Closing out the Year

I'm going to try to do a quick recap of the final couple months of 2011.  Let's get right to this or it will never get posted.

Thanksgiving Jingles

I like to sing, a lot. Not very earth shattering, but most who know me would find this surprising. You see, my performance halls are very limited and the audience is ultra specific. Outside these safe confines, I'd be as apt to sing, as I would streak. 

I don't think I used to sing prior to Taylor.  Maybe once in a while, but my penchant was humming, or whistling.  The last few years, I've found myself singing a lot.  I'm not proficient, but I pass for the target audience. Thankfully, they are very forgiving. (except Taylor if I try to sing "You are my Taylor" instead of "You are my Sunshine.", or Mommy if I sing "Jingle Bells" - the Batman Smells version.) 

Taylor has picked up this habit. It came to a head in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.  They were planning a Fall Program at her preschool and had obviously been practicing. She sang at the dinner table every night.  After a few practice sessions, I started to learn the songs.  They were catchy tunes, especially Albuquerque Turkey.  

Albuquerque, is a turkey,

And he's feathered, and he's fine.

He wobbles and he gobbles,

and he's absolutely mine.

He's the best pet, that you can get.

Better than a dog or cat.

Albuquerque, is a turkey,

and I'm very proud of that.

Anyway.. here's a short video documenting the event.  As with all the videos posted here, if you click on the YouTube logo, you can watch a larger version there.

I guess she also inherited my inhibitions out in the big bad world.  I sure wish I could selectively decide which of my traits she absorbed.

Christmastime is Here (or was)

We tried to get a few pictures of Taylor in her holiday dress.  This is harder then you might think.  I'll present some video evidence before this post is over.  Here are a few with her facing in the right direction.

It's amazing how many faces can be made while verbalizing "Cheese!"

Taylor and Luna

A Very Enthusiastic "Cheese!"

They are best friends, at least for this moment.

Christmas this year was our most low-keyed yet. Fortunately Taylor was 100% involved this year so it was easier to focus the day around her and not dwell unhappier things.  Linda took control of the camera while I took some video.  Here's a run-down of the day in an audio-visual way.

Taylor was fully involved in unwrapping this year.  In fact, she took over.

Ready to ring up your order.... She's a persistent salesmen.

Taking a break during a puzzle to dance "Jingle Bells.":

Reading the Animal Book.

"They eat you all up, cause they are bad guys."

During her dramatic interpretation.of Knuffle Bunny

The lions share of usable video captured during the day centered around Taylor's exploration of new books.  Her interpretation of the pictures were both scary and hilarious. None more-so then her reading of "Knuffle Bunny". After the initial cut, I contemplated trying to reduce it further, taking out some of the more "interesting" moments.  But, every time I watched it looking for places to trim, I found myself laughing, unable to give up anything.  So, I'm posting the following movie in hopes you realize that Taylor is just a really expressive actress who follows up every dramatic outburst with a priceless (in my opinion) expression. The one at the 3:30 mark is my new all time favorite... so far.

By the time Taylor got to "The Snowman Band" she started to run out of things to say.  At least in way of following the story, but she did improvise... and the music in the background  was so perfect that it pleaded to be shown.

After opening presents and reading her books, we went outside to try out her new bike.  I did get a little video, but it was ruined by the compound next door and their raucous pack of dogs.  Maybe in the future I'll be able to get some footage uninterrupted.

Zoom Zoom!

Of course she had to stop to collect some rocks.  I'm thinking she needs a basket.

After the bike, we went into the back yard to open one last present.  A couple of weeks earlier I'd picked up 2 truck loads of free sand offered on craigslist.   After a quick trip to Lowes, I had the material required to add a sand box under her play set.  I also took the opportunity to rebuild her rock wall into something a bit more challenging. Upon it's completion, I wrapped the play set in black plastic left over from the raccoon incident, and with white tape, labeled it with the number 25.  Taylor was already half way through her advent calendar and I told her on the 25th she can open this one.  

Of course I couldn't help but show her a sneak peak before Christmas.  I slowly lifted up the plastic, exposing the bottom portion of her new rock wall.  As soon as she saw the first blue toe hold. She turned to me and said.  "You took it apart, didn't you..."  She knows me too well.

Taylor tries out her new rock wall.

Well, that pretty much brings everything up to date.  Once again, my goal this year is to have more regular updates.  I'm playing with the idea of splitting things up a bit so the blog has a better sense of direction, but nothing new as of now.

-TA