Makeshift Fun

We have been trapped at home since Saturday with this crazy weather. You'd think the world was coming to an end with the endless sensationalism that the local news channels are covering the storm with. In case you have not heard yet, we are in the middle of "Arctic Blast 2008" (duh nuh!).

We went to the mall on Saturday since we do not live too far away and we spent a few warm, dry hours inside. That night the snow really began to fall and then we were blessed with freezing rain. We woke up Sunday morning to a layer of ice over the near foot of snow! Daddy measured it and it was a little over half-an-inch of snow:

Being stuck inside can make you a little crazy. After a while you might even start eating the wrong part of a banana (though it sure felt good on my two new teeth...I cut my top two teeth this weekend):

Or it might make you want to do a snow angel in the middle of the night:

What we really felt like doing was getting outside. So, Daddy made a makeshift sled for me and he and Mommy took turns towing me around the neighborhood. The walking was hard for them since it was so slick, but the ice made it easy for me to move around. I had a lot of fun being outside for a little while and enjoying the snow:

Of course, we also captured a little video as well:

M&D also took off to try to do some makeshift sledding of their own using some plastic boards we had left over from our bathroom remodel. You could not fault their effort, but the results were underwhelming. Unfortunately there is no photographic record of their efforts.

We spent a couple of hours across the street visiting John, Lisa and Grace. The girls played cards while John and Daddy spent time playing football on the Wii.

After that, Mommy and Grammy spent a long time making holiday cookies. Daddy didn't spend so much time, though he meticulously decorated two cookies. He did take pride in his job of being "Official Sampler" of the cookies however.

After the cookie making was done, Grammy and Mommy took turns beating up on Daddy at a board game called Tripoley. Apparently tension mounted and there were some words of frustration expressed. Daddy does not like losing. I am sure you are surprised.

So, that was our makeshift weekend. Who knows what Monday will bring (except another 6 inches of snow apparently from the looks of it outside). We hope this snow goes away so we can make it to all of our holiday events!

Love to all,

The Foxes

It's Tradition!

Most men scare me and make me cry.....why did Mommy and Daddy make me sit on a strange man's lap??

Alternative Entertainment

We've been cooped up indoors most of this week so I have had to find new and different ways of passing the time.......

I call this game "unrecycling"

I call this game "shoe tasting"

Hopefully Daddy gets new slippers for Christmas like he asked because these ones are mine!!

Hope everyone is finding fun and warm ways to pass their time.

Love,
Maddie

Snow Angel

Happy 9 Months and it's snowing!!

Happy 9 Month Birthday to Me!!

We celebrated my 9 month birthday by going to the doctor. Here are my official stats:

height: 2 feet 5 inches (92nd %)

weight: 19 lbs 14 oz (70th%)

head circumference: 18.25 inches (97th%)

So, I'm very tall for my age, I am growing into my weight, and I have a big head to accommodate my huge brain!!! I still am not tolerating oats very well, so the doctor suggested waiting another month to try again. She also gave us some special creme for when I get the eczema rash on my face. Other than those minor things I am perfectly healthy. The doctor was impressed when I initiated a game of high five with her and tried to pull on her stethoscope.

M & D have been talking for weeks about volunteering to sell trees for L'Arche Nehalem (a non-profit agency that provides home for adults with developmental disabilities--like Great Uncle Dean). I was all excited, but at the last minute since it was so cold, they left me home with Grammy while they volunteered. But, the good news is I did get to help pick out our tree!

We took the tree home, put lights on it and decorated it. The first ornament to go on was one that Grammy got for M & D that had my name and birth information engraved on it. The second to go up was Peanut's star ornament. After that it was a free-for-all! M & D decorated while Grammy "supervised" from the couch.

When we were done decorating we decided to watch the video we had taken. There was some old footage on the tape from Chicago and Lost Lake. I loved looking at myself on screen....I kept laughing and waving at the TV. Maybe movie stardom is in my future??

Then this morning we woke up and it began to snow. This was my first snow fall ever!! I got to play around in it and I loved it! I didn't even cry one bit.

