Happy Halloween!!!

Happy Halloween! This year for Halloween our little bug was lady, a Ladybug that is. Our festivities started early this year so I rushed home from work to help Brian pack up the diaper bag, get Maddy dressed and load up the car. Logan had spent the day at our house so we loaded him up to meet Stac in Belleville.

Our first set of stops included Aunt Janet, Great Grandma Sax and Grandma Katie and Papa Bob's house. Maddy had the great company of her cousins Nina, Gini, Trey, Hunter, AJ, Ella, Theo and baby Saxton for these trips. It was a riot trying to get all the kids and Great Grandma to look at the camera at the same time!

After our first three stops we dashed into "big M" or as we know it McDonald's to grab dinner before moving on. Maddy has learned to love the apple slices in the Happy Meal.

After dinner we headed to Mima and Epa's house (that would be my mom and dad). Don't ask me where our girl came up with these names but they seem to have stuck. Maddy's Uncle Bubba, Aunt Jenny and the cousins met us there. We visited for a few minutes and then we all headed over to see Great Grandma Helen. We are so happy she finally got to come home. She was happy to see us and Maddy even told her what a ghost says.

Our last stop on the list was "Deba Deb" (Grandma Deb) and Grandpa Roger's. Maddy was excited to see Casper too! We played there for awhile and headed home around 9pm. Our lady was crashed in the car on the way home and slept until morning.

Halloween Playgroup

Tonight Brian and I took Maddy to the Parents as Teachers Halloween Party. We dressed our little bug up and headed up to the school. As soon as we walked in the door Maddy spotted the big bucket of pumpkins that they had for the kids to paint. Daddy helped her get on a paint shirt, not an easy task over a costume, and she went to town. She liked using a little bit of each color. She was actually using the paintbrush like a spoon and putting big globs of paint on the pumpkin. Daddy helped her smooth it out. She was sad when I has to put it up to let it dry and she kept saying "my punkin".

Luckily we were able to distract her with the playdoh table. This playdoh smelled liked pumpkin pie and Maddy tried to take a quick taste. She found out it didn't taste as good as it smelled. We were really impressed by how well she did with the playdoh rollers. I guess we will have to put some playdoh tools on our Christmas list. Maddy also enjoyed playing in the kitchen and doing some puzzles. We wrapped up the night with a quick snack and headed home.

Dancing Machine

Last night we attended Brian's step sister Tori's wedding reception. Tori and Jeff got married 2 weeks ago in Las Vegas and then had a reception at home. Maddy was very excited to be going to a party and kept saying "go party, cake" in the car. We got there a little early but our little girl still had one thing on her mind, CAKE. Luckily there were creme puffs out to satisfy her. A little while later the bridal party arrived. Tori looked amazing (Jeff you looked good too!). Maddy mingled with everyone, especially the other kids and babies. One little baby started to cry and she rushed over and said sweetly "don't ci baby, it ok". I had to snap a picture of Brian dancing with Tori because Brian dancing at all is pretty rare!

During the toasts, speeches and a very neat video Maddy had a hard time sitting still. Luckily we remembered to bring some crayons and a notepad. She did pretty good after that coloring happily. When it was time for the first dance she couldn't understand why she couldn't go out and dance too! This was the same for the daddy daughter dance and the mother's dance. Once everyone could dance she was much happier and was really busting a move.

It really didn't matter if the music was slow or fast...

...she turned in circles, shook her toosh and even did some intentional falling. Her beloved doggy and her blankie had to join in too! Once it got close to 10pm we decided we better change into PJ's and head home. Maddy was snoring in the backseat before we were even half way home. She luckily stayed asleep all night and woke up at 7:00am. Congratulations Tori and Jeff. May love fill your new life together!

19 month checkup

Today we went to the doctor for Maddy's 19 month check up. Maddy weighed in at 28lbs and 12oz and is now 34 1/2 inches tall. That puts her in the 90% in weight and the 97% for height. The doctor actually laughed when telling us her height % and said she is quite a tall girl. This was no shock to us since she is as tall as her 3 year old cousin Michael and dwarfs her 2 year old cousin Emma. The doctor asked if she could eat with a spoon. Yes. Can she string tow words together. Yes, how about whole sentences. Good balance, good sleeping , good eating, yes, yes and yes. We also discussed her allergies. We were trying Zyrtec but it was making our strong headed toddler an emotional wreck. When she doesn't get her way she gets mad but on the medicine she was actually crying huge tears and very sad over everything. So we decided to scratch that and try Nasonex. He said that the first frost should get her pretty cleared up too. Come on first frost! We also showed the doctor a bumpy rash that Maddy has on her face (mostly noticeable after a bath). We told him she also has it on the back of her arms and the back of her thighs. I assumed it was dry skin because I have a bit of the same on my arms and it comes and goes. The doctor said it was Keratosis Pilaris (say that 10 times fast). He said it is a genetic skin condition (sorry kiddo) that up to 50% of adults have and most don't even know it (like me). It is basically really dry skin that can turn into little bumps on your skin. I have a very mild case and we assume Maddy's will be mild now that we know what it is and can treat it. There is no cure for it but with the right lotion and mild soap it is very manageable. He also said it will be worse in the winter when the humidity is low. Well I guess I got a free diagnosis on this trip too.

