Christmas Past

I had the best Christmas ever! My Christmas is quite the event, so this entry is a little longer than usual. But don't worry, it will totally be worth it. I started off on Christmas Eve morning at Grammy's. We all go over in our PJs and I left my hair in its natural state for the occasion. It's pretty amazing, isn't it?

I got this awesome baby doll and named her Allie, and surprised everyone because I said I wasn't her Mommy, but her Grandma. Well, considering I'm like three times older than she is, it makes sense.

Then I got all ready to go to Uncle Steve's and Aunt Kim's. Grandpa came with me, so of I course I wanted a picture with him.

Once I got there, I did all the normal Christmas Eve activities, like tea parties in the garage with Cass...

...and watering the plants with Todd.

At one point, we heard some noise outside and then someone knocked on the door. When we opened the door, Santa's sack full of presents was on the doorstep. You may have heard a big kaboom wherever you were on Christmas Eve...it was the sound of five little minds being blown.

After Santa left Steve and Kim's, he came by my house, because when I woke up on Christmas morning, there were presents under the tree. My favorite was this digital camera that takes real pictures and everything.

I haven't quite figured out that I should face the camera the other way when I'm taking the picture, but I'm working on it.

After Christmas morning with Mom and Dad, we went up to Grandma and Grandpa's for the rest of Christmas Day. I got to hang out with my cousins, and Sadie and I got some good TV watching in.

If you thought Santa coming to my house was cool, you should see this! Grandma and Grandpa built me my very own dollhouse. Like from scratch. And the best part? It had a tiny Zoe (Grandma and Grandpa's puppy) inside!

I hope you all had a Christmas that was even half as good as mine! Happy 2010 from my doll home to yours!

Cheese!

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! I am out celebrating, so I thought I would post some pictures of my new favorite pastime, which happens to be taking pictures. I want to take pictures all the time.

Like seriously ALL the time. With anything and everyone. Mom has had to tell me a couple of times that her camera is broken just so that I'll do something else she wants me to do like eat dinner or go to bed.

Mom's friend Michele came over to borrow cookie sheets the other night. She was in the house for 2.5 seconds and I think I took 14 pictures with her.

When Auntie comes over, before she can even put her stuff down or take her jacket off, I want to take pictures with her.

When we went to see the Grinch, we stopped by Bernie's house, and all I wanted to do was take pictures with Cece. I think I have more pictures of Cece and me on this couch than I do of any other picture of Cece ever from her whole life.

But you'll be pleased to know that my pictures don't only include people or my dolls, they also include nature. I'm so green.

You're a mean one....

I went to see "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" this weekend! I loved it. Mom was all worried that the Grinch would scare me, but he looked so much like a Muppet there was no way I was scared. I got all dressed up in my "ballerina" dress with the dog on it and everything.

I got to go out to breakfast with my Auntie first, too. She let me pour buckets of salt and pepper all over her plate because she's awesome like that.

Here we are with Grammy outside of the theater before the show started. This was my kind of Christmas tree, it was all decorated with Dr. Seuss ornaments. Also, please note our coordinating outfits. We're so cute.

Here we are getting pizza after the play. Auntie got me this Cat in the Hat doll and I kept wanting to take pictures with him. Mom was trying to get me to put the doll down a little so that I would smile at the camera too. She's always trying to stifle my artistic flow.

I really wanted to be Cindy Lou Who so that I could go on stage with the Grinch. Cass and I decided to get a head start on the competition by making up our own coreography. Broadway, here we come!

Bowling is awesome

I went bowling! And not just the stuffed pins and stuffed ball I play with in the living room, the real kind! For some reason I didn't get to wear the awesome bowling shoes, but I figure it's because they knew I was so good that they didn't want me to have an unfair advantage. Mom's just glad she didn't have to disinfect my socks when we were done.

What? Isn't this how the pros do it?

Here's some live action of me bowling. Make sure you have a few minutes to watch this, because it takes a while for the ball to actually get down to the pins. I say it just adds to the excitement.



Once my turn started taking longer than everyone else's, they brought out this ramp thing that I could roll the ball down and it would actually go faster down the lane.

People, I even knocked pins down, and I'm sure those bumpers had nothing to do with it! I've just got skills. This was my celebration dance.

This is what an afternoon of bowling does to a girl:

One last note, tomorrow Dad is turning 32! Mom says that means he's old, because he's a good six months older than she is. Happy Birthday, Daddy! Thanks for being the best Dad ever!

Cookies anyone?

Hi again! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Mine was awesome. I got to hang out with one of the coolest girls ever, my cousin Cassidy. She's the best. And seriously people, how cute are we? Only girls as cute as us could make a backdrop of trash cans look so awesome.

I also got to see one of my other favorite girls, Grandma and Grandpa's dog Zoey. She really likes giving me kisses. But then again, who doesn't?

