Feliz Navidad

Ho. Ho. Ho.

Whoa. Big Day...

We started off with a visit to the pediatrician. Great guy, but he happens to employ a lady who has chosen the wrong profession, I will now refer to her as The World's Meanest Nurse until she changes my mind.

Four sticks! Photographic evidence of the damage:



Then, to round out the morning - I had a strange feeling that elle wanted some of my 11 o'clock banana.

The following 5 minutes were....interesting:

4 Months!

Hey -- look over there!

Elf You.

This will take you to an external site (Office Max, of all places...) - but it is worth every second of time.

I have no clue how to embed links - but click on the little blue question mark.

Seriously. Trust Me.

Opera Lovers Unite!

Appreciation for fine operatic performance has been on the decrease for far too many years -- it is my hope that this video clip helps strengthen your interest in this classical art...

A Bear Day:

Bear Up:


Bear Down:


Bear O.K.:

En fuego!

The flaming angel:

'tis the season

Look what we found in our couch - our own little Gingerbread Baby:

In the name of the father...

Prayer before meals? Sure.

Before bed? Why not.

But elle has a new one for you - she has decided to throw down a prayer during bath-time:

The Abominable Baby

Lucky for all of you innocent villagers, we have this big-eared, fuzzy creature strapped down so she won't attack anyone:

The Cardinal

I know, I know - it is actually called the Baby Jogger...but **jogging** has a certain connotation that implies a more liesurely pace than elle is capable of acheiving, so she wanted to rename her new ride as the Turbospeed 3000 Mega-Baby Hypermove Rocket, aka The Cardinal.

Here are a couple of pics of elle in her new home-away-from-home:

One from the viewpoint of the cars we will run off the road while we play chicken into oncoming traffic:



And one taken by your trusty pilot:

Not even a mouse...

Stockings. Hung by the chimney. With care.

My Christmas List

I only really want one thing this year -- if you find one on sale, even if it is a different color - go ahead and grab it for me!

A lightbulb-changing orangtuan:

Uh...Hello?

Do you think I could get a little help here?

What's in that trunk?

We can only hope she grows into this belly...and I wouldn't recommend reminding her of her new saddlebags in back - she gets cranky:

DANGER! DANGER!

For the safety of everyone - hide the children and stay indoors until further notice!

A jaguar has been seen roaming the streets of West Austin:

Brrrr...

Lookie here - it finally got cold in Austin!

Squeaky was a bit confused by the need for headwear, but she was straight-rockin' the hoodie.

So long, sucker!

That's right kids, elle was *encouraged* to get rid of the pacifier this week -- she didn't have much say in the matter, but cold-turkey is the only way to go.

With all of the free time that she created by not sucking - she has picked up cross-stitching, learning some (basic) Mandarin Chinese, and fixed the weatherstripping on the french doors in back.

Please, a moment of silence for the last picture of elle and our good friend, The Pacifier:

I'm this tall.