Just another day....

It's January now, the holidays are over and winter has come. This is the time where I should be inspired to clean out our closets, cabinets and drawers. To purge our home of the things we accumulated in 2010. To clean our palate so we can start 2011 off right

But I'm not.

I'm inspired to play with my Maddie Cakes.



How could you not want to play with this cute face? Today we played in her kitchen. I think she is picking up some tips by watching her mama cook dinner. All good cooks taste their broth.



Alright, I've never really made broth. Why would I when it comes conveniently packed in a can.



Yes, that is a giant piece of corn on the cob she is munching on. But there is more than corn in Indiana. We've got cupcakes too!





Madison is becoming such a good little mommy to her babies. Today she fed them cupcakes. Maybe she's actually sending me some hints like "Hey Lady, why don't you give me some cupcakes, some real ones that I can actually eat, not these fake plastic ones."





So, this post is totally about nothing but we did actually do more than play in Maddie's kitchen today. Today we went shopping. Our little trip out didn't last long because Maddie O. was a wee bit cranky. But the trip was much needed.

Pictured here is Maddie's shoe.



Let me know if you've seen the other one because we've only got one.  Somehow, somewhere we have lost it's match. I am completely heartbroken. Not only because they were great shoes and Maddie did so well while walking in them but because they are her first pair of walking shoes. I planned on saving them for her so one day when she was all grown up I could pull them out of their box, yes I saved the box, and show her her first pair of Stride Rite walking shoes. They would be all scuffed up and worn with the laces slightly dirty and Maddie would be delighted to see her first pair of "real" shoes.

I really could cry right now but I'm not I've got to put myself in check and realize that it is just a shoe that we've lost and not her arm or something.

I have my suspicion as to what happened to our match. I've caught Maddie O. putting things in the garbage can in the kitchen several times and I've retrieved many little people, juice cups and spoons from the trash. I'm afraid that I missed her tossing in her shoe and out with the trash it went. I really hope that I'm wrong and we find it buried under a pile of toys in the near future.

So this is what prompted our little shopping trip. Our baby girl needed a new pair of shoes. A new pair of shoes that she could walk in because our baby girl is a walkin'! And we found some....



How cute are they?



I even shot a little video of the shoes in action. Check it...



Yes, they squeak. Madison was putting on a little show in the store showing the ladies her little trot while squeaking away. She toddled all around the shoe section blabbering away and made it a point to stop at each mirror to check herself out. How could I not buy them after that? I did learn that they squeaker could be removed if we do become slightly annoyed with each step. Ryan was happy to learn this news. Right now we are loving our new little squeaker while keeping an eye out for our lost sneaker.

Bye for now!

Ringing In the New Year

Happy New Year!



2010 has been a great year for us and we only expect 2011 to give us the same and possibly better. Although I don't know how it could get any better than watching my two favorite people having a tea party.





But it does....today we spent the afternoon with two of my best friends and their little ones.





We spent the afternoon catching up, trading mom stories and just being us. About 18 years ago I sat in that same living room, with those same girls, with my big glasses, lack of self esteem and innocence. At that age, I never would have thought I would be right back in that place all grown up with my daughter. I love how things in my life have turned out and I love that I can share in motherhood with my girlfriends.





The kids played, not so much with each other, more so by themselves but keeping a watchful eye on the others.



This is the closest they got and it appeared that they weren't too thrilled about it but us mamas were cracking up as they poked at one another. I especially loved how Charlie massaged Maddie's one shoeless, sock less foot.







This is how I wanted to bring in 2011. Surrounded by the people I love, my friends and my family. It's funny how several years ago I yearned to be in a bar all up in the scene, breaking it down on the dance floor. This year I yearned to be with my family. We stayed in and I actually enjoyed January 1st because I wasn't nursing myself back from the night before. See I am becoming a grown up.

Madison has been cooking away for us.



Alright, not for us so much, more for herself.



Thank you 2010 for being so great to us!

