Favorite Foto Friday

This week's theme at Me-Me & Monkey's is pick your favorite from January... This is her "Say Cheeeseee" face....

Hop on over to see some other great shots from January...

Catch Up

My 365 blog "The View From Here" has been taking up a lot of my blog time.  It is a challenge, and I'm in need of getting more creative with my subject matter as Madalynn is getting quite tired of the camera.  I have learned so much about my camera just over the past month. 

However, the Madalynn adventures have been too much to neglect recording... Most of this post is just for me to record my daughter at 2 1/2 so i have it written down.  I won't be offended if you just skip through all the narrative to the pictures.

Her goofy personality just keeps my laughing, and she's getting so conversational now.  The other night I changed her sheets while she was in the tub (her bathroom is right off her room, so she wasn't left unattended in the tub).  When I brought her in her room to get her PJ's on (I still miss the changing table, I can't count how many times I have to wrestle her back down to get her jammies on), anyway, she looked over and saw her sheets changed "Mawwwmmy.... Woook!!!", then she came over & patted my shoulder and said "Great Job Mawwmy". 

I work from home.  I'm so blessed to have my parents take her 3-4 days a week so I can work, and then I make up the other hours while she's sleeping.  Occasionally she'll be with me, and I'll say 'Mommy has to work'.  Now, she'll set herself up at one of the end tables in the living room with her chair, a calculator, her 'colors' (crayons), and paper, and say "Mawwwmy I do my work".  Her little table & chair set my parents got her for Christmas A YEAR ago still has to be her favorite toy.  She loves it.   Her favorite activities are to do her 'colors', and have a 'tea pawty'.  She even now has a 'tea pawty' in the tub each night.  Sometimes the tea pot doubles as a watering can, and then I have to smell the flowers.  I love it when I get a peek inside her imagination.

At 2 1/2 she can also be very challenging at times. Her latest behavior that we're working on is a high pitched, shrill, ear-piercing, my gosh what are they doing to that child scream.  Sometimes the scream is provoked, she doesn't like my answer to something, she gets frustrated when she can't do something, etc.  There are also times when it will come out of nowhere, for no apparent reason, other than to scream.  This gets an automatic 'quiet time'.  It has improved a bit since I've instituted the immediate quiet time policy, this is usually followed with an attempt at tears with an "I sooo sowwwyyy Mawwmmy".

She is also a climber.... she climbs on EVERYTHING.  She has a toddler bed now, and instead of getting in at the open end, she climbs up & over the side rail.  She has a step stool in the bathroom to brush her teeth & wash her hands, and she steps on the knobs of the vanity to climb up on the counter.  She fell off the back of the couch onto the hard wood floor this week, and then the next day she fell off the front of the couch (missed the rug), and hit the hard wood floor.  She's usually pretty tough, and I know if she's crying she's really hurt, or gotten really scared.

I'm also concerned I'm going to get arrested for shoplifting someday.  As everytime we leave a store she'll say "Mawwmmy... have to pay".  This is what I always tell her when she wants to open something while we're still in the store... "We have to pay for it first". So, now she ALWAYS says this.... ALWAYS.  So, if I go in a store & don't find what I'm looking for, and don't make a purchase, as we're leaving she'll say "Mawwmmy... have to pay".

My favorite expression of hers right now is "Kiss-it" if she wants a Hershey 'Kiss'.  "Mawwmy I have a kiss-it?".  If I give her one, she'll then ask for one for Pooh (I have my doubts as to whether or not Pooh actually gets one).

Last night had to be hands down one of the funniest things she's ever done.  I was working in my office, and could hear her on the monitor not going to sleep.  Finally I heard she had settled.  I went to check on her & looked in her bed but didn't see her, but I could hear her breathing... All the clothes had been thrown out of the hamper, and I looked over to see her little pajamed legs sticking out the end of her hamper, and she was sound asleep.

I LOOOOOVE these piggy toes....

I am head over heels in love with my baby girl.

I'm glad January is almost over, while I know February can be the worst weather month, it just means we're that much closer to spring, and it's a short month.

 

FFF- Animals

So I've been a little neglectful with this blog lately, although I have been posting pics daily over at "View From Here".

Today's FFF theme at "Me-Me & Monkey's" is animals... actual or stuffed.  Madalynn loves her stuffed animals.  Her, one true love though is Pooh bear.  A classic Pooh bear that I bought for her long before she came home.  What I love about the fact that she chose Pooh as her one true love is that I have always had a long standing love of all things Pooh.  I have a collection of about 5 Pooh watches, and many Pooh stuffed animals.  I swear I didn't push him on her, she attached to him all on her own.

