richterology

Priceless photo re: 8/25/11

2012-01-23T21:36:00.000-06:00

Annabelle's Kindergarten Program re: 12/13/11

2012-01-04T22:37:00.000-06:00

Today we headed up to Annabelle's school to see her Kinder class perform in a program along with the other Kindergarten classes. The program was so cute and Annabelle looked so beautiful all dolled up in her holiday attire.

Neighborhood Christmas Lights 12/17/11

2012-01-04T22:21:00.000-06:00

We have made it a tradition to visit one of our neighbor's homes that is decorated with lights to the max. They seem to add more and more each year. We get a kick out of seeing the lights and decor each December.

Omi and Opi's Visit re: 11/6/11

2012-01-04T21:53:00.000-06:00

Omi and Opi came to visit over my birthday weekend. They arrived Friday and in the afternoon, we walked over to pick Annabelle up from school. She was so surprised as she thought Omi and Opi weren't coming up until Saturday. Thank you for the visit, all of the goodies and especially for watching the girls for us so that we could enjoy a date night!

Annabelle's Kindergarten Halloween Party re: 10/27/11

2011-12-16T16:49:00.000-06:00

Annabelle's class had a Halloween program in her class today. After the program, her teacher set up some art and craft stations. It was so cute seeing all the little ones so excited for their parents to come and see them perform.

I tried to get a photo of both girls smiling but what can you do? Something I can show Madeleine when she is older.

1st Time Ice Skating re: November 27, 2011

2011-12-16T16:34:00.000-06:00

We were a bit cooped up over Thanksgiving as poor Annabelle came down with a horrible case of strep throat. Once she was feeling better, we ventured out and took the girls for a surprise = ice skating. Annabelle picked it up pretty quickly. The ankle strength isn't there yet for Madeleine but she was a trooper. It had been a LOOONG time since Jon and I ice skated. We felt a little rusty at first but we managed just fine.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:51:00.000-05:00

Our little Bride and Belle Princess were uber - excited to finally have their Halloween costumes on. You can tell from their smiles that they are ready to GO! They had a great time trick or treating. Last Madeleine's bag got so full that she started dragging it. This year, she had mommy carry it from house to house but would take it to the doors when it came time to collect the candy.

Annabelle and her BIG buddy Grace from school.

Carving Pumpkins

2011-10-30T22:59:00.000-05:00

We literally waited until the last day to carve our pumpkins. With the scorcher of a summer that we had, we thought it would best to hold off as long as possible so that the pumpkins would at least stay fresh for Halloween night. I made per Annabelle's requests an owl, a witch and a traditional Jack O Lantern. Jon made his annual Spartan.

Making Halloween Cookies

2011-10-29T23:02:00.000-05:00

It has become our Halloween tradition that we make Halloween cookies. And then make some more! Some to share with friends, some to share with neighbors and some for us to enjoy!

Halloween Goodies...Thank You Videos

2011-10-28T23:02:00.001-05:00

The girls received Halloween goodies and presents. The pictures show how happy they were opening their gifts and I figured I would capture them saying thank you on video.

Do You Boo?

2011-10-24T20:49:00.000-05:00

The girls and I made cookies so that we could "BOO" some of our neighbors with Halloween treats. We started the tradition last year and it was fun to see neighbors participate by adding their "BOO" signs to their doors and "BOOing" other neighbors who had not been "BOOed" yet with Halloween goodies. Annabelle chose giving her big buddy Grace from school, Breck, Danny and Tyler cookies.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-22T20:39:00.001-05:00

We went to our church's Pumpkin Patch today and picked our 4 pumpkins to carve for Halloween.

Get Your Stache On (November 20, 2010)

2011-10-16T23:05:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine made these adorable Mustache tees for the girls. Couldn't resist posting a few of Madeleine getting her "stache" on.

Fun Trip with Mrs. Toni (October 24, 2010)

2011-10-16T23:04:00.000-05:00

Annabelle's teacher took a few of the kiddos from school on a fun afternoon where they were able to dress up in the Halloween costumes. Madeleine stayed behind but it was only fair to let her dress up too.

My First Bow

2011-10-16T20:49:00.002-05:00

We've been practicing with Annabelle to tie a bow. She picked it up quite quickly. She came running excitedly into the kitchen today to tell me that she tied a bow ALL BY HERSELF! So fun to see her reach this milestone. On a side note, she showed me one of her Ariel Barbies the other day and said that she had made a braid. I asked her to show me how she did it and sure enough, she was BRAIDING!

Having fun with Nannie - November 6, 2010

2011-10-09T23:23:00.000-05:00

While Jon and I were on our trip to San Fran, the girls were having loads of fun with Nannie.

Posing while waiting - November 9, 2010

2011-10-09T23:05:00.000-05:00

We headed up to the Domain today and had lunch. While Nannie went into one of the stores purchasing some items for the girls, we decided to model some fun poses.

It's Santa! re - post 12/12/10

2011-10-09T22:28:00.000-05:00

Look was who at the mall today? Girls had a chance to tell Santa some of the items on there wish list although I am not too sure Madeleine was ready to reveal all of hers.

First Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-22T10:12:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe that school started today. It seems like yesterday that we dropped our sweet Annabelle off for the first time at her Mother's Day Out program. Today, we dropped her off at her Kindergarten for the first time. I just kept thinking where did the time go and how do we already have a FIVE year old. I get teary eyed all over again just thinking about it.

Annabelle and her teacher Mrs. Necak

I Trust You'll Treat Her Well

Author: Victor Buono

Dear World:

I bequeath to you today one little girl...in a crispy dress...with two brown eyes...and a happy laugh that ripples all day long.. and a flash of light brown hair that bounces in the sun when she runs.

I trust you'll treat her well.

