four and a half

She won't wear shorts.  Skirts and dresses only for this girl.

She does not like to sleep alone.

She still loves the movie Madagascar, but she likes Strawberry Shortcake and Barbie movies too.

She dresses herself and does not always match.

She can do so many things without help now.  She is such a big girl.

She has been a GREAT eater the past few months and usually cleans her plate. She announces "Clean Plate Club" and quickly asks what is for dessert.

She still calls her bathing suit her "bathing soup".

She still likes to cuddle.

She adores her daddy.

She has an attitude, and selective hearing.

She says she is never getting married.

She has become a little attached to Mama this Summer.

She would swim ALL day, EVERY day and does awesome.

She plays Barbies and with all her stuffed animals and Little Pet Shops.  It is amusing to hear her play and imagine with them.

She tries to play "Mama" with Hayden and I have to remind her that she is not the Mom.

She is most definitely the SPICEY one in this family.

She is sneaky and smart.

She is going to be the end of me, but I couldn't be happier to have her as my little girl.

In her Brain

In the car the other day:

Maggie:  "Mom, why can you talk to strangers and I can't?"

Me:  "Well, because I am a big person and strangers aren't going to snatch me up."

Maggie: "Why? Because you aren't cute?"

Happy Father's Day

One day our girls will grow up and search for a Man of their own to make them a Wife and Mother.  They will look for those characteristics in a Man that make them feel safe and comfortable.  Those characteristics that they learn from their own Father.  Honest, Loyal, Compassionate, Hard Working, Fun, Humorous, Loving, and Stable, to name only a few.  One of the biggest prayers I have for them is that they find in a Husband what they have in their Father.

TWO

You have to have the door to your room open when you go to bed now.
You still are not a good sleeper. You wake up at least once and call "Mommy!"
One time you said "Mommy come in my room right this minute!"
You have to read "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" and "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" at night at least once.
You speak in sentences and amaze everyone with your vocabulary and ability to speak so plainly.
You have used the Potty lots of times, but aren't quite ready yet.
You are not a great eater.  You like Broccoli, PBJ's and Grilled Cheese.  Lots of fruit and "nola bars".
You repeat EVERYTHING...especially things GeeGee says.
You are smart, beautiful, and perfect.
You have a Mullet and I can't bring myself to cut it yet, plus your Dad won't let me.
You know your colors, most shapes and almost your ABC song.
You LOVE to sing.
You've got all your teeth except those two year molars.
You are 88% in height and only 3% in weight (22.11 lbs).
YOU ARE TWO!

We had a little get together with some of your friends.  We had snacks, and cake and the Ice Cream Man came by for a special treat!

You were so excited about you cake that you pulled it off of the dining room table about 10 minutes after we brought it home.  You had been talking about your "ellow uck" cake forever.  When you pulled it down, it fell upside down and when Grammy and I walked in you were banging on the box like a drum. 

M.I.A.

We have been Missing in Action.  And there's been lots of Action keeping up with these two.  I can't believe that Hayden will be 2 next week....yes, NEXT WEEK!  I kind of feel like I am floating around and all these things just sneak up on me and BAM, my baby is 2.  Maggie's last day of Mother's Day Out is Next week and her Dance Recital is just around the corner!  And last night she mastered the Monkey Bars without any help at all.  It was a momentous achievement for her, she has been trying so hard!  I've got lots of catching up to do on this here blog, but just wanted to say we are still here!

22 and Daffodils

I love comparing the pictures from last year to this year.

Last week Hayden turned 22 Months old.  She is obsessed with bugs.  She wants to know where they are at all times and constantly asks "where dat bug go mama?  Get dat bug."  She is big into saying "I want my own", "Me First", and "Let me do it" or "I do it myself".  She also loves to say "where dat people go?" when she sees someone walk by.  She is my little shadow when she isn't busy being GeeGee's little shadow.  I will say "I am going to the Kitchen".  Hayden will say "I go wiff you MaMa."  So she's Bug obsessed, Baby doll obsessed and BAGEL obsessed.  She would live on Bagels and it makes the dogs happy because they just follow behind cleaning up all the crumbs.  She asks for Bagels or "awffels" in the mornings.  Recently the girls have been disappearing for small amounts of time in to each others rooms.  And, GASP, playing with each other.  As long as Hayden does what GeeGee tells her it goes really well.  But when Hayden decides she wanted that My Little Pony instead it can get ugly quick.  There is so much whining in my house right now.  All I hear is whining.  "Hold me MaMa."  "She's My Mama too." GeeGee Whines therefore Sister does too. And when they have children who will whine here's the proof they did too.  Oh, and Maggie with the talking....she talks and talks and talks.  I cannot say a thing because one of the things I remember most about childhood was my parents telling me not to talk so much!  Hayden is going through that stranger-anxiety-have-to-be-with-Mama and no one else stage.  So she's my hip baby for a while.  I didn't have a sister and I love watching this dynamic.  I am fearful and sentimental at the same time of the lives they are going to live with each other and what it may bring.  Right now, it couldn't be better.  Well.....maybe just a little.  HaHa.

twenty one.

