The Toddler Bed

Maddy took her first complete nap (that I know of) in her toddler bed today. We have tried many times but today was our first success. Sondra had to stay with her until she was sound asleep. :)

Hey, I Forgot Christmas

The big hits this year were:

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and figures
Doll House
Formal Purple Gown for dress-up
Little People Pirate Ship

Maddy and Emily played with each other's toys and their own. They even did a good job sharing.

It was Maddy's first Christmas where she was aware of what was happening. On Christmas eve, her favorite toy was a dollar store mug her uncle Jason received as a gift. :)

On Christmas morning the kids seemed to enjoy each others gifts more than their own. This was especially true of Madison who played with the doll house non-stop so much so that the first words out of her mouth after her nap were "doll house." She was obsessed with it for a few days.

Madison began Christmas morning by opening her gifts very meticulously. By Christmas night when Gammy had arrived, she was running to any unopened gift she could find, hers or not and tearing into it. :)

Family Movie Night

Last Friday we had the first of what we hope to be many family movie nights. All 4 of us go into our PJ's and watched Ratatouille. Madison did remarkable well for someone who just turned two. She watched most of the movie going off to the toy room to play only at the end.

Both girls got to stay up way past their bedtimes which was a thrill to them.

Oh, and thank God for preschool because earlier in the week we bought the movie only to have Emily turn her nose up at it and insist we watch Charlotte's Web on Friday. Emily, always trying to exert her independence almost automatically hates anything mommy and papa suggest. Lucky for us they showed Ratatouille at preschool one morning before class. By movie night she loved the movie and happily sat through it.

It was a great night!

Maddy Wins a Game!

WOW! Madison just won "The Wiggles Memory Game." I am not joking or exaggerating. She won fair and square without any help. I am still in awe.

The memory game is a card game with all of the cards face down. You drawn 2, trying to get a match such as two cards with Dorthy or both cards picturing Jeff Wiggle.

To shorten the game I removed all of the cards that didn't have a picture of a character, that way Maddy recognized all of the pictures. That meant we were drawing from a pile of 16 cards. Maddy would pick up a card and I'd ask her who was on the card. She'd reply "DORTHY!" or "Cap Fe-sord" (Captain Feathersword). If her second card wasn't a match, I'd make her put both cards back. She seemed to catch on to this game mechanic quickly and after a few turns would toss her cards down the way toddlers do when it wasn't a match.

What can I say, she got lucky. I lost to my daughter who is 3 days shy of her second birthday. My 4 year old was playing too, so I wasn't the only loser.

In all seriousness it was amazing to watch. She would pick a card from the pile, reach down and grab the match. Then a turn without a match but the next one she'd match again.

The final score was 4-2-2. I really only had one match. I just happen to go last when there were only two cards left. Funny thing is, I was really trying.