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we got our Christmas tree all set up and decorated. We set it up on Friday, but I kind of forgot about it so it was a surprise to see it on Saturday morning. You know, I have important things to keep my mind on while I sleep, and that tree just wasn't one of them. So when I got up on Saturday and saw the tree, I said "Oh! It's so beautiful!" Then again, I've said the dirt in the backyard is beautiful, so take it with a grain of salt.

Have you noticed my shirt? The best way to officially taste cookies is to get them all over your face; it lets them breathe and brings out the true cookie flavor. I take my tasting very seriously.

Gobble Gobble

Since today is Thanksgiving, and we are all out making up for the Tryptophan we've been missing all year, I thought I would take this time to show you some quality bonding with Dad.

He taught me how to make the most awesome silly faces. He's really good at them.

But, I have to say that I think I'm even better than him now. The student has become the master.

He even lets me sit with him when he is putting on fake concerts for hundreds of fake people. If you knew how seriously he takes his Guitar Hero, you would know that letting me sit there is LOVE, people.

And in case anyone missed it, I'm putting my age now right here on my shirt. In sparkles. I'm pretty sure this means I get a car soon, Mom and Dad. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Mickey's Playhouse

Hi everyone! Sorry that Mom hijacked the blog last week. Don't worry, she was reprimanded appropriately. As she told you all, it was my birthday! I'm the big 0-3 now! We celebrated by doing what we always do, going to Disneyland. This trip was all about meeting my Disney friends. I barely even rode any rides. But nobody seemed to mind since this trip was all about me. First, I met Mickey himself.

Next, I met Minnie. I had to keep my eye on her to make sure she didn't try anything funny.

I met Silvermist again, and was, shall we say, "taken" with her dress. I really liked the sparkles that were on the top part of her dress and so I kept trying to touch them. But she totally didn't mind.

Then I met my fave, Tinkerbell again. She was awesome. She gave me a bunch of hugs and showed me all her inventions that she was tinkering with. She's my hero.

Finally, I met the bears from Brother Bear. They were really funny, they kept playing with my hair and making me giggle. Believe it or not, they were right up there with Tinkerbell for me. They were great.

This birthday was definitely in my top three!

Happy Birthday, my Madison

Madison,
Happy Birthday! I can't believe that you are already three years old! I am so proud of the little girl you are and the one you are becoming. You are so strong and sweet and funny, and pretty darn cute, too. Your Dad will tell you that he had the most to do with that part. You love to tell him how you have dark eyes, just like Daddy's dark eyes. You never seem to say that you have dimples just like Momma. Throw me a bone, kid! Those dimples are the only proof I have that you're mine!

I can't believe how much changes in just one year. A year ago, you still pretended like you listened to us when we told you to do something. You've totally given up that illusion now. Why bother, right? The other day, you and I went to the grocery store. You didn't want to ride in the cart, so I told you that was okay as long as you stayed right next to me while we shopped. We went down an aisle and while I kept going, you stopped to look at something. I told you that you had to come over to me and you took the tiniest step that has ever been taken and asked "is this close enough?" When I said no, you did it again. And again. Four hours later, and you were finally next to me again. It's really hard to act all angry and mom-like with you when you are such a little stinker. You get that from your dad, too.

You are going to be starting school in a couple of months, and the thought of letting you go into that great big world terrifies me. I know in my head that you are going to be just fine, better than fine, but in my heart I want you to stay this funny little girl forever. I love watching you grow up and test your own limits and seeing the joy on your face when you do something all by yourself for the first time. I even love when you get so angry when things don't go the way you want them to, and as frustrating as it can be for us sometimes, I want you to keep getting angry when you don't like the way things are. I promise to always fight as hard as you do against anything that makes you unhappy. I promise to do this, because when you were born God took a little piece of my heart out of my chest and put it in my arms instead. You are the very best thing I have ever done.

As much as I miss the baby you used to be, I love the little girl you are. I thank God every day for you, and I am forever grateful that I get the privilege of being a part of your life. I love you more than words can ever say. Happy Birthday, my sweet girl.

Love,
Momma

Halloween!

Halloween was awesome! I dressed up as Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street. I even had Abby hair and a wand. I made Mom and Dad put my costume on first thing on Halloween morning and I left it on all day.

I did have to make a few modifications to my costume here and there. Here I am as Abby Astronaut. (Editor's note: plastic bucket was promptly removed from the toddler's head as soon as the picture opportunity was over.)

I even went Trick-or-treating! This was my first year for trick-or-treating because last year SOMEONE's wedding rehearsal dinner was on Halloween so I didn't get to go. I was a little unsure about it all at first and had Dad hold me to knock on the doors, but as soon as I figured out people were giving me candy I was all about it!

WHAT?! RAISINS?!

Raisins or not, this is one holiday I can get behind!