Saturday, June 30, 2012

Madelyn



Madelyn,
 A whole month has passed since you turned two and I am finally getting aournd to writing about you, proof that you are keeping me very busy these days!  Madelyn, you are my little sunshine.  From the moment I walk in your room each morning and see your little face peeking at me, until the moment I lay you in your crib each night, I love every minute in between.  You have an easy-going, fun, silly personality that makes me smile over and over again.  Your little 2 year old self is so much fun to be around, I treasure every day that I get to spend with you.  Here are some thoughts about you that I don't want to forget:

Our Madelyn:

* loves playing with the Little People Castle and small plastic animals
 * recently started enjoying drawing and coloring on paper, in coloring books, and on the Magna Doodle board (and once on the wall!).  You will ask Mommy to draw a funny face, or when you draw something you'll say, "Look at that, Mom!" and tell me what it is.
* Loves playing with cars and dinosaurs with your sister
* loves to jump
* is becoming very independant, "do it by self" is a phrase we hear often.
* wants to do everything/have everything your big sister does or has.  If Zoe lays on the ground and makes a bridge, so do you.  If she is laughing at something, you will laugh too, even if you have no idea what is going on!
* likes to make towers with blocks and other things
* loves swimming in the pool and playing in the sand.  You are not afraid to go under the water and are very brave about jumping in.
* is a climber- without hesitation you will scale anything on the playground and go down the biggest slides
* love to brush your teeth and put on your crocs by yourself
* is ridicuously messy at the table, but you are pretty good eater so I won't complain
* is capable of using a fork and spoon but you still prefer your hands
* is 33 1/4 inches tall and 28 pounds
* is very observant- you notice everything around you and point it out to me, you make connections like people wearing the same color shirt.  "It's a match." you say.
* when we get in the car you say "Where we going to?"
* loves to watch Clifford with your big sis
* has occasional temper tantrums but this usually only happens if you are tired
* Loves to read books (yeah!).  Usually you will say "Mommy, read this to you." but sometimes we overhear you reading to yourself.
* loves to sing and dance.  You know the words to the Dinosaur Train songs, some of Zoe's songs from VBS, and the classics like Itsy Bitsy spider.
* knows your alphabet, shapes, colors, and numbers to 10 , sometimes 20
* loves to do puzzles.  Sometimes you purposely put them in the wrong place and say "that's not where it goes" with a silly smile on your face
* in crib with you at naptime and bedtime: 2 pacifiers, puppy, water, silky blanket, 1 or 2 books, "M" pillow
* gets excited when the kitty comes into the room, and pets her gently
* has no troubles when Mommy leaves you at church or the gym
* is talking all the time!  You are making simple sentences and learning new words everyday.
* Loves to push the baby stroller around with a stuffed animal loaded in it


We love you so much Madelyn! 

 

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Touch a Truck

Today was the first Saturday with Daddy gone, so we were glad to have a fun event to keep us busy.  It was super hot and very crowded, but the girls and I had a great time anyway.

Maddie controlling the Bobcat.


Coloring and then cleaning the truck.


Madelyn loved the horn on this UPS truck!


But she wasn't so sure about this chainsaw.

Lumberjack Zoe


All dressed up in firefighter gear.


Saturday, June 9, 2012

Fishing


Step One:  Bait your hook with a juicy, wiggly worm.



Step Two: Wait Patiently...



...with a smile on your face.


 
Step Three: Catch a fish!


Today we had an early birthday celebration for Zoe.  Since Darryl will be gone during her actual birthday in July, we decided that today would be "Zoe's Day".  She got to choose what she wanted to do, and she picked fishing!  We were a little surprised but up for the adventure.  The first hour we didn't get one bite, and we were all getting impatient.  Then all of a sudden we started catching trout like crazy, and we ended up with 5 trout when we decided to call it quits.    Zoe was beyond excited when any of us caught one, she was giggling so hard when those poor guys were flapping all around.  And this girl is not the least bit squeamish- she ripped the worms in half, put them on the hook, and had no problem watching the hook get removed from the bloody fish. That's my girl!  Last night Darryl grilled the fish and we enjoyed them on the patio with some corn on the cob and watermelon.  Definitely a great experience for all of us!

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Santa Barbara

Today we spent the day in Santa Barbara.  The Natural History Museum has a dinosaur exhibit, a live butterfly pavilion, plus a lot of other interesting stuff.  The architecture in this city is a beautiful Spanish style, and the museum wasn't very crowded so Maddie could wander around with us and not be confined to the stroller.  After exploring for about 4 hours, we stopped in Carpinteria on the way home for a delicious lunch on the beach.  Love these special days with my family.


My girls


Animatronic dinosaurs- very cool.


The girls getting a close up view of a butterfly.

The highlight of my day- a butterfly landing on my hand!

Friday, June 1, 2012

Good-bye Kindergarten...

.... hello First Grade!!

Today was kindergarten graduation!  This year really flew by, as I'm sure they all will.  I remember dropping off my "baby" on the first day of school, and now I have a young lady on my hands.  We have seen so much change and growth in Zoe this year.  I can't believe I have a first grader, but I know she is ready!  (Mommy brag moment: Zoe finished the year reading at a Level L! So proud of you!) Now we are looking forward to a relaxing summer (no hectic mornings, no interrupted naps, no schedules) and spending some more time together!

Posing with Madelyn



First Day of School, Last Day of School...wow,  this girl did a lot of growing up this year!






Waiting to perform




Enjoying graduation cupcakes made by yours truly


Not sure if any of it got in her tummy!


Zoe and her teacher, Mrs. Harrah

Zoe's thoughts about Kindergarten:

What was your favorite activity at school?
Reading
Who was your best friend?
Mackenzie
What did you like to do at recess?
Play dinosaurs with Mackenzie, ride the bikes, and swing
What was your favorite thing to learn about? 
 addition and subtraction
What was your favorite thing about Mrs. Harrah?
She is funny!
What was your favorite song?
 Arroyo West Theme Song
What was your favorite thing Mommy packed in your lunchbox?
  yogurt