CHEESE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Johns Christmas Letter 2012

We did our Christmas Letter electronically this year (saving trees, postage, etc.).  You can access it here if you would like to read it (it's a .pdf).  Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Hotlink to Johns Christmas Letter 2012

Fall 2012

 Hello again.  This fall, we've had a lot of fun hanging out with friends, and still exploring new parks.  We've also had a few trips to the library, and had a lot of fun watching Kaylee expand her social skills and verbal skills.  The things she comes up with really make us laugh sometimes...  :)

Here we are swimming at her friend Cahlil's pool.  She learned how to float, to get off and on the floats, and she even started going underwater all by herself! 

She could even get in and out of the pool by herself!  We can't believe our daughter is big enough to walk around in the pool by herself now!

We had a visit from Auntie Coco this fall.  Kaylee adores Coco and Chris, and here Kaylee is playing on Coco's iPad, which Kaylee also adores.  :)  Mama just got a Kindle, so we'll have to find some apps for Kaylee.  Some learning apps, and some busy apps (She loves to pop bubbles!).

Once in a while Kaylee decides to sleep in a little nest with her toys.  LOL!

Kaylee is kind of obsessed with seat belts right now.  She uses the pengin's velcro legs as a seat belt and gets up and walks around with the penguin on her butt like a seat.

Like so.  

We got to go to Orlando for a few days in October to meet up with a couple friends at Disney.  It was good to see them, they're from Vancouver and it's been years!  While there we had a few adventures.

First of all, our hotel room had a surprise for Kaylee.  The BIGGEST. GRASSHOPPER. EVER. was on the screen for the patio door.  Here's a photo next to Ian's hand for size comparison.  Blech.  Mama hates bugs.

 

A close-up.  Ugh.

We had some amazing food while in Orlando.  We dined at the Flying Fish cafe, Season's 52, and Roy's Hawaiian.  Wonderful!  If you go for lunch at Season's 52 and Happy Hour at Roy's, the prices actually aren't too bad!  The food is TOTALLY AMAZING.   And of course the Flying Fish was wonderful, as usual per Disney's high standards!

Kaylee had a period where she was obsessed with having everyone clap for her, and would loudly proclaim that it was time for everyone to clap for Kaylee.  It was so funny.  It happened this summer at the truck pull at the Presque Isle Fair.  While we waited for our table at the Flying Fish, Kaylee got to participate in a busker's act on the Boardwalk. 

 She had to stand very still...

 She was given some dowels to hold perfectly still, as well as a hat....

 Then the busker started spinning items to place on Kaylee's dowels...

 She was so excited and did so well!  She stayed very still and all the items stayed up on the dowels.  Afterward, everybody clapped for Kaylee!  She couldn't stop talking about it all evening....  :)

 The next day, Mama went factory outlet shopping with her friends and Kaylee and Daddy hung out.  The next evening, we went to Downtown Disney after dinner, and explored the stores there.  There was also a dance contest which Daddy and Kaylee participated in.  They didn't win, but they had a great time!

 Kaylee posing with some of the toys from Toy Story at the Lego Store...

 Kaylee posing with one of her princesses...

 We also spend a considerable amount of time at the library, at least 3-4 times a month we go in for a couple hours.  Kaylee loves to read all the books, play with the busy box in the kids section, use the kids potty (tiny toilet, lower fixtures), and she tries very hard not to make too much noise.  She also loves to check out the books with the self-checkout scanner system.

 "I dressed myself, Mama!"

 Here is the entrance to one of Kaylee's favorite parks, Wills Park.  :)

 Here's Kaylee posing as Ariel with her toys...

 Just hamming it up with Mama's pink hat...

 One of our park trips - this was Morgan Falls Overlook Park.

 Going across the rope balance bridge...

 Climbing the rock wall...

 Chilling out as a family on the big park swings in front of the lake...

 Posing on the fence in front of the lake...

 We used candy necklaces as potty rewards for a while.  Here she is stringing her own... which worked well, as it kept her busy for about 15 minutes and she had fun doing it.  :)

 Kaylee the Butterfly...

 So tired she fell asleep with her legs crossed...

 another day she was so tired she fell asleep on the floor under a pillow...

 with the pillow on top of her head...  :)

 The kitties snuggling in Mama's closet.  They seem to like the box of handbags best...

 Daddy the tattoo artist, drawing a tattoo of Ariel on Kaylee's arm...