She's slipping out of the backyard of my heart this morning...and skipping off down the street to her first day of school. And never again will she be completely mine.

Prim and proud she'll wave her young and independent hand this morning and say "Goodbye" and walk with little lady steps to the schoolhouse.

Now she'll learn to stand in lines...and wait by the alphabet for her name to be called. She'll learn to tune her ears for the sounds of school-bells...and deadlines...and she'll learn to giggle...and gossip...and look at the ceiling in a disinterested way when the little boy 'cross the aisle sticks out his tongue at her. And now she'll learn to be jealous. And now she'll learn how it is to feel hurt inside. And now she'll learn how not to cry.

No longer will she have time to sit on the front porch on a summer day and watch an ant scurry across the crack in the sidewalk. Nor will she have time to pop out of bed with the dawn and kiss lilac blooms in the morning dew. No, now she'll worry about those important things...like grades and which dress to wear and whose best friends is whose. And the magic of books and learning will replace the magic of her blocks and dolls. And now she'll find new heroes.

For five full years now I've been her sage and Santa Claus and pal and playmate and mother and friend. Now she'll learn to share her worship with her teachers ...which is only right. But no longer will I be the smartest woman in the whole world. Today when that school bell rings for the first time...she'll learn what it means to be a member of the group...with all its privileges and its disadvantages too.

She'll learn in time that proper young ladies do not laugh out loud...or kiss dogs...or keep frogs in pickle jars in bedrooms...or even watch ants scurry across cracks in sidewalks in the summer.

Today she'll learn for the first time that all who smile at her are not her friends. And I'll stand on the front porch and watch her start out on the long, lonely journey to becoming a woman.

So, world, I bequeath to you today one little girl...in a crispy dress...with two brown eyes...and a flash of light brown hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs.

I trust you'll treat her well.

South Padre Island Beach Trip

2011-08-07T23:03:00.000-05:00

This past week we took the girls down to South Padre Island. We had such a great time and the girls had a BLAST!

Dolphin Watching

New Wheels

2011-02-05T23:05:00.001-06:00

Taking the new wheels out for a spin.

Snow Day

2011-02-04T22:39:00.000-06:00

We woke up to a little snow today. The girls were very excited. Annabelle's school was open so she went to school. I got Madeleine dressed in her snowsuit and she enjoyed playing in the snow.

Madeleine's little footprints in the snow.

Snow Angel

Girls seeing each other outside

Texas style sledding

Happy Birthday Val!

2010-12-28T22:21:00.000-06:00

Today (December 28) we celebrated Val's 8th birthday! The girls and I went to the pet store to buy her birthday and Christmas presents. The girls picked out stuffed animals and doggy bones to give to our sweet girl. Wishing my first baby a VERY Happy Birthday! She really is the sweetest dog and is so good with the girls. She fills our hearts with lots of love.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T22:54:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T22:05:00.001-06:00

We had a very nice and low key Christmas. The girls woke up Christmas morning to find that lots and lots of presents under the tree for them. One present that didn't fit under the tree was their new Barbie Jeep. They were like magnets to it all morning. As a matter of fact, we had a hard time getting them to open presents because they kept wanting to sit in it. When I told them that we could take it outside and they could drive it, their eyes nearly popped out. We ended up having to move the jeep across the room and cover it with a blanket so that presents would be opened.

Thank you to Omi, Opi, Nannie, Granddad, Aunt Michelle, Uncle Nelson, Adam, Owen and Sean for all of our wonderful goodies. We are having a ball playing with all of our new presents!

Opening stockings Christmas morning.

Christmas Eve!

2010-12-24T22:22:00.006-06:00

Making cookies for Santa.

All dressed up for Christmas Eve.

Putting the reindeer food together.

Writing our letters to Santa.

Cookies, milk and letters for Santa.

Opening one present the night before Christmas.

Reading Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Checking to see where Santa is before the girls went to bed.

Wimberley Trail of Lights

2010-12-21T23:00:00.003-06:00

One of our holiday traditions is to go to the Austin Trail of Lights. However, this year they were cancelled. Instead, we headed to Wimberley, TX and went to their Trail of Lights. We were quite impressed and there weren't any crowds to deal with.

They had a little Post Office set up where you could write a letter to Santa and place it in the mail to send to the North Pole.

Madeleine's School Program

2010-12-20T23:25:00.002-06:00

Madeleine had her Christmas school program this morning. She looked so cute. I remember when Annabelle wore the same outfit for our family photo shoot when she was 18 months old. Madeleine's class sang "Ring, Ring, Ring the Bells" song. It was so sweet.

Sitting with her class during the program.

Walking with her teacher Mrs. Leslie to the front of the sanctuary to sing.

Making Cookies

2010-12-19T22:15:00.000-06:00

The girls made cookies to include for the Christmas goodie bags that we are putting together for their school friends.

It's Christmas Time

2010-12-19T13:43:00.001-06:00

The girls helped to decorate the Christmas tree and it was great to see them put the ornaments on this year instead of taking them off. I remember when we had a Christmas tree that was half decorated as Annabelle would take the ornaments she could reach on the bottom of the tree off and then we would place them on the top of the tree. This year we have a tree decorated from top to bottom.

Omi and Opi's Visit

2010-12-18T23:34:00.000-06:00

Omi and Opi came up for a short visit this weekend. We also celebrated Opi's birthday. Thank you for all of the goodies! We all had a great time!

Hanging up the bird house that Opi made for Madeleine.

The girls and their bird houses.

Annabelle's School Program

2010-12-17T22:32:00.000-06:00

Annabelle had her school program today. She said the "Welcome Message", recited a poem that she memorized, performed in the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies and did a tap dance. All of the kiddos were so cute.

Choo Choo!

