So, where are all of the blog posts? I know, it's been almost a month and nothing, zip, nada. You feel neglected & ignored and I don't blame you one bit. Things have been really busy since I returned from my trip to California and I just didn't have the energy to sit and type. Fortunately for you, I have a case of insomnia right now so I thought, what the heck!
We've been busy little bees of late and I guess I can tell the stories best through random pictures I have taken over the last month around here. (which I know, works out best for all of you who just want to see the pictures and skip over as many words as possible - I aim to please)
We had our first official snow, which turned out to be basically a bit of flurries. No respectable person would call it real snow. Maddie was enthralled, and here she is trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue as we were getting into the car on our way to school that morning. It was quite the task to get her to get IN the car because she was having so much fun which included running around and giggling her typical giggle telling me that the snow flakes where tickling her face. So, we were a little late that day and worth every minute of being late - isn't it moments like this what life is really about?
We've also had quite a few moments like this recently too however. This is Maddie in timeout post the fit throwing. She's watching the brand new timer. As she's getting closer and closer to 4 yrs old she's been pushing testing limits more and more resulting in power struggles that she keeps losing. One of the best motivators of late is the smiley face believe it or not. Each day she gets a report from school that has a smiley face or a sad face depending on her behavior at school that day. She's VERY into it as well all smiles when she has a "happy face" to show Mommy and Daddy - as she gets to do fun things when she behaves well.
Thanksgiving Day we went up to NJ to my parent's house and spent the day there. We had a good time and a good visit. Ron's Mom came up from Maryland with us (and due to the traffic and our chosen driving route, she can claim to have been in 4 states in 1 day!) Here is a picture of Maddie with her Great-Great-Aunt Carol. Mom and I were in the kitchen where I was making the most wonderful tasting, non-lumpy gravy of all history *chuckle* when we looked out into the sunroom and watched Aunt Carol spinning her necklace showing Maddie...it was adorable (I know, I'm biased) It's was great seeing Aunt Carol (who will be celebrating her 90th birthday on a cruise ship!) I love listening to her stories!
We did stay late so Maddie got all ready for bed before getting in the car for the ride home. She was asleep before we got out of the development. She played hard with her cousins (lack of nap might have also had something to do with it)
Thanksgiving weekend is when we tend to decorate for Christmas. We don't brave the malls or early am sales at stores we "nest" so we can have fun looking at the Christmas decorations for as long as we possibly can before we have to take them down. Maddie was a big helper this year putting hooks on ornaments and putting them on the tree.
As you can tell we have a fake tree and I like it. We downsized from a 12 foot tree to a 9 foot tree. Yes, I do miss the smell of pine tree in the house, no I don't miss the sap/needles that need to be vacuumed up, yes, we've had root balled trees and planted them after but they never survived. Once this tree has run its life and lights start to go, or break...I do want to have a cut tree again.
Like I said, it is a 9 foot tree. Even with a 6'6" husband, Maddie's extra 3 feet helps to reach to the top of the tree for decorating purposes =) That and she thought it was a blast. Yes, we did have christmas songs playing while we decorated! Daddy also put up the outside lights on the house which we all thought turned out beautiful. The latest game we have is find the Christmas lights on our drive home from school. We have to find them and tell the other where it is on the right or left, I have to admit, I took the long way home tonight because heck, we were having fun (now, am I just sad or what? but yes, this is my life)
Maddie and Mommy had a special day out one weekend to make some Christmas presents doing crafty type stuff. I won't divulge what those presents are as I know some of you read this blog - but Maddie had alot of fun making them!
We did go to the mall at some point....and I'm hoping it is the only time (I don't like shopping at the mall!) But this is Maddie's "smile" which turns out more like a grimace if you ask me. This is the first year that she actually wanted to see Santa, but I guess we didn't really prepare her for telling him what she would like for Christmas. When we had asked her if she wanted to see Santa and let him know what she would like for Christmas she said she wanted to bring HIM a present for Christmas. (aww) During the visit she also couldn't think of anything she wanted (I guess that is a good thing? either she's not greedy or we spoil her too much already) So, thank you Mr Santa for suggesting a Barbie. (not having done the Santa thing before I had not known you could "pre-brief" Santa on suggestions) I hate Barbie, and now, that is what Maddie wants because Santa told her. Ugh (and no, she's not getting one)
I guess I'll leave you with this family portrait by the famed artist (at least within our house) the Great M (oh yes, this is a signed peice) Please note the different hair lengths to signify Mommy (long hair) and Maddie (short hair) as well as the mustache and really short hair for Daddy. I'm not sure what the empty circle is...perhaps it's her baby brother that lives at her horsey's house that she keeps talking about. Of course he sometimes changes into a baby sister named Anna or Annaka. But her horsey is still named Strawberry Shortcake.
Some quick things that she's said & done recently that I want to remember - you might not find this interesting/amusing, but then again, you could just stop reading =P
- She has a new song she sings to us in addition to our normal bedtime routine of Lullaby and Wee Willie Winkie it is...."You're my best friend in the whole wide world" to the tune of London Bridges (and she squeezes the entire phrase where "whole wide world" should be if you follow the tune)
- She says, when she's a grownup, when she's 38 or 24, depending on when you ask her, she'll be able to: use a knife, put her hair in a braid and ponytail *all by herself* and THEN she'll be a grownup
- When we go to a restuarant the FIRST thing she does is take the knife from her spot and hand it to one of us and say she can't have it, then spend time accusing the hostess anytime she walks by that SHE gave her a knife pointing at her and everything.
- She can now spell, recognize and write her name, knows her upper and lower case letters, shapes, colors, left, right, loves to cut paper and zigzags and anything crafty (love the concentration you see on her face when she's working on something)
- 16 eludes her, I know not why but she can count to 30 but always skips number 16...we're working on that
- Occasionally gets frustrated when she doesn't get it right the first time
- She loves gymnastics and dancing about
- She'd wear a dress every single day if she had a choice
- Another favorite game, usually at dinner or driving in the car, is sounding out a letter then thinking up as many different words that start with that letter (is it bad that she can think of more words that us at times?)
- "Moooommmmmmyyyyyyy, What's your name?"
- I love you - Wo ai ni
Here is Maddie and Molly mixing up the dough for the kiflis. They took turns helping roll it out on the well floured dusted table.
Maddie all dressed up for her school holiday party on Christmas Eve.
Everyone knows that you need to wear a princess crown when baking sugar cookies for Santa. Maddie helped to roll out the dough and used various cookie cutters to make some non-traditional shaped cookies for Santa Claus including, baby chicks & ducks along with some angels and hearts. And no, you don't wear an apron when making cookies for Santa, it's better to get the flour all over you *grin*
Nana came over Christmas Eve and spent the night. She got to see how Santa had ate most of the cookies and drank some milk, he also..oh no! He left his hat!!!
Which Daddy then wore for the rest of the morning =)
Maddie got several fun things from Santa, Mommy & Daddy & Nana that morning including this fun kids digital camera. I think she took over 80 pictures that morning. You'll also notice the backpack she now has that Santa brought her - adorable with NO commercial advertising on it! YAY!!!!
