My Greatest Adventure...

Valentine's Day...

2012-02-14T20:24:00.000-08:00

How much food coloring is okay for a kid to ingest? There was a lot of pink and a lot of hearts going on today. As it should be, right? We had fun embracing the day... eating a lot... and giving away treats.

A minor craft project to make it more festive...

Awaiting Maeve when she woke up. First thing she did was shove a chocolate heart in her mouth. Like mother, like daughter...

There were pink pancakes served...

'Look mom -- the milk is pink!!'

And, then we got all dressed up because....

...we had a tea party with one of our favorite people ever -- Annie! (Note the freshly baked cinnamon rolls with pink icing on them, thank you very much...)

Maeve enjoyed pouring us both tea... Maeve also enjoyed turning our tea party into a water table!

Then there was a valentine's story from one of Maeve's valentine's...

We had fun today delivering a bunch of our valentine treats this afternoon too. We both inhaled way too much sugar. Maeve is comatose and I'm coming down from my sugar high now. Hope everyone had a lovely day :-)

Single Mom Playgroup...

2012-02-14T20:10:00.000-08:00

What are the chances that there would be so many of us living in the same city? We've started up a single mom's play group that meets once a month -- and all of our kids were born in Ethiopia. Its so awesome because the mom's are really cool and the kids are really sweet, and cute. We're rotating houses and eating yummy Ethiopian food too... we partied at our house this month. Check it out:

Thankful...

2012-02-14T14:37:00.001-08:00

I am thankful for my community of friends and family for all that they do and provide us. We are very fortunate to be the recipients of gifts and hand-me-downs, but what I feel the most thankful for are the relationships we have. As a single mom I want to raise Maeve well -- that includes her emotional well being. Being a girl, I tend to spend a significant amount of time around all my girlfriends, but I am cognizant of the fact that Maeve needs solid male role models in her life. This fact helps guide some of the decisions I need to make for Maeve. This is partly why I choose the preschool room that she is in -- there are 2 male teachers. I want Maeve to have consistent men in her life that are purposeful in investing in her. We have many male friends that are very good at giving Maeve attention... but there are a couple that I've asked specifically if they could spend some purposeful one on one time with Maeve, so that she could get that positive attention from quality men, and feel special and loved. An example of this is Dan.

Dan is the closest man in Maeve's life -- without a doubt they both love each other. Dan met Maeve at her Valentine's craft party at school last week because I had to work. I got a phone call later that day from a friend of mine who saw them together just to tell me how great Dan was with Maeve.... he was so attentive and caring. It just makes you feel so good to know that your child is loved, and have that be obvious to others that don't even know him.

Mike is another handpicked male figure for Maeve. Although we don't live in the same town, whenever we do get to see each other he makes it a point to make Maeve feel special. He loves Maeve, she knows it, and its reciprocated too. Both Dan and Mike are Maeve's godparents and they have proven themselves to be good choices. I wasn't worried :-)

And, of course my brother, Todd. Maeve loves him and I think Todd's loving having a little person around again. I couldn't be happier that we now live so close to each other again... its huge for both Maeve and I to have his whole family here now.

Honestly, we are so lucky to have so many involved friends and family in our lives. I knew they were awesome before I brought Maeve home, but it is remarkable to me how amazing they are with Maeve... which makes me love all of them even more.

She Makes Me Laugh...

2012-02-12T13:53:00.000-08:00

Her latest saying makes me laugh, because she says it like she's all grown up and knows she's making a joke... She comes up to something that isn't quite right and says, "wait a second....."

Valentine Yumminess...

2012-02-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

We made and decorated cookies this morning...

Showing off our creations. Yes, I know... she's too far off the counter.

Partying Even in Her Sleep...

2012-02-12T13:45:00.000-08:00

A Couple of Things...

2012-02-09T22:33:00.000-08:00

Here are a few things Maeve has learned this week...

Maeve can now spell her name

Maeve knows her birthday

Maeve is turning into more of a monkey - and climbing doesn't come without a few consequences...

-------------------------------------------

Heard just yesterday...

Maeve -- "Let's skype Dora"

Me -- "I'm not sure that Dora is on skype, honey"

Maeve -- "Let's skype Boots then"

Snow Time...

2012-02-07T20:15:00.000-08:00

I was bitter that I missed out on all the snow fun a few weeks ago, therefore I packed Maeve and I up for a quick sledding trip in the mountains today. The weather has been unbelievable lately, but I heard its supposed to turn back to rain tomorrow, so I wanted to make the most of it...

Fun was had by all...

Another Funny Sleeping Photo...

2012-02-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

Annie got her this balloon earlier in the week, which was just hanging out in her room. It would appear that Maeve wanted some Annie loving as she fell asleep.

Ummm. And, don't worry, I moved it away. Glad she didn't strangle herself in the lovefest...

She Has Moves...

2012-02-05T20:27:00.000-08:00

...which she proved at the local Farmer's Market today. Check it out:

We had the most beautiful weekend... every single person in the city was out doing something. I even managed to dust off my runners yesterday while Maeve urged me on with, "Go Mommy Go" all around the lake. It felt good....

Hand-me-downs...

2012-02-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

Anna provides us with 90% of Maeve's clothing (even though she refuses to wear the really cool outfits most of the time). We got another bag the other night, so Maeve and I had fun seeing what her latest wardrobe would consist of. I so wish I had taken a picture of Maeve going to bed, but I wasn't willing to risk our bedtime routine with a photo session -- she wore 2x too big jammies, size 10 sandals (2 sizes too big), halloween socks, mittens, and a winter hat... it was so funny....

She ditched the hat and mittens in her sleep...

The next night she still wanted to wear the winter hat to bed...

And, this one is just funny.

A Moment in Time...

2012-01-31T15:07:00.001-08:00

Well, Maeve is definitely two and half these days.... The days are filled with fun, excitement, dancing, singing, questions, disagreements, arbitration proceedings, snuggles, story time, play time, and to the sheer delight of Maeve, occasional Dora time too. (Oh wow, she is enamoured by that adventurous spanish speaking girl. She likes to tell me stories as to what Dora did and said. Pretty funny). Anywho, I feel like I should document a few of the other things that are heard around the house these days...

"Moooom.... I have a question" -- which is followed by a statement or story, but not, in fact, a question.

"I can do it" -- for everything. Everything.

"Mooooom.... I neeeeeeed you" -- heard whenever she can't see me.

"One time..." -- starts a story about what she or someone else did.

"Okay" -- heard whenever I'm asking her to stop doing what she's doing. "Okay" is almost never followed up with the stopping action. She just keeps her head down, never looks up, and carries on doing what she wants to do, all the while saying, "okay".

"I mean..." -- scattered throughout the stories she's telling.

She can be a wee bit bossy from time to time. She's so busy trying to control her world that she runs around and tries to tell everyone what or what not to do.

She's upped the number of wardrobe changes each day to about 20. She also likes to layer up sweaters 2-3 at a time and insists on all the buttons being done up. Its a good look, I promise you.

She's quite close to being able to operate zippers.

She likes to point out matching colors.

She can be found carrying a step stool all over the house trying to reach anything and everything.

She will scale mountains to get a hold of my iPhone. If she's being particularly quiet and not in my sight, I know that she made a successful snatch.

Potty talk is hysterical to her. She often doesn't follow the rules that potty talk should only happen in the bathroom because she's so busy telling me the words that should only be said in the bathroom. Also, she'll sometimes run into the bathroom and say all the potty words she knows and then run out again, or she'll just put one foot in the bathroom and spout potty talk. She thinks its so so funny. I'm so proud.

Its wild how quickly she's growing up and she's no longer a baby at all... she's a little person with thoughts, ideas, likes, dislikes, and opinions. I love her to death.

One Little Monkey...

2012-01-28T21:30:00.000-08:00

...jumping on the bed.

pure fun...

Plain Cuteness...

2012-01-28T21:27:00.000-08:00

Gosh mom, you're hysterical... (I know)

Propping Teddy up to smile for the camera...

Giving Baby Alice a kiss...

The Year of the Dragon...

2012-01-28T21:15:00.000-08:00

We're so lucky to live in a city with an International District. Why I don't venture down there more often, is beyond me. Kathleen, Jeff, Elizabeth, Maeve, and I headed down to see the festivities for the Chinese New Year. We watched a couple of shows, ate a little chinese food, saw some kids dressed up, and saw the dragons in action, which is what I really wanted to see....

Maeve was scared of the dragons at first, and then wailed when we left. She can appreciate a good time... but napping was required by all.

Twists...

2012-01-27T22:03:00.000-08:00

...and her first trim. I've been talking about doing this for a while, but hadn't gotten around to it until today. 2.75 hours and way too much Dora later, Maeve's hair was done. I trimmed off the end of each twist too. It's super cute and Maeve likes shaking her head back and forth to see the twists swing. Too bad I lost my bead threader as Maeve keeps asking for beads... wouldn't be a better hairdo than this, I imagine.

We were probably at least 4 Dora episodes strong here...

Not perfect, by any means... but a good first effort.

I like it.

Bike Riding Kind of Day...

2012-01-27T21:59:00.000-08:00

"But, Mom... you said we were going on a bike ride! I don't want my picture taken... I want to ride my bike."

Focused. I tried to get her to pedal her own weight... it came under duress, but she did it.

She wanted to take her backpack and stuffed friend along for the ride today...

Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research..

2012-01-23T21:37:00.000-08:00

Its been over 3 years since I last played with Ben. He was such an intense, passionate, and funny little boy. I feel so lucky to have been a part of his world. Jeff, Carin, and I became great friends over the course of Ben's treatment. What phenomenal people they are -- you're just drawn to them. And, what a horrific turn their lives took, starting with Ben's cancer diagnosis. I see kids and families battle this horrible illness every day. And, every single day I am fearful that it will creep into my own life... into Maeve's life. Jeff and Carin have started a movement that has the potential to change everything about how pediatric cancer is treated... and cured.

What a legacy, Ben... you are missed so much. Your parents are doing amazing things.

Introducing: The Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research from ben towne foundation on Vimeo.

A Crazy Week...

2012-01-23T21:04:00.000-08:00

Last week was exhausting... it was a total snow week here in Seattle and I didn't get to play in any of it. Lame! Sadly I hold the title of being an 'essential personnel', and there are no real excuses that fly for not getting to work. Thank you to all my generous and giving friends for helping me out on the childcare front. Between Monday and Thursday, Maeve played with 5 different families... and then had a bit of daycare there in the middle (daycare opened late and closed early each day). Anywho, I discovered that my Jetta pretty much bites in the snow (as evidenced by the 560 we enjoyed on the way to work)... my Honda was such a rock star of a car, I never even considered that I couldn't plow my way somewhere... no matter now, the snow is gone and I don't plan on getting Maeve up on skis until next season anyway. Must budget for some quality snow tires it would seem.

We headed up north on Friday for a certain someone's 4th birthday... Super Hero themed and all... It was super fun for the kids and the adults all enjoyed catching up with each other. Here's what went down:

A little 'freeze dance'...

Lunchtime with a ton of little kids... Ann didn't expect everyone to RSVP 'yes'... but how could we not come??

Of course Mike owns his own Super Hero costume...

And then there was a critter guy...

The birthday boy!

Check it out!

And then we got to spend the rest of the weekend with Todd, Stacy, Taryn, and Kate... its so fun that we get to see them so often. And, yay! They bought a house this past week...

Whatev Mom...

2012-01-16T23:39:00.001-08:00

Waiting for the Snow...

2012-01-16T23:18:00.000-08:00

There were some snowflakes falling... it was very exciting, I must say...

And, then there was enough to crunch around in... in our 'snow crocs' of course.

And, today while I was working, Maeve and Anna played in the little bit of snow that is still here. There is an expectation of more this week... that will make a 2 year old very very happy.

Playdates Galore...

2012-01-16T23:11:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was full of fun playdates... I captured Gudeta and Maeve's shananigans at lunch.... they're pretty funny together, these two.

It started like this....

And, ended like this...

Outdoor Activities...

2012-01-16T22:59:00.000-08:00

Its cold out there these days... I like to be warm. I figured we both deserved to be treated to a starbucks en route to the park.... equivalent hot shots for our hands, while warming up from the inside, out.

Friday Night Dinner Club...

2012-01-16T22:55:00.000-08:00

Resumed this week... Maeve is always happy when kids come to play... especially older kids. "Nooooaaaaahhhhhh..... Noooooaaaaahhhh" was the word of choice from Maeve that evening. She loves him. This was a great kick off to a fun, social, and lazy weekend.

Moving Target...

2012-01-10T21:34:00.000-08:00

Hair days come with the reward of watching a video (or two or three or four... depending on how epic of a hair day it turns out to be)... The hands down video of choice these days is Dora. Maeve cannot get enough of Dora (thank you Santa). After watching an episode, Maeve will tell me all about Dora and Boots and Swiper, and what they said or did. Its so funny to watch her while she's entranced because she thinks Dora is talking to her, and Maeve will respond and do all things requested of her -- including getting up and jumping over watermelons. This becomes a bit problematic when I'm trying to detangle and style her hair....

Pausing for a little watermelon jumping...

Much Improved...

2012-01-10T20:55:00.000-08:00

Quiet time/nap time is better... and going to bed at night is much better. She still fights the thought of it and immediately starts crying out for people she knows... hoping they will whisk her away from her mean mom. But, she concedes shortly thereafter. I slowly weaned myself away and she now listens to Poppy and Sam as she drifts off to sleep. I may have to start looking for more audio cd's in case this gets old... but, I love them right now.

I found Maeve like this during her quiet time... it also helps when you have a fuzzy friend you can snuggle up with too...

Who'd Have Thunk It....

2012-01-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

I'm getting a bit crafty? (Carin, its okay... we can still be friends). I was recently introduced to Pinterest, and it has provided me with a few ideas. I was inspired by this post -- I have been looking for the perfect growth chart for a while now. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out... What do you think?

I just bought a plank of wood at Home Depot, stained it 3 times, and then got out my trusty ruler and pencil and started marking off lines... (3 inches for the numbers, 2 inches for the quarters, and 1 inch for the rest)... I then went over all my pencil markings with my newly purchased Sharpie paint pen.

