A Day In the Life of Haleigh

Easter - Then & Now

2010-01-05T16:58:00.009-05:00

Whoops! I forgot to add this Easter entry... just thought this was cute that we have a similar picture from last year. Maybe we'll make this a tradition??

2008......................................2009

My Art Skills

2010-01-05T16:48:00.007-05:00

I just wanted to show some pictures I drew when I had just turned 2 1/2. My Mimi and Poppy got me this easel for my 2nd birthday and I use it just about every single day. I really love drawing!

Here is what my smiley face looked like:

My Mommy drew a sun and I drew my version of hers. Not bad!!

Here, I drew a happy sun!

This one, my Mommy drew a flower and I tried to make one, too.

Silly Girl... Again...

2010-01-05T16:45:00.003-05:00

I just LOVE to make silly faces... as you can tell!

Smarty Pants

2010-01-05T16:43:00.002-05:00

I really, really, REALLY love doing puzzles. If I can sit down for a few minutes a day and do some sort of puzzle, life is good. Here, I've put together just a simple puzzle for your enjoyment. My Aunt Laurie and Uncle Tony gave me this puzzle set when I turned 2 and it is a great starter set for learning jigsaw puzzles!

Water Painting

2010-01-05T16:41:00.002-05:00

I have recently given up my love of helping my Mommy cook dinner each night. So, to keep me busy she has started letting me paint the walls with water! She thinks it is a brilliant idea because it keeps me busy AND gets the walls clean! To top it off, too, I love doing it and am quite the artiste I must say!

Yeehaw!

2010-01-05T16:37:00.004-05:00

I found this old hat that my Mommy wore in Cozumel a few years back. I thought it would be an excellent cowboy hat and have added it to my dress-up stash.

All I need now is a sunset...

Weird Weather!

2010-01-05T16:34:00.003-05:00

Just a little weather to report. It was strange to be able to wear my bathing suit in April this year!!

Little Pouter

2010-01-05T16:30:00.004-05:00

A new trick of mine is hunching my shoulders over and moping around. It could be worse I guess. I could be one of those kids that kicks and screams and throws themselves on the floor. I'm much too sweet for that though. Interesting fact: I have never seen anyone do this in person or on TV so this must just be an innate feature that kids are born with. I'm really working hard to master this new found art.

What do you think? Is there an Academy Award in my future??

Exersaucer - Then & Now

2010-01-05T16:23:00.003-05:00

Oh... it's just so fun having a baby brother that gets to use my old stuff! It's always so fun trying out all of my old toys!

2007....................................2009

Two and a half!

2010-01-05T16:13:00.008-05:00

It really is just amazing how much the last 6 months has brought! At two years I was just starting to combine 2-3 words into sentences and 6 months later I'm having full conversations that most people are able to understand - well, at least some of the time! I'm fully potty trained, in fact this month (April) was the last month I wore pull-ups to bed and even then it wasn't necessary because I had been dry the whole month. My hair has gotten so long that my Mommy and Daddy are actually talking about cutting some of it off. My Mommy and Daddy always tell me how proud they are of me because they say I'm the most kind-hearted, loving, mild-tempered and well-mannered 2 1/2 year old they have ever known. Awh shucks!

Having fun playing in the volleyball court at the park that is one big, enormous sandbox!

My Mommy really wanted to capture this moment. She said that when I'm all grown up she wants to remember me being little like this, running free with the wind blowing through my hair. Sappy, I know, but she's my Mom and I think I'll keep her! Wait... does that mean I have a choice??

Well... hello there Mr. Squirrel!

2010-01-05T15:59:00.010-05:00

We got a new birdhouse this spring. I helped my Daddy pick it out at Lowes. It looks really nice just outside of our bay window in our kitchen. We really love to sit and watch all the different birdies come by to pick up food. Another fun perk is that we now have squirrels and bunnies coming right up to it. I love this, but my Mommy and Daddy seem quite annoyed because the squirrels climb up and knock the bird food down, hence bringing the bunnies over to clean up the mess. It's also fun to see Buster get worked up over all of these animals coming into the yard. It's really fun to yell, "SQUIRREL!" really loud and watch him dash to the back door. He swears one day he'll catch one of them (he wishes!)!! I love seeing all of these animals so up-close and personal though!

Here he comes!

The little daredevil!

Another little friend... the chipmunk!

A Little Bit of a Tomboy

2010-01-05T15:53:00.003-05:00

Yes, anyone that knows me would say that I am a super girlie girl. I mean, really, my favorite color is PINK for goodness sake! But, I also love throwing and catching balls. I was kicking balls when I was 10 months old! I love to run around the house saying, "Look how fast I can run, Daddy!" and I am fast...in little girl terms that is. I'm also very good at catching balls and have a pretty decent arm. I'm almost always on-target. Future ballerina or future ball player?? As you can see, even when I'm being sporty I have to have my girlie pink ball cap on.

My Yummy Creations

2010-01-05T15:50:00.004-05:00

My Mommy and me made some yummy peanut butter and raisin sandwiches. I really love helping in the kitchen. Especially when there is cake batter, cookie dough, or peanut butter involved.

Always taking care of someone...