2010-12-11T22:00:00.000-06:00

We braved the mall today. The line to see Santa was super long so we opted to have the girls ride the train instead. I don't think they realized that Santa was there so we will have to try and do pictures another day.

Saint Nicholas' visit

2010-12-06T20:51:00.001-06:00

Saint Nicholas came to visit the girl's today. We placed the shoes that Opi made for them outside their bedroom doors last night. When the girls' woke up this morning, they found that their shoes had been filled with candy which meant that Saint Nicholas was here. Their stockings were filled with lots of goodies too!

Who needs snow?

2010-12-04T22:34:00.007-06:00

This afternoon we took the girls down the street for some good ole' sledding. Minus the snow but who needs snow? Annabelle had an absolute blast and caught on SUPER fast. Our adventurous Madeleine was not her roaring self but would ride down the hill with mommy and enjoyed herself. Are you ready Opi? We have a card board box with your name all over it next weekend!

Thank You Omi and Opi

2010-12-04T22:22:00.004-06:00

We walked to the mail box today and found a package from Omi and Opi and inside we found wooden shoes. We now have the perfect set of shoes to place outside our rooms as we get ready for Saint Nikolaus's arrival. We cannot wait until December 6th. Thank you! We love our new accessories for our annual tradition!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T21:04:00.000-06:00

Thank You Omi and Opi

2010-11-24T20:51:00.001-06:00

Thank you Omi and Opi for the package that arrived. We love our advent calendars and can't wait to gobble up the chocolate behind each window every day until Christmas! Thank you also for the yummy vitocandies! xoxox's

Get your stache on!

2010-11-22T20:31:00.000-06:00

Take Two!

2010-11-20T20:38:00.001-06:00

Here is my second attempt at taking a photo of Madeleine to use for our holiday card. Hopefully, the third time is a charm.

Say Cheese

2010-11-10T22:52:00.002-06:00

I was taking pictures of Madeleine the other day in hopes of getting some that we could use for our Holiday card this year. This is what happens when you ask your two year old to say "cheese".

Our trip to San Francisco!

2010-11-08T23:11:00.000-06:00

Jon surprised me with a trip to San Francisco for my birthday! It is one of my favorite places to visit. Each time we go, I seem to fall in love with the city more and more! My first time there was for a few days for a second honeymoon that we took and I always am looking forward to going back to visit. We have been very lucky that with each visit, we have had beautiful weather. We arrived on Friday for a long weekend. We did lots of walking, enjoyed a full day of biking which included riding over the Golden Gate Bridge and riding into Sausalito. We had a wonderful time as always!

I love all of the fresh flower stands. Peonies are my favorite.

View of the sunset during our walk through town.

On our bike ride to Sausalito. We had fog in the morning and by the time we got to the middle of the bridge, the fog began to lift. The timing could not have been more perfect!

View of the Marin Headlands from the bridge.

View of the city on top of the Marin Headlands.

Dinner with friends.

We had an amazing time and I can't wait to go back!

Nannie's Visit

2010-11-08T23:04:00.001-06:00

The girls had a wonderful visit with their Nannie.

Thank you for a wonderful time!

Happy Halloween!!!

2010-10-31T22:33:00.003-05:00

Tonight is Halloween and the girls were very excited about Trick or Treating. It is fun to see them getting more excited about activities like this as they grow. Annabelle's friend Leah came trick or treating with us. Poor little Madeleine took a spill down some stairs and cut her lip. It was dark out and I saw it from the street as she was coming back from getting candy. After a few tears, she was fine and ready for more candy! Whew! The girls got a ton of candy!

Bag is getting heavy!

Bag is so heavy that M started dragging it.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-30T22:41:00.001-05:00

This time we picked up pumpkins to carve. Better late than never!

Thank You!

2010-10-29T23:05:00.001-05:00

Thank you to Nannie, Grandad, Uncle Nelson, Aunt Michelle, Adam, Owen and Sean for our Halloween treats. What a surprise to see the packages on our doorstep and find all sorts of Halloween goodies. Thanks so much for making our Halloween extra special and for thinking of us! We love you!

Decorating Halloween Cookies

2010-10-28T23:00:00.001-05:00

One of our annual traditions that we have made is to decorate Halloween cookies and share them with our friends at school. This year Madeleine really got into it. The cookies turned out beautifully!

Madeleine's Halloween School Party

2010-10-27T22:37:00.001-05:00

Madeleine's class dressed up for their Halloween School Party today.

Featured on Hostess with the Mostess!

2010-10-25T22:16:00.001-05:00

Wow! Hostess with the Mostess featured my Happy Halloween table scape today and I am over the moon! I have followed Jenn's blog for a long time and have always dreamed of being featured on her blog. This is the site that I go to for party inspiration on a daily basis as it is my favorite party blog!

Check the blog post HERE

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-23T22:53:00.001-05:00

We tooks the girls to the pumpkin patch at our church this afternoon. Annabelle saw her school friends Danny and Tyler and had fun playing in the jumpy house with them. Poor Madeleine wasn't feeling her best. She has been battling a stomach bug of sorts for 2 weeks now. Although she didn't feel up to playing in the jumpy house, it gave me a chance to take a few extra pics of Madeleine since she stayed fairly still which is not like our little miss busy body.

Madeleine Pumpkin Patch Video

2010-10-22T23:24:00.001-05:00

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-22T21:08:00.001-05:00

Madeleine and I accompanied Annabelle and her class to the pumpkin patch.

Going through the maze.

Dress Up Times Two

2010-10-17T22:09:00.004-05:00

I was just uploading pictures from my camera to my computer and never posted these pictures of the girls all dressed up. It was from a few weeks ago.

Rainy Days - Repost September 3, 2010

2010-10-14T22:16:00.000-05:00

The rain stopped and so we went outside and took a few photos of Madeleine.