Hope everyone is enjoying a great weekend!!

Love,

Maddie

Busy December

We have not been blogging as much as we used to. M & D don't have as much time now that they are addicted to Facebook!

Well, we have sure been up to a lot since Thanksgiving. Mommy thinks the most important thing that has happened since then is that I learned how to say Mama on Sunday, November 30th! Daddy thinks that the best thing that has happened is the Ducks beat the Beavs in the highest scoring Civil War ever!

Last week Daddy had to go to Seattle for work, but luckily Grammy and Uncle J came to visit. It was Grammy's follow up doctor's appointment for her knee. The doctor said everything looks great and Grammy can drive again. Yay! Here is a picture of me and Uncle J playing the drums. He loves music...always going to shows, and he was super fun to play drums with!

I keep Mommy and Daddy very busy. My favorite thing to do is pull up to standing and get into anything that I am not supposed to. I really want to walk. I can stand alone for a couple of seconds before I fall. M & D say I will be walking before the end of the year and they are scared! I can't be left alone for a second. But everything just looks so interesting to me. I want to grab everything with my hands and put it all in my mouth. The house is getting increasingly baby proofed...M & D learn by trial and error. I am still sleeping very well at night, and I have become attached to a small blanket that my Auntie Theresa and Uncle Ken gave me when I was born. It is my lovey! My newest trick is waving hi and bye. I do it so energetically that sometimes I fall over! I am also teething which makes me sort of cranky because all this work and no more teeth have popped up yet. I am eating all kinds of foods including meat now, and I even tried edamame for the first time and I love it! My favorite snack is a Baby Mum Mum which is a rice cracker. Look at this video of me enjoying one!

The best thing to do to get rid of some of my energy is to take me outside. Here we are at a local park. It was my first time being able to get down on the ground at the park rather than being held or being in my stroller. We had so much fun!!

This week you may have heard that Daddy had oral surgery so Mommy has been holding down the fort and taking care of both of us. (Thank you cousin Cat for the ice cream!!) It was also Grandpa Randy's 61st birthday and I got to go to a grown up party. Click this link to check me out in my pretty red dress!

Tomorrow is my 9 month birthday and it is 14 days until my first Christmas......

Update on Daddy

Sorry it has been so long since I have written. We have been very busy and we will post some new pics soon.

Last weekend we went to Grandpa Randy's birthday party at his house and we had a really good time. I was a very good girl and even went to sleep at their house in my playpen they have for me WITHOUT crying. I wore my pretty new Christmas dress that Grandma Linda got for me and I looked pretty good if I do say so myself.

I wanted to let you know about how Daddy is doing. I don't think many of you know that he has been having some pain with his teeth. His dentist told him this summer to get his wisdom teeth taken out, but like Daddy does some times, he procrastinated and did not get them done. This last Sunday they started hurting REALLY bad....so bad that Mommy and I rushed him to urgent care on Sunday so he could get some pain medication.

Daddy was supposed to travel to Seattle on Monday for work and then be in class four days this week doing his job. However, his VERY nice boss Cindy worked out a way for a colleague to cover for Daddy if he could get in to see a doctor. Daddy was able to see a doctor today, so Cindy sent Daddy's REALLY nice colleague Al to Seattle and Portland for the week. Al didn't even hesitate, packed his bags, and is spending a week in the great NW so Daddy could get his teeth taken out.

The surgery was this morning and it went really well. We were only there for about 90 minutes and the surgery itself only took about 30-40 minutes. Daddy was a little loopy afterwards and asked the nurse who walked him outside to the car if she wanted to see him do a cartwheel. Thankfully she said no.

He doesn't have much swelling or pain so far, but of course that could be due to the Vicodin he has been taking. He has really been enjoying the milkshakes Mommy and I got him and he had a nice dinner of a protein shake and vanilla pudding. So far so good.

Hopefully he will be back up and feeling better soon. I am having my own teeth problems so Mommy is having to take care of two sore mouths this week.

We love you all and hope to talk to you soon. Happy holidays!

Love,

Maddie