2010-01-05T15:46:00.003-05:00

I love to take care of things... my baby, little Ben when he's sad, my Mommy or Daddy if they have a booboo so why would Buster be any different. He was laying on the floor which I found to be the perfect opportunity to let him borrow my most prized possession...my blankie! I was quite surprised when he didn't take to it too well! I guess he did humor me for a few seconds...

Silly 'Ol Me!

2010-01-05T15:43:00.003-05:00

Yep - that would be me... all swaddled up like Ben liked to be! Of course this was back in April when he was still being swaddled and I was all about doing things that he was into. Who am I kidding... I still am! We are two peas in a pod I guess.

Easter - Then,Then & Now!

2009-10-12T15:51:00.014-04:00

2007........................2008......................2009

Easter Dinner

2009-10-12T15:44:00.005-04:00

For Easter this year, we got dressed up and went to my Grandma & Grandpa's house. It was a nice time - the family is growing so it's a bit more chaotic than it was last year when it was just me, but it's so much fun now and I think next year will be even better since we'll all be a bit older!!

Grandma & Grandpa with all the grandkids:

Me and my family:

Happy Easter!

2009-10-12T15:38:00.008-04:00

That silly Easter bunny! He hid all of the eggs that we dyed and he also hid the Easter baskets he brought us! It was fun to go on an egg hunt and boy was I surprised when I saw my Easter basket hiding amongst my toys. The first words out of my mouth were, "I LOOOVE candy!" No statement were ever more true!

See, I found them!

Sibling love:

Even Buster was festive:

Perhaps a bit too much candy????

Crashing after the sugar high:

The Easter Bunny!

2009-10-12T15:33:00.004-04:00

OK, so I wimped out and didn't sit on his lap... so? I still thought he'd bring me some candy because I'm such a good girl - sensitive, but good. I had to entice him with carrots and a nice tall glass of water, of course. And guess what -he brought me AND Ben baskets of goodies and left us a little note thanking us for being so good! I sort of like this Easter bunny guy now!

He must have really been hungry!

Look at how good he was to us!

Easter Festivities

2009-10-12T15:25:00.010-04:00

I had forgotten how much fun Easter was! This year, we baked Easter cookies, dyed eggs. It was so much more fun then I remember it being last year!

Yummy cookies!

Lots of dying:

Getting a little fancy:

Giving him a little hair and some ears:

Such a fun time:

Opening Day: Then, Then & Now!

2009-10-12T15:15:00.009-04:00

My have I changed over the last three years!

2007 .....................2008....................2009

Opening Day - 2009

2009-10-12T15:07:00.005-04:00

Well, the Indians started their season again and this year I had a baby brother to share Opening Day with! We also went to visit the Easter bunny, but as I stood there watching the other kids sit on his lap, I thought, "who in their right mind would sit on an over-sized bunny's lap without crying!?" So, I did just that... cried and cried and Ben had his picture taken without me. I know Ben will join the dark side with me next year when he's old enough to realize how creepy that bunny is!

So, instead of a cutesy picture of me and Ben on the Easter bunny's lap, I'll leave you with these feel-good pictures of the two of us. You can really see how much we look alike here!

Black & White

2009-10-12T15:04:00.007-04:00

Here are some black and white pictures my Mommy took of me. I love to be silly and make all sorts of funny faces!!

Having a Playmate!

2009-10-12T15:00:00.002-04:00

Well, it's still mostly one-sided, but it sure is nice to have another little body to have around! Here, I've set up a picnic for Ben and I (and if you can tell by the look on his face, he's not buying into it). My Mommy gave me real marshmallows and we pretended to have hot chocolate! Mmmm!

Sleeping Beauty

2009-08-14T15:52:00.003-04:00

After a great trip and not much sleep, I finally did sleep in the car! My Mommy still gets choked up when she sees me sleeping. She says it reminds her of when I was a little, little baby and always slept on her.

My first sleepover!

2009-08-14T15:44:00.011-04:00

Well, I have to admit up front that it was a bust. It had potential though! Me and my cousins were going to all sleep in new sleeping bags Mimi and Poppy got for us in Mimi and Poppy's room. It started out great, but ended with me winding up in Mommy and Daddy's bed for the night because we just didn't want to go to sleep. It was around midnight that I finally did fall asleep that night! Maybe next time?

Started the night with pizza, a movie and ice cream sundaes!

A little jumping on Mimi and Poppy's bed to wear us out? Not a chance it did the job!

Even though we didn't get to spend the night with each other, at least we got to play together first thing the next morning:

Hangin' with my cousins

2009-08-14T15:39:00.006-04:00

I got to spend some time with my cousins, too. I have so much fun with them!! Lauren and I are so much alike - we are both very girlie.

Here I am with Lauren:

They have this huge horse you can ride on and it even talks and moves it's head!! It actually kind of freaked me out!

Being silly at my cousins' house:

Cooking at Mimi & Poppy's

2009-08-14T15:38:00.003-04:00

My Mommy and I did lots of baking and some cooking while we were there. I'm a great helper in the kitchen, as you can see!

Fun in Virginia!

2009-08-14T15:33:00.007-04:00

Me, Ben, my Mommy and Mimi drove to Virginia in March. My Daddy flew out at the end of the week to drive back to Ohio with us. We had great road trips both ways and an even better visit!! It was Ben's first time there and his first time in the car for a long drive. He did really great! The weather was beautiful there!

