The Mommy-Santa Conspiracy

Our Christmas tree has been up since October, lights up outside since the beginning of November, Maddie's presents have been ready to wrap since October, and I've only got two more people to buy gifts for and I'm finished shopping. A couple weeks ago, I started wrapping and filling out gift tags. Here I am, excited to get Maddie's tags ready for her gifts from that big, red bundle of Christmas-Spirit ~ Santa himself. So I'm filling them out...I even think I was humming "Jingle Bells", and suddenly stop and realize that Santa has handwriting exactly like mommy's! And, what do ya know?! Mommy and Santa also use the same gift tags and pens! Amazing!!?? Not that she'd realize it now, but I was so irritated with myself for doing such a silly thing. If I am going to tell her little 'white lies' for the next 6-8 years about the magical existence of dear Ol' St. Nick, I've got to get into the habit of making it believable, right? So, this morning, I remedied my error and have ALL the Santa tags filled out in neat little lettering. There's enough to get us through the next 3 or 4 Christmas holidays. Anyhow, I am in the Christmas spirit and this will be the best Christmas EVER!

Ok...how many days is it until Thanksgiving?

Little Walker...

Waiting for MoMo & Auntie A to come get us for so outlet mall shopping

(For some reason, these photos won't rotate right-side up) Finally walked a couple steps with her 'vacuum'. Getting her ready for the real vacuum!

Finally got her on tape!

Santa Baby

Stand Up and Dance!

Watching Barney (again) amidst a jumble of toys, books, and DVD's.

Watching Barney after being distracted by the lawn guys next door.

Standing up!

I tried to get her on tape walking, but she wouldn't cooperate this morning. She's been taking two or three steps at a time for about two weeks now.

New things going on around the house:

TEETH, TEETH, & MORE TEETH. And more fussing, of course. She has also decided that she does NOT want to sleep in her crib at night, only on mommy. It takes me several tries to get her into bed. I let her cry it out...it took THREE HOURS for her to finally cry herself to sleep. By then, I felt so bad for her that I was crying, too. She gives all of her stuffed animals & dolls kisses. She claps when you tell her to, she waves 'hi' & 'bye', she says her own version of "Hi", she makes the consonant sounds for familiar things (i.e. "Buh" for bird, "Puh" for pots/pans, "Tuh" for tree, etc.). She loves to sit in my lap and play the piano.

And...

She dances! Her favorite is to the Barney theme song (Arrrrhhhhggg! My ears will bleed if I have to hear much more of Barney), but her little Christmas tree also gets her shakin' her little booty. Again, the mowers were next door, so she got a little distracted. I'll try to record her doing her full-on dancin' !

Photo Blog

Getting her "Buh-Bye Bag" so we can go shopping

Pulling ornaments off of the tree. Yes, our tree is up. Since October. :)

Right after getting her little ears pierced

Halloween!

Watching "Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin"

"Helping" with laundry. She pulled all the freshly cleaned and folded clothes off of the sofa

Dropping socks onto the floor, one by one. Thank you, punkin'!

Admiring our Jack 'O Lanterns

Fussing because I had the pumpkins on the table to carve them

Cutie Pie!!!