Looking for doodlebugs

Can't get enough of those curls!

Afternoon Delight

2010-10-14T21:03:00.003-05:00

It was such a beautiful afternoon today. Thought I would capture a few new pictures of the girls while we came back from a walk.

Fire Station Field Trip

2010-10-13T20:46:00.001-05:00

Annabelle had her annual Fire Station field trip today. I think this is visit number 4 for us. She always has a great time!

anna and blue paperie is officially open!

2010-10-13T14:52:00.004-05:00

I finally did it! Anna and Blue Paperie is open! After many requests from friends to make personalized paper goods for them, I was inspired to offer my products online. I just opened my Etsy shop and am so excited that it is now officially open. My shop specializes in personalized papers for everyday events. I named the shop after my two sweet girls Annabelle and Madeleine (who has blue eyes). In the shop you will find printables, stationery, gift tags, labels, party décor and more! Every item can be fully customized to suit your taste, event or just because!

I love creating personalized and custom paper goods for social correspondence, gifts and parties. It is a treat to be asked to be a part of decorating a party, making a package unique or simply writing a note on pretty paper.

Come and take a look!

www.annaandblue.com

All in the family

2010-09-22T20:33:00.004-05:00

Annabelle's current unit at school is all about families. She came home with her first family portrait that she drew! Annabelle does not really color much. Just doesn't seem to interest her very much. So, when I saw this picture I was delighted and actually got a little teary eyed the more that I looked at it. We were given more of her beautiful work this week. Each one gets better than the first. Take a close look at the pictures. First, we look a bit like aliens. In the end, we are a super fit mommy and daddy. And Annabelle picked the cutest girls that she thought resembled herself and Madeleine.

Kiddie Acres

2010-09-04T21:15:00.003-05:00

We took the girls to Kiddie Acres over the holiday weekend. It wasn't as hot outside and the park was not crowded at all which made for a nice afternoon outside. The girls had a blast! Annabelle bumped into her friend Katie there who she went to the circus with.

Swimming Video

2010-09-02T16:18:00.002-05:00

Annabelle had her last swimming last today and she swam! WooHoo for Annabelle.

School Days

2010-09-01T08:45:00.002-05:00

Madeleine's new class started today. Here she is on her first day of school for the Fall.

Preschool Open House

2010-08-31T16:00:00.005-05:00

Madeleine's Mother's Day Out program is closed now for the summer. She had one day off from school and the first day of her Fall program starts tomorrow. Today, the parents were invited to the Preschool Open House. The girls and I stopped at the grocery store first to purchase her school suppies and then headed to the Open House. Her classroom is the same one that she had during the summer. She will remain in the Turtle's class. Her teacher Ms. Leslie whom she had over the summer will stay the same. She really seems to like Ms. Leslie and gives her lots of hugs and love. Her other teacher Ms. Linda is moving to the 4 year old class. Her second teacher Ms. Katie will take Ms. Linda's place. Not too much is changing which will hopefully make for a smooth transition. When we arrived home, the girls made cookies to bring to their schools tomorrow.

Always wanting to wash her hands.

Ms. Katie, Ms. Leslie and Madeleine

All About Annabelle

2010-08-29T18:43:00.004-05:00

Here is a list all about Annabelle now that she is 4!

