Gingerbread House Making

Gran Mary set us up with some Gingerbread House making fun at CCCC. We headed over after work and daycare one day. When we arrived the houses were on the tables and there was candy, cookies and yummy treats all around for decorating.

Once we got going pretty well, Sidney Kate asked, "Can I have one?" I let her have one and next thing I knew she wanted to decorate one and eat one. Smart girl.

She didn't want to stop decorating, she found more and more spaces that needed candy.

Final product and classic expression (slightly posed.)

THE Christmas Card

Just so you know, the following pictures about killed this pregnant woman!
Getting these pictures, these 3 pictures, took longer than anything I've done in my life! (Well, it felt like it.)
77 pictures later we ended up with exactly 3 pictures that I would let be published. Craziness I tell you-this may be the last year of the Venable-do-it-yourself-at-home-Christmas-card
This one almost didn't make it, then I rotated it and found it acceptable.

I wish upon a star that this was a real live shot-but it was totally scripted. Don't be bummed-it's still cute. :)
I'm sure she'll have the same face Christmas morning-just different outfit and hairstyle.

Surprisingly the dogs cooperated-for dogs that is. She said some funny things while we were posing them. "Des boys are too big." was one I remember.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE VENABLES!

A Good Outfit...

I love it when a good outfit comes together! The top was from Aunt Beth and Uncle Mike and the pants were from Aunt Linda. Beautiful!

Testing out the new camera...I seriously have to bribe this girl to get a shot these days...sucker, gum, candy!

Wow, didn't think I'd get another Mommy/SKV shot...she was all over the place. :)

What?

The Many Emotions of SKV

The playful anger

The silly gotcha

The growl anger

Things in My House that are Dirty

Naturally...the child. This is after eating a 100 calorie pack...must have been chocolate.

But the real reason I'm talking dirty...is TOYS! And by dirty, I mean MESSY! They have taken over! I'm pretty sure they multiply like bunnies at night because the piles seem to get bigger and bigger.

I love her kitchen (thanks for the borrow Ry Ry), but the pieces that come with it are many. We've got ice cream cones that have been de-coned, plates scattered and tea cups missing their dessert squares. It's a nightmare!

Then we have dolls and stuffed animals. Exactly how many does one child need? Who knows?!

West Virginia!

For Christmas we all got the gift of skiing! So come February we hit the trails to Wild and Wonderful West Virginia! We had a lot of fun even with a super sick Sidney Kate.
Here she is with Chase (Chasie) in the elevator.

On this night out to eat, she slept from moments after this picture ntil we finished eating. She was not feeling like herself....but you can't tell that from this shot.

It was totally clear when I took this picture! So I'm guessing the fog rolling in was caught up in my flash. But check out that major snow pile in the background. See kids on it? Had she felt better we would have had her sliding down that hill!

Cheese!

Random Leftovers

Seriously...no shots with this child anymore! All the begging, dancing and pleading in the world won't get her to smile at the camera.

Her discovery of pockets...and that she wants to go shirtless.

Another discovery...not quite sure of what.

This is a face we're seeing a lot lately. It has several interpretations.

Sweet Cheeks!

Sidney Kate got me this apron for my birthday. Grandma Mary got Sidney Kate her apron. So we decided it was time to play dress up. (Getting hers off was quite a task! I had to let her wear it a long time first....)
Now when she sees hers handing from the rack she wants it on.

"What flavor do you want?"

"Chocolate? Okay!!"

The look!

Cutest ever!

This is the cutest outfit (and little girl) ever!

She's getting so good at running and giving Daddy hugs! Most precious thing ever!

Seriously...how adorable? (I know every parent feels this way about their child and they totally should!)

Sunday's Finest

It was a little chilly last Sunday morning so we busted out Sidney Kate's pretty white sweater. She simply enjoys checking out the baby in the mirror. She will talk and play with her for minutes at a time. Wonder what she's doing?

Showing the baby in the mirror her teeth and gums.

This will be one of those pictures you look back on. It almost seems like every little girl has one like this.

Cheese!

More Football Fun!!

Going back to the Murray State football game...
Here is SKV and Daddy having some fun before the game. You know once you start something like this you have to repeat it until someone throws up!

Sidney Kate is scared of no dog! That is both good and bad; she walks right up to anyone's dog and inspects them. This dog was a friendly fella though-he had three little girls all around him.

Check out these shoes! They are AWESOME shoes by Team Squeaks and they squeak when you walk. Sidney Kate shall have a pair...or two! The NC State ones are beautiful; they have boys and girls. And I've also recently been shown the plain shoes that are squeakers. So stinkin' cute!

We do not know where this is coming from. But when she does it you can see her teeth way down in her gums and it's frightening! I even had a doctor check it recently. I will have it checked again at her 18 month check up. I really don't think that's normal.
Anywho, she enjoys doing this. (We're proud)