cuddly moment between Trish and Buggy... and someone has their finger up their nose. Nice

Trisha's firstborn + my firstborn = lifelong BFF's. LOL.

Later after we arrived home, Sydney tells me "Bella cute."

Awwwwww. I love this pic, except for the crazy TV screen in the background.

right next to us, there was a case decorated in holiday fashion with many goodies and big Gingerbread men. Bug was enthralled. She kept going over and pointing and counting the gingerbread men.

(and I seriously have the cutest kid ever!)

lots of pics looking at the case

you can't really see in any of the pics, but there is a black/white dog wearing sparkly silver anters on her shirt:

and then I put the camera away.

Bug then starting doing a lot of jumping in place in front of that case which had the 2 old ladies at the next table over very entertained. They seemed to enjoy watching her.

Then we meandered back out to the lobby and found some comfy seats next to the big staircase. Bella and Gabriel kept Sydney occupied for probably an hour going up and down the stairs. Over and over. Jumping around at the top. Doing a loop around the top level (that overlooked the lobby). Riding the escalator (a first for Miss Sydney), and just generally wearing her out.

Trisha's family took more pics and as soon as I get copies I'll put them here. In general, Bug charmed the heck out of everyone and had so much fun. So much so that we were treated to a screaming melt down in the lobby when it was time to go. :::sigh:::

We left at 5:30. Got home around 6:30 (thank you traffic on the 105). I had called ahead to Dana to have some dinner ready for her as soon as we got home. Bug slept the whole way home and I knew it was a crapshoot whether she would wake up super cranky (and need to go right to bed), or wake up fine. She woke up fine and HUNGRY. She'd had lunch at around 1:30, and then only a couple crackers while we were out. She chowed her whole dinner in no time (a miracle lately).