She loves skirts and will wear layers of clothes to make the skirt fluffy. Or she will wear dresses down to her waist with sleeves dangling at her sides so they are long skirts. It is a bit of an odd look but perhaps a new fashion statement.
She finally grew out of Barney and fell in love with the show Go Diego Go. Diego is her boyfriend according to Annabelle.
She moved on from Danny at school being her boyfriend and she is back to Knox being her boyfriend. Knox has been her boyfriend for months now although we are not sure if Knox is aware of this. She will come home from school some days and get all dressed up and explain that she and Knox are getting married at the beach.
She says funny things that gives us a good laugh. The other day I told her that her cousin Adam had gotten braces. I asked her if she knew what braces were. She replied that she did and that they were for curly teeth.
She still wishes that she had curly hair. Often times she asks me if her hair is curly. Lately, I have been braiding her bangs and she loves how her hair is "curly" when the braid comes out. I have curled her hair a few times and she loves looking at herself in the mirror admiring the curls.
She can count from 1-10 in Spanish. Thanks Diego!
Wants to be called Belle. We thought this might have been a little phase but she has been saying it now for months that she does not like the name Annabelle anymore and wants to be called Belle. Sometimes I forget to call her Belle and she will remind me sternly that her name is Belle. Granted, it is hard to make a change after having called her Annabelle for 4 years.
She can spell her name and has started writing her name. We are working on writing her middle and last name.
She knows her home phone number and address.
Knows all the sounds of her alphabet and we are on the verge of reading words.
Annabelle loves music and singing songs. I think she has an ear for music. I will whistle the first few notes of a song and she gets it right every time.
She also enjoys dancing especially to the Diego and Backyardigan theme songs.
Annabelle is the more timid and shy one of the two girls. With Madeleine being the social butterfly, she oftentimes brings Annabelle out of her shell.
Annabelle is a bit sensitive at times. Perhaps it is part of being four. She will cry easily. For example. I normally will turn Diego on after she finishes breakfast and it keeps Madeleine entertained as I drop Annabelle off to school. The other morning she was taking forever to eat her breakfast. I told her that if she didn't eat her breakfast that I would not turn on Diego. She didn't eat her breakfast and I stuck to my guns and didn't turn Diego on. She sobbed. It is tough being a 4 year old.
Speaking of eating breakfast slowly, we are going to have quite an adjustment next year when we start Kindergarten. Annabelle typically sleeps until 730/8 in the morning and we sit at the breakfast table for a good 40 minutes. School starts at 745. Although, I think with Annabelle starting Kindergarten it will be the biggest adjustment for me as I am not a morning person. I am very blessed that both girls sleep until almost 8 or after 8. I have a feeling that getting up earlier will make me start drinking coffee.
Annabelle works well with structure. She still stays in her room until the clock says 8 am. At nap time, she will stay in her room until 4. One day over the weekend, Madeleine had gotten up around 330 from her nap and we could hear that Annabelle was up. We were in the play room and called to Annabelle that she could go ahead and come out and play. She said that it wasn't time yet and that the clock did not say 4 yet.
She will still nap on some days but has quiet time every day that she is home. If she doesn't nap, she will play with her books/stuffed animals and sing.
She is all about wanting to have multiple wardrobe changes during the day. We have had to have a few discussions about her going into her closet and pulling clothes off of the hangers and then leaving a pile of clothes everywhere. Sometimes the dress up clothes just are not enough I suppose.
It seems like yesterday that we were dropping Annabelle off next door at school when she was 18 months. At that time, she was the youngest at her school. Now that 4 of her classmates graduated to Kindergarten, Annabelle is now one of the oldest. I still can't get over that next year at this time she will be in Kindergarten.
Annabelle has had her fair share of time outs. Lately, it seems we are having them more frequently.
She does not like to clean up. Nothing has changed here.
She also doesn't do well with sharing nor being told what to do which I am sure is typical 4 year old behavior.
She had another set of swim lessons this summer with her friend Leah. She is very close to swimming on her own. I took her a few times to practice at the pool but I think there is a difference if a parent tries to teach versus a teacher. We decided to sign her up for a few private lessons. She had two last week and swam a few feet on her own!
She currently loves these songs on the radio - Good Night (Black Eyed Peas), Hey Soul Sister (Train), California Gurls (Katy Perry). For a while there all the girls wanted to listen to was a nursery rhyme cd that I had in my car. Listening to these new songs over and over is a nice change but I am hoping that they find some additional songs that they like. Whenever they hear one of their favorite songs, they will take a deep sigh in and get SO excited.
She loves dressing up her Barbies, babies and stuffed animals.
Annabelle still sleeps with a ton of things in her bed anywhere from multiple luvies, stuffed animals, dolls, babies and books.
She is becoming more adventurous in the pool.
She is still an awesome sleeper. Woohoo!
Doesn't like to color much but is showing some interest in it lately. She will draw rainbows and smiley faces. When she sits down to color, she will only do so for a minute or two.
She called Madeleine.. Waddleline for a while. We still use this nickname for Madeleine.
She is starting to look more and more like a little girl rather than a toddler.
She has beautiful brown features and a warm smile.
She likes to play the air guitar but will string one of her hands rather than holding her arm out like she is holding a guitar.
She is very good eater and loves pizza rolls.

Annabelle truly is a very sweet little girl. She is so special and delightful. She has changed so much in these last 4 years and we look forward to seeing her flourish even more this next year. We love our Annabelle so much.

All About Madeleine

2010-08-27T22:43:00.004-05:00

Here is a list all about Madeleine now that she is 2!