I love Mimi and Poppy's sandbox - it's so big!

Posing by a tree in their backyard:

Budding Artist

2009-08-14T15:28:00.007-04:00

I did this back in March, at about 29 months. It was one of my first smiley faces - I even gave him hair and ears! It's the blue one in the upper left corner. Everyone thinks it is pretty good for my age!!

Word

2009-08-14T15:27:00.002-04:00

This one is for my homies

Princess Tea Parties

2009-08-14T15:22:00.006-04:00

Tied for first with being a doctor, I also love, love, LOVE being a princess! Of course, Mommy and Daddy tell me I don't need to dress up to be a princess - I just am I guess. But, it's more fun to put the clothes on. One thing I adore is having tea parties when I'm dressed up as a princess. Sometimes I get fun snacks during my tea parties, too. Like popcorn, or goldfish crackers or marshmallows. I serve my little stuffed buddies, make sure they're taking sips of their tea and will even feed them and wipe their faces. A princess always remembers her manners, right?

Making sure my guests are well served and taken care of, as a good hostess does:

All served up!

Dr. Haleigh

2009-08-14T15:10:00.005-04:00

One of my most favorite things during my entire childhood so far has been pretending to be a Doctor! I like to do this several times a week and even almost daily I'm helping care for one of my sick or injured stuffed animals. Even the slightest dent in fur or seam is enough for me to break out the band aids and stethescope for my little patients. Now that I have a brother, it's even fun making sure he's feeling good, although now that he's a bit older, he wants to grab my Doctor toys so he's not too much fun anymore. Here I am working my magic on my patients.

First: you must make sure their bottom is clean - check out my skills... doing it just like Mommy and Daddy do it on Ben:

Next: Nose-to-nose, my nose looks good and so does Cherry Bears:

Do not forget: this is very important - you must make sure their head pressure is normal!

It appears there was something wrong with the patient so I had to administer medication - you must make sure to open their mouth as wide as possible:

My Bike!

2009-08-14T15:08:00.002-04:00

I'm still not very skilled at riding my bike, but mostly that's because I'm so short. I can hardly reach the pedals which becomes a problem when trying to push them forward to get going. I still like trying it out for a few minutes here and there. This was my first time on it this season - back when it was still pretty chilly out!

More Indoor Activities

2009-08-14T15:05:00.001-04:00

My Mommy had to come up with lots of stuff for us to do inside this year because we couldn't take my baby brother out of the house too much. Here I am picking up beads with tweezers and sorting them out. I also got to glue them and make cool designs out of them. She said this was helping with my fine motor skills - whatever that means!!

And the weather is getting better...

2009-08-14T15:03:00.002-04:00

I can't wait for summer to get here because that means I don't have to bundle up in my coat and can go to the playground several times a week! I'm looking like such a big girl here...

That's better...

2009-08-14T15:02:00.004-04:00

OK, this is a MUCH better picture. I'm looking like my usual happy self here!

Just me again...

2009-08-14T15:00:00.003-04:00

This is just another picture that my Mommy likes. I'm really not sure why because I don't look like a very happy girl in it!

Safety First!

2009-08-14T14:58:00.001-04:00

Of course, you can't ride your bike without a helmet on... even if it is on soft carpeting!

Finger painting

2009-08-14T14:56:00.003-04:00

Winter is good for all sorts of indoor activities. One of my favorites is finger painting. I love getting messy and feeling the goo between my fingers. My Mommy even let me finger paint on our sliding glass door. That was really fun!!

Garden Time!

2009-08-14T14:50:00.005-04:00

This has become my favorite activity when my Daddy gets home from work. We check on the garden every day together. It's kind of "our thing". Here we are planting the seeds for the garden. We planted tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, snap peas, green beans, green peppers, basil, carrots and jalepeno peppers. The best part is, I'm eating all of these vegetables fresh from the garden, when I wouldn't even eat them before! Yum!!

Definite Perks

2009-06-04T15:02:00.007-04:00

So, there are definite perks to having a little baby that is learning new things in the house. My Mommy and Daddy have brought out lots of new toys for him to play with and I've been really enjoying my time playing with his things. He is so considerate to share with me. When he's crawling around getting into my things in a few months, I'll have to remember this! Hmmm... what are the chances???

Less Lap Space

2009-06-04T14:59:00.004-04:00

Well, I've come to realize that I have to share my Mommy and Daddy's laps now that Ben is here. That's OK, I'll take all of the lap space I can get. In the beginning, if I was sharing space with Ben and he even came close to touching me, I would cry. Now, I am getting better at sharing my Mommy and Daddy with him!

Our First Walk!

2009-06-04T14:53:00.005-04:00

Thank goodness! We finally got to get out of the house when the weather got a bit more mild about a month after Ben was born. We had played in the snow during Ben's naps, but we could never take him out in it with us.

I was so relieved and so was my Mommy because we both needed lots of that fresh air!

And of course I had to try out the new stroller seating before we left!

We're All A Bit Tired

2009-06-04T14:51:00.002-04:00

Having a new baby in the house is pretty tiring for us all. Here I am just relaxing on my Dora chair with froggy.

