Maddie's Winter Concert

Maddie's Winter Concert was on Thursday morning. She sang Christmas and Hanukkah songs with the other Kindergarten classes and 1st grade. Maddie's favorite song is "Spin a Little Dreidl". She knew all the words, did all the actions, and looked so confident on stage. Except when she was clapping, Isabelle sat surprisingly still during the performance. She definitely enjoys a good show. As for the pictures, it's a definite bonus to have a friend with a great lens. So, I have Shannon to thank for a good seat and great pictures!

Isabelle's 1st Birthday

Isabelle's day began with a few gifts. She spent the morning pushing around her new stroller while the rest of us got ready for the day. After taking Maddie to school and Luke to work, we stopped to get her favorite breakfast - strawberries and a croissant.

During lunch, Isabelle tried on the birthday hat.

For dinner, she had another favorite - pasta and ciabatta. As you can see, the theme for the birthday celebration was Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Isabelle is a huge Mickey Mouse fan. (We can't wait for her to see him in person at Disneyland Tokyo!) Thanks to Maddie, we all had a pair of ears to wear to the party.

While Isabelle finished dinner, Maddie provided the entertainment. She danced to "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" and "Hot Dog".

Isabelle needed Maddie's help to blow out the candle.

Isabelle loved her chocolate cake.

Isabelle finished off the day with a bath, more gifts, and of course, books. It was the perfect day for our birthday girl!

Maddie's 1st Tooth

Maddie lost her 1st tooth at school, today. Apparently, they were watching a movie on the carpet. Her friend, Nora, picked something off up off the rug and said, "Hey, I found a tooth." Maddie checked her wobbly tooth. To her surprise, it was missing. Nora, who is missing about five teeth, gladly turned it over to its rightful owner. Well, that's how Maddie and Nora tell the story, anyway. We're still a bit confused about how the tooth got from Maddie's mouth to the carpet without her knowing, but we're just glad Nora found it . Anyway, Maddie greeted us with a big smile after school and handed me an envelope that her teacher had labeled "Maddie's 1st Tooth". So now, we wait for the Tooth Fairy.

Happy Birthday, Isabelle!

It's been the best year!

Love,

Daddy, Mama, and Ayee

(As she so fondly refers to us all!)

Papa

Isabelle loves books. She'll bring you a book, say up, climb onto your lap, and want you to read it ten times. One of her favorite books is "Who Makes Me Smile". It's a book with pages for pictures that my mom gave her last spring. Lately, she's wanted to go through the pages over and over again while you repeat the names, "Maddie, Izzie, Bammy, Papa, Papa, Bammy." As a result, her word of the week is "Papa". So now, she brings you the book, says "Papa" and claps. So, this video is especially for Papa. See you on Monday!

Paddington Bear

Paddington Bear made a visit to our house, last week. He gets to spend a week with each child in Maddie's class. He went to a birthday party, a Christmas party, church, and swimming lessons. He enjoyed being carried around by Isabelle during the day and sleeping with Maddie at night. And even though he came dressed in his own clothes, Maddie couldn't resist adding a few accessories!

Putting on The Ritz

Once again, we were invited to the "Seasonal Festivities" hosted by a family at Maddie's school. We can now say that we have been to tea at The Ritz! In additon to cucumber sandwiches and scones, there were face painters, balloon makers, magicians, and of course, Santa.

Here is Mom with her two favorite girls in the Rachel Riley dresses they got just for the party.




Maddie with Cala, Teresa - Cala's mum, and Noah.




Maddie with Eli - a fellow Star Wars fan, and her teacher, Lynn.





Maddie with her pretty face paint and flower balloon.

Mom with Izzie by one of the gorgeous Christmas trees.

The Ritz must be a fabulous place all year round, but at Christmas, The Ritz is amazing. So, the next time you're here for the holidays, we'll gladly take you to tea at The Ritz!

Bavaria

We recently spent four days in Munich and vicinity. The highlights were the Bavarian Alps (snow capped and spectacular), the many castles, the Christmas markets, the walking tours of the city and the 'hearty' food and 'yummy' desserts.

Here are some of the highlights:

Christmas market in Marienplatz

Old Town Hall and Glockenspiel

In front of Hofbrauhaus, the world's most famous pub.

Neuschwanstein castle (the inspiration for Disneyland's castle)

From another angle. The inside is also spectacular - the view from each window is even more spectacular than the view from the last.

Maddie and Isabelle enjoyed the snow.

The Girls in front of Linderhof castle.

Isabelle on the way to Linderhof castle (she thinks she's such a big girl).



One of the shopping centers near Marienplatz had Star Wars characters made from Legos.