This is your 21st month of life and I love EVERYTHING about it.  I love your Baby Mullet.  I love that you try to repeat everything you hear.  It keeps us laughing.  I love that you are getting in to the stage where you want to wear Mommy's shoes and carry a purse and put chap-stick all over your face.  I most of all love when you wake up in the morning and the first thing you say is "mornin' GeeGee" when she walks in your room.  I love that you want to sit next to GeeGee when you eat now and you are growing out of that high chair.  This month you've gotten two more teeth - your bottom canines came in.  The top two are not far off.  You are speaking in sentences and though choppy, you have mastered a big vocabulary already.  You love to snack on Marshmallows and Popcorn and I love to hear you ask for them.  I love when you bring us a book and you say "bead Mama, bead"  And when we ask you if you are ready for bed you say "not bet".  Your sweet voice and big blue eyes have us all snowed right now.  I am crossing my fingers that those terrible two's don't get to you anytime soon! 

Four

I must say I am thrilled to have the terrible three's under our belt.  It was a challenging year for all of us.  You were discovering yourself and testing us every step of the way.  The first year of many to come that I am sure you will do this.  I love that you have an independent spirit but you will still cuddle with me on the sofa every night after your sister goes to bed.  I love that you can be so excited over the smallest things and it reminds us to find joy in those little things with you.  I love how animated you are when you tell a story.  The way you move your arms and hands, shrug your shoulders, and the expressions you make. You are not always aware just how much your little sister loves you, but when those small moments happen and you do notice, it makes it all worth while.  All the "baby" is gone from your face and you are full on "kid" now.  It does not seem that long ago that you had that toothless grin and were waddling around the house stealing the remote controls.  I guess in the scheme of it all it really hasn't been that long ago and in another four years you will probably be locking us out of your room.  But for now we'll try to play dolls with you on the floor in your room, read you "One Fish Two Fish" over and over, pretend to be the prince or the dragon, tell you how beautiful you are when you change clothes for the eighteenth time, tickle your back when it's time for bed and remind you which shoe goes on which foot.  Happy Birthday!

Happy Valentine's Day

From my three Valentine's to yours...Hope everyone has a Valentine's day filled with lots of love.

January Top 15

Since I am using this blog for a scrapbook of sorts more than anything, I figure it's better to just let the pictures speak for themselves.  The weather has been ALL over the place this winter, but we have tried to take advantage of it.  My girls are growing up too quick.  This stage is a Really fun one.  I love watching them play.  I don't love watching them argue.  I don't love picking up after them and I don't love saying things one million times over.  Ido love seeing Hayden try to copy every little thing that Maggie does.  I love when Maggie includes her little sister.  I love that Maggie will sit and color or play with Play-dough longer than 5 minutes.  I love that she has learned to write her name and she draws stick people with the best of them.  I love this time and it makes me sad to know it can't last forever.  But I do know there will be many more times in the future I will love just as much for different reasons.  Watching them grow fills my heart up.

twenty.

Wow.  The last few weeks have been so much fun.  You are using more and more words everyday.  You have amazed us with your vocabulary lately.  You have said words we didn't know you knew.  This morning you said "scuse me Mamee" when you brushed by me.  You are picking up everything quickly.  We are working on your colors but so far everything is "ed".  One of your favorite things to say is "Gee Gee ushed me".  Or "Doggie chu Ack's bone.  No No Doggie".  You finally started calling Mack by his name, "ack".  Polly is still "Doggie".  You are sleeping well.  Usually from 8 to 8.  You have 12 teeth.  You eat well and there isn't much you don't like.  You are obsessed with Baby Doll's and usually sleep with 3-4 of them in the crib with you.  A kiss fixes all boo boo's and a band-aid stays on for about 1.5 seconds.  You will always be my little baby, but to everyone else you have become a full-on toddler.  I love the way you look to me when you are questioning something.  I love the way you love your "Gee Gee" and your Daddy.  I love the way you view the world with all the innocence you have been blessed with.  I pray that you will continue to be lighthearted and full of wonder as you grow into a little girl.  For now I will soak up these few precious months until those terrible two's get here!!

NATIONAL CHAMPS!

I know I have been a lazy blogger and I still haven't posted our Christmas pictures yet.  But I couldn't resist getting my "WAR EAGLE" out into the blogosphere. We made this little guy Monday morning when we woke up to about 5" of snow.  He helped us cheer our Tigers to a BIG victory Monday night.  So, while Grammy and Pappy were cheering in Glendale in 65 degree weather, we were too in Arkansas!  So proud of my Auburn Tigers!!!