Can we pretend its still the middle of December in regards to my posting latency?

Here are a few more pictures and one majorly funny potentially therapy inducing Sadie Parker experience.

But first the fun and easy stuff.
We went to Memphis for Uncle Ben's graduation from the Police academy, as well as an early Christmas for the girls. We were busy, busy, busy, but with great fun and family.

Once of Parkey's gifts was face paint crayons.

I turned her into a kitty, and she turned me into ....?

Yes, I do love my child.

Ruby really liked all the wrapping paper, but once the baby doll inside the paper was revealed, the sequels were in full force. I really haven't ever heard her respond so "vocally" to a toy like this before. It was really fun.

Aunt Sarah loving on SP, isn't her hair amazing?! ?

This is the soon to be Uncle Clay. Sadie Parker loves him, not just because he's a great guy, but because he's not afraid to play with her. Like down on the floor, full contact playing.

This next section is at the Children s Museum. It is a fantastic place that we love to take Sadie Parker whenever we can. She loves most of everything they have to offer, however we had a not so great experience this go around.

But first the good parts.

The child sized grocery is a huge hit.

The dentist.

Driving the ever so coveted mini-van.

Note that Drew is in the back pretending to be a whiny child.

Nice.

OK, here we go.

There is this caged sky scraper maze that has child size holes to navigate through, and its probably about 30 feet tall in total.

I see Drew and Parkey headed towards this contraption, and knowing my child, I say

"Drew, I don't think this is such a good idea, she is going to freak out when she gets to the top"

"Honey, she's fine, look she is so proud of herself"

(and she definitely was proud to go up, its just the getting down that's the issue)

"OK, well, your going to have to be the one to rescue her when the freak out commences"

And folks, the freak out commenced, in full force.

Still so excited at this point.

And here we are, after 30 minutes of crying and freaking, recruiting a 8 year old boy to retrieve her, then having a staff member squeeze, and I'm talking squeeze herself up to SP, all the while saying "Come on girl, get down here, I get you a treat if you come on down"

All of this only pushed her more into the corner and made her more fearful. Nothing was going to get her out of there.

Drew and I were coaxing, and directing, and supporting, and trying not to freak out and laugh at the same time. Praying big time.

But it just got to the point to where she was shaking, and she had become paralyzed by her fear of coming down. It was really bothersome to me to have my child's fears take over to the point that there is a physical response that it not a chosen one.

At that point, I was ready to cut open the mother freaking wire that was around her and get her out.

No chicken wire is going to stand between me and my child!

At that point, Drew took his shoes off, and proceeded to twist and turn and contort his 6'3" body through the maze. He decided that he was going to be "her knight in shining armor, to rescue her" since he was the one who got her into this mess encouraged her to go up.

And here they are, on their way down. Once they were on the bottom section, SP wanted to do it by herself, and once again was so proud that she "did it"

Hopefully that will be the memory she holds onto out of that situation.

We are now taking donations to the Sadie Parker Psychological Fund.

Here we are with Ben and his wife Amanda after the graduation.
It was a full weekend, lots of family, and time with our friends the Myatts.
It was non-stop, but great fun.