All Set For Spring

2009-06-04T14:46:00.004-04:00

I have everything I need for that rainy spring weather... a rain coat (courtesy of Grandma & Grandpa), my Dora umbrella (courtesy of Mommy & Daddy) and some ladybug rain boots (not pictured: courtesy of Mimi and Poppy). Even with all of this rain gear, I've discovered it's more fun to go out in puddles and rain without any gear on! I love getting wet!

More Bath Time Fun!

2009-06-04T14:44:00.002-04:00

I have so much fun in the bath. As you can see, here I wasn't getting my hair washed this time, which thrilled me to pieces. I HATE having my hair washed! My Mommy tells me when I'm a big girl, I'll love it. We'll have to wait and see if she's right I guess.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-06-04T14:41:00.002-04:00

This was a special Valentine's Day - not only is it my first with a new guy in my life that loves me (aka: baby brother), but it is also the first Valentine's Day that I've loved candy! My Mommy and Daddy got me a box of chocolates and a red rubber ducky bath toy with hearts on it. The chocolate was the best though! Yum!

I'm not so sure about this...

2009-06-04T14:15:00.008-04:00

..baby brother thing! In the beginning, when he first came home, there was lots of this:

And lots of this, too:

And a little bit more of this:

And of course, a lot of "looks" given his way as I thought "who is this kid and why is he occupying my space and my Mommy and Daddy's attention"?

There was a little regression:

But in the end, there is always lots of love:

Check Him Out...

2009-06-04T14:12:00.004-04:00

Wow, I can still hardly believe that I have my very own baby brother! Isn't he so small and sweet? That is... when he's sleeping, out of my way and not crying!

My Baby Brother is Here!

2009-02-13T11:39:00.007-05:00

My baby brother, Ben, was born on January 30th at 7:52 pm. He weighed 9lbs. 5oz. and was 20 inches long.

I had so much fun that day! It started with my Daddy coming home from work early to take my Mommy to the "Dr.'s House" as I call the Dr.'s office and then we drove to the other Dr.'s House (known as the hospital) where my Mimi and Poppy arrived! My Mommy, Daddy and Mimi all waited in the waiting area until they took my Mommy and Daddy away to get my Mommy settled in.

I had lots of fun playing in the waiting area with Mimi and Poppy while Mommy and Daddy were gone.
Then a bit later, my Daddy came back and took me to my Grandpa's car and Grandpa and I went back to my house to play. My Aunt Laurie also came over a bit later to play with me, too! All the while, my Mommy was at the Dr.'s House having my baby brother. What a great day January 30th was!

The next day, my Daddy took me to visit Mommy and Ben in the hospital where I got to give him lots of kisses. He's so little!

And guess what?? He even gave me a new toy! A stuffed sheep!

My First Two Years

2009-01-27T13:34:00.002-05:00

My Mommy and Daddy put together this video of pictures from my first two years of life. It's pretty long, so only watch when you have a good 25 minutes to spare (or you can even pause it and come back to it later)! My favorite part is the music! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Also, please give it a few seconds to download since it's so big...

Chuck E Cheese: Then & Now

2009-01-25T22:27:00.013-05:00

17 Months old..........................27 Months old

Chuck E Cheese!

2009-01-25T22:20:00.005-05:00

We went to Chuck E Cheese this weekend and I was unstoppable! I was running around like a crazy girl trying to play with this or that. I really wanted to climb up into the tunnels they have attached to the ceiling, but my Mommy and Daddy said I was still too small for it. Hopefully by the next time we go, I'll be big enough. I had lots of fun though, playing games and riding on the cars. The best part was that we won lots of tickets and I got all sorts of silly toys and lollipops before we left!

Silly Face

2009-01-25T22:19:00.002-05:00

One of the things I plan to do to get my baby brother to stop crying once he is born is make silly faces at him. This face, in particular, is one that I've been practicing because I really think it will make him laugh!

Roasting Marshmallows!

2009-01-25T22:14:00.005-05:00

I had my first experience with roasting marshmallows! I was so excited because I really love marshmallows...especially in hot chocolate! These marshmallows were really huge though so I knew this was going to be fun. It turned into quite a bit of work for my Mommy and Daddy and trying to keep me a great length away from the fire, but once I sunk my teeth into an ooey and gooey marshmallow - there was no stopping me! When we rent our cabin later this year, they plan to let me try a REAL marshmallow roast over an outside fire!

More Crazy Bath Hair...

2009-01-25T22:13:00.000-05:00

Wow... look how high my crazy bath here is now! My hair is really getting long so my Daddy has lots of fun doing silly styles in the tub with me!

Bounce City!

2009-01-25T22:08:00.005-05:00

I had such a FUN time at a place called Bounce City with my friend Olivia! We bounced and jumped and slid down huge slides for almost two hours! My Daddy even got to jump with me and let me tell you - he is quite a crazy jumper! He was doing horizontal jumps and even wanted to do some back-flips, but they wouldn't let him! That would have been really funny to see!

Afterward, we went out for Mexican and I don't think my Mommy and Daddy have ever seen me eat so much in my life! I had really worked up an appetite. I still talk about going and I hope we can go again soon! It was so much fun!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-18T21:05:00.005-05:00

For New Years Day, we went to my Grandma and Grandpa's house. I got to get dressed up again and this dress was another hand-me-down from my cousin's Lauren and Reagan. I think I look a lot like them in it! I also wore a fun New Years hat that everyone got a kick out of...

New Years Eve!

2009-01-09T22:59:00.006-05:00

Well, it's another year and it's hard to believe! We spent a few hours on New Years Eve at my friend Madeline's house. It was fun to see her again, I hadn't seen her since my birthday party! I really hope we don't let that much time pass again before we get to play with each other again. Here is just a snippit of the fun we had that night! If you weren't sure, I'm the one sitting on the couch! Who would have thought that a jack-in-the-box could be so entertaining?

Ice Skating!

2008-12-31T14:24:00.003-05:00

Well, I had my first semi-ice skating experience. No ice skates of course. My Mommy and Daddy took me to a park and we found some big frozen puddles and we all pretended to ice skate on the ice! It was so much fun! I didn't realize that it was so cool to stand on such slippery stuff and dance around on it!

Christmas at Grandma & Grandpa's

2008-12-31T14:10:00.011-05:00

This was the first year of my life (and my Mommy's, too) that we weren't in Virginia for Christmas. It will be this way always now, too. Christmas morning was so nice and relaxing and it took a good two hours to get through all of the presents. I kept wanting to stop and play with my new stuff so we just took our time. Then, before I knew it, it was time for my nap and when I woke up I got to get dressed up in a pretty dress. My Mommy even curled my hair! We went to my Grandma and Grandpa's house where we had yummy pot roast and desserts! The best part... MORE presents!! My Aunt Laurie, Uncle Tony and cousin Mallory were all there, too. It couldn't have been a more perfect ending to an exciting day.

Getting ready:

With Mommy before we left:

With Daddy before we left:

The tree at Grandma & Grandpa's:

With Grandma:

Opening a present:

Showing baby Mallory how to use the present we got her! OK, OK... I'll admit it, I was more interested in the baby toy than the other stuff I got!

Santa Was Good To Me!

2008-12-31T14:00:00.009-05:00

When I woke up on Christmas morning, my Mommy and Daddy were playing the Chipmunks Christmas song. It is something my Mimi used to do every year for my Mommy and her siblings. It's quite the annoying song, but it was fun to wake up to it! I was a bit apprehensive about knowing Santa had visited. I even started crying at the thought, but when I realized that it meant PRESENTS, all the tears went away! I was so excited to dive right into my stocking and see what goodies he brought me! He even left some cookie crumbs and a few sips of milk out that I helped finish off! I also was able to open up all of my presents from my Aunts, an Uncle and cousins that have been calling my name for a few weeks now! I got so many neat presents and am so grateful to Santa and my family for everything!

What is that in my stocking? Could it be a little mouse??

Why yes it is! How did that Santa know I liked cute little mice!?

Hmmm.... this appears to be some bottomless stocking of goodies! What else is in here?? When I was done, I even said, "Thank you, Santa!" all on my own for all of the neat toys in my stocking.

The best toy ever... my own kitchen!! I went right to work and fried up some eggs for Mommy and Daddy, too!

Happy Christmas Eve!!

2008-12-31T13:48:00.016-05:00

Christmas Eve was one of the most fun days yet! My Daddy was home from work and we all baked cookies all day. Then, after my nap, my Grandma and Grandpa came over to eat a nice dinner with us and decorate cookies! After the cookie decorating, I was allowed to open up a present - which was a new set of jammies! My Mommy and Daddy read The Night Before Christmas to me and I got so excited to learn that if I went to sleep that Santa would come to bring me presents. When they told me this, I screeched, "Nite nite! Nite nite!" and tried to climb into my bed. I didn't want to delay his visit any longer!!

Our beautiful Christmas tree! It's a 9-footer and so pretty!

Me and Mommy before we started baking (and the beautiful centerpiece my Grampa George sent us!):

Dressed up in my apron that my Aunt Chrissy sent me - it says "Haleigh Cookie Taster"!

My Mommy wasn't sure if hers ("Mommy Cookie Maker") would fit with her big belly and all!

I think my Aunt Chrissy knows me too well...

Putting the cookies on the cookie sheet:

Posing in our new Christmas aprons:

Decorating cookies with everyone:

Deep concentration on this gingerbread girl:

Of course I had to sample the green sprinkles to make sure they were edible:

Reading a book with Grandpa:

Almost ready for bed:

The Train!

2008-12-31T13:43:00.003-05:00

We went to the mall to visit Santa and I also got to ride on a train all by myself! My Mommy and Daddy didn't think I would be able to handle sitting on the train by myself, but I LOVED it! I'm little miss independent now!

The Santa experience... I'll spare you the details, but it made for a less than charming picture (of which my Mommy and Daddy HAD to buy to embarrass me with in years to come) of me balling my eyes out. You know what they say about paybacks? Look out, Mommy and Daddy!!

Yummy Olives!

2008-12-31T13:42:00.002-05:00

I just love black olives... I wonder if other kids do, too? It's fun to put them on my fingers and eat them from there. Mmm...Mmm... good!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2008-12-31T13:39:00.003-05:00

My Daddy is another year older, too! My Mommy and I baked him some spice cake cupcakes (his favorite) and got to sing to him when he got home from work. I love you, Daddy!

So, What Do You Do...

2008-12-31T13:34:00.005-05:00

...on a cold day in Cleveland? Go for a nice walk outside around the neighborhood (bundled up of course!) and come back in for some hot chocolate with marshmallows! Yummy, yummy!!

My first taste EVER of hot chocolate... I ended up being more interested in the mushy marshmallows than the hot chocolate though!
After the hot chocolate, some good 'ol hide and seek... can you find me? I didn't think so! If I could refrain from giggling while playing, no one would be able to find me... I'm just that good!

Just Sweet Little Me...

2008-12-31T13:33:00.001-05:00

My Mommy thought this was a cute picture:

It's THAT Time of Year Again??? Ugh!

2008-12-31T13:26:00.008-05:00

That's right... another few days of constant picture taking to find "just the right picture". It's pure torture for me! I think my Mommy and Daddy must take a bizillion pictures of me this time of year for our annual Christmas card. Even though it was annoying, I think they got some cute pictures and our holiday card turned out great!

Yes, humiliating... reindeer ears!!

A little diva action with the garland:

Finally, a somewhat normal picture!

And the winners were....

Candy cane smiles:

And the cutest Santa ever:

I Have To Go Shopping Now!

2008-12-31T13:22:00.002-05:00

Yep, that's right... I love to go to the mall - or at least pretend like I'm going to the mall! I will grab my keys, my purse that Mimi and Poppy got me, my sunglasses and any thing else that looks fun and head toward the door. Then I'll say, "Bye! See you next time!" As soon as I'm out of eyes reach of my Mommy and Daddy I will then turn around and walk toward them and say, "I'm home now!" and they smother me with kisses and tell me how much they missed me and ask me where I went and if I had fun. This is such a silly game, but I love it!!

Christmas in November?

2008-12-30T23:46:00.007-05:00

We usually wait until the first or second week in December to put up our Christmas tree, but since we'll be staying in Ohio from now on, we've decided to make a tradition out of putting it up the day after Thanksgiving. I got to help decorate it this year and even got to open Christmas presents from Mimi and Poppy since we weren't going to see them at Christmas! They got me an amazing tea cart, some tea sets, homemade napkins and a homemade table cloth for my tea party table and many other gifts that I just love!

Putting a decoration up with Daddy:

My new tea cart!

Lots of love for Mimi:

Black Friday Shoppers!

2008-12-30T23:43:00.004-05:00

Yes, we ventured out on Black Friday to the mall right up from my house. It was crazy busy, but lots of fun! It will be a tradition that me, my Mommy and my Mimi do for years to come! Note: one of the stuffies above just happens to be a gift that my baby brother will be giving me when he's born!

"Happy Turkey Day!"

2008-12-30T23:39:00.003-05:00

This phrase is still one of my favorites to say! Thanksgiving this year was great because we had my Mimi, Poppy and my Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Laurie, Uncle Tony and cousin Mallory over for dinner. It was a great dinner, but unfortunately, I didn't want to eat AT ALL! My dinner consisted of ritz crackers with peanut butter on them and some miscellaneous snacks. I was just too excited with all of the company we had over! I even made my grandparents and Aunt/Uncle some turkey's decorated with cut-outs of my hands. This is where I became addicted to saying "Happy Turkey Day!" because my Mommy and Daddy had me say this as I handed these gifts to them. I'm just silly like that I guess!

Our First Snow!

2008-12-30T23:34:00.006-05:00

What a snowy season it has been already! We got lots of snow in November and the beginning of December. Of course, it didn't snow on Christmas, but at least I got to have my first few tastes of snow already this year!!

Buster played outside with us and even destroyed my first snowman of the season!

Catching snow on my tongue:

Buster, interrupting my attempt at a snow angel - a fun interruption it was!

More Dress Up!

2008-12-30T23:33:00.001-05:00

Check THIS look out... stylin' huh?

Happy Birthday to Grampa George!

2008-12-30T23:31:00.002-05:00

We had a fun over night visitor a few weeks ago! My Grampa George drove in from Virginia to spend some time with me. He brought some presents and we even got to celebrate his birthday, which was just a few weeks after mine. It was a neat surprise to have him there in the morning when I woke up, too!

Pretty Fall Leaves

2008-12-30T23:24:00.005-05:00

I loved playing in the fall leaves this year. Our yard has plenty of leaves that fall each year - it's lots of work for my Daddy, but lots of fun for me! Not only do I love to play in them and roll around in them, but I also love to collect leaves and sticks and do some crafty projects with my Mommy and Daddy with them, too!

My First Presidential Election!

2008-12-30T23:19:00.003-05:00

Well, I got to participate in my very first Presidential election! I went with my Mommy on voting day and we didn't even have to wait in line. She filled out her ballot, I got a sticker and we left. We then went to the playground and I proudly showed off my voting sticker. What a historical election it was!

Halloween - Then & Now

2008-12-30T23:16:00.005-05:00

2007.............................................2008

Halloween - 2008

2008-12-30T23:07:00.009-05:00

Halloween this year was so much fun! I caught on so quickly as to what you had to do for candy. Saying "trick or treat" was it. How easy was that!! I got lots of candy and walked from door to door on my Grandma and Grandpa's street. I would even get antsy when my Mommy, Daddy and Grandma would stay to chat with people because I just wanted more candy!

