Rule Breaker

Later on in the week while Daddy headed back to work, Grandma and Mommy took you to the Memphis Children's Museum. Your favorite part was the grocery store. You love to go shopping, and you even brought your new baby doll. Luckily we were there early, because you were not interested in following the rules. See evidence below-

Christmas Eve Pics

We survived another Christmas Eve mass with you as you went from the cry room with Mommy and Daddy to the pew with Grandma and Grandpa back and forth. Here are some post-mass pictures with the family-

Santa Notes

Here is the note that you wrote to Santa-

Dear Santa-
Happy Birthday Santa Jesus! I was a very good girl. I left a sticker for you. Please enjoy the cookies and milk. I would please like a Wizard of Oz DVD. 
Love, Maevy

(Clearly the Santa and Baby Jesus' Birthday thing is a little confusing.)

Here's what Santa wrote back:

Dear Maevy-
Thank you very much for the yummy cookies and milk. Rudolph loves carrots and will thank you too. Please enjoy the gift as another thank you for being such a good girl all year.
Love, Santa

You were very excited when you opened up your present, and since we were up so early (before the rest of the family), we even watched some of the movie. You noticed that Santa ate one whole cookie, left a little bit of the 2nd cookie, and drank all of the milk. Rudolph ate two carrots and left a little bit of the 3rd cookie. As Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Robyn, Jake, and Aunt Lesley woke up, you told them all the same exact story.

Here you are opening your DVD..

There's no place like home

Last weekend when got home from Elias' birthday party, we had some down time as you were eating a snack for dinner. Daddy happened to find The Wizard of Oz on tv. You have the golden book; so I knew you were familiar with the story. Well...you are a major fan now.

Mommy luckily recorded the whole movie Sunday morning, and Sunday after your nap, you asked to watch it. The Wizard of Oz is officially your first movie to watch in its entirety. (And it's a long one! Before this, the longest you had ever lasted for a movie was 40 minutes) You asked a lot of questions, but you are definitely enthralled by Dorothy and even more so Toto. I think he's your favorite character. If Toto is not in the shot, then you ask, "Where did Toto go?".

You aren't scared of the Wicked Witch or those freaky flying monkeys, but you get so sad with actual tears! when Toto escapes from the Witch to go find the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. As you are crying, you ask, "Why isn't Toto with Dorothy? Toto needs to be with Dorothy." I'm talking trembling lip and real tears...not like I just stubbed my toe tears.

Then when the Wizard and the hot air balloon take off without Dorothy and Toto, you start crying again! "Why isn't the balloon coming back for Toto and Dorothy? Toto and Dorothy need to go home." I assured you that Glenda, the Good Witch, was coming to help Dorothy, but you are just so concerned about that balloon. Both times that you started crying, I asked if we needed to turn it off because it was too sad or scary, you said- "No!"

Daddy and I just thought it was cutest/saddest thing ever that you displayed that amount of empathy over Dorothy, and even more so Toto.

I think I know what to put on the back of your Christmas Ornament...as your gift of choice. Let's just hope I can find it at the store today.

Love you, Maev.

PS. I'm also very thankful that this movie is actually pretty awesome and a classic. Your Grandpa would be proud. Maybe you're going to be a movie snob like Mommy and Daddy.

Big Sister

Hiya Maev-

This morning Mommy and Daddy casually told you that you were going to have a little brother. Here's how the conversation went:

Mom: Maevy, we have some news.
Maev: What?
Mom: Mommy's going to have a baby.
Maev: Yea, in your tummy. 
(Clearly this has been mentioned at school because we've never talked about it.)
Mom: Yes, and it's going to be a baby brother.
Maev: No, I want a sister.
Mom: Well it's going to be a brother. Are you going to be nice to him?
Maev: No, I'll be soft with a sister, and not soft with a brother.
Dad: Do want to name him?
Maev: Yea, B-B. B-B, the brother.
Dad/Mom: Cool.

We have a few more months to sell you on this whole baby brother thing. Plus we're working on a new big girl room that I think you're going to love. I just hope you don't do what your Dad did when M came home with baby sister, Anna. He stopped talking to M for 2 or 3 whole days. Yikes! Daddy was clearly interested in being an only child.

Love you, Maev.

