Ouchie

While attending a playdate at a local jumpy gym, Maddie accidentally broke her finger. Thankfully, she was never in much pain and didn't seem bothered by getting a cast. She actually loves her cast. The doctor said it was a minor fracture but because of her age, a cast was needed.

Maddie doesn't like to slow down, so we hope future owies don't require casts.

Maddie's Christmas Program

Maddie's preschool had a Christmas program for the parents. All the kids wore holiday t-shirts they had made and "sang" five or six Christmas songs they'd been practicing for a few weeks.

At first Maddie did pretty well, singlign a little bit and smiling at me (she spotted me up-front taking pictures). But she quickly decided she didn't want to be on the stage any more and wanted to come sit with me. I tried to get her to re-join her friends by returning to my seat, but that just caused her to cry. Oh, well. We'll see how she does next year. :-)

It was really funny to see the kids facing in all directions, some crying, singing, yelling and calling out for their parents. Good stuff.

Eric and I really enjoy times like these.

Christmas Card 2011

Christmas Cookies

For the first time, Maddie helped me bake & decorate Christmas cookies. Carly was napping during most of the time, so it was a sweet bonding time between Mommy and Maddie. And Maddie turned out to be a pro with sprinkles! We delivered a few plates of cookies to our neighbors who seemed to enjoy them.

Christmas Prep

Maddie helped Daddy put up Christmas decorations outside and both Maddie and Carly helped Mommy decorate the tree. I love this time of year and I think the girls do too.

Besties

These two girls are really fond of each other. Please excuse Daddy's chin. :-)

Thanksgiving 2011

My sister Rae, Vinny and sweet Ava hosted Thanksgiving this year since they newly moved to the Austin area. They were perfect hosts to all 12 of us and we had a wonderful time. It's always such fun to get the cousins together to play while enjoying delicious food.

Pasta Night

Things get craaaaazy on pasta night!

Maddie the Turkey

Maddie was supposed to sing and perform in her very first Thanksgiving program at school last week. Unfortunately, she caught a stomach bug and cold so she had to miss it.

I still had her put on her turkey costume so I could take a picture. She's a cute little turkey!

Here's hoping we stay well for her Christmas program!

Thankful

Maddie came home with homework this week for us to make a "Thankful Turkey" of some of the things she's thankful for. Here's what she said she's thankful for:

1. Leaves
2. Pumpkins
3. Pine Cones (not native to Texas but loved them on our Summer trip to MN)
4. Family
5. Water

Carly's 1st B-Day Party

We had a small birthday party last Saturday to celebrate Carly's 1st year. The weather was beautiful so the kids were able to play outside on the swing set. We had yummy food and enjoyed each other's company. We were so lucky to have both Grandnee and Grandpa Ramirez and Grandma and Grandpa Mahurin visit too!

I think Carly enjoyed her special day.

Carly Turns 1!!

Yesterday, Carly turned one year old. I guess I officially have TWO toddlers. Carly has grown into a beautiful, smart, funny, adventurous little girl. We love her more each day.

Things we want to remember about Carly at one:

• Walks and runs like a champ


• Says "Da" for Dadda, and "Momma" and "Pu" for puff and "du" for duck and "uh-oh"
• Adores her big sister Maddie but likes to pull her hair even though she knows she's not supposed to.


• Understands many things and sentences said to her. For example, "Go get your ducky." and she'll run and grab her favorite stuffed duck.


• Is off all pureed foods, except when Mom is in a pinch. She eats like a champ!
• Is shy around people and takes a while to warm up to them.
• Still wakes once at night but only nurses 2-3 times a day.
• Is very brave when it comes to climbing and exploring.
• Loves hugging and snuggling all the time.
• Likes her pacifier.


• Wants to do whatever big sister Madie does and be wherever Maddie is
• Loves playing with purses and necklaces and strolling her stuffed animals around in a stroller. She also likes legos.
• Loves running through the house with Maddie, hiding behind curtains and giggling at each other.

Stats:
Height: 30 in (75%)
Weight: 19 lbs, 10 oz (upper 25%)
Head: 45.7 cm (upper 50%)

Miss Potato Head

Maddie and Carly love playing witg Mr. and Ms. Potato head. Recently, Maddie has started to pretend that she's misses potato head and even tries to borrow some of her accessories. Funny stuff!

Here she is in tutu, purse, backpack, hat, and glasses borrowed from Ms. Potato head:

Halloween 2011

We had a fun-filled Halloween evening in our neighborhood with cousin Ava, Aunt Rae, Aunt Dee and Uncle Adam. It was Carly's first time trick-or-treating and she seemed to get the hang of it pretty quick! As always, our neighborhood was filled with music, lots of kids and neighbors socializing and plenty of spooky decorations. Fun, fun!

Pumpkin Patch 2011

Eric and I took the girls to one of our favorite pumpkin patches last week. You're going to hear me say this again in upcoming posts, but I LOVE this time of year. Lots to do with the girls.

It was Carly's first patch experience and she really had fun. Maddie showed her around while the girls explored all the different types of pumpkins and bales of hay. It was a nice afternoon and we left with several beautiful pumpkins.

Maddie's First Trip to the Dentist

Last week, I took Maddie to a pediatric dentist for her very first check-up. In preparation for our visit, I read Maddie a story about Dora going to the dentist, so she'd know what to expect.

Maddie was only nervous just a bit but otherwise did great. And best of all, her teeth are healthy and cavity-free. Yay!

September-October in Review

Oh, boy. It's been a while since updated this blog. We've been busy with playdates, parties, weekend trips and cooler weather (yay!) Here are a few pictures of the last few weeks:

Annual Trip to Concan, Texas:




Animal Week at Preschool:


Running around Rolly Pollies:



Storytime Arts & Crafts:


Maddie's classmate, Anthony's, birthday party: