The Shopping Excursion

Day Two

We went shopping on Day Two.  Sounds like a lot of fun and normally it is, except we were shopping for things Kyle needed.  There have been countless times he has refused to try anything on and when we get home and it doesn't fit we are tasked with the unpleasantness of either returning the un-tried-on item or finding a new home for it.  The only thing I could talk him into trying on were dress shoes.  He squeezed them on over his bulky white socks and promptly said, "They fit, let's go." Usually I would have jumped on the chance to buy anything at 70% off (even Kyle's dress shoes) but we've been down this road before too!  I had to BEG him to try on the shoes with the silly little "socks" the store provides and guess what...too big!  So we didn't score a super great deal on anything he needed but we did manage to find a few things and as he tried on the jeans we bought for the first time this morning he announced that they really don't fit that well. (sigh) Oh well, I do have a sewing machine and I have hemmed a few pairs of jeans in my day so maybe we won't have to find these poor, forsaken jeans a new home after all.
Here are a few pics of Maddie from the day...

Let's go!!

Back from Big Cedar!

Maddie and I left with my parents last Friday to enjoy a little getaway in Branson at Big Cedar.  Kyle was in Dallas so he joined us on Saturday.  We had a really good time and the best part of this little getaway...we didn't really do anything!  It was just nice to relax and be with family. Big Cedar was beautiful.

 Day One
Maddie got to enjoy her first hot chocolate!

But only before she gave us some att.i.tude!

We had her all bundled up and when we got inside she was getting warmer and warmer.  When I took her hat and her coat off, she decided her sweater and dress should go too.  She was upset because we wouldn't let her take her dress off. : ) 

After enjoying hot chocolate, we went to play with the lincoln logs!

UH-OH!

Well, we had to use our time out chair for the first time the other day

Maddie did a really good job picking up before we had preschool because she always gets excited for it.  I told her we couldn't have preschool until we picked everything up and she worked and worked.  So, when it was time to pick up after preschool, she didn't really see how it benefited her and refused to pick up! 

I gave her several chances to pick up the "hay" and when she finally just walked away, I knew I had to do a time out.  It had absolutely no affect on her at all. : ) I set the timer for 2 minutes and of course she got up before the 2 minutes was up.  I put her back in her chair and she thought that was really funny and laughed.  Hopefully we won't need time out too much, and hopefully when we do, it will actually work! 

Front Row Seating

This morning Maddie found her stroller and climbed right in.  I took her for a fun little ride around the house with lots of crazy twists and turns and she really liked it.  So much that when it was time to get out, she wasn't ready.  So this was the solution...

She's still in her stroller! 

Maddie + Gracie = Best Buds

When Gracie was a little puppy, she was fiesty, independent, and VERY skiddish.   When Maddie came along, Gracie fell in love AND mellowed out.  Gracie would watch her sleep in her cradle and if I was on my way to the nursery, Gracie would be right at my heels, her little feet click-clacking on the laminate floors.  It's a good thing Maddie was only 5 pounds when she was born, because we had to make room for Gracie when we were in the rocking chair!
The other day when I saw this...

I knew Gracie would only allow that for one person...Maddie!  Watch out, Gracie.  When it comes time for tea parties, I have a feeling you'll be donning a nice tutu and necklace!

Transplanted!

The other day Kyle and I laughed about a tomato plant growing in our pathway in a flower bed against the side of our house. You can see in the picture below the distance from the real tomato plant and the transplanted one. How did it get there?

Yesterday I finally realized...

This was the culprit! Ever since we planted our garden, as soon as we let Gracie outside she runs to the tomatoes and gobbles up as many as she can. Then, she packaged the seeds up with some nice fertilizer and became a gardener!

Great time with Family

Maddie and I took a little road trip while Daddy was away with work.  We went to see my family and Maddie LOVED playing with her cousins!  She had a blast.  Here's a few pics I got...

This is what happens when you try and tell an independent 2-yr-old what to do!

The whole gang (with the exception of an independent 2-yr-old)

Evan Thomas

The best group shot we could get...once again the results of an independent 2-yr-old.

Maddie with her PaPa...Starting to see a pattern?

Miss Em

Grady William

 Caleb Marcus

We had such a great time!  Love and miss you guys!  Can't wait to see you again.