Hanukkah = Harmonica

Hiya Maevster-

Last night we started our 24 days of Christmas activities, and you opened up the first activity from your Advent Calendar. Activity #1- Put up and decorate the Christmas tree. You were a great helper, although you seemed to favor a specific branch for most of your ornaments.

Our finished product- (I swear one day when we actually stay in Nashville for Christmas, I'll buy a bigger tree.)

 

So as Daddy and you were decorating the tree, he asked you if anyone in your class was going to be celebrating Hanukkah.

You replied, "Harmonica?! I have a Harmonica. Let me go find it."

Then proceeded to run upstairs to look for your harmonica. I guess that would be a "No", or you just haven't learned about Hanukkah at school yet. We tried to talk you about it, but you were more interested in locating your harmonica. You're hilarious Maev. Love you.

Thanksgiving

Hi Maevster-

This year we headed to M and Pop's house for Thanksgiving. You spent the morning with Daddy at the annual neighborhood flag football game. Daddy didn't get to play due to his still re-habbing ALC surgery, but he did take some cute pics!


 
You slept through most of the Thanksgiving preparation and even dinner. And when you did wake up, you weren't hungry. Oh well...but we did take the Taylor Christmas photo. Can you see Uncle Jeff? I can't.

The next day we visited the Peabody ducks, saw the "M" bridge and rode the trolley!



 
And before we left, we started to get into the Christmas spirit by decorating a gingerbread man with M and Pop!


Love you , Maev.

Peabody Ducks

Hi Maev-

During our Thanksgiving trip to Memphis, along with Pop and M, we headed to the Memphis Peabody Hotel to see the world famous ducks.

You about about lost it when we told you that we were going to see ducks that not only lived in a hotel, but also rode on an elevator. Every time I mentioned it, you would reply "Nooooooo! Ducks don't live in a hotel!" or "Nooooooo. Ducks don't go in an elevator! That's silly!"
Here's you looking at the ducks in their "palace home". You kept yelling at them asking, "Duckie!- what are you doing in there?!" So cute...love you Maev.

Chocolate Milk

After you finished your dinner last Sunday, we let you eat your last piece of Halloween candy, a mini-Snickers bar. Needless to say, you loved it...and for some reason wanted to show Aunt Lesley your chocolatey-mouth.

Here you go Aunt Les-

Pull Down Your Underwear

On the way home from church last Sunday, you sang several songs- "Trick or Treat", "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe", and "Rain, rain, go away". For some reason, they all ended with- 

 "If you dont, I don't care, I'll pull down your underwear."

You thought it was hilarious. 

Football Timeout

One other funny story from the weekend- Daddy had football on most of the day on Saturday.

At one point the announcer said, "Georgia takes a timeout." 

You heard it and responded, "Georgia's in time out! That's funny!" (followed by giggles)

Mommy and Daddy laughed as well. Imaging the Georgia football team in a time out is even funnier.

We don't typically have an issue using the words "timeout" in a confusing way, but Aunt Lesley sometimes does. A couple times, she's called "Timeout!" just to stop you from doing something or to take a break. You quickly respond, "No....no timeout!" Sorry Maev...I know the english language can be confusing. Wait, until you take a foreign language in high school. 

Love you,

Mama

Weekend Roundup with Aunt Lesley

Maevy,

I just got back home from a fun-filled weekend in Nashville visiting with you, Mommy, Daddy, Grandpa and Grandma. We went to the park, celebrated Halloween two nights in a row, had a picnic, got our nails painted and played with puzzles, books, and felt. Here are some of my favorite Maevy stories from our time together:

On Sunday morning when you woke up and found me at your house, you asked “where is your car?” I responded by saying I didn’t drive but took an airplane. A couple hours later when we went outside to go buy bagels, you looked around and asked “Where is your airplane?” Silly girl, I don’t have my own airplane!

On Monday during our picnic in the backyard, Grandma quizzed you and asked you why the leaves were falling. You being so smart, replied “because the wind blows them down.” You are one smart cookie!

Later that day, we visited the dog park with Grandma and Grandpa. After witnessing a dog taking a “poopy,” Grandpa said to you “After the dogs go poop, they have to pick it up with their hands and throw it away in the trash.” Not realizing, Grandpa was talking about the owner, you very quickly responded “Dogs don’t have hands!” Yep, you’re right Maevy, dogs do not have hands. Silly Grandpa!

