Our little Free Bird.

For Christmas Uncle Tim and Aunt Candace got Nora Free Bird t-shirt and here she is rockin' it out!

Christmas in Chicago

We were in Chicago for Christmas this year. We had a lot of fun.
We got to spend Christmas Eve with the Reid side of the family and Christmas Day with the Harrigan side of the family. Nora had a lot of fun too. She had a blast tearing all the wrapping and tissue paper.


The family








Nora playing with the paper

Nora and the big green ball at Aunt Mary and Uncle Paul's house.

How Full Is Your Bucket?

So I am adopting a new philosophy in my life and wanted to share it with everyone. It is the Bucket philosophy. I was at a workshop in October and one of the presenters shared a book with us called "Have you filled a bucket today?" It is meant for children K-4, but everyone gets the point. It really got to me. So I decided that would be my lesson to my 3rd and 4th graders for the month of December. I was going to teach them the Bucket philosophy.

You see each person has an invisible bucket and all day long people are either filling it up or dipping out of it. You fill a persons bucket by the nice things you do. You can also dip into a persons bucket by being mean, rude or just plain ignoring that person. When you fill someone's bucket you fill your own bucket too!

So I had such a great reaction from the kids and the teachers in each of the classes I was doing this in that I went to my principal to see if I could do a staff development using the bucket philosophy. She said yes! So I got mini buckets and gave them to each of the teachers and cut out a ton of stars. I read the book to the teachers and told them that when someone does something nice for them to let that person know they filled their bucket. So if someone does something nice for, let's say my principal, she would write what they did on a star and put it in my mailbox. I then will attach a piece of candy to that star and give it to the proper person. Well what do you know that we had almost 30 stars handed out this week.

I have decided to try to be a filler instead of a dipper in my life as well. I guess you can say that is my New Year's Resolution. I think that I am doing a pretty good job so far. So here is to being a filler in the New Year!!!

St. Louis Christmas

We celebrated Christmas with my family the Sunday before Christsmas since we were heading to Chicago for the actual holiday.

We had such a great time opening presents with Grandma, Pappy, Aunt Boo, Jalen, Aunt Kiki & Zach.

We all recieved lots of really nice things. Aunt Kiki gave Nora a stool with her name in it (Aunt Kiki had one when she was little). Aunt Boo gave her a really fun ball that moves around on its own. Grandma and Pappy gave lots of cute clothes for her to grow into.

We also recieved some great gifts. We got an electric fence so we don't have to physicall take the dog outside anymore!!! Yippee!!! Peter got "Best Chicago Sports Arguments" and a Marvel Comic Book that talks about every comic book character (it is pretty cool). I got some clothes and new slippers!

Jalen had fun helping open Nora's gifts and watching her yell at the paper. We had a great Christmas with my family!!!

Bath Time Fun

Nora has so much fun playing in the bath tub now. She really likes it because she can sit up. My friend Cyndi gave us this cool bathring. She can sit up and play now. She loves it!

Christmas Card Fun-Round 1

So this was the first attempt to take pictures for our family christmas card. We had a lot of fun trying. I highly suggest doing this earlier in the day, as Nora was not so excited to be taking pictures after her bath. I do however think she is learning what the camera is because when it comes out she does start to smile. Probably because when we pull out a camera someone always does something silly to try to make her laugh. Her christmas picture is not on here as I did not want to spoil our card! You will just have to wait and see!!







I found my new shoes!









Now I found the tree! She played with the tree for a long time and tries to move toward it.

Look I found an ornament! After that she was done. She kept turning around and trying to grab the ornament. I guess that is what I get for putting her so close to the tree.

Christmas Card Fun-Round 2

This is dress number two and attempt number two for this year's christmas card.


Looking at the camera! Yea! Not smiling, boo!







Please join us Staley! More interested in the dog than mom.










Let's try baby and dog. Yeah right, that is next to impossible.










Trying to make her laugh with the teddy bear. Took the teddy bear instead.

She is so done, she is eating her dress!