Wednesday, February 25, 2009

A Walk in the Park

Time to play! She was so excited when she realized where we were.


Immediately, she finds treasure hidden in the rubber mulch...

...a nasty cigarette butt!! Here comes mommy with the hand sanitizer...


Freshly sanitized, she checked out the slide!


...and starts to climb up the wrong way


Then, she finds the steps that we climbed yesterday. Up, up, up...(again, mom runs over)


Bits of rubber are everywhere and, when you have a 10-second attention span, every little rubber distraction makes for a very long four-stair climb.


Finally to the top of the stairs! Putting the camera away, I slide down the twisty slide with a laughing toddler on my lap. WHEEEEE!!


The big kids were climbing on this contraption yesterday and she didn't get a chance to try.


With her foot almost to the first tier --- she remembers that the really cool stick she found earlier is still in her hand. So much for the ladder! :)


(It was a pretty cool stick)


Short ride on the swing. She looks unimpressed now, but loved it yesterday. Fickle, fickle, my dear...



The awesome see-saw! I had to put the camera down again and show her how these work! I had - errr, I mean she had - a blast



This is where all the little kids throw the rubber bits. When I went to clean it out for her to climb into, I realized why: there's a giant screw right in the center of the bowl's bottom, perfect for poking an unsuspecting child right in the rear end. Genius design, folks. Did our HOA dues help pay for that??

Checking out the other slide - then changing her mind half way up.


Taking a walk with mommy to check out the newly-blooming day lilies! Doesn't she look like a big girl?!

Taking a moment to decide whether she wants to listen to me and "come here", or wander off again toward the parking lot and get in trouble...


GOOD GIRL!


The lilies were really pretty. So, after mutilating many of the flower petals, it was time to go. Quick, before anyone sees us! We took a shortcut by the pool, which is all cleaned up and ready for all the little kids to pee in.



Starving when we got home, I made Maddie some turkey stew, carrots, peas, and mashed potatoes. The carrots and the potatoes were a hit! They are also pretty stylish when worn in the hair, on the face, ears, in the nose, and plastered on clothes!! I honest-to-God had to clean carrot mush out of her nostril and ear, plus remove and scrub dried potato off of her earrings. But it was so worth it...she loved the potatoes!

Bath time, sweet pea.


Yesterday

After breakfast, time to play before cousin P comes over!



(Wardrobe change after a leaky diaper) Reading a good book
Kissing Pooh

Riding backwards on the pony

To the park!

Checking out P's play skills! Impressive, my man!!
Too little to play on this toy...but not for long!

It's a bird?! It's a plane??!! Nah, it's Super P!!
Off to the slides, Mama!


Sad because it's time to go...to Baskin Robbins! Honest to goodness, BOTH of the kids were mad that we were leaving the park, even to go get ice cream.

Waiting for more ice cream after her bowl "fell" on the floor

Waiting...semi-patiently
Yummy!


...and this morning, feeding her pancakes to the dog :) So much more fun than actually eating it herself!


Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Peek-A-Boo

Wheeeere's the baby??

I've got a backlog of photos to post, but Maddie's getting so active that I feel guilty sitting on the computer while she plays alone. I got to upload a few before my batteries died in the camera, so I'll charge them tonight and get my other pictures posted.
She's been doing so many new things, y'all! It's crazy to watch her grow. She's got three new teeth! She can climb the stairs, climb the furniture, pet the dog (without going right for Dora's eyes), she can feed herself with her spoon, she can do her animal puzzle, says "Dat" (that), "Dis" (this), "Us" (bus), "Up" (mother, please pick me up), and "Digga", "Diggle", & "Diggo", which are interchangeable, all-purpose words: Is it a cup?? Nah, it's a DiggaDiggaDiggle. Do you want some lunch?? DiggleDiggoDiggo. If you say it back to her, she'll have a Diggle conversation with you ~ it is SO hilarious! She loves chicken McNuggets (who DOESN'T??), lemon pudding, strawberry shakes, macaroni & cheese, Kraft slices, and soda crackers. She even drinks from the straw like a big girl. She loves when I read to her before bed ~ she'll even get her own book and sit in her Tinkerbell chair and 'read' to herself. She never fails to get either: "Mr. Brown Can Moo", The Foot Book", "There's A Wocket in My Pocket", "Are You My Mommy?", or "Oscar's Icchy-Icchy Book". She loves music, loves to dance and twirl, gets into my makeup, and laughs like crazy when I dance with - and dip - her. I sit & watch her and sometimes think, "My God, how amazing is this little being. Just a few months ago, all she could do was lay there. Now, just look at her!" It's overwhelming, how much love your heart can hold for one, tiny little person...
That said, she also hits, kicks, screams, growls (yes, I said GROWLS), and has these tantrums that we have to force ourselves not to laugh at. Even when she's being ugly, she's still the cutest thing I've ever seen!

Climbing on the chairs

Watching BackPack on Dora the Explorer








Tuesday, February 10, 2009

A Twinkle for Grandma Opal

Happy Birthday to the most wonderful woman I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. You light up my life, even all the way down here in Texas. I hope you got to do something special for your birthday, my sweet Grandma. You'll never, ever, know how much I love you. I always have...

I miss your beautiful face.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Happy Birthday Grandpa Payne!

MoMo & Maddie, swinging at Uncle Dan's


Wind in our hair!

Trying on Aunt Becky's shoes


Trying on her own shoes!

Watching Sesame Street


Drinking juice, big-girl style


After a LONG day


Laughing at mommy!

Doin' the weasel (a la Pauley Shore, baby!)


Loving beet juice (??)

Brushing the dog with mommy's comb! Thank you, baby!



Combing her own hair.
Combing Penguin


Happy Birthday, Grandpa. I love you and miss you every day of my life. I know I don't call often or get to come see you much, but you are always in my heart and in my prayers.