Oh yeah... that's right.

During our vacation, William started saying a new phrase: "Oh yeah, that's right". We're not talking saying it once or twice, but over and over again. Asking questions that he knew the answer to, just so that he could say again "Oh yeah, that's right". "Daddy, Where's Mommy?". "Upstairs, William". "Oh yeah, that's right". It was very cute and everyone got a big kick out of it.

Today, Mary Grace and I watched Beauty and the Beast (thanks Uncle James...) and we both really enjoyed it. At the end, Mary Grace said she wants to see "Sleeping Beauty", "Little Mermaid", "Aladdin" and "Cinderella"; essentially, all the Disney Princess movies. I got to thinking and wondering if she's deprived since she's 4 and hasn't seen them?

Brothers and Sisters

William, while being a very mischievous little kid is also quite a lover. He enjoys hugging and kissing mommy and daddy and even his sister. He REALLY enjoys kissing his sister... because she dislikes it! Yesterday, after a big hug and kiss from William, Mary Grace got mad and standing there with her tiny index finger pointing at him, she said "William, I don't ever want you to hug or kiss me again!"

His response? More kissing, of course.



This picture was taken at the Phoenix Zoo in front of the Macaw exhibit. Look how you two are holding hands...

Fun with a led light and a slow shutter

Mary Grace swinging the led light while Daddy takes a picture with a 5 second shutter speed.

 

You're in our thoughts and prayers, Sarah

Wishing and praying for a successful surgery and a quick recovery for my niece Sarah, who is having corrective surgery for scoliosis today.

And also wishing for strength and peace for her parents as they support her through the surgery and recovery.

Time for a new Christmas list!

Today, Mary Grace announced that she wanted to write her Christmas list. Mommy's reaction was that Christmas is a long time away, but Daddy remembered that we had almost no idea what to get her, since what she wanted changed on a daily basis! So we encouraged her to start her list... on Google Docs!

Doing her dooty as promised

Mary Grace has been stalling on her potty training for at least 6 months, as the regular readers no doubt know.

Anne set up a deal that Mary Grace would not be provided any more pull-up diapers once she turned 4. In Anne's own words "I will NOT be changing the stinky diaper of a 4 year old". Mary Grace agreed to these terms, and we all waited for that fateful day.

The day after her birthday, she kept her word and went on the potty all by herself. We're so proud of her and how quickly and easily and independently she's doing her dooty now!


Here's Mary Grace and her cousin Emily at Mary Grace's birthday party

Potato Chips

Since this was Superbowl Sunday, we had stocked up the house with all kinds of junk food, including potato chips. Mary Grace LOVES potato chips, and we've tried to get her to eat mashed potatoes using that as leverage, but it didn't work.

Tonight I asked Mary Grace to guess what the ingredients are in potato chips. Her guess, while logical, was a little off. She said: Potatoes, Salt and Chips.

Anne's valiant attempt to get Mary Grace to eat a vegetable

Relayed from a story Anne told me.

Anne was trying to get Mary Grace to try some glazed sweet potatoes that Anne had made for dinner. Mary Grace wasn't interested. So Anne resorted to bribery. "If you eat one bite, you can have anything you want".

Mary Grace replies "Anything? Can you name some things that I could have?"
Anne replies, "Well, a new doll, or a toy from the Strong Museum gift shop, or ..."
"OK! What do I have to do?" asks Mary Grace.
"Just eat some sweet potato".
Here's the kicker: Mary Grace replies "Well, that won't be happening."

William impersonating Mr. Nut Cracker

When we took the Christmas decorations out this year, William was all about the Nut Cracker. He just loved to hold it and make the mouth move. It became his new favorite toy. Then one day, he gave it a voice!



Other things to note. Mary Grace making her breakfast, and William repeatedly slamming the Nut Crackow into the washing machine at the end. He's a boy.

Mary Grace and William dancing.

The kids spontaneously started dancing last week. Luckily we were there to catch it on video!

Daddy the non-blogger.

Santa brings Daddy a new digital camera for Christmas and daddy hasn't blogged any photos since. Naughty daddy. Hope this makes up for the recent lack of photos!