She calls Annabelle…"Ahbelle".. Just in the past few days, she has started saying Annabelle. She will walk around the house looking for her sister saying "Ahbelle, where are you?"Sometimes I have heard her call her sister "annabomb" which is a nickname that was given to Annabelle by her classmate Knox because that is how he pronounced her name when he was younger.
Jon gave Madeleine the nickname "Mad-dog" now that we have officially hit the terrible twos.
She still twirls her hair when she has her sippy or brings her arm up to her head. She has been doing this since I can remember. At nighttime as we sit in her chair getting ready for bed, I will hold her sippy for her and she twirls her hair with both hands.
Madeleine just recently gave up her bottle. She would refuse and we tried all sorts of sippy cups. She would drink juice from any kind but would throw a sippy cup across the room if you put milk in it. But, we didn't push too much as we were also dealing with her still waking up in the middle of the night. Whatever works to get more zzz's. Less milk during the day made for night time wakings. A BIG THANK YOU to Madeleine for now consistently sleeping through the night. Once she is asleep, she is a great napper and nighttime sleeper.
Enjoys coloring.
Loves to sing songs. Twinkle Twinkle Star (fwinkle fwinkle little star) , Baa Baa Black Sheep, Rock a Bye Baby, Bumblebee, and the Diego song are some of her favorites.
At night after we read books, we turn the light off and she immediately plops her head on my shoulder. We sing songs and she knows a lot of the words to the songs we sing. She will tell me in a few words which songs she wants to sing. She will point to the different parts of my face and name them in the dark. She often falls asleep on Jon's shoulder when he puts her to bed.
Loves Diego! Diego is one of the first things she mentions in the morning and wants to watch Go Diego Go the moment she gets downstairs.
She is stringing more words together to form sentences. I want it, I don't want it, Look mommy, Right there, Don't like it so much, What's that sound mama?, My turn mama.
Her vocabulary base is quite amazing at least compared to what Annabelle said at this stage. I think she learns so much from her sister and soaks words up like a sponge.
She likes airplanes, the moon like Annabelle did when she was this age. She knows what sounds certain things make and names the object when she hears it... helicopter, motorcycle.
When I turn my hairdryer/vacuum off since it is on for a long time, immediately she will ask if I am all done.
Knows her ABCs and can identify the letters.
Can count 1-10 + and knows some shapes.
Knows her body parts.
She is starting to say the words to her prayer at night which we say in German.
Her hair is lighter than Annabelle's was. She had a head of dark hair when she was born. A bit more than Annabelle had. She never lost her hair. Annabelle lost all of her hair. Madeleine's hair is really starting to grow in now and she has the cutest wings. Her hair flips up. We will run our fingers through her curls and say "floop" and she giggles and says "floop" too. We sometimes call Madeleine "curly q" which Annabelle does not like. Annabelle very much wants curls and so I curl it for her or put a braid in so that it has some body or curls as she calls the little kinky waves that the braid makes.
Madeleine follows Annabelle everywhere. She is her shadow. When I drop Annabelle off next door for school, she asks where Annabelle is and then says "school? Toni's? Knox?"
She really seems to like her Mother's Day Out program. Her teachers say that she loves to sing and dance. When I pick her up from school and ask her what she did that day, I always get the same response... "waterplay".
Screams, can be feisty, tries to bite or will bite her own hands when she is upset.
Has been in time out a few times. She knows time out. When I ask if she needs one, her bottom lip comes out making a puppy frown and she says no.
Nap time can be a bit of a challenge some days. I think she is pretty tired when she gets home from school and is in an overtired state. She will cry and throw things out of her crib as I leave. She then screams for whatever she threw out of her bed and it takes a few visits into her room to get her settled.
She sometimes apologizes on her own.
Has been doing a great job with her thank yous for quite some time now.
Still loves her juice. Drinks a whole sippy cup down in less than a minute. Just can't seem to get enough.
Has a peanut allergy. Her skin is very sensitive and her eczema is getting worse. She has so many little spots of it lately. She will tell me when she is itchy and where I need to put her cream on her itchy spots.
She has a smaller body frame than Annabelle. She seems very dainty but she is a tough cookie. She can be the instigator between her and Annabelle having spats.
We are trying to get her interested in the potty and hope to get her potty trained soon. She gets the WORST diaper rash which turns into a yeast infection. With each one she gets, it seems harder and harder to get rid of and it causes her so much pain. Diaper changes are a nightmare and the tears flow when she has an infection which is every incentive to try and get her potty trained as soon as possible. She will say "potty" and we sit on our Dora seat and she wipes. Nothing has happened yet though. But, I think she feels the urge for when she will have a bm but we miss it and it happens shortly after we sit on the potty. When I ask her if she has a stinky in her diaper she will say no and run away. When I ask her again and that with me changing the diaper, it will be all better she will say "No, I farted."
She wants to wash her hands all the time.
Still loves the water and taking baths.
She does great in the swimming pool with her puddle jumper vest. She really has no fear and will jump right into the water.
She says the cutest things. I need to remember to write more of the cute things she says down. Yesterday at dinner she was wearing a plastic dog id necklace. She was holding the id tag up to her ear and as I was asking her a question, she held one finger up and said "one second" and then proceeded to pretend like she was talking on the phone.
Madeleine loves to dance, jump around and expand as much energy as possible.
Loves french fries and can't seem to get enough ketchup. Still enjoys avocados and fruit. A bit of a picky and dainty eater still.
Is still VERY afraid of flies and bugs although fascinated by them. She shrieks when she sees them. If she sees a bug on the floor, she will come running to me asking me to "kill it" and won't stop talking about it until I scoop the bug up. She then wants to go and flush it down the toilet.

We love our Madeleine so much. She is such a lovely little girl. I just want to gobble her up with a spoon because I can't get over what a cutie she is. She is a delight and we can't wait to see what fun adventures she has in the coming year.

Table for Four

2010-08-25T22:07:00.003-05:00

Madeleine has always dined with us at dinner in her high chair but tonight Big Girl Madeleine officially sat at the table with the rest of the clan. She sat in a booster chair. It was a fun change to the dinner routine but I think having her eat in her highchair is easier for now. Although strapped into the booster, she would push her chair away from the table rather than eating at times. Overall, she did a great job and it made our taco dinner fun tonight.

Fun filled morning

2010-08-24T21:34:00.003-05:00

We met Alysia and Jack at story time this morning followed by water play and lunch at Chic Fil a. What a fun morning!

Good times

2010-08-20T21:53:00.002-05:00

Aunt Virginia came into town this weekend. We went to our friend Amy's one woman show called "North Blvd" Friday night. We enjoyed a fun evening out.

Aunt Virginia and the girlies

Rock Star and Video

2010-08-20T13:37:00.003-05:00

Dress up Day (8/11)

2010-08-17T22:04:00.004-05:00

Each week Madeleine's school has a theme for the week. This week it was all about Fairy Tales. Today, they could go to school dressed in a costume. This was perfect for Madeleine since one of her favorite things to do is play dress up.

School Program (7/23)

2010-08-17T21:27:00.005-05:00

Annabelle had her end of the school year school program today. It was too cute watching all the kiddos perform. Afterwards, we all went to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch and some play time. Four of her classmates are graduating and heading to Kindergarten. It seems like yesterday that Annabelle was the youngest in her school and now she will be one of the oldest.

Performing "One, Two,Three...Caught a Fish Alive"

Performing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"

Lazy Sunday

2010-08-15T22:10:00.000-05:00

We enjoyed a lazy Sunday morning at home.

Sweet girls cuddling watching their favorite show Go Diego Go.

Madeleine dancing watching her favorite show and wearing her sister's shoes.

Little Miss Dress Up

2010-08-10T21:00:00.000-05:00

Following in her sister's footsteps.

Beach Portraits

2010-08-01T21:42:00.010-05:00

I was excited to find that our cd arrived today from our family beach photo session! Reminded me again what a great time we had especially the girls. Just today Madeleine asked me where Adam and Sean were. And if Adam was playing soccer? The girls are wearing little pillow case dresses that I sewed for them.

