That's my Maddy!

Zootastic

I don't think there is anything more exciting or fascinating to Madelyn then the company of animals. (Large machinery and enormous balloons would come in a close second.) She is so curious and amazed by their very being and is totally indiscriminate when it comes to their harmful potentials or vulnerabilities...a reason we have to keep a close eye on her! Any ways, here are some pics of our visit yesterday... Above: Maddy on the carousel. Below: This is in the Petting Zoo area of the "Children's Zoo"...Maddy had to make sure to give attention and pet each goat..even waiting patiently by the fenced off eating area for each one pass through as not to miss it.

Easter

Easter Weekend turned out to be hectic with Brad in school on Friday, a birthday party, and an emergency vet trip on Saturday morning...but things calmed down on Saturday afternoon as the three of us relaxed by the pool and took advantage of a little rest and relaxation. On Sunday we headed over to Omi and Abuelito's for the traditional Easter egg hunt. Madelyn l-o-v-e-d looking for eggs and l-o-v-e-d what she found in each egg even more...CHOCOLATE!!!! She is a chocolate lover to say the least.My new favorite picture of Brad and Maddy!Above: Oma is giving a chocolate bunny to Maddy.Below is a picture of Maddy and her friends at their Easter Party at the Park...we have had such beautiful weather lately...gotta love Houston in the spring. Below: A picture from the birthday party on Saturday and visit to the vet.

Rodeo Round Up

Every year the world's largest livestock show and rodeo "parks" all its good ole glory and western charm in and around the Houston Reliant Stadium Complex...it is a site and event to behold that I truly believe every one should venture to...if not for the cultural and heritage explosion of wranglers, cowboy hats and bucking broncos, than at least for the delicious food, people watching and entertainment options for all! The array of scrumptious selections is far from meager as you walk down the endless aisles (not kidding) of restaurant/eatery makeshift counters... we decided on "The Shrimp Hotel," and could not of been happier with our Boudain balls, fried turkey leg, shrimp gumbo and grilled pork loin kabobs...is your mouth watering yet? Nothing says rural America like an American-made bright green John Deere Tractor...nice Brad.Does this pig look like he's smiling at me??

I break for Colorado

Our recent trek to visit family in Colorado proved once again to be a relaxing and peaceful getaway. Despite the disadvantage of not having Brad around as best friend and parental figure, Maddy and I managed to make it just fine, thanks in part of course to my mother's accompaniment and the wonderful hospitality of my brothers and sister-in-laws.
It is always a treat to spend time in the mountains, far away from the cacophony of our neighboring freeway, busy schedules, and metropolitan population overload, and spending it with family makes it all the merrier. This trip was especially exciting for Madelyn who was introduced to snow, a furry cat-in-law named Lupe (for whom she is obsessed) and six full days of playtime with her older cousin Isabel...the two were inseparable and played together so well.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of spring break goers we managed to avoid any major travel woes and return to big city life safely.

Lucky

We ended up having a last minute playdate the day before heading out to Colorado. This is a picture of Maddy and her sidekick "B" (Brinley) eating pizza.

Family Ties

This past weekend we were able to see our cousin David and finally meet his wife Lauren Nicole from Maryland. It was nice to catch up and also see our Oma. Maddy had a great time hanging out with the family.

Domestic Duties and more

Madelyn has added a new element to her baby domestic charm...hosting tea parties! The other night I added a table cloth(old baby blanket) to an old toy box of mine, and she began the tea party process of setting the table and adding plates for daddy and me, making sure the whole time to say our names aloud and letting us know which pieces of plastic food were ours...I was lucky enough to have received the chicken leg and lemon..ha! Madelyn loves to also vacuum when I do, sweep, help with laundry, feed the dogs cheerios and other snacks, and chores aside, she has fallen in love with the big piano... she loves to sit with me and play or just listen to me play.

This is a pic from the weekend...it was absolutely beautiful out, so we spent most of our time outdoors...Madelyn was so into her new chaulk table and playing with the water.

Rainy Day Tap

Today Maddy displayed her tap dancing talent in a rain puddle in front of the house. She tapped for more than five minutes before I picked her up and brought her in the house (she could have stayed out there all day!).

Blog Launch

I suppose we are long overdue for creating a virtual newsletter, but I thought it was time, especially since I haven't been able to keep up with sending out pics of Maddy on a regular basis. Madelyn is 20 months old today....WOW, and she is growing like a weed! This has been a month of new words for her....Maddy's vocabulary is unbelievable, and we are amazed and impressed on a daily basis with her ever-improving dialogue. She simply cannot seem to have enough books read to her...she loves them so much. She also loves carrying a purse, anything to do with animals or bugs, construction sites (she just beams when she sees bulldozers, tractors, etc.), sesame street, wonder pets, and just being outdoors. Disciplining has become the hardest part of parenting for us, and I am sure it will continue to be that way for many years to come. Maddy is definitely a handful of ceaseless energy...she is headstrong like her mom and dad and full of personality...you could say we have our work sut out for us, but we wouldn't ask for anything less :).

President's Day Weekend

PaPa Mulsow flew in on Friday to stay the weekend and visit with us. We spent most of our time around the house just relaxing. Madelyn enjoyed every minute of PaPa's company and was so sad to to see him leave on Monday.On Sunday we met Omi, Abuelito, Aunt Bea and Uncle Louis at the Boardwalk. The weather was PERFECT.... sunny, cool and just lovely.

Valentine's Day & Pre-Celebrations

Madelyn went to MDO on Valentine's Day and exchanged favors and a picture card with her classmates. We are just SO happy with her Mother's Day Out Program...we couldn't of asked for better teachers or more wonderful playmates. Later in the afternoon, Brad surprised us with two dozen beautiful roses, a teddy bear, a spa package, card and book....Maddy and I were tickled pink. Thanks Dad! When Brad arrived home from work Maddy and I had the table decorated with cards and gifts for him, and then we went to Fudrucker's for dinner...it ended up being one of the most memorable Valentine's Days on record. On Wednesday we met up with our cousins on Brad's side Christy and daughter Cali... we had a great time at Lupe Tortilla's drinking Margaritas and watching the girls play. We hosted an all-girl Valentine's Playdate at our house on Monday the 12th...Brinley, Halle, Addison (not shown) and Raven (not shown) and mommies were in attendance. The girls had fun playing, eating and dancing (check out Maddy grooving in her room).

January 31, 2008: Madelyn's First Haircut

I was running a little early to meet some friends for happy hour on this day, so I decided Maddy and I would stop by a TCBY (yum,yum) and pick out a sweet snack before meeting up with Omi (she was scheduled to pick up Maddy so mommy could have some fun adult girl time)... Madelyn LOVES ice cream. After our messy adventure with cones (see picture on right), we went for a little stroll down the strip's sidewalk and happened upon a "Cool Cuts," so I took the opportunity and proceded with Maddy's first professional haircut (Brad gave us the green light)... so here is just a sampling of what took place during the seven or so minutes it took to accomplish this feat...