Polar Express & Girls Day Out

So, I had two holiday parties this weekend, which meant not much time on Friday or Saturday to hang with Miss Maddie. So, today we had a girls day out. Daddy needed to run some errands and do some shopping, so Maddie and I headed to Union Station and Crown Center for the afternoon. First, Maddie has never been to a movie at a theatre, we watch them all the time at home, but she can run around etc when she feels the urge. So, I was not sure how this would go. We arrived at Union Station, bought our tickets, popcorn, pops and m&ms. We headed into the theatre. We were there to see The Polar Express in 3D. Maddie immediately put on on her glasses and settled in. She watched the WHOLE show, 1 hr 40 mintues! We walked out, and she said "That was fun Mom!" Yes, it was Maddie! So, then with our ticket, came a free ride on a train. After the train ride we walked across the link to crown center to check out the sites, view the Mayors Christmas tree, and of course have some cotton candy. Finally, Maddie said she was hungry, so we ended our outing at the Crayola Cafe! It was a busy busy day, full of happy memories!

Tradition #1-Gingerbread House

My mom and I used to bake a gingerbread house and decorate it every year, well almost every year. We joke because sometimes we would bake it, but not actually get it put together completely. My mom would make everything from scratch. We would spend time searching for the perfect candies to decorate it with, and then momma would mix up fresh gingerbread to make our walls with. It became a tradition that I loved every year. Now, that I am older I realize it it didn't really matter to me if we never actually got it put together, because it was a special activitity that only my mom and I did together. So, last year we started the tradition with Maddie! Thanks to Wilton, and many others they have made decorating a gingerbread house a snap with pre-made walls, candy kits, and more! So, this year Maddie and I chose today to decorate her house. I can't believe how meticulous she was a putting the candies on the perfect spot, and she was sure to share the fun often asking me to do one too! What a fun day we had!

Party Animals

Maddie was in her first Christmas Play on December 1st. She started attending a preschool one day a week, and they combined all of the 2s, 3s, and 4s for their Christmas program. Maddie kept coming home and singing us parts of the songs she was learning, so we were excited to see the program. We showed up 30 minutes early, and we were in the back row! We couldn't believe how many people were there. The good thing was we could stand up all we wanted to and take pictures since no one was behind us. Haha! Maddie was part of the Party Animals. She did a great job with the actions, and even knew some of the words to the other classes songs. She even spotted us immediately in the back row and waved multiple times to us! Afterwords, we had birthday cake to celebrate Jesus' birthday! Happy Birthday Jesus!

Pampered!

Over our Thanksgiving break, Maddie and I made a day trip to Garden City. It has been over 10 years since I have been back to Garden. Dustin was using the day to go hunting, so Maddie and I headed to see my Grandma, and Maddie's great grandma Harriett in Ness City. We decided since Garden was only another hour and a half to make to the trip to visit Hayley and Brayley. Hayley was one of my best friends growing up and in highschool. She now has a little girl too, Brayley. Hayley has visited us in Kansas City multiple times, so it was more than our turn to return the favor. We had a quick lunch at an old favorite El Zarape's, and then stopped by a couple of shops in Garden. We then visited their home and Hayley's shop, High Maintenance. Our girls quickly became buddies, and Brayley was great at entertaining Maddie, which is not always an easy task, haha! Once we got to Hayley's shop, Brayley offered to paint Maddie's nails. Maddie loves to get her nails and toes done right now, in fact we have to do it almost nightly. If I am not home, Maddie makes her daddy paint her nails. Brayley set up a nail station for Maddie and got to work! After they were done, I took the girls next door to Hot Nails (a place I used to get my nails and toes done when I was in highschool) for a pedicure. It was Maddie's first, and she loved it. Thanks Hayley and Brayley for a fun time, back in GC.

Maddie the Chef....

Before we headed home to Phillipsburg for Thanksgiving, Maddie and I decided to whip up some of Mimi's sugar cookies! Maddie loves to do anything in the kitchen....here a few pics of my little chef....

Thankful!

What a fast and warm month November has been! Maddie has been a busy little monkey with all of her weekly activities! She goes to her babysitter on Monday & Friday's, preschool on Tuesdays, Storytime on Wendesday, and Tumbling on Thursday's. She has learned her little routine and enjoys what each day brings!

One of Maddie's preschool teachers, Miss Bobbie emails us at the end of every week to recap what they did during that week, and also to let us know about upcoming events etc. So, a couple of weeks into November, Maddie and her classmates made a Thanksgiving tree. They traced their hands, and went around at circle time and all announced what they were thankful for. Then, they attached their hand to the tree. Miss Bobbie, send a reminder in her email to check out the tree. So, the following week I dropped Maddie off at school, I asked her to show me the Thanksgiving tree. I am scanning through the hands searching for Maddies. I read through most of them before getting to Maddie's. I would say, 99.9% of them said something like, "I am thankful for my mommy; daddy; brother; sister. I get to Maddie's, and she is thankful for PIGS!
Yes, that is right, my Maddie is thankful for pigs! I laughed out loud. Atleast she was original!

Later on throughout the month, I would randomly ask Maddie what she was thankful for, and it continued to be pigs, without any hesitation.

The last school day before Thanksgiving, Mimi asked me to bring Maddie over before school. We arrived to find a soft pink pig who was "thankful for girls!"

Maddie, you are what I am thankful for. Your sassy, stubborn, creative, loving, and perfect personality adds endless joy to my life! Mommy loves you!