Santa Parade

This year we decided to to go see Sacramento's Santa parade for the first time. Since Will was recovering from getting his wisdom teeth pulled and Ally still takes a morning nap, that meant it was a special Mommy-Sophia date. For some reason, Sophia believes all the kids that go to nearby Natomas High school are "mean kids," but I think her opinion changed a little when she saw their marching band.

This little car was able to shoot fire out the back with a huge bang that made Sophia cover her ears and several other nearby kids cry.

He's a mean one.....

What's a Christmas parade without a llama?

This was a prison marching band. I'm guessing it must have been one of the low security prisons.

I thought some of the kids costumes were adorable

We got to see some cheerleaders to do some impressive aerial tricks.

This CHP mascot was a huge hit as he popped, locked and threw down several other popular hip hop moves.

And finally........SANTA!!!!

The parade was about an hour long and there's no way Ally could have sat still that long, but hopefully we'll be able to go as a family next year.

16 Months

Ally now weighs 21lbs, which puts her at the 25th percentile, and measures 31.75 inches, which puts her at the 75th percentile. I'm a little skeptical about the height measurement because a lot of her clothes are still pretty long on her, but she's definitely much smaller than Sophia was at this age.
She's still a goofball and has become much more of a snuggle bug. And I think it's safe to say her separation anxiety has officially ended. YAHOO!

There has been no change in her vocabulary (which is limited to Mama and Daddy), and she's actually not saying "thank you" much anymore. Her pediatrician said she officially has a speech delay, but that it's not time to worry yet. The doctor gave us a few suggestions to help motivate her and we've also started teaching her some sign language, which she is learning quickly.
Ally still loves playing with Trent and Sophia. One of them has a little more patience with her than the other, but they both enjoy making Ally smile.

We've been letting her participate in more arts and crafts and she does really well. She loves to paint and use stickers, but she has to be VERY closely monitored with crayons and markers because she still can't resist the temptation to eat them and draw on everything within reach

She's become more of a picky eater and has become rather sneaky about it. She'll clear her plate, and when we get her out of her highchair, we find a good portion of her meal stealthily hidden.

She's still quite the dancer and is always learning new moves. We often have living room dance parties before bedtime because it's a guaranteed way to end the day with a smile.

Stinkerpot

Stinkerpot is Ally's new nickname, and I think the following series of pictures explains why:

In Gramma's backyard I have found a sponge and a water fountian. Hmmm....what sort of mischief can I get into....
I know! Since mom just dressed me 15 minutes ago, I'll use the sponge to get myself soaking wet

Mom isn't that frusterated with me yet, so what else can I do.....

I know! I'll drink out of the fountain just like the doggies do, and every time Mom tells me "No," I'll run over and do it again, and again, and again

Mission accomplished!! Now to celebrate with my Stinkerpot face

Trick or Treating

This year we had some friends over to celebrate Halloween. We watched football, did some arts and crafts, and the men had a chili cook off. For the kids, we made a jack o lantern pizza, which was a huge hit. Ally HATED her Nemo costume. Despite my many attempts to get her up and around, she kept crumpling to the floor, as if it had destroyed her will to live.

At one point, Ally rolled over and just laid on the floor with her face buried in the carpet and her little tail pointing straight up. She looked like a fish that needed to be flushed!

Sophia LOVED her Ariel costume and was happy to join Ally on the floor for pictures.

Once we got outside to trick or treat, Ally forgot all about her humiliating costume and had fun running around with all her neighborhood friends. Her little tail would swing back and forth as she ran, which made every adult in sight swoon!

Sophia is a pro at trick or treating now, although I'm not sure if she actually said "Trick or treat" to anyone. I thinks that's another skill she's putting off until she's 4.

After a full evening of trick or treating, we let the girls sample a little of their loot. I think it's safe to say that Ally finally realized the costume was totally worth it!

We can't wait to do it again next year!

Jack O Lanterns

On Halloween Eve, we decided to spend the evening at home to carve our pumpkins. Since Ally's not old enough to participate in the actual carving, we let her paint some white pumpkins. She's never painted before, so our expections were low, but she instantly caught on.
She was really proud of herself, and we were proud too, especially since she didn't make any messes or get any in her hair.
Sophia was kind of grossed out when we cleaned out the pumpkin, but she was still happy to help.
She also did an excellent job helping Daddy carve the design she picked out.
Sophia picked an Ariel design to match her costume this year. All the neighborhood kids under the age of 10 instantly recognized who it was, so I'd say it was a success.

Pumpkin Patch

This year we finally gave in and drove an hour each way to visit Bishop Farms, the biggest and most popular pumpkin patch in the area. We all agreed that it was definitely worth it. They had an amazing train, several playgrounds, a play starring real pigs, a petting zoo, several restaurants and bakeries, and more.
The girls had fun on the playgrounds...until Ally got hungry. Much like her father, once Ally gets hungry, she totally shuts down~she seriously won't even move until she gets food.

While I fed Ally, Sophia went down the longest slide I've ever seen. It was so long, our camera ran out of batteries before she got to the bottom!

For some reason, Sophia didn't want to ride on the real train, but the girls had a great time playing on the wooden train.

As always, the petting zoo was a big hit.

The girls had a blast having hay fights on the "hay trampoline." There were dozens of matresses hidden under the hay, so you could bounce off after showering someone with a handful of hay!

We had so much fun that this may have to become an annual tradition.

A First for Naptime

Sophia is starting to transition out of naps and I honestly can't remember the last time she actually slept during "naptime." Today on the way home from the store, she fell asleep in the car, so I let her sleep in the garage while I unloaded groceries. After a half hour, I woke her up to bring her into the house. She got out of the car, walked in the door, and took 2 steps before collapsing on the floor and falling back asleep.Ally took advantage of the situation and gave Sophia a few good smacks, but she continued to sleep until I woke her up for dinner. Sophia's never been one of those kids who falls asleep in random places, but I guess with enough sleep deprivation, anything is possible!