Her secret play spot

This is one of Aubrey's favorite spot to play.  She'll try and move the chairs and then come say help peease, oh yeah it's pretty darn cute.  So here's Aubrey playing with Tata (what she calls Kyle) under the table.  They were playing with one of my best deals I've ever gotten from McKays used book store a .99 strawberry shortcake play house/book it's gotten us through a flight to Dallas and even Christmas Eve church service. 

Back story on McKays (one of my favorite places in Knoxville).....when I was in labor with Aubrey we kept having to walk and walk and walk some more and then going back to the dr checking to see if I had progressed any.  One of our last big walks took place at McKays, I walked laps upstairs of that place and walked every aisle downstairs.  It's a GINORMOUS used book store that is always packed whether it's 3 in the afternoon on a weekday or 9 pm on a Saturday, we love that place and only wish it was closer so we could go more often.  Maybe this is where Aubrey gets her love for books.

Snow Day

A couple weeks ago we got our first snow that Aubrey could appreciate.  First Kyle brought some in a cup for her to play with and of course taste.  She was so cute playing with the snow so afterwards I bundled her all up and we went out and played.  Like true Tennesseeans that we are we didn't have a sled so we used a plastic storage box and what do you know it worked!  We looked so hick but Aubrey had fun. Aubrey was so excited about the snow and was even going next door to the neighbors and yelling excitedly NOOOOOO she called snow nooo with this weird sound she added to it and every time she yelled it.  We tried catching it on tape but she was too focused on eating her snow to actually say snow, so maybe next time it nooooo's we'll catch it on tape.  Here's all we got when we tried.

Tasting her snow.

The snow kept falling and hitting her in the face but she kept on doing it.

This was the cold face that always followed Aubrey eating the ice.

Toddler Races

Aubrey and Aidan have so much fun together.  This is what they were doing this afternoon all by themselves they started this up.

It's Potty Time

So since about Christmas we've been relax potty training??? Is that even a concept or theory. I don't know but it's what works for us. Aubrey started saying potty and wanting to sit on the potty so we thought why not start trying. We have a little potty chair and if we sit her on it, 9/10 she'll go for us. Now we haven't figured out the #2 on the potty except a few times but she will easily sit down say potty get up and she's done her business. I don't think we're ready for full blown on potty training she's 19 months so we're just taking it slow and she has some great days where she's in big girl undies (usually no pants- easier to do then) and goes most of the time on the potty only a couple accidents a day. Then there are days full of laundry, cooking, and cleaning where I can't focus on potty training so we throw a good 'ol cloth diaper on her and we try to go as many times as we can on the potty. I'm trying not to make it stressful what-so-ever for Aubrey's and for our sake. Here are some pictures I caught during our day of Dora big girl undies (although she has no idea who Dora is-nope we aren't big Dora fans- she got them as a hand me down never worn before from her cousin Josalyn). Now I think if we got her some Mickey undies the girl would only go on the potty in fear of getting Mickey wet (she looooves her some Mickey- but calls him Minnie).

And just an FYI, this potty training plan we're doing is called.....wait for it....winging it.  That's our main source for most of our parenting tactics.  We just try what feels what's right and if it doesn't work, whelp then we switch it up.  I don't read many parenting books or blogs we just figure a trial and error parenting is our style.  Might not be anyone elses style but it's what's worked for us. 

The other day Aubrey got her play computer out and said hi Mimi, she was pretend skyping my mom.  I thought it was so funny because she pretends to talk on the phone all the time but this is a new one.

 Her pee pee potty dance, her and Kyle really enjoy the dancing part after using the potty.

 Reading a Elmo potty book we got from Grandma TT.

I wanted to share what happens when I get my camera out to take a picture, usually 30-40 pictures are snapped just trying to get one good shot.  I still have a crappy point and shoot (working with what I've got here) so it takes some time to get a good one.  Sometimes I get it and sometimes I don't, but this is always what my memory card looks like when I plug it into my computer.

Movie day

It's a rainy day and Kyle has the afternoon off so I see every reason to make popcorn, get out our comfy blankets and watch rio(Aubrey's favorite movie). I'll try to catch a video of her dancing to the songs because she gets really excited.

Painting in the bath tub

Yep, you heard that right we painted in the bath tub...with colored shaving cream that is.  Aubrey had a blast with it, she was a little hesitant at first and then once we started putting the shaving cream on her she realized she could paint herself.  She started rubbing it all over her and saying her name.  She's asked before when coloring and she'll say Aubrey, aubrey? and at first I didn't know what she meant but then she started coloring her shirt.  So this was one time that yes Aubrey could color herself and that she did.  We'll definitely be doing this again.

Puppies

We are definitely taking advantage of this awesome weather and we've gotten to play outside the past couple of days.  Aubrey loves to watch the dogs run around outside and she is so cute when she runs down to our neighbor Krislyn's house to play with "puppies" she has a little dog named Aspen but Aubrey calls her puppies.  It's nice that Aubrey can now run around outside but I'm still nervous to death she's going to go barrelling down the steep hill we have outside.  Oh it will be nice to have a flat yard someday, oh someday. 

Here's a video of her running after the dogs. Kyle starts a new rotation in Endocrinology and he'll only have 4 more "first days" in his rotations!!  That means in May he will be D-O-N-E with med school, whoop whoop!  We're just kind of excited around here about that.

Christmas x 3

Well we had our very last Christmas for 2011 this past weekend ith my parents and also rang in the new year.  Aubrey's Mimi and Papa came in on Friday and Saturday morning we were able to wake up and have another Christmas.  Aubrey loved getting a chance to open presents again and of course loved the toys themselves inside. We had a relaxing weekend really doing much of nothing.  We somehow made it up until midnight on New Years Eve and Aubrey shocked us all by staying asleep while we were loudly playing catch phrase right out in the living room.  We even went outside and banged pots and pans, yep I'm one of those people.  It's always so hard to say goodbye to my mom and dad when they're here but I'm at least grateful that they can take the time off to come visit.  It's deifnitely neat now that Aubrey knows who people and and she was very excited every morning she woke up and Mimi and Papa were in her living room.  She ran out every morning saying, "Hi, Hi, Hi".  Here are a few pictures from our fun weekend.

Aubrey always asks Mimi to do butterfly kisses on her toes.  Wonder for how long my mom will be willing to do this to her.

 Aubrey kept saying her name and then saying eyes, she was trying to do butterfly kisses on her own toes.

 Snuggling with Mimi and Papa happened every morning they were here.

It was so cute to watch how excited she was to go out into the living room to wake up Mimi and Papa in the morning. Waiting in her chair for Papa or Hoho to bring in his bag of presents.

Playing with her new castle from Mimi and Papa. 

 Under the table is Aubrey's new favorite place to play, she had all of her dolls under there the other day.  She always grabs your hand and asks people to get under with her.

 Here is proof that Aubrey usually likes playing with the boxes just as much as the toy that comes in them.

Playing soccer with Papa.

Papa always makes Aubrey laugh.

 Aubrey's first New Year's Eve date.

 We had so much fuh playing games, eating as much fried food as possible, and having some great drinks.

 I'll miss my drinking buddy next New Year's Eve.

 Ringing in the New Year!

Saying hello to 2012 makes us wonder what great things this year will bring.  Kyle will finish med school and will be a DOCTOR!  He'll start residency, where we don't know yet (we'll find out Feb. 13th).  We'll make our 4th move in the 4 years we've been married.  Aubrey will turn the big 2.  So much more I think is in store for us and we look forward to this exciting new year.