Before we left for my Grandma & Grandpa's house:

With Mommy before we left to trick-or-treat:

With Mommy and Daddy (don't ask what my Mommy is doing here!!??):

Trick-or-treating at Grandma & Grandpa's - Grandpa gave me lots of yummy candy!!

With Grandma & Grandpa. This was funny because I made them hold hands and they just thought it was too hilarious!!

First Pumpkin Carving

2008-12-30T23:02:00.008-05:00

This year, I was finally big enough to participate in the annual event of pumpkin carving. The day started off with me helping my Mommy decorate her belly as a pumpkin. That was fun! But then, I wanted to do the same to mine! I was pretty apprehensive about the whole pumpkin carving event itself. The innards looked really gross and kind of freaked me out. So, I just watched as my Daddy cleaned it out, my Mommy drew the face on it and my Daddy carved it.

Can you guess which one is the real pumpkin?

Matching bellies:

You want me to do WHAT with this pumpkin?????????
OK, a spoon will at least protect me from the gore:
Our finished product - good work Daddy!!

My 2nd Birthday Party!

2008-12-30T22:49:00.013-05:00

I had such a great time at my 2nd birthday party! You would think I was already a little socialite. I was randomly walking up to people and sitting next to them casually as if I wanted to hold little conversations with them as they were to everyone else. I certainly acted like a little lady the whole night. Maybe it was my dress that inspired me to behave so properly. I just loved my dress! We had about 30 people come to help me celebrate. It was definitely a full house. My friend's Olivia, Madeline and Tyler (my new next door neighbor) also came to play with me. It was so much fun having so many friends over at once!!

With Mommy and Daddy:

My favorite part and the part I was so prepared for - singing Happy Birthday! I just stood on the chair and relished in it!
This year, I even blew out my own candles! I had some practice over the week leading up to it so that I could get it just right:
With Mimi and Grandma (notice the three of us almost have our hands in our laps the same way!):

Olivia and Madeline playing tea party (my favorite thing!):

Taking a break with Madeline:

Madeline's Mommy being festive with Minnie Mouse ears:

My Daddy's cousin, Brenda and my cousin Mallory also being festive with the mouse ears:

Having a blast playing in the jump-o-lene with my friends:

2nd Birthday Party - Decorations

2008-12-30T22:37:00.014-05:00

My 2nd birthday party was amazing! My Mommy spent a lot of time doing the decorations again this year and I just loved that they were all Minnie Mouse! I thought I would share some of her decorations with you:

The stairs in our great room:

Minnie and Mickey ears (also, my Mimi made the circular table cloth to match my dress):

Yes, the toothpicks were even done by my Mommy again this year!

Our living room:

The cake table:

Pink and white M&M's, handmade bracelets for the little girls that matched my dress and the handmade Minnie Mouse ears my Mommy made along with the invitation:
My Mimi ordered these Minnie Mouse lollipops online:

The kitchen:

And finally, the cake my Mommy made for me!

I'm Two Years Old!

2008-12-30T22:20:00.014-05:00

Where has time gone? How am I already such a big girl and two years old? The difference between 1 and 2 years old is like night and day!

I'm now using up to 5 word sentences, singing pieces of lots of songs with the right tune, know my alphabet except for a few slips on about 5 letters, can count to 12 (unless I'm doing it on my own without my Mommy and Daddy pointing for me and slowing me down - then I say, "1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11"), can even count to 19 except I miss 13 and 14, can sing the ABC's pretty close to what it's supposed to be, love doing somersaults and jumping off things, love to paint and am really good at concentrating and making sure I paint something without making a mess, am really concerned about other people's feelings and always want them to be "happy", love to play dress up, pretend to go "nite nite", can kick a ball and keep it in front of me (can we say future soccer star??) and many, many more things. It's so exciting to be such a big girl!

Here are some pictures from my 2nd birthday.

We went out to my favorite Mexican restaurant to celebrate! My Aunt Laurie, cousin Mallory, Grandma and Grandpa and my Mommy and Daddy all came. As you can see, I LOVE my sour cream!

After dinner, we went back to my house for brownies, ice cream and presents. I think I got a little brain freeze on this bite of ice cream!

Opening presents:

Thanking my Grandma and Grandpa for my fun birthday presents:

My Mimi and Poppy even flew in from Virginia to be here on my big day. I got a lot of fun presents from them, too! My favorite part was just seeing them and playing with them since I rarely get to see them.

And my most favorite present of all - the jump-o-lene that my Mommy and Daddy got me for my birthday!

Two Year Pictures

2008-12-30T22:05:00.018-05:00

I just wanted to share my 2 year pictures with you. It was a rough start at first. When we walked into the room where they took the pictures, they had the big black sheet up and I was FREAKED out by it! After much work on my Mommy's part, I was calmed down and had some fun in both outfits.

A little princess:

Sharing with my baby brother already (my Mommy is about 26 weeks pregnant here):

In my birthday dress:So pretty:

Lots of static with those balloons!

See, I told you I was having fun!

I love to pose for the camera:This is my "touchdown" pose:

Hugging the football for my Daddy:

Sweet little me:

Minnie Mouse!