Next step was putting on the numbers. Amy printed off numbers for me, I rubbed the back with pencil, and then just traced them onto the board with a pencil so that it left an outline on my new 'ruler'. My Sharpie paint pen was utilized again. When all was said and done, I just put a clear finish on it. Total cost of all products, stains, and finish... less than $20. Love that.

The hardest part was hanging it on the wall... there may be a few holes that are conveniently covered up by our new growth chart, maybe :-)

Zoo....

2012-01-08T23:36:00.000-08:00

Avery hung out with us today so we bundled up and headed to the zoo.... Its fun that the girls are at an age where they play really well together and have fun with each other... well, most of the time anyway. ha.

Ethiopian Christmas...

2012-01-07T21:04:00.001-08:00

...is today. We are so fortunate to have a Ethiopian community in which to celebrate these holidays with. A fellow adoptive mom, Brenda, so kindly organized an Ethiopian dinner out at one of our local restaurants. It was crazy chaos, but a ton of fun. Maeve was so excited to go and was sad to leave. I love that. Its so nice that we are really truly feeling connected with so many other families... I sort of felt like I was going through the motions, hoping for great connections, for the first year and half... but now its completely authentic. Maeve is proud to be Ethiopian and ate her share of the food tonight, for sure.

Isa B and Maeve ready to get at it...

Katie and Isa B -- our first friends in our Ethiopian and adoption community.

Sela, Maeve, and Lucy ripping it up on the dance floor...

Eventually all the kids trickled over for a little mosh pit action...

And, this one here could not be more happy to be part of something fun...

Group shot of our dinner party...

Maeve and Gudeta sharing a moment...

A little 'Ring Around the Rosie'....

Happy Ethiopian Christmas everyone!!!

New Toy....

2012-01-07T00:38:00.001-08:00

Dad and Lynn gave us some money for Christmas and I decided to put part of it towards a DSLR camera. I've been coveting them for years and have just never been able to justify buying one... I decided the money is a good family investment that will get a ton of use. I am already loving it... I just snapped a few shots this morning and throughout the afternoon to play with it. Thanks Dad and Lynn!!!

I got to snuggle with sweet Gerrit today for a bit. He's perfect... He's not a red head though... that may work in his parents' favor? Time will tell... ha.

Princess Avery spent the day with us...

Gerrit's Here!

2012-01-05T23:07:00.000-08:00

Gerrit Christopher is finally here!! Yay Amber, Chris, and Avery!! I cannot wait to snuggle and love on him tomorrow... he decided to make his grand entrance yesterday, which has been inconvenient for me because I've had to work the last two days and have had to wait... I guess I'll extend him some grace... this time :-)

We love you Gerrit!

Fall Shots...

2012-01-04T21:35:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't posted our Fall photos yet, but I was using a couple of them for our Christmas card and wanted them to be new. Here are some fun family shots a friend of mine took in November... Maeve wasn't interested in getting her photo taken that day, therefore I'm quite thrilled that we had several great shots to choose from. I shouldn't be surprised though... my friend is very talented.

What??

2012-01-03T19:20:00.000-08:00

No no no.... I did not approve Maeve's latest decision. No naps. Nope. Not going to do it. Not even going to have quiet time because, if you even try, I will make your life miserable because I'll throw such a fuss, that its probably not even worth it. What??? At least between suggesting sleep, she's mostly sweet and reasonable... mostly. There is that 2.5 year old thing going on :-)

We've been in a bit of a phase lately. I'm going to call it a phase, because it makes me feel better to think that it might end. ha. Since about mid-December Maeve's been experiencing a little separation anxiety when it comes to bedtime. 'Challenging' is a word I would like to throw out there. First off... she makes it very clear that she doesn't want to go 'nigh nigh'!!.... and there is complete and utter despair if I neglect to be within eyesight, or close by, during those pivotal moments of going to sleep. To appease this need, my laundry is folded every night now outside of her room (sometimes I'm just refolding), I'm reading in the hallway, and I clean up my room between making making myself present in her doorway. In addition to that, she wanders into my room in the middle of the night these days and sleeps the remainder of the night in my bed... it was hit and miss before, but now its almost every night. This is a grey area -- its so hard to know how best to approach this and what tactic to take (but I'll take a snuggle or two). I wonder if she's having nightmares because when I suggest sleep, regardless of nap or nightime, she adamently refuses, runs away and then does the collapse thing when I try and pick her up (and how do they weigh so much more when they become limp?) Inevitably, she often falls asleep accidently late in the day while riding in the car or stroller, and then she's impossible to wake up! This doesn't make the nighttime routine any easier, Maeve.... I was rewarded, however, for a no nap day today when she crawled into my arms for a 'needed snuggle' at 7pm and drifted right off to sleep. I feel like I won the lottery! Tomorrow, school starts up again and our early morning and late day routines re initiate... we'll see what happens, but if I always get such an early night back, I'm almost willing to forfeit my daytime break.

****Update. Nevermind. She woke up 45 min into her sleep... crying for 'mommy'.... 'Amy'.... 'Annie'....'Amber'.... 'Dora'.... ha. I was convinced to give 2 more snuggles. I really thought I had a backbone, but, apparently in this particular 'phase' I'm at a bit of a loss due to her sheer agitation -- it just seems like she needs it... or she is solely a great actor, which she can be too. I will err on the side of comfort and reassurance and try to wean my wonderful self away eventually...

I wonder when I can stop wondering about bonding/attaching issues and just assume she's going through the motions of common childhood. I am quite certain that's all it is. We are very well bonded and very well attached.... I mean, she LOVES to attach herself to me at all times :-) We are lucky because I brought her home so early that we haven't had many issues on those fronts...
I love my little snuggly firecracker...

Here Maeve is holding Baby -- her sister, per Maeve. She's really into being a sister lately. Sorry Maeve, its not in the cards for now... but I'm glad you find other options for yourself.

From the Heart... ha.

2012-01-01T22:35:00.000-08:00

Me - You're such a good girl, Maeve. I love you.

Maeve - .... okay.

---------------

Me - I love you, Maeve.

Maeve - I like you.

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-01T22:20:00.000-08:00

Let the season continue... January is going to be a rude awakening to Maeve when all the parties stop and some semblance of routine makes itself known again. But, may as well carry on for as long as we can...

We double dipped last night and went to 2 parties -- the first are new friends of ours through the Ethiopian cultural center. I'm very happy to be connected with this new group of friends who are all single mothers that have adopted children from Ethiopia too - and we all live within 5 miles of each other. Pretty neat and unique.

Sweet friends...

Always the party-goer...

Then we ventured to Amber, Chris, and Avery's house to finish off the evening. The kids were so excited to watch a movie together... this cute scene didn't last very long. Shocking.

We decided we would celebrate with the Central Time Zone folks... "Happy New Year!!"

I love that Bennett is picking his nose in this picture. We all celebrate differently, don't we?

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy 2012...

Nature Walk...

2012-01-01T22:13:00.000-08:00

Maeve and I spent half a day with Grandma and Grandpa. We decided to take a walk to see what we could see...

Not interested in getting her photo taken, apparently...

We saw ducks...

Squirrels.... which were a little too friendly, for Maeve's comfort...

