Looking at my last post...

The picture Kevin took is better than the picture I took..lol. What the heck?!

I think I will take up golf and kick his butt on the greens. That'll show him.

Rub-a-dub-dub

Two cuties in a tub...

I'm putting together some pictures for the master bathroom...TOO cute! I give Kevin props for the picture of Maddi. Allie took a nosedive underwater and was none too happy about it when she surfaced. So Kev was in charge of getting pics of the tall one while I tended to the short (squalling) one. He did great!

Milestones!

My kids....are awesome. Really and truly I think I have amazing kids. They drive me nuts and I am ready for bedtime every night and I love it.

We'll start with Allie since she is at the age where it is milestone blowout.

First and foremost...we have had a first birthday! I don't even want to talk about it too much. It still makes me sad. She is walking...and has been for about two months. She is MUCH more tornado-ish than Maddi ever was. Into everything and is QUICK about it! She is saying the usual...mama, dada, dog, bye-bye...she had recently added HELLO! and no (nah-nah-nah! with her little finger pointed)And some garbled version of Allie. Kevin wants credit for that one, since he says he taught it to her while he changes her diaper. So props to Kevin. We also have 3 1/2 teeth. Teething is no fun, though.

Allie Bop is still such a lovebug! You can count on a big hug when you rescue her from her crib every morning and after every nap. She loves to blow kisses. She LOVES to play with baby dolls and anything her sister had her hands on first. I think she just likes to hear her yell. We have recently added climbing on the couch and attempting a kamikaze leap off the side to her list of "Ways to give mommy a heart attack".

The child loves dog food. I don't get it, and I am sure you don't either.

She is smiley, lovey, sweet, hilarious, determined and ever so slightly impatient (and I know exactly which side of the family THHHHAAAAAATTTTT came from). I want to eat her up at least twice a day.




Ohhhhhh Maddi. Maddi's list will be a bit shorter, as her "milestones" have slowed down. The child is too observant for my own good. Yes...I said MY own good.

"Mom...you didn't stop all the way at that stop sign"
"Dad...both hands on the wheel. ou can hold mommy's hand when we get there"

*sigh*

She loves, LOVES dance class. I mean she loves it. She loves her teacher, she loves her dance leotard and she loves to "please, please plie''. I CAAAAANNNNNOOOOOTTTTT WAIT for her recital in the spring. Can. Not. Wait.

Maddi loves to attempt to boss around her little sister and she loves when her daddy gets home at night. She likes to play school. She loves to GO to school. She tells me at least once a day that she loves Ms. Renee and Ms. Pam. She adores getting out her paints and she adores painting for 10 minutes. She does NOT love to clean it up, though. It is "a BIG job and she is a little girl". She loves to color, draw and write her name.

The child is funny...the things that come out of her mouth never cease to amaze me. The other day she told me that she loves Allie and Allie loves her, so that means they are IN LOVE. Awwww...love this kid.

She is really, really trying to assert her independance and sometimes it is cute...such as when she dresses herself in the morning before getting me up. Other times not so cute...like when she argues over every. Little. Thing. I say "that was my final answer and I do not want you to say another word" at least 17 times a day. She gets a bit whiney...not so fun. We're working on that. I'm not sure if it is a 3 year old thing, or if it is a girl thing or what...but it makes me want to poke out my eye with a stick.

Mads is SO smart, incredibly funny, sweet, very sensitive and loving. Such a goofball but sometimes very shy. She has a beautiful soul.

Forgot to post these pictures!

I took these pictures for my sister and her family. Ahhh...THREE kids who would all look and smile for the camera. It was refreshing. They need to have a talk with their younger cousins.

My own kids make me question my abilities

Seriously. All I want is a picture for a Christmas card. That's it. And while I have the patience of Job with other kids, my own make me want to pull my hair out. If I have them together, one will be out of focus. Or crying. Or poking the other one in the eye.

Our shoots ALWAYS look like this... (Please notice that we have already lost both bows and she short one refused her shoes. Thanks kids!)



Daddy had to save Allie so she didn't end up in the river...



Bah. Who needs Christmas cards anyways.

I *love* this family

And they were pretty excited to see me, too!


Ok, just kidding. But these guys are a blast! So easy to photograph. Thanks guys! I can't wait to do it again!

Sassy? Or genuinely curious?