Sissy Love

2010-07-23T22:10:00.004-05:00

Hello Kitty Themed Birthday Party

2010-07-18T22:58:00.003-05:00

We decided to have a joint birthday party for Annabelle and Madeleine this year since their birthdays are three weeks apart. When I asked Annabelle what kind of party she wanted, she quickly replied that she would like a Hello Kitty party. When I started looking for ideas, I instantly fell in love with these Hello Kitty shirts from Modern Frills. They became the inspiration for designing the party decor.

I made the invitation using a digital file that Audree from DecorArtist created by making a similar pattern from Heather Bailey's Pop Garden Tiled Primrose fabric which was used in the shirts. I tried to incorporate the design throughout the decor pulling the orange, yellow, green and pink as the colors for the party.

Hello Kitty crayons I made from broken crayons.

Vendors:
Hello Kitty shirts made by Modern Frills.
Hair clips made by Precious Portraits Jewelry.
Digital file made by DecorArtist.
Party Circles designed by The TomKat Studio.
Birthday Banner made by Love the Day Custom Printable Parties.
Party favor labels, kiss stickers and labels designed by Posh Pixels Design Studio.
Hello Kitty Cookies made by TRBrown.

Rolly Pollies Birthday Party

2010-07-17T22:47:00.001-05:00

We celebrated Annabelle and Madeleine's birthdays at Rolly Pollies this afternoon. Thank you to everyone who attended the party to help us celebrate their special day. We had a fantastic time!

Happy Birthday Video

2010-07-17T21:58:00.002-05:00

Happy Fourth Birthday Annabelle!

2010-07-17T21:40:00.004-05:00

Today is Annabelle's 4th birthday. She came downstairs to find the table covered with presents. She opened a few before breakfast and finished opening the rest after breakfast. This was the first year that she really got into her birthday. She opened her presents with enthusiasm and the attention span was longer this year than last when it came to opening them. The girls had fun in the morning playing with the new toys although Madeleine wanted it to be her birthday too and there was a bit of jealousy on her part that Annabelle had all these presents she was opening. Annabelle went through the same thing when we celebrated Madeleine's birthday a few weeks ago. I think this part of being an only child I didn't experience so this was something new for me to experience with the girls. We put the girls down for a short nap in the afternoon although Annabelle may have been a little too excited to sleep and sang songs in her room instead. Then, it was off to their party and the girls had a blast! The girls took turns opening lots of presents from the party when we got home. I think Annabelle had a lovely time on her special day. We wish our sweet Annabelle a very Happy Birthday and look forward to lots of fun adventures this next year. We love you so very much.

Listening to birthday wishes from family calling from out of state.

Going for a quick ride on her new scooter before calling it a day.

Prettiness

2010-07-14T19:38:00.002-05:00

M's journey of dressing up has begun.

On our way home

2010-07-10T23:30:00.002-05:00

We spent another night in Houston after we arrived back from the beach before we headed back to Austin. The girls had a blast playing in Omi and Opi's pool. We met Aunt Virginia for lunch on our way to Austin. It was good to see everyone as always.

Sleepy girl from a busy fun filled week!

Our beach vacation

2010-07-03T22:13:00.003-05:00

We spent a week at the beach in Isle of Palms, SC. Jon's parents came from Buffalo,NY along with his brother and his two kiddos. Jon's sister and her family came from Davidson, NC. We had a lovely week there and it was so nice to see everyone as it had been awhile since all of us had gotten together all at once. It is harder to do these days with all of the kiddos schedules and living all over the country. Wild Dunes was great. The girls had a blast with all of their cousins and it was a lot of fun having Jon’s whole family there. The location of the house was perfect. We walked a block and we were on the beach and were steps away from the Grand Pavilion resort. It is very beautiful there. A great time was had by all!

Watching the Fourth of July fireworks on the beach.

Celebrating recent and upcoming birthdays.

We went to Charleston one day and took a horse drawn buggy ride through the city.

Watching the magician show after dinner.

We went to the South Carolina Aquarium one day while the rest our clan went to tour Fort Sumter.

We stopped for lunch before Jon, the girls and I headed to the airport.

On our way to the beach

2010-07-02T21:59:00.003-05:00

We visited Omi and Opi for a night and celebrated the girls' birthday before we headed to the beach the next morning. Thank you Omi and Opi for surprising the girls with a birthday celebration.

Helping Opi pick tomatoes from the backyard.

Our little composers.

First mani/pedi

2010-07-01T17:29:00.003-05:00

I surprised Annabelle today with her first mani/pedi (really just getting her finger and toe nails painted). She loved it! I asked that they paint a flower on her toe and when they finished, her eyes lit up with excitement. When we got home, I painted Madeleine's toes. The girls are flip flop ready for the beach!

More birthday celebrating

2010-06-30T22:08:00.006-05:00

Madeleine's school was closed last week since VBS was being held at our church. Since it was closed for her birthday, I sent her off to school with cupcakes to celebrate with her school friends. When I picked her up from school, I asked her what she enjoyed about her day. She said...water play and cupcakes.

Madeleine's birthday being announced during Chapel time.

Movies

2010-06-30T21:58:00.003-05:00

Since Annabelle's teacher is on vacation and Madeleine's school is in session, I took Annabelle to see Toy Story 3 this morning. She did such a great job! Including previews and movie time, she sat still for almost the entire 2 hours. She really seemed to like the movie. On Monday, Annabelle and I did a mommy and me lunch at P.Terrys. I enjoyed my little outings with Annabelle this week. I have a surprise in store for her tomorrow while Madeleine takes her nap. I am going to take her with me to get her toes painted while I get a pedicure. Can't wait to see the look on her face! Firstly, because she will get to skip her nap. Secondly, she LOVES getting her toes painted. We will be flip flop ready for our trip to the beach!