And, chickadee's... super cool.

Unbelievable, Yet True....

2012-01-01T22:03:00.000-08:00

I made Maeve a cape for Christmas.

Yes... she painted her nose, yet again. And, no, she's not wearing clothes either.

I had wanted to continue the crafty theme, in some capacity, in terms of a gift for Maeve. And when I perused others' blogs, capes were a common project for young children. It seemed feasible, even to me. That being said, I did solicit the help from Alyssa, former fashion design student... just for a little reassurance.

I suppose it wasn't a total surprise to Maeve seeing as she watched me make it... but I figured, 2.5 years old, I could swing it...

Documenting the moment...

Alyssa is also a toddler whisperer too, turns out... Maeve was enamored by her...

Christmas Week...

2012-01-01T21:24:00.000-08:00

Sadly it is over. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole season of Christmas... Maeve cried when I told her we're going to have to take down the tree and decorations tomorrow. I know... I know. But, we're not going to be those people.

So, we had a great week up north of the border. There was very little physical activity on my part and I officially gained 2.7 lbs by the end of the week. Not too bad, I thought. Maeve only gained 0.1 lbs. I don't get that. Her cousin, Taryn, was feeding her chocolate at every request. Not fair. Anywho...

I brought Maeve up a few nights before Christmas, but I had to head back south to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It was okay because we were the grinch and stole all of Santa's gifts away from the kids for a 2 day delay... the rock stars in this story are Taryn and Kate. Maeve was just happy to be there. We had plenty of fun and everyone was excited to be all together.

"Christmas Eve dinner".... of course Maeve had taken her clothes off already...

Pre clothes removal... excited to eat. "I'm hungy" comes out of her month countless times throughout the day...

Requisite Christmas story on "Christmas Eve" - The Grinch.

Setting out snacks...

Christmas Morning!! Maeve has her own computer now...

Family Photo before gift opening... Taryn, Kate, Todd, and Stacy.

Maeve had asked Santa for a lollipop... and he didn't disappoint.

Maeve was quite attached to Taryn on this trip.... figuratively and literally.

Christmas morning cousin shot...

Someone's pretty happy....

Unwrapping gifts were more of a highlight than the gifts initially...

We decided she didn't have to play our 'gift opening rules' and let her at her gifts to avoid any 2.5 year old frustration... therefore, she had half of her gifts open within minutes... Eventually she realized there were toys there that she wanted to play with.

Taryn 'checking out' Maeve's toys to make sure they were okay..

Very relaxed and fun morning. We were all very spoiled...

We all received "warm" clothes. How cute is Kate?

Turkey dinner.... Todd and Stacy.

The rest of the family came over in the afternoon to continue the celebrations...

More eating... it didn't stop all week. I think almost every night consisted of a dinner party of some sort.

Stylish Maeve... in a Mr. Potato Head kind of way...

Just lazin' around... it took us a while to change into clothes most days.

Her fancy holiday dress (thank you Annie)...

Cousin shot...

Kate and Taryn heading out to a play...

Of course we missed celebrating with all of our family... but geography doesn't mean they weren't there in spirit. We are very thankful for all our family and know that we are very lucky in life....

Christmas #1

2012-01-01T20:06:00.001-08:00

I took a blog hiatus... In fact, I took an everything hiatus over the last week. It felt great. But... now I'm back and here is a little catch up on things --

We celebrated Christmas with the Wilsons a few days before the actual day. We were spoiled like crazy and left feeling all warm and fuzzy because we love our extended Seattle family. Here's a look at how the morning went down...

First things first -- "The Best Nest" Maeve and Dan snuggle. Its their thing.

Indulged with the biggest lollipop ever...

Dan's present -- likely the best one he received this season.

The expert present opener...

Annie & Dan squeeze.

I also crashed their house on Christmas Eve to watch their celebrations as I was stuck in town without Maeve due to a little thing called work... it was so great to be a part of it all. Thank you so much Annie, Dan, Sofie, Josie, Eli, and Abe...

Wonder...

2011-12-19T17:43:00.001-08:00

Santa Train...

2011-12-17T23:18:00.001-08:00

Amber, Avery, Maeve, and I went aboard the Polar Express... or the Santa Train. Same diff' right? It was really quite fun, and we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful and balmy day. I overdressed for sure. Thought I was heading to the North Pole I guess. Anywho, I digress. As I mentioned, we did board the Santa Train, but at the request of both girls, we chose not to visit the guy in red at the end of the line (due to a recent visit that wasn't received very favorably by those two). We sang songs en route and then took advantage of some sunny weather when we reached our destination.

Avery and Maeve...

3rd attempt at a photo... so, this is what you get Maeve - belly shot and all...

Hot chocolate and cookies at our rest stop...

We got to explore some old train cars at the railway museum...

Cute, right?

Maeve posing...

And, yet again, another successful attempt at a family photo...

Its okay to teach them to play on the tracks, right?

All tuckered out...

Let it Snow...

2011-12-17T23:06:00.000-08:00

So, its not real, but that didn't seem to matter at all. We haven't had a spare moment yet to venture to the mountains to do some authentic winter activities... that'll have to happen in the new year. But, today, Sue told me to come on over to the church as they were having their Christmas party... it was a hit. And, of course Maeve was well cared for by Jonah, Sam, and Grace... her fan club.

Its hard to be Maeve...

'Tis the Season...

2011-12-17T22:55:00.000-08:00

...to give to our friends and family. One way, is straight to their stomachs... therefore, we made cookies! Maeve is always a willing participant, especially when there's a beater to be licked at the end of all the hard work.

Its too bad she's not happy...

A diamond looks like this, mom....

Wanna kiss?

More gift creations...

Although I have been a wee bit too quick with the "1-click purchase" button on Amazon, I do hope that Maeve takes away what's really important -- the spirit of the season. I want family, friends, giving to others, and what Christmas is really about to be impressed upon her.

12 Days of Christmas...

2011-12-17T22:42:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned that I feel really festive this year about the Christmas holidays? I think it is so fun reliving the wonder through Maeve's eyes. I love creating experiences for her just to watch her excitement build. I'm also having so much fun creating new traditions for our family that we can carry on every year. I love the idea of the 12 days of Christmas through book giving. Maeve LOVES her books. And, I love that. So, for the 12 days building up to Christmas, Maeve gets a new book to open. Thank you Carrie for providing me with your researched ideas, as I took some and ran with them. Here are the collection that were decided upon for Maeve this year... Its been a huge hit thus far:

She is going to be well practiced on opening up presents by the time Christmas comes along.

Recent iPhone Activity...

2011-12-12T23:40:00.000-08:00

A Very Full Weekend...

2011-12-11T16:09:00.000-08:00

What a crazy busy, yet fun weekend. Friday was obviously festive with our visit to Santa and gingerbread house making. And then Saturday was equally as great. We finally had a playdate with one of Maeve's good school friends, Lumia, which had been in the works for a while. Maeve and Lumia are great friends and it was so fun to witness their interactions, as I mostly just get to hear how the two of them play from their teachers. I do hear about Lumia all the time from Maeve too. Anywho, we started off our fun morning by visiting a couple of Santa's reindeers -- Blitzen and Dasher, along with their resident camel and mini donkey friends, Curley and Moe.

