Madeline's Birthday Trip

On Madeline's birthday, December 1st, we took her to the Baltimore Aquarium.  This was a much better plan than the doctor's visit I had already scheduled, but is now moved to January.  We started the trip with the dolphin show.  

After it was over, we went down to the tank and watched them swim around.  

After a few little mishaps, we headed on to the rest of the aquarium.  It was a perfect day to go.  I have been on days that it is so crowded you can barely get to each exhibit and you are kind of pushed along.  But, it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.  It was great!  Madeline loved it and Oliver flirted with a random aquarium worker.  

We stopped at the gift shop on our way out and Madeline chose a giant dolphin and Oliver got a little hammer head shark.  And even more exciting, we made it out in time to beat rush hour traffic home.  It was such a fun day.  I'm so glad that Andrew was able to take off work to celebrate our little girl's special day.   

Madeline's First 3rd Birthday Party

 We usually have 2 birthday parties for Madeline since we are already in Roanoke the weekend before her birthday.  We have the other one at our place the following weekend to include friends and family from home.  So, this is Madeline's "Roanoke" party.  

My mom used to decorate cakes.  So, we got out all her old cake pans and let Madeline choose one that she liked.  She chose Cookie Monster.  

My mom and I worked on the icing together.  And Madeline added the sprinkles after her nap.

She was very happy with her cake.  But, as always, showed restraint and didn't finish her piece. 

Ella, on the other hand, just kept asking for more.  Maybe that is why Ella weighs more than Madeline.  

Before Madeline opened presents, we played and hung out with family.  

But, Madeline was super excited to open presents!

She liked her pink balloons too, because "light pink" is her favorite color.  (Which made me a little surprised that she wanted the cookie monster cake.)  

Madeline got make up, beauty shop things and dress up clothes.  I looked all over for pretend makeup.  But, all I could find was real kids makeup.  I knew that would get all over the house, so I found a blog about making your own makeup.  So, I made her some eye shadow and blush with fingernail polish.  And then I let the fingernail polish bottles dry out and she got 2 pretend bottles of fingernail polish too.  

Gigi and Pawpaw gave her the beauty shop supplies like a hair dryer, curling iron, flat iron and brush.  

 The hair dryer really works!  The dress up clothes were from Gigi and Pawpaw too.  

It's hard to keep Oliver out of the make up.  He loves to chew on the eyeshadow applicators and stick the  fingernail polish sticks in his ears.  

Abby, Will and Madeline had a great time playing Beauty Shop.  

Oliver and Ella fought over the coolest chair in the house.  

Madeline also got a Mrs. Potato head.

And she has been begging for a yo yo and jump rope for months.  She also got, from my grandparents and aunt, a Cinderella Barbie doll and a CD player.

Nathaniel and Kanon gave her cool bath flutes.  But, she refuses to say thank you for them.  So, they were left at Gigi and Pawpaw's house.  I'm not sure what's up with that.  But, she is still holding her ground.  Maybe we can give them to Oliver for Christmas.   I kind of want to play with them.  

Thanksgiving

We usually spend Thanksgiving with my mom's side of the family.  We have now moved the festivities to North Carolina for the past 2 year.  And although it is a lot of driving.  It is fun to be with family.  As always, I tried to get pictures of Madeline.  But, she kept running away from me or hiding.  So, these are the only ones I could get.  

Or you could tell her that you just wanted a picture of the spatula or brownie.  Is that lying?

After we ate our delicious meal with all my favorites like sweet potatoes, broccoli salad, mac and cheese, broccoli casserole, corn pudding and pecan pie, we just hung out the rest of the day as a family.  

My cousin Benjamin

 My dad

my mom

cousins Jeremy, Cade and Timothy

 My grandfather, Popeye and mom

  mom again (I think she's so pretty)

Aunt Cindy and cousin Bethany

 They put Popeye to work sharpening all the knives.  I think he enjoyed having something to do.  

Aunts Pam and Judy

Madeline and Pawpaw enjoyed some youtube videos about sea planes.  That might be random for some people.  But, fitting for them.

Aunt Phyllis and Mara

Bethany and mom checking out cameras for Christmas

Andrew and Benjamin enjoying a friendly game of Chess

Mom took a few of these pictures as well.  

Oliver slept through most of the festivities.  But, he did wake up in time to eat some dinner (which none of us were thinking about since we had just eaten a huge lunch.)

Stay tuned for more from our Thanksgiving weekend.  I know you are thinking, "more?", there were about 363 million pictures already.  I know, I am having a hard time narrowing down.