Here are a few from Build-A-Bear. William and Mary Grace each got a Build-A-Bear gift certificate from the Tobins for Christmas. Of course Mary Grace made hers a Cinderella bear, and William's is a Spiderman (but without the mask thank-you-very-much, because the mask makes him scary).




Next, we have William sitting pretty on the pillow with his blankey watching TV. Mommy liked how he had his head propped on his folded hands.


A little wrestling action in the kitchen. It's so fun to see them playing together!



William playing firetruck with his fireman hat on. Great toy, thank you Sarah, Aunt Lori and Uncle Chris!



Sledding at Cobbs Hill Park with Mickey; who "is not at all like Micky Mouse, she's just a normal lady". (quote from Mary Grace this past summer)





Mary Grace's first baby shower. She was a perfectly behaved little angel and she was a great helper, not only bringing presents to her cousin Lindsay, but opening them too! :)

Hoe-dozer

How William says "bulldozer". Maybe he's combining back HOE and Bull DOZER? He woke up this morning and told me a long story about colors and hoedozers and robots. He was just rambling in his half-intelligible speak. It was very cute. I wish I had recorded it.

Mary Grace is off the wagon.

My excitement about Mary Grace's progress was premature. We're back to pullups.

Also, William lately has been running up to mommy and daddy saying "I made a poopy". There's hardly ever actually a poopy, so I had a little talk with him explaining the difference between poopy and peepee... He seemed to get it, but it didn't take.

Our best Christmas present!

Today, daddy was out running errands and got a phone call from mommy asking me to pick up some candy necklaces for a reward for Mary Grace. When I got home I found out what the reward was for. Our little girl (finally) made a poopy on the potty! She's been making pee-pee on the potty like a pro but refused up until today to do #2.

When I asked how it happened, she said she was making pee-pee and some poopy came out too (been there done that). After all the scheming and badgering and rewards that we tried over the last year, she ultimately just did it all by herself. A good lesson and our best Christmas present too!

Mary Grace sings Winter Snow Is Cold

Her performance was a big hit at Christmas Eve...

"Winter Snow Is Cold" debut tonight

Those lucky enough to be in Mary Grace's presence tonight will get to hear her sing the song she wrote and produced "Winter Snow Is Cold". She's been talking about singing it all month and tonight is the big night!

We've asked her to sing it for us and she's only given us a few lines, then she stops and says "that's all, you have to wait until Christmas".

So everyone be sure to ask Mary Grace about it tonight and have your video cameras ready to go!

Relief about Mary Grace's dreams

Our kids sleep really well. We've seriously been blessed; I know that after hearing about some of our friends experiences with their kids. They ordinarilly sleep 11-12 hours continuous over night with the rare exception of one of them waking during the night (which happened a few nights ago when William rolled out of bed onto the floor, poor thing)

On a rare occasion, one of them will wake up crying calling for us. Mommy usually springs into action while I mumble some supporting words or just go right back to sleep. We usually think it's a bad dream although we never know for sure.

So I was leaving this morning and noticed that Mary Grace's covers had fallen off and were on the floor and she was curled up in a little ball. I put her covers back on her and she half woke up, looked at me and said "Daddy, there's rain in a rainbow".

It's so relieving that Mary Grace is dreaming about rainbows! Hopefully, there are unicorns and puppies and flowers in there too.

Pank-pank

William's word for pancake. Which he has been asking for at every meal lately. :)

Advent Calendar

Mary Grace got an Advent chain made of paper, where you take one ring off each day, and each ring has a little task. Some of them have been "take a walk with your parents", "build a snowman", etc. She's been getting more and more excited with each one, until she read today's task. It said "Eat some vegetables".

So said "that's not very fun." Mommy said, "Maybe tomorrow's will be more fun". And Mary Grace replied, "Yeah, maybe it will say something like "go to the farm and ride on a horse!".

Halloween pictures a month late.

I've been blogging from elsewhere lately and haven't had access to my photos. I was just browsing the blog and realized I didn't do a halloween post. So here are some of the more memorable photos:

	William and Mary Grace posing in their costumes just before we left for a trick or treating adventure! William is Curious George and Mary Grace is Princess Arial
	The Princesses; Catherine is Cinderella
	First trick or treat stop at Damien and Annette's house.
	And a photo of all the little trick or treaters.
	Curious George enjoying the fruits of his labor!