Valentine's Day

Friday night I hosted a Valentine Family party/birthday party for my aunt.  We had spaghetti & heart-me-balls for dinner, heart shaped brownie sundae's for dessert (complete w/ Valentine themed sprinkles).  I also did a treasure hunt for the kids to find their goody bags... Madalynn was more interested in seeing her Grandpa than participating in the hunt, but the older kids really enjoyed it.  Unfortunately I was so busy I didn't get ANY pictures, which I'm bummed about... I need to remember to stop & take pictures.

I did take some pictures of the sugar cookies we made before the party...

I have no idea why but for some reason this weekend I became obsessed with decorating my house... I've been here for over 3 years, and have done very little apart from the bedrooms.  Our main living area which is one  kitchen/dining room/living room had very little done, and barely anything on the walls...I have these 3 black shelves that have been in their original box for well over 5 years I'm sure.  I got those out of the basement & thought I'd start there.  So, I got those hung, and pictures arranged on them.  Years ago I tried to sell my photography at craft fairs to no avail so I have quite a supply of framed photos for artwork.  I also have pictures from Madalynn's photo shoot about 1 year ago...  I have since changed this display... the yellow rose is gone & replaced by a hydrangea also in a natural frame.

Display by the door...  The fire tulips were taken by my friend Jen, and the picture of Madalynn is from our photo shoot with my friend Robin about a year ago...

These letters that spell Madalynn have been propped up on the chair rail in her room for about 2 years... I FINALLY got them hung up... I had put it off b/c I knew how tedious it would be... I think they're a little too high.  The pictures again were from the Robin photo shoot last year.

I also painted a wall while Madalynn was sleeping... granted it's only a 2 1/2 foot wide wall, but I finally have some color in this room, now I'm inspired to paint more, and warm up this space.

In honor of Valentine's Day we had heart shape pancakes with mini Hershey kisses...

 

 

I hope you had a blessed Valentine's Day surrounded by love... I feel so blessed by my spunky little girl.  I pray today too for those missing, and longing for a loved one/special someone to share life's special moments with.  I pray one of these Valentine Days I'll have that special someone.

Photo Shoot

This is typical of getting Madalynn to look at the camera & SMILE... A real smile... any pics I've posted on this blog of her smiling, are b/c I got lucky or for that ONE of her smiling there are about 25 that look like this...today we had no luck... no smile to be given...

Flat out REFUSING to look at me...

 

Looking & then turning sooo quickly it's out of focus...

She is usually a very happy, laughing child... until the camera comes out... I also have it out A LOT so it's not like the vacuum that she only sees once a season... you'd think she'd get used to it. 

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"