Hats off Aliya!

So, have I mentioned that our daughter LOVES hats.  She doesn't necessarily like to wear one hat for any extended amount of time but she loves to try each and every hat on for size, and some other things that aren't technically hats.  So, here is a salute to Aliya and her various choices of head-wear.

Daddy's hat

Mommy's hat

Present from Grandma hat

Her favorite hat! (I'm not kidding, this kid loves the bucket...it's a fabulous multi purpose toy.)

Diaper holder crate

Babushka

Cowgirl hat

For all the Mommies

I know a real post is due, but I laughed til I cried over this and had to share. This  is from Parenting magazine, it's been a long time since english class so I don't know how to properly cite it but props to the author.  Kudos to those of you with more than one kid, I don't know how you do it! Hugs to you all, real news will come someday, but for now just know we are well.

Goodnight Mom

 

In the messy green 

family room

There was a telelmarketer

ringing the telephone

And a crying toddler

because his brother 

just popped his

red baloon

And a picture of--

The cow jumping over the moon

(which someone colored on 

with permanent marker)

And there was a missing

teddy bear, and a girl with 

gum in her hair

And one to be scolded

And laundry to be folded

And a very hungry spouse

And something stinky in the house

(that no one else seemed to smell)

And a comb and a brush and a colicky

baby who just won't shush

And a frazzled mommy screaming #*%#@

Goodnight messy room

Goodnight scribbled on moon

Goodnight cow getting out while she can

Goodnight telemarketers and the 

popped baloon

Goodnight lost teddy bear

Goodnight cereal bar smeared all

over the dining room chair

Goodnight spitup

And goodnight leaky sippy cup

Goodnight much- too-little house and 

goodnight grumpy spouse

Goodnight comb and goodnight brush

And goodnight to a certain 4-year-old 

who just needs to hush right now I mean it

Goodnight Elmo

Goodnight toys we'll pick up tomorrow,

or the next day

Hello "coke" and TiVo--

"me" time Finally

--Sarah Jio

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, etc....

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year....no I'm not lost or dead.  I know it has been forever but this whole no computer at home thing is a major hinderance  to my would be regular blogging.   We had wonderful holidays.  We spent Christmas with my family in Pocatello.  It was so fun to watch Aliya experience some of the wonderment of Christmas; the lights and ornaments, tearing into presents, singing carols, and of course enjoying/being terrified by the plethera of Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents and Cousins she saw at the various get togethers .  In the end a good  time was had by all.   Our new years was very uneventful, we fell asleep at ten, yet somehow, I wasn't all that sad about it.  Hugs to those of you we weren't able to see. Here are a few pictures.

Aliya and our home-made ghetto tree- she liked it anyway, everyday she would run to it and want me to plug it in then point and say "lights...oooh!"

Aliya in her adorable Christmas outfit from last year that finally fits!

Aunt Bella, Aliya, and Mommy on Christmas day all decked out in aprons to cook dinner!

Our little family on Christmas Day!

Aliya and the Christmas tree, isn't she cute!

The Kotter clan at Grandpa Kotter's Christmas Party

Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! We had a great time! Amazingly it was really nice weather...wow for Idaho. We went to the trunk-or-treat and had a lovely time. Aliya loved watching all the big kids and we handed out a bunch of candy. She even got to eat a sucker...her first Halloween candy and she loved it!

The whole crew!

Our little bunny rabbit. Isn't she cute!

Pumpkins

Last night we had a pumpkin carving party with our neighbors.  It was lots of fun for everyone!  I should have taken a picture but, apparently Aliya really likes raw pumpkin!  I gave her a piece of the one I was carving to play with.  I figured she would stick it in her mouth and then decide to just play with it, oh no.  I looked over at her a few minutes later and she had eaten almost the whole thing! Skin included!  I'm not to worried  about it but I probly should have washed it a bit more. Oh well, enjoy the pics! 

The whole group from left to right: Rachel, Lincoln, Luke, Me, Daniel, and Aliya.

Daniel really was having fun, he's just really tired.

Luke was very excited about his "crazy squirrel" Pumpkin!

 Rachel and Lincoln (Isn't he cute!)

Aliya LOVES the pumpkins!

The finished product!