Our 2010

Wishing you a peace-filled, spiritually prosperous, healthy, and safe 2011.

With love,

Chris, Renesha, and Sydney

Father Daughter Conversation

I wasn't able to hear this conversation in its entirety due to the obnoxiously loud rumbling of the 2 wheeled vehicle my 22 month old child is perched upon with perfect balance and admiration...but I think it went something like this.

You see baby, this is a motorcycle. It is a Harley-Davidson motorcycle to be exact. That extremely ferocious vibration you are feeling is unique to a Harley-Davidson and cannot be replicated by any other feeble attempt by any other motorcycle manufacturer.

You see baby, there are no other motorcycles besides a Harley. Repeat after me, "Harley, Harley." If you see a motorcycle and it doesn't say, "Harley," well, it ain't a motorcycle baby.

Your mama didn't like motorcycles all that much before she met me. She thought they were dangerous, wreckless, and for men going through mid-life crises...but after she took a few road trips with me and got some air in her hair and a little windburn, she was hooked. And you will be too, baby. We will take road trips just the two of us. We will leave mama behind to play on her computer.

Never let anybody tell you that riding motorcycles is bad. Loving motorcycles doesn't make you biker trash. Just promise me that the only man you will ever ride with is me, your daddy. And always remember to hang on real tight. And remember, the only thing I love more than riding motorcycles...

is you.

Christmas Day Lesson

Take a journey with me.

Take a short journey with a relatively new mama and her nearly 2 year old child.

Last year at Christmas time, Sydney ate the wrapping paper and wanted nothing to do with the carefully selected and developmentally appropriate toys under the tree. I will confess this left me a little confused and disappointed, but with the help of sinfully delicious Christmas fudge, I was able to handle my sadness.

So, with last Christmas in mind, we dialed back the number of gifts and had realistic expectations of how things would unfold on Christmas morning. Please keep in mind that there have been no REAL children at Christmas time in my family for at least 15+ years, so Sydney's presence makes everything just a tad sparkly for us.

My mom and dad bought her a slide and a stuffed frog. Great Grandma bought her building blocks. Chris and I purchased the tot-sized Cozy Coupe (which if I remember correctly has shrunk over the years) and a big girl kitchen. Uncle Rick came through with kitchen foods and accessories. Top those items off with a coloring book and baby doll, and that was Syd's Christmas loot. We left it at that...nothing too terribly overwhelming.

But here is where we made a mistake...a tragic mistake.

We put everything out...

With little children, it is best to not put all the toys out around the tree first thing in the morning. Take it slow. Start with the small, boring, wrapped gifts and progressively work your way up to the mammer jammer ones. If you start out with the fab-o-luscious ones, everything else is completely ignored.

For her, it was the CAR.

"You mean, I won!?"

It was just like she was on the Price is Right Showcase Showdown and Bob Barker (I just can't wrap my mind around Drew Carey, so pardon me) had just awarded her the grand showcase and she had dashed up to the stage to claim her red convertible. Nothing in the entire universe was able to peel her out of that thing. She jumped in that puppy like Luke & Bo Duke and it was over with, honey. OVER with...no other gift could get her attention. She got in the car. She got out of the car. She got in the car. She got out of the car. She patted the car. She talked to the car. To her, Christmas was the CAR.

"Go ahead...take me out of this car...make my DAY."

Chris had to take the car out of the room just to get her to look at the play kitchen. The play kitchen that was a labor of love...2 hours of bolts, screws, hinges, and graphic directions. (I shall post about this later.)

Sydney's Dream Kitchen set up in her room.

"Yes, my mother is soooo lame."

"Yes, Gigi, teach me your cooking secrets. Mom apparently did catch on to them."

"I guess I better get off this phone and get back to cookin." 

Sydney sporting her annual new Christmas Eve PJ'.s

This year, since she is fascinated with "happies" (puppy dogs),

it only seemed fitting that she have one on her jammies.

So, our lesson for this year was a classic mantra...
"Save the Best for Last" -or- "Cars are a Girls' Best Friend" -or- "First Time Parents Are Wack Jobs"

Take your pick.

"Cuwah"

Before she eats breakfast,
Before she has drinks her juice,
Before she starts her day,
My girl
wants to
cuwah. (color)

And this cutie pie dress was handcrafted by Mimi at Millie Pie Designs.

A Baby Changes Everything

Tonight was date night! Yippee! Pleae indulge me as a I share with you a few pics of former date night highlights...

Dinner...

Entertainment...

Now let me share with you a few pics of  tonight's date night highlights...

Dinner...courtesy of the red roof place 

Entertainment...courtesy of Crayola

Cute date night picture...awww...

Date nights sure have changed. Can't quite put my finger on the difference...Hmmm..

Why I Put Up a Christmas Tree

because in the eyes of a child...

there is nothing more beautiful...

more interesting...

more awe inspiring...

more wonderful...

than a glittering, sparkling, Christmas tree, covered in ornaments that are

huggable.

You Know You Live in East Texas When...

Two pitbulls are relaxing comfortably in the front seat of a dually diesel truck with the engine running in front of Walgreens at 10:15 at night...

and you think nothing of it....
and you wonder if anyone would be stupid enough to try and steal that truck...
and you take a picture with your phone...
and chuckle about it all the way home....
and you wonder if maybe you ought to get one to protect your one and only child...
cause afterall you have to admit they look pretty fearsome...
and would most likely eat you in small bites...
or lick you to death...