Maddy had to get 3 shots today. She cried for the first one and then screamed for the second two. I quickly got her up and showed her the Tweety bird band aids they put on her legs. This slowed the screaming a bit and when the nurse told her bye Maddy gave her the saddest bye-bye I think we have ever heard. All in all our girl is continuing to grow like she should and I think other than her yearly flu shot she is off the hook until kindergarten.

Happy Birthday Audrey!!!

Today is my birthday and we got the chance to go celebrate cousin Audrey's upcoming 2nd birthday at The Incredible Pizza Company. I had heard from numerous people how great it was so I was excited to check it out. Tim, Laura, Audrey and Drew were so sweet and had a birthday card waiting for me when we got there. We soon headed to the buffet to get ourselves a bite to eat. The buffet was amazing! There were so many different choices, pizza, noodles, baked potatoes, salads, fruit and vegetables and even a full dessert buffet. It is not possible to leave there hungry.

After everyone got to eat it was time to sing Happy Birthday to Audrey. Despite a few quiet protests of "no my birthday" our little Miss got in on the singing too! Laura did an outstanding job on Audrey's Dora cake. She also had individual cupcakes with Dora faces on them. Maddy LOVED the Dora cupcake and kept saying "hi Dora hi" and giving her kisses until poor sugar Dora was pretty soggy. Maddy did manage to take a few bites of cake and cover her face with chocolate icing.

After cake came presents All the kids enjoyed playing with the neat toys. Maddy had a tiny meltdown when we were packing them back up. She apparently thought the little kitty toy was hers and was toddler heartbroken when I explained that it was not hers. Daddy came to the rescue and went out to the car and got her doggy for her.

There was still a little time left for the kids to go out to the game room. They have a special area for little kids and Maddy really enjoyed it. They had a bounce house that Maddy couldn't wait to get in to. She could hardly get her balance to stand up and spent most of the time being bounced by the other kids jumping. She still loved it and wasn't to sure she wanted to get out. There was also an airplane, a frog, a carousel and a horse ride. We rode them all. The carousel was by far her favorite!

Before we called it a night we let Maddy drive the car ride. The car goes around a track and has music playing out of the radio. She loved turning the steering wheel and was dancing in her seat to the music! On the way out we stopped to get a balloon and changed Maddy into her PJ's for the drive home. Happy 2nd birthday Audrey, we had an incredible time celebrating with you!

BOO at the ZOO

Last night Maddy, Brian and I went to BOO at the Zoo with Stacie, Logan, my friend Jess from work and her two boys Tyler and Ethan. We were a little worried about the sprinkles of rain we were seeing on the way over but behind the arch the sky looked clear. As you can see Maddy is a Ladybug for Halloween this year. We tried on her costume at home before we left.I was a little worried about how she would feel about having the hood up, because she is 19 months old and a little strong willed. Much to our surprise she loved it! She kept touching her belly and saying 'my ladybug shirt" and then touching the hood and saying "my ladybug head". We wanted to take it off to go in the car but that was not happening!

When we got to the Zoo we loaded Maddy and Logan in the wagon and stopped for a quick shot of the two. They were already having fun and we were still in the parking lot.

We thought we would head to the Children's Zoo for toddler friendly fun. Along the way we got to check out all of the neat decorations. Maddy of course loved all of the "punkins" and "scacrows". Logan loves the "wa wa" so they had to take a break to look at the lake. We headed into the Children's Zoo where Maddy got to see the guinea pigs and a bunch more "punkins". Over by the penguins they had a Pirates Cove that was all skeletons singing.

After the pirates cove came the Carousel which Maddy loves! So we all got on for a quick ride. We made our way back to the entrance of the Zoo with a quick stop at Build a Bear. Maddy made an elephant that we dressed in Halloween clothes. The shirt has a glow in the dark ghost on it. We made it to the car at 8:30. We put Maddy in her PJ's before heading home. She was asleep pretty quick but had a rough night once we got home. She woke up 3 times and then finally came to bed with me when Brian left for work. I guess we stayed out to long this time.

"I see BIG punkin"

With Halloween fast approaching Maddy has become obsessed with pumpkins. Ant time she sees one she goes around saying "I see punkin" over and over. The other night we were driving home and someone had their huge blow up pumpkin in the yard and she yelled "I see BIG punkin". Well we just so happen to have the very same pumpkin in our garage. Grandma Katie gave it to us a couple of years ago. So after dinner Maddy, Daddy and I went out to set up our BIG pumpkin. Maddy of course was "helping". Once I convinced her to watch it went pretty fast. She loves the BIG pumpkin and was even letting it smell a flower that she picked and saying "Hi BIG punkin, Hi".

Easy Like Monday Morning

This morning I awoke to the cutest sight! My two favorite people in their white shirts all snuggled up and reading on the couch! I couldn't resist taking a picture to freeze this sweet moment forever.