This is the oldest picture I can find of Madalynn with Pooh... May 2008

... same day...

 

Pooh this week, definitely lost some of his "fluff", also if you will notice his left arm is long & skinny now.  This is because she holds that arm in her hand, and rubs his paw on her cheek, and under her nose.  Additionally his paw is thread bare as she also rub her fingers over it when she's tired.  It warms my heart that she has an object like this.  I've become hypervigilant  about keeping track of Pooh too, as he is essential at bedtime,and naptime.

In addition to Pooh, is Madalynn's best buddy Chatham!!!  These 2 are peas in a pod, and love to get each other riled up.  They both adore each other.  Additionally, it's my parents dog so I get all the benefits of Madalynn growing up with an animal in her life without all the work...

Meeting for the first time June 2009

I know this picture is out of focus, but I just love it b/c it shows their relationship so well...

Head on over to "Me-Me & Monkey's" for more FFF animals...

FFF

I was so excited about this week's Favorite Foto Friday theme of 'Close-Up'... all the years I've been doing photography I've always been all about close up.  I had a hard time choosing...

My sweet little 6 week old baby....

Head over to

"Me-Me & Monkey's Big Adventures to see more of the close-ups"

 

 

1 Little 'George' Jumping on the bed...

From the time Madalynn was little I've described her as having a 'goofy' spirit.  She just loves to be silly, and run at life full speed ahead... run, jump, scale, shriek.  She is also a lovebug with super tight hugs, and slurpy kisses.

Today we went to our MOPS (Mother of pre-schoolers) group at church, and it was wonderful... shout out to any MOPS Moms who may have stopped by my blog.  It was spa day, and the first time Madalynn stayed in the nursery.  I had honestly prayed before we went that she would.  It was so nice to spend time with other Moms who have kids around the same age. 

The other night the twirly Christmas skirt made another appearance with her pajamas... I must say this combo actually hurts my eyes.  So, of course when you wear your best twirly skirt... it's time to jump on the bed....

And of course, why not turn a swiffer into a tail...

After MOPS, lunch & a nap we went out to play in the snow as this is the first day we haven't had single digits in awhile.  I LOVE taking Madalynn out to play in the snow, not only because she loves it, but because I love how it tires her out... fresh air & walking, running, or sliding in snow.

Don't be fooled by this picture... it hasn't been warm enough to melt the snow... this corridor between my house & my neighbor's is a wind tunnel... so all the snow has drifted to reveal the grass.

What do you think is going on behind THIS expression??

Her favorite part was climbing & sliding down the snowbank left by the snowplow.

 

Another purge...of a different kind.

I'm not a huge Oprah fan... more anti-Oprah actually.  But I caught her show yesterday where she focused on a family that needed to re-connect, as this family of 4 were always going in dozens of different directions.  More importantly, they were not plugged in when they were together due to all the electronic/technology distractions.  So, she had a life organizer (now that's something I sooo need), move in with them for a week.  The first thing he did was put all things electronic in a vault... TV, dvd players, cell phones, computers, and microwave to name a few.  The one week change in this family was dramatic.

This has inspired me to make a change for 2010.  One day a week I'm going to go electronic free... I haven't quite decided what day I'm going to do it, but one day a week we will go electronic free... no TV, no texting, no computer (eeekkk... this one scares me the most)... I'm addicted to my computer.  I won't include the microwave like they did as Madalynn & I almost always sit down at the table together for dinner with no TV, so I don't see mealtime as an issue for us.  My other exception is going to be my computer for work. 

I'm on the fence on my camera as I just began the 365 challenge, however it can take time away from Madalynn & I as I'm all about getting the picture vs spending time with her.  Unless, that day of the week I limit myself to only take pictures when I'm not with Madalynn??  Hmmmm.... what do you think???

Leave a comment on what you think on the camera front?  I'll keep you posted on what day a week I choose, and blog about how it goes.

Future in fashion??...

.... I think not....

Yesterday Madalynn put her plaid Christmas skirt on with her light blue floral onesie...... why not??  I think she likes that it twirls.  Of course, I love that she's getting into playing dress-up, and likes twirly skirts...

Also, yesterday while watching my Patriots unravel (no I'm not happy, and no I don't want to talk about it), I took some pictures of my parents puppy to take the focus off the game.  She's a whopping 11lbs now, and probably that's as big as she'll get... I just LOVE this dog, she is just a lovebug, and puts up with a lot from Madalynn.   (If you're on Facebook sorry for the duplication).