Please vote

On which picture of Madeline is the most adorable:

Madeline and me, standing on our foot charts, playing and singing "Baby Beluga." My headband didn't slip down on my forehead, that's where I prefer to wear it. If Mommy adjusts it, I move it right back.

Three ring circus

Last week, Madeline and I piled into the van with the boys and our Mommies to visit the Witte Museum. We got to see all kinds of neat things, including a log cabin, a dinosaur, and a mummy. We took a moment to take a picture on the way out. It was a long moment-- it's hard to keep four kids looking in the same direction and smiling all at once!

little girl bedrooms

Mommy finally got Madeline's room all fixed up, thanks to a new mattress and some lovely custom paintings from Maria, and I thought we should show it off! It only took a few additional weeks to find a time when our rooms were clean and we weren't asleep in order to take a picture. We love pretending to tuck each other into Madeline's pretty covers. She still sleeps in her crib, so it's still ornamental, but it's there when she is ready.

We should take a look at my room, too, since I'm not sure if I've showed off my new bed before. Madeline's bed and my bed can be bunked-- mine is the top. I really want to bunk the beds and talk about doing it all the time, but Mommy says she was just trying to be flexible and keep me from rolling out of my big girl bed, she didn't actually want to bunk the beds right now.

I am very particular about how my things are organized and get upset if they are rearranged-- ESPECIALLY my bed. It has to be made up with the top folded down, like Cinderella's bed, and only one of the many pillows can be at the head, the rest have to go at the foot. My dolls and animals are always somewhere different, but I don't like it if Mommy tells me to put them away. A lot of things get stuck under my bed, and I got very upset when Mommy told me to "go clean all the junk from under there." I screamed "it's NOT JUNK!"

box lessons

With all the violin practice I've been doing lately, Madeline has gotten very interested in music. Daddy got down my old box for her to practice with, and she always insists on having her OWN violin lessons. She's really doing pretty well--she even knows the words to "Dr. Suzuki" better than I do.

Mommy braided Madeline's hair

It may be a little messy, but it's hard to keep this little girl still for very long. This was a minor miracle! She is wearing her favorite dress, the one she wants to wear every single day. I don't know what we will do when she outgrows it.

A big treat in OK

Madeline and I enjoy our very own ice cream cones and find ourselves wishing there was a Braum's Dairy near our house! Yum!

Madeline and I have discovered we can both fit in the car at once. Rather, I discovered this in a desperate attempt to actually get in the car, since every time I try, Madeline swoops in under my arm and beats me to it, leading parental onlookers to mistakenly believe that *she* was there first and I am pushing *her* out of the way. That baby sister gets sneakier every day.

I told Mommy that I just wasn't sleepy when it was time for my nap. I stayed in my room and played quietly, only sneaking out once or twice or three times, but I just wasn't sleepy! Now it's dinner time and Mommy is cooking while Madeline is whining, and I just can't take it anymore. Once in awhile my hand twitches a little and I make a few marks with my pencil, but I am pretty much out cold.

Madeline was very interested, but never did work up the courage to touch the Isabel Faith D*** frog. She does, however, do an excellent hopping frog impression.

Sometimes when Daddy is rocking Madeline before she goes to bed, she likes to recite a list of people who love her. "You love me, Daddy? Mommy love me. Sissy love me. Miss Kim love me. Boys love me. Nanaw love me." For awhile, she was adding "Froggie love me" to the list.

an amphibious tale

It's been raining a lot lately, so our yard has been muddy and moist. One night a few weeks ago, Daddy was outside and he found a FROGGIE FRIEND!! Daddy caught him in a bucket, then I got to hold him! The boys saw us from their window and came running out to see. All pretense of getting ready for bed was forgotten.

I decided to name him Isabel Faith D** Frog. Now whenever it is rainy, I can be found out on the porch, screaming "Isabel Faith D** Frog, where are you? Come out to play!"

It's the grand finale!

For weeks and weeks Mommy has been making big messes all over the kitchen and going away one night a week with a bunch of stuff in her arms. At first she came back with cake, but then there were a few weeks with no cake! We found out the reason is that she was making lots of flowers to put on one special cake. It's finally done, and Mommy says she's taking a break from cake decorating for awhile. Here are Mommy and Sarah with their cakes:


And here is a closeup of Mommy's cake:

The only problem is that she hasn't let us eat any yet!

Check my friend Jacob's blog (see blogroll) for another cake Mommy helped make this week.

Maria gets comfy

Madeline can't let such a snuggly opportunity go by!

As requested, here are pictures of Mommy's first three cakes from her Wilton cake decorating classes. The first one was kind of a joke. (what can you expect when Mommy goes some place with Sarah). The last one doubled as "Ms. Kim's" birthday cake. The second four week course only has one cake that is four weeks worth of work, it will be done in two weeks. I am having a hard time staying away from the stacks of sugar flowers drying in the pantry.

Small Texas Triathlon

Here's Daddy getting his medal just after crossing the finish line. Our camera is too slow to catch super fast Daddy! You can see Boerne Town Lake in the background. We got to have a picnic lunch and then go swimming.

Daddy let me wear his medal! Madeline didn't want to be in the picture.

Here is Maria ABOUT to cross the finish line. Yay Maria!

A bike ride

I have mastered two important skills here: pedaling my bike while staying on top of it and steering to the left. I'm still working on not hitting passing objects/little sisters-- it's hard to watch where you're going AND steer!

Maria is here! I can say "Maria" clearly now and don't call her "Mia" anymore, but now Madeline calls her "Ayia." She is reading to us from Mr. Popper's Penguins, the long book I'm reading now. We finished the fifth Laura book. If anyone has suggestions for chapter books Mommy and I might enjoy, please share!