2008-12-21T22:04:00.006-05:00

My 2nd birthday party was themed Minnie Mouse and so I got all sorts of neat Minnie stuff! My Mimi and Poppy and my Aunt Chrissy seemed to have so much fun shopping for Minnie Mouse things for me! I got so many Minnie Mouse stuffed animals, Minnie dishes and cups, Minnie stickers, a Minnie backpack and quite a few Minnie Mouse clothes!

With my Minnie backpack and Minnie cup:

My Minnie backpack from my Aunt Chrissy that was filled with all sorts of Minnie goodies!

My First Concert... The Wiggles!!

2008-12-21T21:55:00.011-05:00

For my 2nd birthday, my Mommy and Daddy took me to see The Wiggles!! I couldn't believe my eyes... there before me were Dorothy the Dinosaur, the Big Red Car, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus and the Wiggles guys. Even though I don't know the characters that well, I still had so much fun and busted so many new moves that my Mommy and Daddy had never witnessed before! I was a dancing machine!!

SO excited!!

It was a full house:

Clapping with Mommy:

Busting those unique moves I wrote about:

Blackmail

2008-12-21T21:48:00.003-05:00

Just some more blackmail pictures that Mommy and Daddy have of me... I'm still doing great with potty training... since I began I may have only had 3 accidents total and it's already been over three months now!

My First Costume Party!

2008-12-21T21:33:00.009-05:00

I was not even two years old and already got to go to my first costume party! It was so much fun... my friend Olivia went with me. She dressed up as a witch and I dressed up as a ladybug. We got to eat snacks, play and even make a craft. I can't wait to do it again next year already!

The unhappy ladybug fairy... it's a good thing my mood improved by the time we got to the party!

Giving Gymbo the stare-down:

Bouncing with Daddy - I look a bit crazed here, but trust me, bouncing is so much fun! It's my favorite thing to do these days:

Bouncing with Olivia:

Bubble time...I still love to catch one on my pointer finger and eat it!!!

More Dress Up

2008-12-21T21:32:00.002-05:00

The Last of Fall...

2008-12-21T21:27:00.005-05:00

So, winter is almost in full bloom here... It didn't feel like there was much of a fall before we started getting hit with lots of snow. Here are some pictures from one of the last nice fall days we had.

Goofy face:

Picking up some leaves:

A Little Punk In Me

2008-12-21T21:25:00.002-05:00

Yes, I'm all girl, but I love to be a little rocker still... check out these digs... and believe it or not, I wore these same jammies a year ago when I was 12 months old. They are size 12M and still fit pretty well!!

Pizza and Movie Nights

2008-12-21T21:21:00.003-05:00

My Mommy and Daddy recently started doing pizza and movie friday nights with me! It's where I get to eat pizza in our living room and watch a movie with them. I sit with my Little Mermaid tray that Mimi and Poppy bought for me, too! I have so much fun doing this and it's not every Friday so it makes it that much more special when we do it! So far, my favorite movie is The Lion King (even though I only sit still for about 15-20 minutes or so to watch it)!!

Getting Ready for My Baby Brother!

2008-12-21T21:16:00.006-05:00

I love to play with my baby and can't wait until I'm able to help out with my baby brother like this, too! I don't have to wait much longer!

Potty Trained!

2008-11-02T22:13:00.004-05:00

My Mommy and Daddy still can't believe what a breeze potty training was! I began just before I turned 23 months old and had it mastered in about one and a half to two weeks! I do still wear a diaper during my nap and bed time, but I get to wear big girl panties during the day now! It's so fun to decide between monkeys, Dora, princesses, ballerina, frogs or ducks! I feel like such a big girl now!

Pumpkin Patch - 2008

2008-11-02T21:45:00.021-05:00

I can't believe how much fun pumpkin patches are these days! Last year, we went to a basic pumpkin patch - with hay bales and a hay ride (as a reminder: 2007 Pumpkin Patch). This year, the pumpkin patch we went to was FABULOUS! I got to pet goats, bunnies, look at ducks up close and personal, lead my family through a corn maze, pick pumpkins, go on a hay ride, go through a haunted house (which I wasn't too fond of!), ride on ponies, paint a pumpkin, get my face painted and watch a fun hill-billy show! It was such a fun day and I'm so happy that my Mommy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa were there to share it with me!

Sticking my head through!

Look how long my hair is getting!

Me with Mommy before the corn maze:

Taking a break in the corn maze:

With Daddy picking out a pumpkin:

Getting my face painted - a pumpkin and a bunny!

Painting my pumpkin:

Trying to pick up a bunny:

Holding a bunny that I picked up!

I was so excited to be in the stall with the goats!

Hmm... goats eat just like Buster eats!

I got to take many, many laps around with my pony, Sammy! I went with Mommy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa! Here I am with Grandpa:

Here I am with Grandma:

Pumpkin Patch - Then & Now

2008-11-02T21:42:00.006-05:00

My how I've changed in just a year!!

October 2007....................October 2008

Cooking

2008-11-02T21:23:00.002-05:00

I'm turning into quite a good little helper when it comes to cooking. It's nice because these days my Mommy is getting pretty tired with her growing belly and cooking just isn't as appealing to her much anymore. I'm so happy that I can help her now and bring her a little fun along the way!

Dress Up

2008-11-02T21:21:00.002-05:00

I've come to realize that you can dress up in anything and still have a ball! Even my Daddy's fleece was too much fun to wear!