Pumpkin Picking

Today Stacie, Stacy and I took our second, hopefully to be, annual trip to Eckert's to pick pumpkins. It was actually hot this year and very sunny. Trying to manage three toddlers was a riot but we managed to get them all on the tractor to head to the pumpkin patch. Once we got to the patch we all headed in our own direction. Maddy wanted to walk through the patch but was having trouble stepping over all the vines. She wiped out pretty good a couple of times but stood up and wiped her hands off.

This picture just melts my heart. Maddy LOVES Logan and they were so cute holding hands through the pumpkin patch.







Maddy found a pumpkin that she liked and could actually hold herself. Luckily she found her pumpkin a few seconds before she saw someones empty cup they had left in the field. I did not let her drink out of it and this was the onset of a HUGE meltdown. I had left her milk in a cooler in the car because it was so warm outside. I did bring a juice box which she quickly drank and then cried harder when it was all gone. Aunt Stac bribed her with a cracker while I dug for more snacks. This worked until she saw Logan's cup which then caused more tears. Logan is such a sweetie and shared his drink with Maddy. Thanks Bub!

All in all Logan, Emelia and Madylin had a great time. Maddy thought the Indian Corn looked good enough to eat and tried to take a bite. By the time were tried to pose them for a picture it was pretty close to lunch time. We headed out to the new Pasta House to grab a bite to eat before nap time.

19 months old!!!

Maddy turned 19 months old today. This past month I swear her vocabulary has quadrupled. She talks constantly! She is getting much better at sentences and often uses them to tell us what she is doing (I give Elmo kiss), where she is going(I go read book) or other interesting facts (I got bugars in my nose). My nephew Michael was potty training earlier this month and when he went poop on the potty it was a HUGE deal. Unfortunately poop has now become a favorite word. If she sees someone going to the bathroom you are pooping, if a baby is on a changing table they are pooping, if Nola goes outside she is pooping. We are hoping whatever she loves about this word will wear off soon.

Maddy has also become pretty good at her colors and loves to read Brown Bear, Brown Bear and name all of the animals and their colors. If she sees a color that confuses her she calls it pink.
She has also become aware of items of clothing that she is wearing (Maddy's pants) and then will come to see if you have those clothes on too. This sometimes can cause a meltdown if you do not have the same item. This happened to Daddy the other day when he did not have a pretty (clip) in his hair. Needless to say Daddy wore a clip in his hair for part of the day and Mommy forgot to remind him to take it out before he went outside to mow the grass.

The last couple of weeks Mad has been practicing her Alphabet song and she almost has the whole thing. She sometimes get to QRS and gets stuck but will skip that part and then say WXYZ. Sadly her cute "now my no uh EEEs" has changed to ABCs. Why do they have to grow so fast! We have also let Maddy experiment with play doh this month and she loves to squish it. Daddy makes snakes for her that she flies in the air saying "ssssss". I don't know any snakes that fly but it's her game. She has only tasted the play doh twice and quickly discovered it tastes pretty bad. She continues to love to color and likes us to write letters and shapes for her. If you ask her to draw a circle she does a pretty darn good job trying. She does make lots of lines which I assume she thinks I am calling lions because she roars while she makes them.

Our girl is changing fast these days and we can't get over what a sponge for information she is! We also hear phrases we say come right back at us. In the car she likes to listen to her CD of kids songs but doesn't get why there is a 10 second delay between songs. During this 10 second delay she says "again, again, again, again...)until the next song comes on. The other day we were driving and the song break came and she said "again" then stopped and in a high pitched voice said "just a second". Can you guess what Daddy and I say to her to stop the "agains".
Maddy is such a joy to our lives and we can never guess what new adventure she will take us and we love that!

Bon Fire @ Eckert's

Last year at the school auction a couple other teachers and myself bought an Eckert's bonfire site to share with our families this fall. We headed out at about six and were surprised by how many people had the same idea. We got the bonfire lit and the kids all enjoyed cooking their hot dogs.

After we all had enough to eat the kids played around on the hay for awhile. Brian and I grew tired of trying to keep our fearless daughter from crashing into the fire and decided to take a walk around.

Maddy immediately spotted the huge groups of pumpkins and wanted to check them out. She was hugging and kissing the pumpkins. It was so cute that I wanted to catch a picture of it. At the same time that I got the camera out Maddy spotted the Apple Ride. I kept trying to get her to look at me and finally had to settle for her fake smile!

Maddy HAD to see the "big red apple". So we figured we would take her on and just not spin the apple. Once we got on she was loving the ride so daddy decided to spin it a little bit and she LOVED it. So we spun the apple a little the rest of the ride and she was not real happy when we had to get off.

We then took Maddy down to have a pony ride. I put her up on the pony and she rode like she had been on a pony her whole life. I kept a tight hand on the back of her sweater just to be safe. We then headed down to see the goats and give them a little food. The baby goats were so cute! We headed back to the bon fire to snack on some kettle corn and apple cider. It was pushing 9pm and we thought we better not push Maddy much farther past her bedtime. We packed up and headed home. Maddy stayed awake in the car, which was good since we forgot PJ's. We tucked her into bed and didn't hear a peep until 8am!