 The finished tattoo!

 Daddy is actually quite talented!  Here is Ariel on Kaylee's chalk board.

 Kaylee and friends having some OCD swimming time.  She uses my measuring cups for her Fisher Price Little People.  Hahaha... cute!

 We've been giving Kaylee "cooking" lessons for a couple months.  She likes to crack the eggs open into something to stir them in, since she eats them scrambled.  Here she is mixing them up!

 Playing catch with Raggedy Andy...

 Wearing her "dobok" to play catch with Raggedy Andy...

Kaylee as Ariel the Mermaid, with Merida's hair and her pillow for Merida's tail.  :)

Kaylee also had her 4 year well-visit with her new pediatrician here in Georgia.  She is 40 and 3/4 inches tall and 38.5 pounds!  She had some blood drawn and was very brave, and she only cried for a second with her shots.  She's such a big girl now.

Hope you've enjoyed the latest installation of Kaylee's Kapers.  We'll have more to post after Christmas!

I have created a Monster......

a soft yellow squishy one. 

I showed Kaylee her first episode of Spongebob Squarepants a couple days ago when we were all kind of laying around feeling a little off.

She LOVES it.  Today she not only asked if she could watch it, but when it was over, asked for another one! 

At least it's a break from that whiny little brat, Caillou.

LOL!

Park Day

Today we had a park day.  Daddy took Kaylee out to the Roswell Bike Park to explore in the woods on the trail this morning and they came back with a HUGE poison mushroom to show me!  Then they threw it in the swamp and came in for a bath!

Later that day, we went to Krispy Kreme for some hot fresh donuts for a treat, and decided to go explore a new park.  We went to Morgan Falls Overlook Park in Sandy Springs.  It was a great park, they have a walkway along the lake, huge porch style swings all along the lake, a really great playground for the kids, a pavillion and a fire pit area... and they're super dog friendly - they even had a doggy water fountain!  We really enjoyed our afternoon there.

Check out the gorgeous fall colors in the background.  And it was hot enough to wear shorts and flip flops today!  We've been having fabulous weather this week after the winds from Hurricane Sandy died down.

Until next time!

Happy Halloween!

Kaylee went Trick or Treating in our apartment complex tonight with Daddy.  She and Daddy both wanted to dress as Rapunzel, but since it's a little chillier now, we also went with a long sleeved tshirt and capri tights.  She has her McDonald's Happy Meal bucket and a pink princess crown on also.

It was so nice of the neighbors to give mommy some chocolate.  *warm fuzzies*  I mean, it was so nice of them to hand out candy to the Trick or Treaters tonight.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Summer 2012

Summer of 2012 was a wonderful time.  Kaylee and Mama went to Maine in early June.  We missed Daddy a *lot* but we kept in touch over Skype where Kaylee talked to Daddy "onwine".  Daddy joined us for most of the drive north from Georgia, and Daddy came up at the end of summer for a week's vacation and to help us drive back to Georgia.

Summer was busy - We had a lot of work to get done for the first few weeks, and lots of visiting to get in.  We got to see Nana and Papa and Grammie and Grampy a lot.  There were also visits with aunties and uncles and cousins and friends.  Kaylee spent lots of time playing at the parks and playing with water too.

On with the pictures!  Some of these great shots were taken by my super friend Kelly, so I can't take all the credit.  Enjoy!  Movies to come soon in a separate post.

Playing outside in the sprinklers with Zoey!

Playing on Landon's slip and slide!

Farmer's Market in Perth Andover

Bill Brayall and Wes McLean playing/singing

More playing outside, this time in her rainbow sprinkler pool!

Playing soccer with Mama and Uncle Jeremy.

Zoey wanted to play, too!

Blowing some bubbles at the Teague Park Bandstand

and playing on the swings and playground stuff...

First time getting all the way up onto the swing by

herself - "Kaylee do it!"

Dressed for a luau party for Amy's bridal shower!

Those cute pony tails get me every time.  :)

Posing with Nana...

She looks totally Photoshopped into this photo

of Grammie and Grampy, but she was there...

At Mantle Lake Park in Presque Isle.  She is so much

BIGGER this summer than last summer.  All little girl,

no more baby... 

Kaylee "visiting" the ducks and geese.  LOL

They couldn't get away fast enough!

Later that day at the mall in Presque Isle...

Something else we did this summer (and are *still*

trying to master...) - POTTY TRAINING.