Checking out Santa's sleigh (along with Cael, Lumia's brother)

Girl's only photo...

Maeve and Lumia with Curley

Checking out the reindeers...

Then we headed over to Lumia's house for a little cookie decorating... aka, flour fight!

I think Lumia won the fight... ha

And, then after an afternoon nap, we were off to watch Abe's hockey game... Of course his team won with a star player and coach. We all celebrated by heading out for dinner. There was very little eating at home this weekend.

And, then today's big activity -- a date to the Children's Theater to watch "Frog & Toad". Needless to say, this 2.5 year old was very excited.

Maeve hanging with the boys. Abe kindly invited Maeve and his other buddy, Laughton, to the play with him. Such a good egg, that Abe.

Maeve is one lucky girl. We hope everyone managed a fun and festive weekend too.

Santa 2011

2011-12-09T23:33:00.000-08:00

Maeve was super excited to see Santa, right up until she actually saw Santa. She was really quite brave for the first 2 seconds, and then she let her true feelings show. They captured the brave shot...

And, then....

...all hell broke lose. Except for Bennett, who couldn't be more pleased. I love the irony. This is such a classic shot and I know the kids will laugh at this one day. In the end, all tears were resolved quickly and Maeve scored a lollipop for her efforts, which made her very happy. Maeve wants a pink ball from Santa... I made sure he heard :-)

Christmas Kind of Day...

2011-12-09T23:11:00.000-08:00

There was a little trip to see Santa (next post)... a crazy lunch where the kids outnumbered the adults -- score one for the kids. Then some gingerbread houses needed decorating, followed up by a gift exchange between the kids -- Maeve was able to give her homemade gifts to Avery and Bennett. It was, all and all, a super fun day and less chaotic than I expected (make no mistake... there was still plenty of chaos). I made the critical error of allowing the missed nap to happen between 5pm-7pm. Guess who was rocking their child to sleep at 10:15pm just to help sleep come back? Oh well.... I enjoyed 5pm-7pm. Ha.

All dressed up for Santa...

Look Mom... Elves!!

Ready... Set... Decorate! (or eat!)

A rare gummy drop (or vitamin per Maeve) that actually made it on the house and not in her mouth...

Creativity abounds...

Back for a second round of pilfering...

Maeve dancing for Clara...

We are so thankful for the friends in our lives...

"Tis the Season...

2011-12-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

I can't remember the last time I had a real Christmas Tree... sometime in my early 20's. I have a small fake tree that I've used over the last several years, but it didn't really feel authentic. Now that Maeve is experiencing the wonder of the season, I wanted to get a real tree, because that's how I remember experiencing the same wonder when I was young. And, I also love how our house smells now.

I am having so much fun this season, and its only the beginning of December... and I do believe that Maeve has turned a corner about Santa. I'm pretty sure she's not experiencing post traumatic from her experience last year, and instead, is looking forward to telling Santa that she wants a ball, a lollipop and M&M's for Christmas. She is always singing Christmas songs -- her two favorites are Frosty the Snowman and Jingle Bells. And, Amazon is loving me this year. I need someone to shut me down...

My little helper holding the twine...

Finding spots to hang the candy canes...

Maeve was super excited when she placed an ornament and it actually stayed on the branch. We only dropped and smashed 3 ornaments during the decorating process... not bad.

Decorating is fun, Mommy...

Here it is! Belly shot and all...

Cheese!!

2011-12-06T21:13:00.000-08:00

Crafty Christmas...

2011-12-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

They say parenthood changes you... umm yes. I am not crafty. No one would ever describe me and use crafty as an adjective. But alas, here I find myself. Maeve is making her friends gifts this Christmas season. Its actually quite fun... I have stolen ideas from other people's blogs, so I'm hoping they'll post new ideas that I can use for next year... easy ideas, mind you. So, if you're one of Maeve's friends, stop reading or you'll ruin part of the surprise...

Reinventing the crayon...

Checking status of melting crayons...

I even figured out how to thread the thing (thanks mom). Grade 8 home/ec is coming in handy these days...

Decorating ornaments...

Getting Ready for Baby #2

2011-12-06T20:49:00.000-08:00

But, not mine. Ha ha. Amber... We should meet the lil' guy within the next four weeks and we're super excited. Because Avery was born on Halloween, we're all thinking a Christmas baby would be fun too. Amber doesn't share this amusement. Anywho... we wanted to celebrate Amber and give her a few baby gifts...

Avery is super excited to be a big older sister. She's going to be an awesome role model, clearly... :-)

Impromptu Baby Beluga...

2011-12-02T22:14:00.001-08:00

All it takes is seeing a picture of a whale apparently... And, just so you know, it's sometimes hard to break free from the chorus :-)

Are You Kidding Me?

2011-12-02T22:09:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this question... but, I was hoping that questions posed to me at the preschool level would be a no brainer. What are they going to hit me with in kindergarten? Sorry Maeve... you may be screwed.

Lounging & Birthdays...

2011-11-28T22:05:00.000-08:00

Todd, Stacy, Taryn, and Kate came down for the weekend to watch Maeve for me on Friday, and then we all carried on to some loafing and lounging. And, where best to do that? Whidbey Island of course. The Wilson's gave us use of their cabin for the whole week, which was super generous of them... so we didn't want it to go to waste. I'm so glad that my brother and his family have moved back.... its so fun to see them so frequently, and Maeve loves it too.

Happy Birthday Stacy! We all appreciate you having your birthday as that meant cupcakes all round... And, of course Maeve is naked once again. (Also, happy 4th birthday to Ryan too... we forgot our camera for your awesome lego party last night...)

Cousins...

2011-11-28T21:53:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-28T21:41:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is such a fun holiday, and one that I've always just considered a bonus, because it wasn't a holiday we celebrated growing up north of the border. I have no family obligations and I just invite myself to whomever is offering me turkey and pumpkin pie. Now that I have Maeve, it is my holiday now because its her holiday. Krista and Abe invited us over to their new house and we enjoyed friends and good food. There is so much to be thankful for, for sure.

I like how relaxing Thanksgiving is too -- that is until you get up at 3am to make it to the outlets by 4am to score some sweet deals and then roll into work by 7am on Black Friday (lame I had to work... seemed all wrong). I had never participated in any sort of Black Friday activity before, or Cyber Monday, for that matter. I'm a bit hooked this year... I am jazzed for the Christmas holidays. It all started on November 1 when the friendly Starbuck's barrista handed me my Americano in a festive red cup. Let the Christmas season begin....

The Thanksgiving crew... fun times.

2 Years...

2011-11-22T22:06:00.001-08:00

Exactly 2 years ago today, I was holding Maeve in my arms for the first time. Its weird to imagine life before Maeve -- I'm not quite sure what I did to fill my time... although I do remember sleeping and lounging around a lot more. In exchange, life is so full and fun now. I can't imagine it any other way. I could spend hours just talking about the things that Maeve is doing and the funny things she says, if left unchecked. She is my person and I tell her that every day. Happy Family Day, Maeve....

Family Weekend...

