New Crayons

Testing out her new Crayolas...

Making a face because I told her not to put them in her mouth. Again.

Ambidextrous...?

Making Valentine's cards (don't look, MoMo!)

Admiring red-violet.

Later that day:

The beginnings of a masterpiece!

"House with Red Fence"

Crayon on Vellum

***

Toying with more of my ideas. And I think I have to start scrapbooking. This is TOO much fun! I ran out of my own photos, so I clipped some from a magazine.

Hand-Made

I've discussed, in the past, that I would really like to start a birth announcement and wedding invitation company. Well, I made some samples to show my dad to get his opinion on how to craft my ideas using a computer. They aren't typed, obviously, and -- even more obvious -- the writing is NOT centered. And, of course, all the pictures I used are print-outs of Maddie. I just wanted to share what has been brewing in my brain!

Our Pillow Fort (and Other Fun)

Playtime !

OK, so maybe it isn't exactly a "fort", but it was fun all the same.

Maddie, sitting at the grande entrance.



Climbing in!



Bouncing, because that's what you're supposed to do in your pillow fort.


Mommy saying, "CHEEEEESE".



Again, "CHEEEEESE, PLEASE!!!"

The other day, my mom gave me a set of watercolor pencils. I have never used (or heard of) them and it has been a very (VERY) long time since I've drawn anything other than Christmas card doodles.

Every time we go to Austin, there are these crazy dead trees that are like sculpture and I keep saying I'm going to drive (two hours away) to take a photo of each of them. I don't know what kind of tree they are, but I've named the ones I've seen - each according to their posture (such as 'The Dancer' or 'The Prayer'). One day, I will get out there and photograph them all, but for the time being, I created my own interpretation.

"Majesty on Hwy 71"

Watercolor and Charcoal

Odds 'n (Rear) Ends

(Ok, Blogger is not letting me move these pictures into their correct order, so I apologize.)

At the Sugar Land Christmas tree lighting at Town Square.

They had a terrible band, goofy snow machines, and the tree lighting countdown was very anticlimatic. Yet, since Santa comes to Sugar Land during the lighting, I'm sure we'll be going again...and again...for Maddie's sake.

As my mom said, this is the Christmas morning "Where's Waldo" photo.



Who's ONE?!
Momo and Madelyn on their Birthday. Cutie pies!

Momo, Grandpaw, and Maddie, post lame Christmas tree lighting at the best place in town: Starbuck's.

Maddie-Bug on her birthday, after scrubbing all the blue cake icing off.

The "Merry Christmas" booty. I think I need to get Auntie A a pair for next year... :)

Out With Daddy

Looking snug and cute at the same time! This was her first trip out with daddy.





Static hair! This morning, fooling around.

Picnic With the (Fire) Ants

Off to our park to have a juice-and-cereal picnic!

Only, we arrive to find the lawn maintenance guys mowing, leaf-blowing, and generally making tons of noise. Also, the playground is damp from yesterday's rain. So, I decide that we'll eat and play in the water park. I always check the perimeter of this play area because it is usually infested with fire ant mounds between the sidewalk and grass, but Mad's squirming in her stroller and I got distracted. I put Maddie down, we're playing and eating, practicing running ... then, suddenly, she takes off! Here I come after her ~ and to my utter HORROR, she looks like she's about to wipe out, face-first into a giant, festering, freshly mowed-over fire ant mound. After I grabbed her (and nearly, simultaneously, pooping my pants), we decided to call it a day. I HATE TEXAS, Y'ALL.

Cozy at home ~ we're never going outside again.

Madelyn is getting really good at walking (as long as she's not wearing shoes). Thank GOD I had taken her shoes off or I really believe she would have fallen.