At the Northern Maine State Fair in Presque Isle.

She went through the "little farmers" exhibit.

First roller coaster ride EVER.  It was hilarious.

Just after this shot (taken right before it started moving)

she SCREAMED her head off and then laughed the rest

of the ride through.  :)

Hanging out in front of the apartment building just

before bedtime.  This happened a LOT.  :)  We have

great neighbors and a beautiful spot.

Hamming it up for the camera.

We went to Caribou Cares about Kids this year.  She

got to tie dye a shirt, dance the limbo, go in the big

bouncy house, and got a ladybug painted on her face!

She came down with a case of the blue alphapox.

One of her many playtimes with Zoey.

One of our many campfires over the summer!

One of our many trips in the car with Ms. Kelly.

Kaylee and Zoey.  :)  Zoey loves the car.

Zoey baying or howling at some puppies that

were outside the car at Ms. Sarah's house.

Kaylee enjoying a Tim Horton's cookie.  Every

time I stopped for a coffee, she wanted a cookie.

Guess she takes after her Mama.

Kaylee was so HAPPY to have her Daddy back!

Her Flowergirl shirt for the wedding rehearsal and

dinner.  Amy made this adorable shirt, which she loves.

Getting an updo for her Flowergirl role in cousin

Jens' and Amy's wedding!  She sat very still and 

let us primp and pamper her.  She loved to look

like a little princess!

Playing with Jack

On Jack's tractor tire swing!

The ring-bearer, Jack, and the flower-girl, Kaylee.

Admiring herself in the mirror.  :)

Daddy's little princess!

Kaylee LOVED the dance and waited ALL DAY LONG

for it to start.  She danced a little with Mama and Daddy

but spent most of her time wandering around dancing with

anyone who would let her.  It was so cute to see her having

so much fun at the wedding dance.  She kept telling us to go

bye-bye and to leave her at the dance.  It was hilarious.

We had a slip and slide party for Kaylee right before

we left to return to Georgia.  We also celebrated her

upcoming 4th birthday.  The slip and slide was a big

hit and we will be doing it lots next summer!

Kaylee needed Daddy's help to get up on the BIG ball.

Kaylee's birthday cake and cupcakes!

Happy 4th birthday, Kaylee Doodle!

Mmmmm.  A chocolate cupcake!

Family picture (L-R):  Georgie, Kaylee, Ian,

Jocelyn (Nana), and John (Papa).   These are

Georgie's parents.

Kaylee started to do really well with her puzzles

this summer.  :)

Conked out on the floor, still holding the brush she

was playing with earlier.  She used her bears for pillows.

Time to go back to Georgia.  Kaylee is just making

sure everything is in working order.

On the way home, at a mall food court.  Kaylee

shared a sushi meal with us.  She wanted to try

chopsticks, and actually did pretty well with them.

She seemed to also enjoy the sushi.  This one is

teriyaki chicken.

Another case of the alphapox.

When we got home, we found Daddy had drawn

an excellent picture in chalk, of Kaylee's favorite

book character, Gossie the Gosling.

Sticker mania.

Glad to be reunited with some of her best friends.  :)

Sticker mania, again...

This is Kaylee and Daddy having fun at one of the

amazing splash parks here in Roswell.  She LOVED

it and we stayed for HOURS.  :)  It only costs $1.

We had a pool party at Nicole and Cahlil's new place.

We packed up stuff to grill and went to town.  The kids

stayed in the pool for hours!

Kaylee received a huge birthday surprise in the mail

from Great Aunt Jennifer.  She loves to wear this

Merida wig (character from the movie, Brave).  She

also loves the Merida doll, story, coloring book, and

all the other little goodies that were inside the box!

On Kaylee's birthday (Sept 5), we took her out and

did things she wanted to do on her birthday.  Here,

she is riding on the carousel at the mall.

There is a new lego store at the North Point Mall

in Alpharetta.  She loved going in there!

Kaylee and Mama posing in the food court...

Kaylee eating one of her favorite foods, pizza!

This was her request for lunch.  We all sat at a

little kids' table together...  :)

We also got her some light up bath toys (actually

for a pool, but who cares) - a set of flowers that 

light up in the water.  She loves them!

And she loves to lick the bowl clean if we make

some yummy treats.  This was spiced vanilla

cupcakes for a dinner invitation last week.

The perfect end to a perfect summer.