Cute video

Here is the cutest video I caught of Cecilia way back in November. She is pretending to read a book to herself in her rocking chair. Sometimes that kid is so adorable!

Gingerbread House

This year for Christmas my mom gave each family a gingerbread house kit to put together. I was really excited about it because I had been thinking about doing one with Cecilia and took her around town showing her some on display. One Sunday after church we sat her down for this activity. It took her a little bit to figure out what she was supposed to do, but Shaun was really patient with her and showed her that we don't eat it, or lick it, but build with and on it. Soon she was directing the activity, handing me candies to put on the house when she couldn't reach. Here is a cute video of it. Thanks Grandma, it was so fun!

Penguin Encounter

We had the opportunity to have a back of the scenes tour of the Living Planet Aquarium in November. My sister and her family came for it as our Christmas present to them. Cecilia was sick so we had her come for the first part (the part I was excited for her to experience) and then went home to bed. It was so much fun and I learned so much! One of the things we got to do was the Penguin Encounter. The aquarium offers this to anyone who wants to pay extra (you do have to schedule it with them) so the penguins are used to it. They dressed us up in coats, it is 40 degrees in there, and told us DON'T TOUCH THE PENGUINS!

Cecilia has a favorite toy she sleeps with every night and nap, it is this silly squishy penguin we got in a box of clothes from my sister (who doesn't remember anything about it). Many a night Cecilia will wake up, search around in her crib, find "Peno,"clutch him in her hand, and go back to sleep. I was excited for her to meet real penguins. The only thing I didn't realize was how much she would want to get down and go play with them. That was the one forbidden rule, they can touch you, but you can't touch them. Shaun and I spent the whole time wrangling her trying to keep her from mauling one. I don't think it was nearly as fun as I envisioned it would be. Maybe next year...

Swimming

Some may recall that I signed Cecilia and I up for swimming as a reward after she got the cast off. She of course loved it (as she would if she had any Hadley blood in her at all). Well we stopped over the summer because it is so busy and easy to find things to do. As fall came and we couldn't play outside as much I decided to start it up again. It is usually during the week in the morning so I've never had anyone to take pictures or video of it. But we missed a class recently and had a makeup day on a Saturday. This meant Shaun could come and document it for us. Cecilia truly loves it and after every activity she says "mooRREEH" (which is her way of saying more). Here are two of the best videos from the day. Be ware, not all of the kids love it as much as she does and you will hear them screaming in the background.

Guilty as charged

Yeah it has been over two months since I last posted. Guilty as charged. I do have several excuses, the primary being, until Christmas I didn't have a camera that I could actually get the pictures off of. I previously mentioned that my camera was stolen in Mexico so all we had was an old camera that we don't have a cord to plug it into the computer and it took us that long to get an USB Reader. I know it is cheap and easy to get one. But... but... well we are lazy. Then I got a cold that lasted for literally 6-7 weeks and Cecilia got a bad cold and in the middle of all that Shaun sprained his ankle so bad it would have taken less time to heal if he had broken it. I know excuses, excuses. And you are right. So I won't bother telling you the rest of the list of excuses I prepared because they sound, well flat. Instead I will get on with the updates and vow to be better in the future.

Favorite Things

Cecilia's favorite things right now are toothbrush and toothpaste. Our favorite thing is how she says them. Notice how she gets frustrated when asked to repeat it, like "Duh, dad."