2011-11-20T23:05:00.000-08:00

This weekend Maeve and I headed to Whidbey Island to enjoy a lazy couple of days I dubbed "Family Weekend". Exactly 2 years ago to the day, Stacy and I were en route to Ethiopia to bring Maeve home. November 22 is the date that Maeve and I physically became a family, and I think that is a perfectly great reason to celebrate our small little family.

Thank you Annie and Dan for always being so generous with your cabin... it was perfect. We napped, cozied by the fire, played games, read plenty of books, and put together many puzzles over the weekend. Saturday morning brought us our first bit of snow for the year too. It wasn't much, but enough to count... and Maeve enjoyed stomping around in it.

Saturday morning was so gorgeous as we explored the property...

Look who's pretty excited for the first snow of the year too as that meant someone got a bit of ice cream for breakfast to celebrate...

We had to take a hike down to the beach of course. It was fun crunching all the leaves on the way down...

Ahhhhh....

The Pacific Northwest at its finest...

The mischievous one... she wanted to test her rain boots to see if they'd keep her dry. Despite being warned not to go too far, guess who came home with her feet sloshing around in wet boots? And because they hurt due to being too cold, I had to carry her on my shoulders all the way back! I don't think she really tried ;-)

More crunching around...

We also managed a quick visit with Sarah and Lila who've just moved back. Yay! Sorry Leann, forgot to get the camera out while you were here... but we enjoyed your visit too!

I don't do hair or make up while lounging, and Maeve rarely does clothes indoors these days (so we're lucky that she's half dressed at least)... so this is the best family shot we got this weekend.

Our family is small... but its perfect.

Who Dresses this Girl??

2011-11-20T23:01:00.000-08:00

I'm totally not taking credit... but its a pretty awesome ensemble, Maeve.

Preschooler...

2011-11-17T21:12:00.001-08:00

Someone has officially moved into the Preschool Room at daycare.... She's been transitioning into the room for the last 2 months as she met all criteria except for the age. I'm really happy with the room and she's staying with most of the kids that were in her Toddler class. Its crazy how fast she's growing up already.

Here is her latest school photo showing a bit of mischief... that's about right :-)

Movie Night....

2011-11-15T20:35:00.000-08:00

Maeve and Ryan sitting in a tree... well, they may as well have been as these two friends are smitten with each other. Each trying to show off and keep up with the other. After dinner we played the movie, Cars, and that was very exciting... but I think all the food associated with watching a movie was even more exciting for Maeve. Carin and I didn't need a movie to be entertained with those two in the vicinity... Fun night.

Stylin'

2011-11-15T20:33:00.000-08:00

A Break...

2011-11-14T21:02:00.001-08:00

...in the form of Palm Springs with just the girls. No husbands. No kids. The timing couldn't have been better as I was feeling a need to be relieved from the daily routine for a few days... or 5 as it turned out. This was the longest I'd been away from Maeve... I was a little anxious about it, but pretty confident that she would do okay by being the center of all her relatives' attention. That turned out to be true, thankfully. It was so great to have photos, videos, and a short chat on the phone every day too. Its so nice to have willing family ready to help. Thanks!

Do you want to know what else was nice? Girl time. Lounge time. Book time. Happy hour time. And, more. It was so great for all of us to have conversations without interruptions... be caught up on all of Hollywood's ridiculousness in the form of trash magazines.... lounge in bed sipping coffee in the morning..... lounge by the pool... finish a book... go out every evening because we could... do a little shopping for myself... and, sit on a plane and not have to entertain for the whole flight. Thank you Kristin for being so generous with your timeshare points and thinking of us :-)

Shannon, myself, and Kristin...

Misha, Ann, and Kath.

A bonus to the trip was spending one extra night to catch up with this little guy, Liam. Chelsea, Casey, and Liam live just over an hour away... so, I had to visit. It was great.

But one thing is for sure... I couldn't stop kissing Maeve's kissable cheeks when I came back home :-)

Anatomy 101

2011-11-07T22:04:00.000-08:00

Last night Maeve and I had the privilege of babysitting baby Paul. He was so so good and didn't utter one bit of protest. Despite seeming happy to be around us, Maeve kept reassuring him that his Mommy would be coming home soon to give him a bit of a snuggle. Ha. Pretty sweet. She was also on binky patrol... she would put it in his mouth, but would then arbitrarily determine that he'd had enough and take it away from him. Good thing Paul was quite tolerant of the 2 year old babysitter.

Two kids in the tub turned into an anatomy lesson of sorts for Maeve. Let's just say she finally noticed the difference between boys and girls. I took the opportunity to fill her in on a few "G rated" facts of life and who was allowed to do what with her body, etc.... which only led to a few more questions about Paul's peanuts. Pretty close Maeve.

Oh My...

2011-11-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

By the end of the month, Maeve will officially be 2 1/2. Somehow she got a hold of a toddler manual and is behaving right on track. Temper tantrums and irrationality are starting to become a part of our lives... and sometimes we like to argue just for the sake of arguing. The saddest part about it is that this is probably not going to get any better for at least a year or more! Deep breath. Good thing she's still really cute and I want to be around her (most of the time).... ha ha :-)

If I take a step back, most of what she has to say is really quite funny. Except when we're trying to get out the door. For the love... why oh why does it take so long to put a coat and two shoes on?

She really is quite dramatic - she has got the arm crossing down. A lot of the time it comes with eyes closed and a turning of the head.

She is getting more and more animated with her arms as she's telling you stories. She also likes to talk with a click now... after each sentence. Sometimes she doesn't even wait for the sentence to be completed just so she can throw an extra click in there.

She likes to role play certain scenarios that have made an impression on her. She often tells me certain babies of hers have hit another baby. So then we have to talk it through and then make the baby apologize to the other baby. Hmmm... her babies seem to be out of control, but at least her random hitting incidents seem to be down. I'll take this as a positive.

"It's not funny" is a phrase I hear back at me quite a lot. Its not my fault -- the girl is a comedian and I have to remind her that not every action she does is hilarious...

She has invented a new language. Its not very helpful when I sometimes struggle with understanding what she's telling me as it is... add this baby-talk, made-up language and its really messing with me.

Her favorite colors right now are pink and yellow... with purple following close behind.

"I can't know" is also heard frequently. It means, "I don't know".

Maeve wanders into my room at 5:40am as I'm getting ready for work... no 'good morning' or 'hi mommy' just:

Maeve: I need a new bed.

Me: You do? Why's that?

Maeve: Mine's old. Its old.

Me: It is, is it?

Maeve: I need a purple bed.

Me: I'll look into it. (not)

I love her to death even though I find myself having a glass of wine more frequently in the evenings now. What would I do without this burst of energy and love in my life? I can't know :-)

We Totally Baked...

2011-11-06T14:51:00.000-08:00

Chores...

2011-11-06T14:41:00.000-08:00

But...

2011-11-06T14:25:00.000-08:00

... I don't want to sit in a big pile of leaves, Mom!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T21:12:00.001-07:00

Halloween definitely left an impression on Maeve this year. The scare factor was still rather high, and there were many moments when she literally tried to climb up my legs right into my arms when she saw something scary. But, she rallied for the sake of all things sugar in the end. By the middle of trick-or-treating, Maeve was telling me, "its not scary mama" and laughing at the fact that people were just giving her candy... up until a scary faced older kid came too close, that is. I learned that Maeve has an affinity to hard candy packages instead of the chocolate bars. Next year we're going to have to do a bit more training... my palette prefers chocolate :-)

Amy and Brent hosted dinner at their house and offered up their sweet trick-or-treating neighborhood for all the kids...

