Christmas Card Picture

Cora is beautiful. The most beautiful girl in the world, actually. But ask her to pose for a picture... forget it! Here are my attempts at a Christmas Card picture. I posted a similar entry on Dec. 28, 2009. It has gotten worse. Even when she is not being stubborn about smiling/staying still, she has this "My Name is Earl" thing that she does where her eyes are completely or partially closed. We can't win. We finally settled on a family shot. There was quite a bit of M&M bribery to make it happen too, I assure you.

Please don't get me wrong. There are millions (yes, millions) of pictures of Cora that could win awards. But for some reason, my picture taking skills go down the drain in December. I take full responsibility as the not so wonderful photographer. And as silly as some of these pictures are, they are still some of my favorites. (I just didn't think they belonged on the refrigerators of my aunts and uncles for a whole year :)

Enjoy these pictures. They make me giggle. Oh- and she insisted on props this year... and we were battling eczema on her chin... and pacifiers... and candy corn/m&m smiles...

I love her. I love her. I love her.

prop (doll), pacifier, AND Earl eyes! Triple threat!

only to be topped by doll WITH pacifier and Earl Eyes

2 pacifiers, chin, and not sitting like a lady

Yes, she is awake. Just a complete refusal to cooperate.

Coy said that she was giving an ugly gesture to show what she thinks of all of this picture taking nonsense.


I will not smile.

Yes, she is still awake. And no, of course that's not a pretend cockroach from her toy bugs kit by the ottoman.

BIG cheese!

curtsy?

More candy corn please.

Candy corn smile

CHEESE!!!!!!!!!!!

candy corn mouth

more props...

Okay, actually not too bad.

This is what we settled on. I did a little cropping and called it a day. Coy and I had no intention of being in the picture but that was fine. I had no makeup and had been awake since 3am cooking breakfast for my neighbors. I threw my apron off just in time for the automatic camera timer to flash and voila! Merry Christmas from the Allens!

Early December, seriously...

Here are a few shots from early December. We really tried to get a jump on decorating this year because we were expecting a lot of company and were hosting a neighborhood breakfast, and we were excited about seeing our new house all gussied up!

We attended our first Hillsborough Parade. It was great! For a tiny town it puts on a nice show. Cora realized that if you wave they are more likely to throw candy. WELL-- She got the idea! I thought we were going to have to ice down that girl's elbow that night.

If you ask her which part she enjoyed the most she will tell you that seeing her best friend in the firetruck was it. She also enjoyed the bands, tractors, and a SCHOOL BUS! Most people certainly thought that a bus is nothing to get excited about. But there must have been a 2.5 year old on the parade planning committee. It was a hit! You can see the excitement on her face! Cora also enjoyed the Mama-will-wait-45-minutes-in-the-coffee-shop-for-$2.50-hot chocolate, while there is $.50-hot chocolate-offered-by-the-boy scouts-right-there-on-the-sidewalk. We'll know better next year.

She had a great time and is clearly a lover of parades like her mama and Aunt Ann.

This is another benchmark picture. Last year the picture was taken just like this but before the Chapel Hill parade. Can you see the excitement on her face?!

EXCITED!!!

Coy and I joke that if all she had to rely on was pictures, she would swear that her parents are not together. All pictures are of Cora and Coy or Cora and me. None are of all three! AND the pictures she takes with Coy are great and the ones with me... not so much. Not fair. We need to hire a full-time photographer or get a tripod!

At the tree lot- I included this one because we have one standing in this same place every year. Look at our little Christmas elf grow!