Sunday, October 31, 2010

Maddie is 2!

A birthday party teaser


We had a chill birthday waiting for Trick or Treat time..we opened gifts after breakfast.. this girl is LOVED! We received so many wonderful and thoughtful gifts from our friends and family. Thank you all so very much!

We walked to the park and around the neighborhood to check out decorations in the daylight, just before dinner.

Daddy pushed Maddie on the swing... is that child endangerment if she loves it?



Before we knew it, it was dusk and Miss Abby Cadabby appeared! Poof!


It was a little chilly, hence the underclothing but at least it wasn't a winter jacket over and boots like some years in WI! She looks brave and mighty here, but didn't utter a word despite all our "Trick or Treat" and "Thank You" practice. She's so wonderfully shy around new people and was much more interested in what was in their bowls than saying hello.. she did waive her wand at them and a few got a wave goodbye. :) She also stayed in our arms for most of the time... everything is much scarier when you're so small and looking up...





After 2 streets we headed back home.. Maddie helped Daddy hand out candy.



Here she is waiting for kids to come by


and watching them leave


HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

October was/is Busy Busy Busy!

Most families' crazy rush starts just after Halloween.. before you know it, Thanksgiving is here and then Christmas & New Years. Not in the Dimino family...our busy time starts about the second week of October.

Maddie went to her first musical with her friend Aiden and his mommy. We saw Storytime Live at the Nokia Center in LA which showcased four Nick Jr. shows.. Dora, The Backyardigans, The Wonder Pets, and Kai Lan. She doesn't watch any of those regularly but we've seen lots of commercials for Storytime Live and I was super excited when my girlfriend asked if we wanted to go. What a special treat! Thank you so much for making us your guests!


PUMPKIN PATCHES
We went to Underwood Farms in Moorpark twice in one week. First with her class at Horizon Hills and then just two days later with our MOMS Club. Both trips were so much fun. They started with a wagon ride to the pumpkin patch where each person was allowed to take a small pumpkin home. Then we got to roam around, look at the animals, play in the sandbox, and climb to the top of the hay bale pyramid.








Maddie was so proud of herself as she got to the top. Her little legs needed some help but she did the last one all on her own.


We met up with Maddie's BFF Isabella and her mommy Sarah on the Horizon Hills day. The girls enjoyed a ride in a wagon pulled by mommy power. They look so much alike these days with their blonde curly hair, that one mom asked Sarah if they were twins.. if only the girls were standing, then they'd see the 3-4 inch height difference! lol






Maddie couldn't wait to ride the ponies! Can't you just feel her excitement?! lol Riding the ponies is one of her favorite things to do, despite the deadpan look. :)



One the second trip, Maddie visited with her friend Hailey. The girls got to feed the goats carrots.




Last weekend Maddie, and her mommy and daddy visited Pete's Pumpkin Patch. They've expanded a lot since last year, adding a maze and large hay bale pyramid. They're pumpkins are really reasonably priced and despite the wet/muddy ground from our recent rain showers, it was really fun!





Maddie and I also attending a First Five of Camarillo Fall Festival that showcased the five senses.. she got to taste salty/sweet/bitter/etc foods, play with play dough, touch pumpkin guts, paint her own face and play musical instruments. She had a blast.




Thursday, October 28th was our 3 year wedding anniversary. We celebrated with a family dinner (the three of us) at Wood Ranch.
Maddie had her very first glass of chocolate milk!


After dinner we carved and decorated our pumpkins. We like to use our pumpkins as part of the party decor... last year we did an owl and this year we decided to carve an Elmo, and bought cookie monster pieces to push into the pumpkin. The smaller one that Maddie colored with markers is the one that Matt grew for her in his garden! Yay daddy.. I know you worked very hard to grow that pumpkin. You should be proud!





All week long, birthday gifts have been arriving... boxes filled with Tinkerbell stuff and wooden food & puzzles. We've been partying all week!

Saturday, Oct 30th we celebrated Maddie's 2nd birthday with a Sesame Street Bash in the backyard... all of her friends had a great time. I spent months planning the party and creating decorations. It was really fun to see it all come together and oh so sad to take it down just three hours later... anyone need a large "M" or "2"? Or how about a polka dot background with 100+ circles on it? I'll have a separate post to show everyone the details and how it was done. I really LOVED everything and I know Maddie had a great time which makes all the hard work and late nights worth it.

Happy Birthday Cheeky Face!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

The Ring - Part 4



Coming soon to a theater near you....

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Baking Sweets & Magical Rides

We've been busy, busy, busy...

Most mornings we have an activity that gets us out of the house at 9:30 and then we're back by 12:00 for lunch.. A nap (on a good day) until 2:30, maybe a short errand, and then it time for Daddy to get home and dinner... Maddie and Matt have enjoyed playing at the park after dinner. Not sure how long that's going to last because it's getting dark earlier.. last night they got back in the dark.

Anyhow, the days seem to flying by.

We're getting ready for Fall (and Maddie's Birthday). I'll have pumpkin patch photos later this week but here's a preview.



Maddie has been helping in the kitchen making treats.. two weekends ago, she helped mommy make cupcakes. Even with the high stool, she isn't tall enough to reach comfortably but that didn't stop her from mixing the batter.




A few days later she made cookies with her friends. One of the MOMS Club moms is brave enough to host cookie making parties.. the kids roll out the dough, use cookie cutters on paper.. then we write their name on the paper and place on a cookie sheet.. each kid gets their cookies back after they cool from the oven and they get to decorate.. she had so much fun! It was great to bring them home to daddy and share for dessert that night. It's fun to see how proud she gets when sharing with her daddy.



Last Friday we went to Magic Mountain for Matt's company's work picnic. Maddie didn't know who Bugs Bunny or any of the WB characters were. That didn't stop her from making new friends..her bravery surprises me sometimes.



The day started off with a picnic lunch and games in the Pavillion.




Then... on to the rides! We went on each ride in the kids area several times.



At 2:00, the rides shut down, they handed out bags and kids got to "trick or treat" and collect candy. It was fun practice.



I still can't believe I fit in the cage!



Aw... someone was naughty and was thrown into jail.. thankfully they made bail and we were able to enjoy the rest of the day.



They have a Thomas the Train area.. this little girl LOVES trains. The ride ends at their gift shop (of course). Inside was a train table that we had to drag her away from more than once. It's a real test of their sharing skills to give a "friend" a Thomas.




A new guy to add to the ever growing stuffed animal collection.. they were adorable together.






Leave it to Maddie and her Daddy to find a bit of nature in all this concrete.. a rather large grasshopper made his home on this bush.









We didn't leave until the evening and with no nap during the day, she was exhausted! Another fun day....