Here's my wild little bear... growl!

(Umm... and check out how crafty I am now)

Another successful door...

There was very little walking from door to door by this spoiled one. Apparently its scary out there!

They all got the hang of trick-or-treating rather quickly.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Expressions...

2011-10-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

Its really too bad that Maeve doesn't have much of a personality... ;-)

'Happy'

'Scared'

'Bashful'

'Sad'

'Delighted'

'Shocked'

Fashion Forward, Clearly...

2011-10-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

Princess Party...

2011-10-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

Avery's 3rd birthday party was princess themed. I mean, it was oozing princess -- my worst nightmare. Ha. Regardless, Maeve dressed up in her tutu (which lasted a matter of 2 minutes total... which gives me some hope actually...) and we celebrated our princess friend, Avery. Mayhem ensued by the end of the party... but, any good 3 year old party requires all participants to melt at least once, right?

As a good friend should, Maeve tried to help blow out the birthday candles...

Birthday girl...

Okay.. I'l have a cupcake... if I have to

Clara making the moves on Paul...

Oh.My.Gosh Mom!!!! Lemonade!!!! (a princess pinada exploded candy. For some reason M&M's are called lemonade in Maeve's world. Either way... her world was rocked by all this free flowing candy)

And a balloon. One happy party goer...

Happy Birthday to Pumpkin...

2011-10-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

We decided to go see if our Jack-o-lantern worked this evening after carving our pumpkins today. Maeve, being completely ignorant as to what this thing called 'Halloween' everyone seems to be talking about is, naturally thought it was the pumpkin's birthday because there were candles involved. Hilarious. So, we had a little chat about it. I'm so sad that there was no light during the filming of the first couple of videos, but I didn't want to ruin the spontaneity of the moment by turning on the light...

It was nice of the pumpkin to share its special treat with Maeve.

Jack-o-lantern...

2011-10-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Carving Par-tay...

2011-10-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

And, the "cheese" face is back! We had super duper fun carving our pumpkin that we acquired at the pumpkin patch last weekend. Thanks Kolleen and Paul for hosting your annual carve party.

Fun Weekend...

2011-10-23T20:47:00.000-07:00

My brother, sister-in-law, and nieces came down for the weekend for a visit. It was super fun and just relaxing. I love it when visits aren't events and you don't feel the need to entertain, instead we just enjoyed being together. I'm so so happy that they have moved back to Vancouver and we get to see them often now... Maeve was beside herself, she had so much fun. Who wouldn't enjoy constant affection and adoration? It was a serious bonus to have Taryn turn babysitting age now too. The grownups managed a couple of outings sans kids. Win win for both.

"aaaa-boo" by Uncle Todd...

Snuggles with Kate

We went to a little Halloween carnival and Maeve managed yet another pony ride...

Cousin night...

Goodbye snuggle from Auntie Stacy...

Puzzles & Wardrobe Changes...

2011-10-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

We can't get enough of puzzles these days. First thing when we get up in the morning Maeve is asking to do puzzles. Its great. I love that she digs puzzles. I am also noticing a correlation of increased outfit changes throughout the day with her mastery of her "dress the bears" puzzles however... (And some of her "matching" outfits are awesome... as you can imagine)

Pumpkin Patch...

2011-10-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

Amber, Avery, Maeve, and I headed to the pumpkin patch this morning. It was so fun. Going to pumpkin patches weren't something my family did when I was growing up, so this is doubly fun for me. This farm was just perfect for young kids...

Taking a load off on a pumpkin...

There were cow train rides...

and pony rides...

Corn mazes...

and hay rides.

Then we went to pick out the perfect pumpkins...

And enjoy an authentic lunch at the farm.

It was a great day.

Soccer Star...

2011-10-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

Leavenworth 2011

2011-10-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

So... it was Leavenworth weekend again and we conquered the marathon on Saturday. I mean, demolished it. But, I feel like I sort of cheated this year.... happily so though. Half of the regular crew gave birth this summer and were not very interested in training through their maternity leaves. And because I wanted to be a supportive friend, I decided not to train either. We decided relay was the way to go... So, relay we did. It was a quick trip, yet fun. And, the weather did not disappoint once again... Thanks mom for giving me a night off :-)

Amy and I at the finish...

Prefunk at Amy's cabin with Kolleen...

Katie and me hydrating in very different ways...

Some of Our Favorite Peeps...

2011-10-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

Carin reading to a very carefree Maeve...

Ryan was busy fixing us some meals...

Swim Lessons...

2011-10-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

Typically Annie and Maeve have a date on Tuesday mornings, which includes Maeve's swim lessons. Annie couldn't make it today so I took Maeve and was able to see the athlete in action. Olympic rings may be in our future, people....

Sussing out the competition...

The most beautiful backstroke you've ever seen...

On a side note -- notice the barrettes? Over the last few days, 'pink' and 'purple' have become the colors of choice. So, obviously we had to accessorize with both colors, per Maeve.

Owie...

2011-10-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

I have a certain 2 year old who thinks a bandaid cures all... and because of this incident we have a few owies on the couch... I found this on our couch this morning. Cute.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

2011-10-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

We just hosted our 10th Annual Canadian Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday... its a well oiled machine now. Next year we decided we should be in loungewear... how ever you interpret that. It was fun and chaotic and half the kids were manic, I'll let you guess which ones. All and all another successful turkey dinner with friends.... Thanks again, Amy and Brent.

Our 22.5 lb turkey... and the designated turkey carvers, plus Bennett (who didn't particularly want his photo taken...)

Melanie and Clara partaking in the appies...

The manic children... but we love them nonetheless.

Part of the regular crew...

Another part of the regular crew...

Brent and Will...

Maeve and Jacob having fun with cameras... shot number 1

shot number 2

I hope all the other fellow Canadians had a great Thanksgiving too.

Training the Wee One...

2011-10-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

I've got big hopes and dreams for this new addition to our family... I'm hoping it'll be the best $25 that I've ever spent. A different form of sleep training starts tonight...

Happy October...

2011-10-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

A quick trip to the Children's Museum this morning...

What We're Doing...

2011-10-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

Because I have no memory, this blog serves as Maeve's baby book and the only reliable source as to what she's saying and doing... because, well, I won't be any help to her.

So, these are some of the funny things we're saying these days:

Apparently Santa is busy in the North Pole, but according to Maeve, only the girls are getting toys this year. No boys. Sorry guys.

We have decided that "Mama" is my name at the moment... not "Mom" or "Mommy" like I've always been called. And now she likes to insert it in almost everything that she's telling me. Or calling me by name is also a second favorite these days.

I have a part-time panting dog now.

We now need "pribacy" when we go potty. I don't get pribacy... but the 2 year old requires it apparently.

Whenever we read a story, or do a puzzle, or sit down to play a game, regardless if we just did it 5 minutes ago or 5 days ago, "Its been awhile", according to Maeve.