American Girl

2010-06-28T21:04:00.004-05:00

Madeleine received a birthday package today from her Aunt Michelle, Uncle Nelson, cousins Adam, Owen and Sean. She loves baby dolls and this is a perfect gift. I think the pictures capture the moment perfectly with her showing her excitement seeing her new American Girl baby. Thank you for my new present! Love, Madeleine

A New Favorite Place

2010-06-26T13:02:00.004-05:00

Chick-Fil-A is becoming the girls' new favorite place. They love it there especially playing in the playground indoors after lunch.

Here we come VBS!

2010-06-24T21:46:00.005-05:00

Annabelle attended VBS for the first time this year at our church. This year's theme is High Seas Expedition where the children are exploring the mighty love of God. Annabelle is having a great time especially since her friend Jasmine from school is attending also. M and I went to surprise her today and visited for a short while. I am hoping that both girls can attend together next year. What fun they would have!

Annabelle and her crew leader

Jasmine and Abelle

Madeleine's 2 Year Wellness Check

2010-06-24T21:30:00.004-05:00

Madeleine had her 2 year wellness check up this afternoon. Everything went well. Madeleine was a hoot during the appointment. When she got weighed, had her head measured and temperature taken etc. she would say that it hurt in this sweet soft way. We would tell her that it was alright and that it didn't hurt. As soon as the nurse was done, M would say "all better". Since she is a picky eater and has had the stomach bug a few times this year, we are going to try to get her to gain a little weight. She loves her fluids and we are going to space out when we give the sippy cup before meals so that she will be more hungry to eat. We are also going to start replacing one of her bottles of milk with Kid's Boost. Hope that she likes it! We will try vanilla first. And with this, I think we can then put away the last of the 12 month clothes she still fits into.

Madeleine's stats:

Height: 34.75 in (75-90%)
Weight: 24 lbs and 3.2 oz (25%)
Head: 48.5 cm (75-90%)

Annabelle's 2 year stats:

Height: 35.5 in (90%)
Weight: 28 lbs and 3 oz (50-75%
Head: 48.5 cm (75-90%)

Happy 2nd Birthday Madeleine!

2010-06-23T22:00:00.007-05:00

Today was our sweet Madeleine's 2nd birthday. We started celebrating last night when we went to dinner. They sang her Happy Birthday and brought a dessert for her. From that moment on, we continued the birthday celebration. M came to the breakfast table and saw all of her birthday presents and rather than opening them all at once, I spread it out for the rest of the day. I figured this would keep her entertained for a longer period of time. I made cupcakes for Madeleine and thought it would be fun to bring enough for Annabelle's class and have a little celebration there since Madeleine's school is closed this week due to VBS. In the afternoon, we went swimming at the pool. We have gone every afternoon this week and the girls have been having the best time in the kiddie pool. After dinner, we celebrated some more with another round of cupcakes and singing the Happy Birthday Song.
Happy Birthday Madeleine! We love you more than words can express.

Birthday Video

2010-06-23T21:12:00.001-05:00

Here we are singing M Happy Birthday. Notice Annabelle blowing out the candles. If you see last year's video of us singing Happy Birthday to M, Abelle did the same. We did sing again and let the birthday girl blow out the candles.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T21:53:00.000-05:00

We started the day by making Daddy breakfast while letting him sleep in. When breakfast was ready, the girls went to wake Daddy up and showed them the cards they made for him followed by opening presents. One of the presents is a custom made silhouette made from a photo of the girl's and I walking from our last photo session. We had a relaxing day and went swimming in the afternoon. The girls and I took Daddy out for dinner at Jack Allen's Kitchen. Happy Father's Day!!! We LOVE You!

Poor M

2010-06-18T12:47:00.000-05:00

Poor M was not feeling well at dinner. So peaceful one minute and got sick all over Jon the next minute. Poor girl...and Jon who ended up driving home with no shirt or shorts. What a sight but a good laugh for all.

School Father's Day Picture

2010-06-18T12:26:00.003-05:00

Water play

2010-06-16T12:03:00.000-05:00

The girls enjoyed a fun afternoon in the kiddie pool to cool off.

Opi Visits

2010-06-13T21:20:00.001-05:00

Opi came for a visit. We had a great time! Thank you for the visit and for the presents.

This is a funny picture. Take a close look.

Helping Opi open his Father's Day presents.

Tennis

2010-06-06T17:35:00.003-05:00

We recently joined the neighborhood tennis club and have been trying to play whenever we can. When the girls come along, Annabelle has been asking if she can play too. With this interest, we decided to make a trip to Academy to get her a tennis racquet and some new kicks. After the girls' naps, we headed to the tennis court and let Annabelle try out her new racquet. She did great!

Purplicious

2010-06-02T15:30:00.004-05:00

I saw this dress and thought is was such a beautiful dress for a little girl. I didn't like the $90 price tag and thought that perhaps I could try to make something similar. Here is Annabelle with her new dress on. Not 100% the same but she loved it and that was all that mattered.

School Days

2010-06-02T15:22:00.004-05:00

Madeleine had her first day of school today at the Mother's Day Out program at our church. Having her attend school for the summer will be nice to keep a routine going for her and nice for mommy as she can try to tackle that to do list that keeps growing. She didn't cry today when I left but she recognizes her Turtle's Classroom because it is the same one she goes to when we attend church. When I picked her up, her teachers said she had a great day. They asked how old she was and were amazed that she wasn't older as they were impressed with how bright she is. Good job M!

First ponies

2010-05-27T21:35:00.003-05:00

I tried to see if I could put pony tails in Madeleine's hair today and her hair is indeed long enough now!

Annabelle's first pony tails. She was 21 months old. Her hair was longer than Madeleine's at this point and she had a full head of hair just like Madeleine when she was born but Annabelle lost all of her hair shortly after she was born. In the last few weeks, Madeleine's hair has really started to grow.