All warm and cozy and ready to explore.

Ally couldn't get enough of this shop that sold nothing but felt. I think it was her favourite part of the trip.

I've been tagged!

HUBBY TAG...

What is your husband’s name? Luke

How long did you date? We never really dated. We skipped that part and just got engaged.

How old is he? 34

Who eats sweets? We both do but me probably more than him.

Who said I love you first? Me

Who is taller? Luke, by about half an inch.

Who can sing better? Luke

Who is smarter? Luke

Who does the laundry? Me except when I'm out of town. Luke will do it if he gets desperate enough.

Who pays the bills? Luke - he's the accountant!

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me

Who mows the lawn? Lucky for Luke, we've never really had a lawn to mow. I think he's only had to mow three times in nine years. We've never even owed a lawnmower. He'd like to live in a hotel so he never has to do yard work.

Who cooks dinner? Me, but Luke is a good cook. He's better with red meat.

Who drives? We don't do too much driving in London. We only have one car so I drive during the week. I let Luke have a turn on the weekends.

Who is the first to admit they are wrong? We're never wrong. Just Kidding! Usually me.

Who kissed who first? Luke kissed me.

Who asked who out first? I asked him to Preference.

Who wears the pants? We both do.

Friends who should do this: I tag Kim, Dorothea (aka The Greek Goddess - of course we know who you are!), Missy, and Tricia.

She's off...

... and really will be running by Christmas. Here's a video Luke made of her while we were getting ready for church on Sunday morning. Enjoy!






P.S. She had just put on a new pair of red shoes. She loved listening to them tap on the floor as she walked around the house.

Home with the Girlies

The Sickie Bed on the Sofa

Yesterday, Maddie came home with a raspy voice and a little cough. During the night, she felt a little warm. When she got up this morning, she had a low grade fever so I decided she better stay home. She cried when I told her she couldn't go to school. She loves school! Within a couple of hours, the fever was gone. And now, she is feeling much better.

It was nice to have her home and to have an excuse to stay in all day. We were in our jammies way too long, watched Star Wars and HSM2 (both Maddie's choices), played games, and did puzzles. Maddie even did some self-assigned "homework" since she wasn't at school to do her "work".

Walking Wounded

While Maddie was home resting, Isabelle was adding another monster scratch/bruise to her face. Yesterday, she fell on the umbrella and got a scratch on her forehead. Today, she fell on the chair and added one to her cheek. I love that she is walking and is so proud of herself, but I don't like all the bumps and bruises that come with it. It's probably a good thing we stayed inside today so I didn't have to listen to my friends joke about me being a bad mum!

Talk About a Bag Lady

The Full View

A Closer Look

Sunday is Maddie's special day. Well, after church, anyway. She can wear whatever she wants and do her hair however she wants without her Mom's input. Today, she chose her Hannah Montanna shirt and a tiered, floral and striped skirt. While looking for the gold, rhinestone belt to go with her shirt, she found herself on her bedroom floor with all of her handbags. I'm not sure what inspired her to tie them together and fill them with all of her stuffed animals, but here is the look she created for herself. Talk about fashion! Talk about a bag lady! I had the reputation of being a bag lady when I was little, but this... WOW! Maddie has taken over the title, today.

P.S. The bags were super heavy!

Small Glimpse of a Little Baby

While Isabelle is taking her first steps, I'm wondering what happened to my baby. This week, I put her down for a nap, got her out of bed, moved her into the carseat, put her into the car, took her out of the car, collected Maddie from cooking class at school, put her back into the car, and brought her into the house. I was amazed that she slept through it all and slept another half hour after we got home. I miss those days when she could sleep through anything. It doesn't happen very often anymore. And when we got home and while she was sleeping, I saw a small glimpse of a little baby that I had months ago. I don't know if it was just the hat or the blankets snuggled around her face, but I loved seeing that little baby again. It didn't last long enough. Once she was awake and out of the carseat, she was chatting away and trying to walk across the room to Maddie.

As for walking, she takes about six or seven steps at a time before she falls down. For anyone who has been to our flat, she can make it from the far edge of the carpet to the sofa. She'll be running before Christmas!

Halloween

Getting Ready to Carve Pumpkin

Izzy Potter

Girls with Carved Pumpkin

Star Wars Princess

ASL Lower School Costume Parade

Happy Smile

Sister Smiles

Belle the Bat

She Wore the Costume Most of the Day

Ready to Trick o' Treat - The Princess & the Bat went Trick o' Treating followed by a Pizza Party with Friends.

In Maddie's Class, Watching the Kids

Izzy's Other Costume - One of the Only Pictures in which She Looks Like a Carruth