We are into puzzles these days... and with almost every move "watch me" is requested.

Maeve is still super snuggly -- she likes to give kisses, particularly fish kisses. And, she likes to kiss both cheeks too. Every time we read stories she has to lay her hand on my arm. I am sad that she's starting to lose one of her baby snuggles -- when I'd hold her and she'd put her head down on my shoulder, she'd work her arms so that they were snuggled in front of her and she'd just cozy in. She's doing that less now :-(

Ready. Set. Go... is a favorite game of hers

We are in a "scare phase". Often if I come down the stairs or into the room that she's in, she announces that I scared her and laughs. But other things seem to easily scare her and she'll come running over to be held, or will burst out crying if she's been startled by people who are just trying to make her laugh with an animal sound or 'Boo'. Kinda a buzz kill. :-) Its okay though... a little TLC turns things right around. Usually she doesn't hold a grudge.. usually.

We're working on not being so bossypants. Ha.

She is still very exuberant and practices faces showing her various emotions.

And we still like to give a very big "Cheese" face.

"The Wheels on the Bus...

2011-10-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

...go round and round". Maeve's first bus ride took place on Saturday and it was a hit. I don't know why we hadn't taken a ride earlier, but we just hadn't gotten to it. Maeve kept singing "the wheels on the bus" intermittently, and flirting with various passengers along the way.

"Where's the bus Mama?"

Friends...

2011-10-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

Inevitable...

2011-09-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

Caught in the act...

Color: Purple. Coincidence? I think not...

So Cultured...

2011-09-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

Today marks Maeve's first experience at the theatre. The Wilson's generously gave us their tickets and we invited Avery and Amber along for the fun. The production was, "Harold and the Purple Crayon" and it was just so fun -- Maeve was mesmerized for the whole thing. It was funny at one point during the play when Harold was drawing on the ground, Maeve announced to me that he was being naughty. Ha. Yes, I'll accept that as the take home message.

Getting ready to go in... wearing purple for the occasion.

Two excited girls...

Doing Something...

2011-09-24T21:44:00.000-07:00

We've been busy this weekend with a variety of activity and fun, but the most important things that have happened this weekend were two separate events that both address pediatric cancer, and the thing we can do about it.

The first event occurred last night -- the 2nd annual Ben Towne Foundation Benefit to raise money for pediatric cancer research. Not unexpected, it was a fabulous evening. Jeff and Carin have a unique gift to communicate effectively and tell Ben's story, paralleling thousands of other families' stories and how cancer has forever changed them. We all have an opportunity to be part of this movement... I know Ben is so proud of his mom and dad.

benefit 2011 Feature Video from ben towne foundation on Vimeo.

Joel McHale & The Soup even sent a personal message supporting the Ben Towne Foundation... pretty cool

The second event that Maeve and I both attended this morning was Richard's Run, which was a Go 4 the Goal event. This is a different organization that aims to support patients and families while they are fighting the war with cancer. I know Kim & Randy, who organize the Seattle events, and they couldn't be more committed to this mission. Richard's Run was a great event and we were thrilled to be running in support of such a positive mission.

Maeve carb loading pre-run

The Moose wasn't as big of a hit for some...

Growl!

2011-09-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

Maeve says she's considering being a bear for Halloween, so we had to do some up close and personal research... thank goodness for the local zoo.

I'm pretty sure Paul is trying to tell Kolleen that he wants to be a pirate for Halloween this year. Ha ha

Gooooo Team!

2011-09-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

Back to soccer... I attempted to shoot some photos this week with little success, but whatever. I still do love that Maeve is a fan of soccer. There isn't much real soccer playing at this age yet, but all the games getting them to use their feet are a hit with the little ones. I'm pretty sure the coaches don't get paid enough to work with a bunch of toddlers, but they do a great job nevertheless :-)

20 Years...

2011-09-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

How can it be possible that I just attended my 20 year reunion this past weekend? It is amazing how quickly time flies. I feel young and older at the same time.

I remember when I attended my 10 year just how surreal it felt to be in a room with people that I'd had such history with, but didn't really know anymore, and it didn't matter at all. It felt just the same this time around too... and even more fun this time. I do have to say that I graduated with a really really nice group of people -- or at least the 150 of 300 people that made it to the reunion anyway. Ha. And, I have to say... we are a good looking group of people. I'd guess about 85-90% of the people still looked great, or better -- pretty good for 20 years, right? (don't judge me... everyone is checking to see what 20 years does to a person, right?)

A reunion does make you a little nostalgic as you're reminded of the past (or have to be retold stories, if you're me, because I have such a horrid memory), and I feel so fortunate to have had such a good childhood. I also feel fortunate that I didn't realize I had teenage angst, or would be such a late bloomer, at the time. I can only hope that Maeve has such a good group of friends surrounding her during her school years. Oh, and I do plan on telling her about eyebrow waxing... somehow that information skips generations?

So... its over, and I'm still a little sleep deprived from living it up like a teenager on Saturday, and then having to resume my normal life Sunday morning -- status post a little tylenol dosing, that is. You can tell that I had fun because I didn't manage even one photo the entire weekend. (Thanks for sending this prefunk photo, Kath)...

Soccer!

2011-09-13T21:46:00.001-07:00

Amy and I signed Bennett and Maeve up for soccer this Fall. They have their own jersey's and Maeve wears her really fast runners when we go. Its pretty cute...

Ethiopian New Years...

2011-09-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon we partied it up with our Ethiopian community and celebrated the New Year. I never take very good photos at the community center as Maeve is too busy running around playing. All week Maeve asked if she could go to Ethiopia... at the moment, this as good as I can do, sweet pea. It was really fun and I'm so glad that we have our Ethiopian community. There was plenty of dancing, eating, and catching up with friends.

Backyard Camping...

2011-09-12T21:39:00.000-07:00

Leann invited us all out to her Dad's property to do a little backyard camping over the weekend. So, because we like camping and spending time with our friends, we all said 'yes'. It was the best hosted campground any of us had ever stayed at. We enjoyed the pool, trampoline, firepit, and backyard toys. The kids had a blast roaming about and just being free... it was slightly chaotic at times, but for the most part, manageable.... Thanks Leann and her family for generously hosting all of us and our crazy little kids...

3 tents were pitched... separating out the 2 year olds. And, Leann slept in the house... thanks for inviting us for a camp out, Leann. Ha Ha Ha.

The only perfect child out of the bunch -- Baby Clara

Sprinkler fun...

Maeve being sassy to our host...

Maeve decided it was way more fun to nail everyone with the sprinkler than actually run through it herself...

Pool time...

Amy and Bennett loungin'

Avery... the professional lounger

Trampolining...

Avery wasn't down with the kid group photo idea...

I mean, she really wasn't happy about it... Ha Ha

An African Kind of Day...

2011-09-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

The Wilson's brought home this beautiful dress from Ghana for Maeve... she hadn't been interested in wearing it, much to my frustration. But, today she fully embraced it, and I ran with it. How gorgeous are all the colors?

And then this evening we pulled out one of her Ethiopian dresses to see if it was going to fit for the big New Years celebration on Sunday (Ethiopian New Years)... and it does, well enough anyway. And how ridiculously gorgeous does she look in her country's dress??