We are in a bit of a crossroads with Maddi. If she takes a nap during the day, it takes her FO-EVER to go to sleep at night. If she does not have one she has a mini breakdown around 6:00. Not fun.

Anyways, the other night was one of those nights she was in bed for hours acting a fool because she had a nap that afternoon. Usually this does not bother me...at least she stays in her bed. But on this particular night it was nearing 10 pm and I had enough.

I go in her room.

Mom- "Madelyne Paige...close your eyes and go to sleep"
Mads- "I want to leave my eyes open ALLLLL night"
Mom- "Fine. Leave them open. Just go to sleep"
Mads- "I have to potty".

Up. Out of bed, go to the bathroom. Back in bed.

30 minutes later I hear "Mom? Moooooom? Moooo-oooooooooom??"

Calm, cool and collected...or pretending to be...I walk in there and ask what she needs (OK..yes, my teeth were clenched and that mommy vein on my forhead was starting to throb)

"I have to potty"

I straight up told my three year old that she did NOT have to potty. She told me she did have to potty.

I looked at her and said "If you get out of this bed, sit on that potty and not tee-tee, I am spanking your bottom". While I have yet to have to actually follow though on the spanking threat, she knows I mean business when I bust out with corporal punishment.

At this point, she starts crying. I think I was little more harsh than I meant to be.

She gets up, goes into the bathroom and pees.

She's sitting there, looks me square in the eye and says "Are you happy now?"

I turn and leave the bathroom. For one, this makes me want to laugh. C'mon...you know its funny. And two...I STILL do not know if she was being a smart-ass, or if she was truly asking if I was happy that she was peeing and wasn't lying about the need to go.


Ahhhhhh....breathe.

Bad blogger!

Ugh...I have hardly been able to keep up with everything!
Here are a few from my last shoot. I was happy to finally get downtown for a shoot!






Daddy is currently serving overseas, so these were some special shots.

One Year portraits..take 2

Allie is apparently an "on location" kind of gal. Ask her to sit on a backdrop? She doesn't think so. I had Kevin here to help me with these. By the time we were finished, we were both sweating and Maddi was crying. Why was she crying? Who knows.

I tried to start Allie's ONE YEAR portraits tonight

Eh...they didn't go so well. I shot off several and ended up with one that I didn't hate. The beauty of doing this myself? We'll try again tomorrow.

I *should* be working on Christmas photos

But we did this today instead. Maddi REALLY thought she was getting away with something. She was painting. In the livingroom. She kept looking up at me, as if I were trapping her or something...ha ha!

Sweet Baby F- 10-26-08

Just a teeny tiny sneak peak for the grandmas!

My precious Allie Bug

It has been nearly a year since we have been blessed with Allison. As each day goes by, her personality shines a little more. My baby is quite a lovebug...she loves to hug and give HUGE open mouth kisses. She ADORES her big sister...and sissy is quite smitten with her as well. She is WALKING! Oficially, 100%, full out destructive walking. We love it.

Wow. Almost a year. I can't believe how quickly time has passed, and at the same time I can hardly remember the days when she wasn't a part of our lives.

While it doesn't QUITE feel like Fall outside...

We headed to the Arboretum yesterday to do the girls' Fall pictures. Note to self...never again visit the Dallas Arboretum on a Saturday. HOLY SMOKES. The few times I had them both in the same spot for a picture, lo and behold someone walked through my shot. Hello? I am courteous of others...do you NOT see me with a camera trying to get two uncooperative kids to look my way? Anyway...I digress. Here are a few that I DID manage to capture.

And, a post just for Maddi

I don't think I have mentioned that we have put Maddi in dance.
Cutest. Thing. Ever. Really...there is nothing cuter.

So, the day we went to buy her first ballet and tap shoes, Daddy took a half day from work and met us for lunch at Red Robin.



Yes. It is preciously adorable.


Then off to the dacnce store.





And a few weeks ago we took Maddi to Practically Picasso in Waco to paint a plate. We had no idea this would be so much fun!

Say it with me now, guys...AWWWWWW....

Allie loves to help me load...erm...unload..(?) the dishwasher.

Mommy puts them in...Allie takes them out.


And shows it to me...just so I don't miss how helpful she is (and YES...that is a butterknife. I never claimed to be Mother of the Year).


And drops it. On the floor. Because ya know...that's where things go in this house.


Yep...her work is just about done here.


She is seriously into things like Maddi never was.