Pumpkin Walk

We loved the traditional North Logan Pumpkin Walk this year...actually had to go TWICE!   We rode a "choo-choo" train pulled by a 4-wheeler and had all kinds of fun.  Madi had a love/hate relationship with the amazing displays.  She was completely captivated and mesmerized by the spooky scenes.  She talked about the huge, pumpkin-headed scarecrow all day, everyday...first thing she'd chat about in the morning and the last thing she'd talk about at night...probably even haunting her dreams.  Every couple of minutes, she'd BEG to go see it again, "Mom, go put your shoes on...let's go to the Pumpkin Walk...remember...the BIG pumpkin scarecrow?"  But once we got there for our second visit, she  froze up and clung on to me...completely paralyzed by a mixture of terror and rapture.  She REFUSED to take a picture by it...screaming, crying.  But the second we were safely in the van on our way home, it was all she could talk about.  Same reaction to the giant Wreck-It-Ralph.  So much fun...and FREE!  Madi especially loved taking the free shuttle bus to get to the park.  She jumped at every beep and hiss of the brakes, sang the Wheels on the Bus, and enjoyed people-watching the hordes of  interesting folks smooshed on to the bus.

Hannah Kaye 15 Months

Our Little Squish is so cute and sweet at 15 months old.  

Things I'd Like To Remember About This Stage:

• Hannah LOVES her big sis, Madi.  Whatever Madi does, Hanny wants to try.  It's kind of tricky because Hannah is in a very-independent-but-not-so-skilled-or-savvy stage.  When Madi colors, Hannah eats the crayons.  When Madi builds, Hanny wrecks.  Madi wants to open a book, Hannah wants to slam it shut.  Madi gets to wear panties and earn stickers, so of course Hannah wears her Minnies over Huggies and eats stickers galore.  Sweet, little sis is a bit invasive and thus gets pushed & hurt quite a bit but she never learns...her love for Madi runs so deep she will toddler right up to her with tears in her eyes, fresh from an injury, for another too-close encounter.  Every now and then Madi will plant a great big kiss on Hannah's head and she will break out in the biggest beam I've ever seen.   SOoooo cute!
• Hannah is in that very receptive language stage.  She can understand anything but lacks the right words to communicate back a lot of the time so will grunt and yelp like a whimpering pup--a repetitive, annoying beep that will NOT be ignored and always gets what it wants.  She points, claps, SINGS and learns many new words everyday.
• Hannah loves Mommy.  Won't let her out of her sight!  She also loves her green blankie (of the same variety of Madi's white, fuzzy blankie) and holds it up to her nose for a sniff before diving in to it when she's sleepy.  Other loves--the Lorax (falls asleep to it every single night without fail), Otter Pops (oh, the woes of terrible teething...gets sooooo darn fussy), attention (any smiley face that glances her way), bike trailer adventures (will ride contently for hours...happy, happy, happy), van rides, books, playing at the park and swinging (eating sand),  wrestling with Daddy and being thrown in the air/tickled, eating in her highchair, stomping in clicky shoes, dancing and singing.  Hannah gets little tunes and jingles stuck in her head and sings them all day.  She often hums the song from Lorax, sings Ariel's solo from Little Mermaid, and belts out "Happy, happy birf....happy" for "Happy Birthday!" everyday, all day.  
• HAS A VERY LOUD CRY.  Maybe she'll be an opera singer.  Boy, can she project.  If she's sad, but not hurt, she'll poke out her bottom lip and quiver it until she either regains composure or comes apart completely...ADORABLE!
• Is heck on wheels at church...wiggles, jiggles, runs and screams.  Only will nap if confined in her cribby (Oh, how I envy those mothers who hold their sleeping babies peacefully in their arms during church) so usually has to be taken home halfway through church to eat and crash.
• Stomps around so determinedly.  She puffs out her paunch and struts her big belly around like she owns the joint.  LOVE!
• Is a bit scary/ungraceful.  She'll walk right off the edge of a bed/couch/flight of stairs face first and fully expects to be saved.  She'll flip her head back and dead-man-drop like a sack of potatoes...scary! 
• Will take one good nap everyday and will sleep through the night (if not sick or teething...which is more often than we'd like).  She usually sleeps on her sweet little tummers.  
• Loves technology.  "Talks" on Mama's cell phone all day, "Bampa...hello...bampa!?!"  Loves to click buttons on the TV, remotes, ipod and cells.
• Has the cutest dang giggle and loud gut laugh there ever was!  She gives delicious open-mouth-kisses when we ask for "lippers," and makes us smile every second with her adorable expressions.  We love, love, love you, our dearest, sweetest Hannah Cakes.

Homeless Vagabond Swinging at the Park

Oh, sweet little homeless, orphan baby.  

You are loved.  

(been trying to do a lot of "parkin" while the warm weather lasts...curse you, snowy winter) 

Kickin' on the Back Porch in my Dog Bed

Just curling up in Lil's dog bed on the back porch to enjoy some delicious fall sunshine (sporting her skeleton/"bones" sweatsuit and accessorizing with a few of her favorite rocks).  Classic Madderdoon.

Lucky Fruit Snack Packet

A 100% blue packet of fruit snacks!  You'd think Hanny would be a little more jazzed about such a lucky find.  Turns out she would much rather EAT the delicious morsels, regardless of color or hue (she holds no prejudice), than be photographed with the tasty nuggets while being asked to wait.  

"JUST GIVE ME THE DARN GUMMY GOODNESS!"  

Cin--da--relly

Before breakfast, Madi puts on her princess jewelry (notice her long, dangly earrings) and cleans a few mirrors (well she did this day, anyway).  This gorgeous girly always likes to look her best!  No matter the chore, she'll be sanitizing in style.  I LOVE how she always sings or hums "Cinderella, Cinderella, everyday it's Cinderella.  Do the dishes and the sweeping...and don't forget the _________ (fill in the blank with whichever chore she is completing)" as she cleans away.  You sparkle and shine, little Princess!

Madi and Her Dirty Rat

  Madi has taken quite a shine to Grandma and Grandpa Black's Halloween decoration, Harry The Dirty Rat.  She scared an elderly gentleman when Daddy took her on a bike trailer ride this summer and they stopped for snow cones.  He glanced in at the cute, curly-headed girl and then jumped back a little when he noticed her repulsive toy (Madi wouldn't go ANYWHERE without her Dirty Rat).  She would hug and kiss him and sleep with him in her cribby.  Hannah was repulsed and Lily, the chihuahua, was terrified.  But Madi saw Harry's inner beauty and didn't mind his red eyes or dripping, yellow teeth in the least.  When his stuffing started oozing out after a few good tears, Grandma just used black electric tape to body cast him right up, good as new...move over Doc McStuffins.  When I tried to put The Dirty Rat out on the front porch for a spooky decoration in October, she'd stubbornly drag him in each night insisting that he'd be too cold.  We've now accepted that he'll be an indoor pet and an important, homely member of our spooky family.