My husband would kill me

Its a good thing he has no idea how to access this blog. He would not be happy about me putting his picture on here- but really I love these shots. She asked to put on her 'fies'( butterfly wings) and then wanted some of Daddy's Cheerios. Its so funny to me that she really knows that she can get just about anythign from him. When Mommy says no, she doesn't even throw a tantrum, she just goes right to Greg. If he says no, then she throws a tantrum.

OK, after I picked the pictures, theres not so much daddy in them anyway, so i'm safe.

And please excuse the mess in the bedroom. I'd like to be able to say " we just moved' or " we're rearranging the bedroom" or even " There was an earthquake", but none of those are true. Its just a little messy b/c we're both tired. Just look at the cute little girl, please.

Merry Christmas!

yeah, I said Christmas! We couldn't get up to see my brother and his family near the holidays... and when we went in the beginning of January, my nephew was sick, so we didn't see them. Hence, a January 26th holiday celebration!

E&C, we had so much fun and Maddie has been asking for her cousins since you left. I hope they are able to make it to Maddies party, she will be in heaven to have them here.

Today was Madeline's last day at her gym class, well for this semester anyway. And Daddy came- yay ! It was so funny to see her showing off for her father, there was definately a difference in how she was today compared to the other weeks. At the end they had a little ceremony where they gave out medals on a podium. She was not too impressed with the medal, but loves loves loves the stamp she gets at the end of class

One of the little girls in her class asked for a stamp on her belly one week. Ever since then Maddie requests a stamp on her hands, both feet and then she sits down, pulls up her shirt and says" belly". Its really cute, then she spends the rest of the day looking at her 'samps'

She has recently been napping like its her job. I suppose after being sick last week and hardly napping at all, she's getting caught up on her zzzz's. She's so tired though that she talks in her sleep. She mostly talks about Dora, ('I did it!" " Boots!") or Daddy or sometimes George monkey and bunny ( her favorite book). I have to read that book to her ten times before she will even think about going to sleep for the night. She's big into Curiuos George now, I think she's going to love her monkey party in a few weeks....gulp- actually its next weekend! Where is the time going?

two weeks till TWO

I am getting really sad about my Maddie turning two. Recently the tantrums have made way to some really cute dialogue. She constantly says ' thank you Mommy" or " yellow, peas, Mommy" ( translation ' jello, please, mommy') . She come take your hand and lead you to wherever she wants to go. If she feels you are sitting too long, she will tell you " UP!", and try to physically move you herself. She counts to twenty- well tries to , it sometimes goes like this " one two fee, foooooour, eleben,tev, four-ten,.....-pause-'six'". She likes for you to sing the alphabet song. Her favorite book right now is Curious George and the Bunnies, and she knows what happens on every page. When the bunny runs away and George is sitting in the grass, she says " Sad...".

And she is crazy about Daddy, or Greg as she sometimes calls him. The picture above was taken the other night in the bathtub. Greg was squirting her with one of the bath toys and she loved it. I love that picture b/c of the sheer joy on her face. She will be a teeenager one day whose goal in life is to avoid your parent seeing you smile( my husband does not understand this, the ways of a teenage girl). I will think back to that night, in the bathtub, my chubby little , almost 2 year old, beautiful girl squealing with delight at a squirty dolphin toy.

Just colorin'....

Just some pictures for now, of Miss Maddie doing some coloring in her Dora book. I love how she lays on her belly to get just the right leverage... to make the picture just right.

welcome to the new blog

This is the blog formerly known as Madeline's Spot. For you Madeline fans, don't despair. This blog will most likely be about 99% Madeline... what she's doing, saying, interested in, and pictures to illustrate Cute-itude. But I wanted to start fresh since I haven't updated my other blog since Halloween( if that)... and I also wanted a title that is more inclusive of our lives. I have plenty of journals, but I write in them sporadically, so this will serve, I hope , as a journal... not just as a baby book, but the story of the first years of Madeline's life. As she approaches her second birthday, I am realizing how fast time goes. I am pretty good about slowing down and drinking in all the little moments. She will never be this age again and seeing a butterfly won't always be front page news. So I will try to capture , in words and pictures, our life.

This picture was taken about a month ago- the last time we had snow here. I am dying for a big snowstorm so Maddie can play in the snow. I know she'd love it . So, I know alot of you hate snow, but I'm secretly doign a snow dance. This is the first winter in our new house, adn I alaways pictured it with a little snowman out front. Comeon, Mother Nature, help me realize that vison!