2011 bring it, 'cause we're ready!

Tis the Season

Here we are, it's December 26th, and Christmas is over. I've been stressed out for the past two weeks over getting things ready, beginning new traditions, making sure things are perfect for our little Maddie and you'd think I would be relieved that I can relax now. But now there are new toys that need homes, decorations that need to be put back in their homes and a freakin' tree that needs to get out of our house fast.

Although we got to this day and this is the path we took....

On Christmas Eve Maddie and I played in the snow. We got ourselves all bundled up and took a little sled ride around the house and golf course.





She looked miserable as could be all bundled up and not a way to move. Her hands weren't even all the way in her mittens but she didn't care. She loved being pulled around the yard in her little sled. If I stopped even for a moment, she arched her little back and let out a yelp as if to say "Mama get this sled a moving."



We baked and decorated our cookies for Santa. Alright, I decorated the ones for Santa, Maddie ate hers.







Then she had to try Santa's too. She just wanted to make sure they tasted alright for the big guy.







After Maddie went to bed, Santa did come.



And it was a good thing he came late because our baby girl awoke bright and early at 4:30 a.m. Yes, that is right our baby who, on a regular day, sleeps a full eleven or twelve hours and on some mornings I have to wake her at 7:00 so we can get going. 4:30 a.m. I think she had a feeling that something great was waiting for her.











Our little Maddie O. got a kitchen and she is loving it! She's been in that kitchen cooking up a storm.

Christmas Day continued on with family and thanks to modern technology Meme and Papaw were able to participate via Skype.





Madison doesn't understand the reason we celebrate Christmas, she will, I will make sure of that but it will be a few years down the road. She doesn't even understand why she keeps getting gifts when we visit each family member's house but I think she is liking it.







Once again we had another enjoyable holiday that was made special by our family. Spending time with one another is what makes it all so worth it. Yes, I'm exhausted and still trying to recover from that early morning wake up but it's worth it. It's always so worth it.

Cheers!

Stressmas Time

It's not often that I admit it but I am this time....I'm stressed out. I have put this huge burden on myself to make Christmas ultra special for Madison. I want her to know and understand the true meaning of Christmas and that it isn't just receiving gifts and sitting on Santa's lap. I want Madison to have the desire to give and to find the joy in giving. I want to create traditions for her that she will one day carry on with her family. I want her to be able to utter the phase "When I was little..."

I know it seems ridiculous to try to do this when she is one. I mean come on, she's really not going to remember anything about this Christmas but I will.  Therefore, I feel this need to begin traditions now so I can tell her of the things we've being doing at Christmas time ever since she was born.  I'm stuffing my stress deep down into my stocking and forging on because we've got memories to make.

We decorated our tree last weekend when Maddie and I returned home from Florida.











But now our tree is rebelling. Wednesday evening the darn thing fell over. All three of us were in Madison's room cleaning out the aquarium and we hear this thud. Ryan checked and sure enough the tree was lying horizontal on the floor. Ornaments, water and pine needles were all over the living room. Needless to say I didn't even attempt to take a picture. Ryan and I were both so annoyed that the freakin' Christmas tree fell over and created a mess for us to clean up. Then on Friday, the freakin' lights on the tree stopped working. So, now we have a dark tree leaning up in the corner with ornaments only half way up because our toddler keeps pulling them off.  She's a bute!



On a positive note, Ryan and I did get all of the presents wrapped up today. Maddie has only unwrapped two of them thus far. Only six more days to go until Christmas and I'm sure the "Unwrapped Present" count will rise.







Madison has received two of the coolest gifts prior to Christmas. The first one is a little people nativity set from her Nana and Pap.



The second is a recordable storybook from her Great Grandma Golda, Maddie calls her G.G. She read the entire book and recorded her voice while she was reading. It is so cute and such a great keepsake for Madison.



I'm anxious for Christmas morning. I can't wait to celebrate the season with our family. Also, I'm a little anxious about getting this freakin' tree out of our house.