I love you Maevy and can’t wait to see you in December! 

-Aunt Lesley

Halloween

Happy Halloween Maevy!

This year you actually picked out your own costume. I don’t even think you knew what Halloween really was, but you insisted that for whatever the event, you were going to be a Butterfly, inspired by blankie.

Here some fun pictures from Carmen's Halloween party- 



Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Lesley were there- 


Trick or treating on Monty's street-


Helping Monty's grandparents hand out candy-


And eating some yourself-


Yum!

Love you, Maev

Crunches

Maevy,

I had the ACL in my right leg repaired last week with a surgery, and since then had been on crutches to go along with the large knee brace that goes from upper thigh to the ankle.  The crutches scared you at first and you've asked several times "Don't get me with the crunches, OK?"  Crunches.  You're funny.  It's so cute to see the way you mispronounce some words.  And then sometimes you'll ask if you can help me with the crunches and then you place both hands on one of the crutches, about half-way up, and hold on as I swing them to get around.  You can be very sweet.

Also, this week was the first time you walked up to me and without prompting said "I love you Daddy".  I had to hold it together and reciprocate.  And you've started doing that to your mother & I randomly.  Of course, you've also told us how you love blankie, bear and misc. things.

3 times you've asked to kiss my knee out of the blue.  Once when you first saw me after the surgery, once when you were helping clean up, and once when brushing your teeth. Thank you so much for thinking of me and I hope you extend that to others as well.

I am so proud of you and love seeing you grow up day by day.  You're a beautiful girl and you'll be a beautiful pink butterfly for Halloween.


Love you,
Daddy

Nashville Pro

I mentioned earlier that we were taking you on a world-wind tower of Nashville. The pass is about to expire and I think we've done all that we can do. Here are all of the places we saw using our fancy pass-
The Zoo,

Traveler's Rest Plantation,

Belle Meade Plantation  ,
The Ryman Auditorium ,
Willie Nelson Museum ,
outside of the Grand Ole Opry ,
Cheekwood ,
Belmont Mansion, (not pictured)
the Lotz House Musuem ,

and The Parthenon.

Phew..that's a lot. I think you are officially a Nashville pro!

Pumpkin + Glitter

It's not quite pumpkin day or Halloween, but we did have some fun today letting you decorate your pumpkin with glitter and leaves. Fun and so pretty...

Where did Mommy go?

One more fun video of you playing with Mommy last Sunday morning...

Grandpa Fun

Fun video of you playing a game with Grandpa...

Animal Love

Lately, you've acquired some new friends that you bring with you all over the house. These friends are affectionately know as Mr. Bear (or Bearie)- big pink bear, Duckie, Jingle the dog, Mickey Mouse, Elephant, Bear with a helmet (Mommy Bear), small bear (Baby Bear), Bunny #1, and Bunny #2 (pink bunny)...oh and your doll, Dita. You named her.

Occasionally you wake up early and throw blankie, Mr. Bear, and your pillow down the stairs. Then you pick them all up and bust open our bedroom door. You very cutely ask if you can sleep in the middle. Sometimes we give in, but it never goes well. You are constantly talking, pulling (playing) with my hair, or losing your blankie in the dark. We warn you several times to be quiet and go back to sleep. Sometimes you are quiet, but you never go back to sleep. When we've had enough, we take you and all your stuff back upstairs...and tell you to stay in bed until the clock turns green.

At 6:50a, the clock turns green..and it all starts over again. Throw things down stairs, open bedroom door and proclaim- "It's green. Time to get up!"

 

Here's a pic of you with all of your stuff...

And here's a video of you discussing your routine-

I love you, too

Maevy,

After a slightly altered routine where you took a bath first then had dinner, I was putting you in bed after reading 2 stories (very strict about 2 - otherwise we would be up there all night) and telling you good night.  I asked you what you say when Daddy says I love you, to which you replied "Thank You".  Very cute.  So I tried again with "You could say that or I love you, too.  I love you Maevy."

You replied "Crab." 

"Crab?  That's what you say to Daddy?"

"Yeah, I say crab."

Thanks, Maevy I love you too.

I can't be sure exactly where you got this, but I'm guessing your mother.  She has taken to saying "Crap!" around and it has apparently rubbed off on you.  Good work, Mom.

Love you Maevy,

Daddy

(aka original Cutie Pie)