The Game is Losing Steam

I think this darn game might FINALLY be over.  Anna still has fun with it (or she might be super excited it's lost it's fun?) but it seems like Mae isn't as excited with it anymore. -T

EASY with the grumpy, chubby-faced look, Mae!

I think she is saying "YEA! It's over!  This game was getting so old!"

Super Anna!

"How many of the same picture can Mom take?" -Anna

I think she wants to play football instead - here's her "holding" call

"Seriously, Mom?  30 of these same shots?"

Back to the Hardwood

For the first time in 40 years, basketball season rolled around without Papa D being on the sidelines.  For the first time in 10 years, basketball season rolled around without me on the sidelines.  We all went to see the girls play on opening night though and we got to see 2 wins, we got to see Mae have fun being back in the gym, and we got to see Anna LOVE the action.  It just warms a father's heart. -T

A welcomed sight

Don't try to get her attention - it is elsewhere

Glad to be back - despite the runny nose

"Did you see that play!?"

Focused Anna

This must be a timeout or something

Mae telling a lengthy story

Root root root for the home team

Arrive at Five (Months)

Anna hit her 5 month mark.  The months just keep rolling along.  We wished every month was as easy as 5 months was.  The smiles just kept on coming! -T

Umm...we didn't get this blanket out for you.

Let the smiles begin!

Mae was doing a really good job getting Anna to smile - sometimes a little TOO good.

We really liked 5 months as we got so many smiles!

Apparently we need to be more specific when we say, "Mae, hold the sign." 

That's better, but now we have to get Anna to smile on our own.

This one's a keeper

As is this one if we can just get DAD out of the way!

Anna:  "Help!"

Okay so this was taken 2 days later, so 5 months-ish for this one.  Anna wearing the "Maeflower" costume.

"Ducks...this!"

We found a beautiful spring day in November to head to the park and feed the ducks.  The weather was outstanding and we weren't the only ones taking advantage of the abnormal weather.  So we all know Mae loves animals.  She will usually name the animal and then say "this" as she demonstrates what that animal does.  For example, while playing with the neighbor dogs she noticed one of them going to the bathroom.  So, she gets Mom's attention, and says, "Mommy!  Doggy!  This"  She then proceeds to lift one leg up to the side as a relieving dog would.  She picks things up very fast.  She was excited to go to the park to see the ducks because she always says, "Ducks!  This!"  She then buries her head into the water (carpet).  It's all very entertaining.  She of course was very entertained while feeding the ducks on this wonderful November day. -T

Feeding and enjoying

My Girls!

She just loved this

Feeding the ducks

"I'm about to crack a big smile...get ready!"

"I love nice weather!!!"

Election Day

Our girls had their first Election Day.  We were so very glad to have all the campaigning over and done with and were ready to move on.  When you have a two-year old that knows who Chuck Todd is, you've seen to much political coverage.  We didn't even have to prompt her - she saw and out came "Chuck Todd!"  In the end, Mae was just glad to see both candidates were happy. -T

We weren't really even watching until we heard Mae say, "HAPPYYYYY!"  We quickly looked up and sure enough...

They got "I voted" stickers - they should have  received "I survived the eternity it took my parents to vote" stickers instead.  They were troopers.

The Lion and the Ballerina

Halloween gave us a very convincing lion (Mae) and a ballerina who was still pretty upset over the shots she received earlier in the day (Anna).  In fact, it ended up being so cold that Anna got dressed up in a blanket costume.  Mae did break some records.  A year ago, she hit a total of 4 houses in about 45 minutes.  This year she hit houses on 4 different streets in an hour.  It was rainy, windy, and very cold, but she made it down the street, down to the next block, back down on that street, and then down our street.  She probably would have done more but we, the parents, were too cold! -T

She can't wait to be king

Getting the hang of things

She's easily spooked - this is as close as she got to this house

Keeping an eye on it

Battling the elements

THERE'S our little ballerina! (Although with how much she cried during the day after her shots, she never made a sound the hour we were out trick or treating - maybe her cry muscles were frozen?

Successful night!

Mom stealing Mae's candy?

Oh, maybe Mom is just helping her get a piece

I don't really know

The girls

Oh and Mae always informs us when she sees an "X" - this one being the screws in the doorway

Halloween Eve

The night before Halloween we carved our pumpkin.  We got Mae excited about it, but she just couldn't muster up the desire to help clean out the pumpkin of its seeds.  I'm not sure if it's because of her lack of adventure or that she doesn't like messes. -T

Lindsey has to draw because I can't, and well, she's good at it.

Mae giving directions

Excited to help

Well, excited to look, not so much to help

Both of our girls most noticeable feature is their eyes - so we brought that  to our pumpkin and gave it a BIG Anna mouth

Done