Huff Haven

A Whirlwind Summer

2010-07-25T18:02:00.011-04:00

We have had the busiest summer I can remember in a LONG time, and I think that is evident from the lack of posts! Maddy is growing quickly and is as funny as ever. She brings a great deal of laughter and fun to us and we wish you could all be here to enjoy her as much as we do. She is working on reading right now...and continues to add to her list of sight words...so she can read to baby Emma in the bathtub:) I wish those of you who keep up with this blog also had the pleasure of being on facebook so you could share with and enjoy all of Maddy's "famous Maddyisms" that I post each week!
I have posted a collage of pictures from the course of the summer for you to enjoy. I hope to post again soon!! In the meantime, enjoy your summer:)

Recital and More

2010-06-06T18:48:00.007-04:00

Maddy had her first ever dance recital today and she did an amazing job!! Gramma Nini and Grandpa Henry drove across the state to see her debut, while Getta, Kev and Emma came to see the final product...after visiting many dance classes throughout the year. We were all impressed by how well she did. She "loves being up on that stage" and it shows. She spent her weekend surrounded by people she loves. She had a playdate with me on Friday night...it was SO MUCH FUN. Then she spent the entire day Saturday with her BFF, Jackie. While they played, Getta came over and we watched Emma enjoy the piano and microphone very much. Today, she got to see Nini and Henry, which is always tons of fun. She got a beautiful ballerina charm and some delicious cupcakes homemade by Gramma Nini herself. Both of those were a huge hit! This is the last full week of school and we are ALL ready for some down time. (haha...as if). We have lots of exciting (local) trips planned for the summer and I know August will be here before we know it. Sigh. I will be sure to post pics of the summertime fun. In the meantime, enjoy the pics from the weekend.

Disney Weekend

2010-05-23T19:49:00.009-04:00

Maddy had a great time with her cousins this weekend at Epcot and the Animal Kingdom. She was NOT happy to leave but we assured her she will see them again soon. When Clint and I go on a mommy/daddy vacation:) Sorry to make it short...but I am exhausted. I will post again sooner than I did this time. I PROMISE!!!

3 year old pics:)

2010-04-14T07:04:00.003-04:00

Fun in the Sun

2010-04-07T07:18:00.011-04:00

We went to Daytona to see Grandma Nini and Grandpa Henry for Easter and we had SO MUCH FUN. We spent lots of time in the sun both on the beach and on the boat. We built sandcastles, flew kits, went shelling, played in the water, and even peed in the water, as shown below:) When we were not having fun in the sun, Maddy was busy playing, cooking, gardening, etc. at the house with Gramma Nini. We are all so grateful to have such a fun place to visit and we appreciate the time and effort that goes into each visit being extra special. We love you and look forward to seeing you again in June.

Just for Fun

2010-03-21T18:59:00.004-04:00

Hello! I have decided to update the blog just for fun. No special event or visitor to tell about, just a couple of pictures to fulfill a necessary Maddy fix. We had a great weekend in Tampa...those seem to be few and far between. Maddy is as sweet as ever and growing up SO fast:( We are grateful every day that she is in our lives! She did go to her first ever "Tot Night" at the YMCA and she loved it. She spends quite a bit of time at the Y for her twice weekly swim lessons and twice weekly play time while Clint and I work out, so she knows the workers and kiddos there. For $15, we were able to taker her at 4:30 and pick her up between 8:30 and 9:00. Clint and I enjoyed dinner, a movie and some quick shopping at Michael's(for Maddy of course) before picking her up at 8:30. She was so upset that we got there "too early" that she started crying when we had to leave. She played basketball for the first time..and loved it...she made a craft, ate pizza, played outside among a bunch of other fun things in the 4 hours she was there. She asked if she could do that everyday (that's what I get for thinking we are any fun). Clint and I enjoyed our time as well, so everybody won:) We hope you have a great week! More soon.

Mickey and More

2010-03-16T04:45:00.009-04:00

Once again I have been a slacker on updating the blog...I need more hours in a day. As you can see from the pictures below...Maddy and her cousins had a blast at Disney!! I think the picture of her waving with the castle in the background could be marketed, but I am biased:) It's a Small World remained her favorite ride of all time and there was no line for it so that was great. We did all the kids stuff there is too do and then they were ready to go back to the hotel. That worked out great since I had to be up and at my marathon by 4am the next morning. I finished my 13.1 miles in 2:55, then went on to spend the day with everyone at MGM. I thought about sharing the stroller with Maddy and Britt, but I made it. The girls had another great day at the park before heading home. The next day marked the 2nd beginning of swim lessons for Maddy. She goes twice a week and LOVES it, so that is great. She is still in dance as well, and has her big recital coming up in June. We certainly burn both ends of the candle in the Huff household! I will upload more pics SOON, I promise. In the meantime, enjoy these and have a great week.

Pics and video of MAddy reading Jog Frog Jog..ALL BY HERSELF

2010-02-24T17:32:00.006-05:00

Maddy is still loving life. She is such a happy kid and hilarious to boot. She says the most hilarious things that make Clint and I, along with anyone else who is in ear shot, laugh out loud. She LOVES picking shells when we go to the beach..even if we are only there for 5 minutes, she will have her pockets, and mine, FULL of shells. She went to the fair with her cousins and had a blast. The sweet treat she chose was as big as her, but she navigated it beautifully! She had an extra long bath that night;) She also loves to show off her new dance moves and her flexibility...sometimes not in the most appropriate places for full body pics. The one where you see her legs was in the bathtub, so that is why it is cut off!! As you can see from the picture on the top, MAddy LOVES playing with letters and making new words. She is definitely ready to read and has mastered her first book. Although she memorized Pickle THings early on in life, this book..Jog Frog Jog..is the first book where she is sounding out words and putting things together. It is AWESOME!!!! Enjoy.

Fun in February

2010-02-07T14:10:00.009-05:00

Maddy is enjoying her February so far. She spent the week at school making mud pies outside (and moving to yellow) and has spent the weekend doing lots of fun things. She worked very hard at dance on Friday night and is getting much better at galloping. She went to a birthday party yesterday at Bounce U, where she bounced until she couldn't bounce anymore. Then she came home and has her first "sitter"...Kendall. She insists that Kendall is not a babysitter, b/c she is not a baby. Clint and I had dinner and went to the comedy club...it was just what we both needed. Today we met Jackie, Maddy's BFF, at the zoo and they had a blast (as always). Dom and I were a little chilly since it was only 47 degrees when we got there but we got Starbucks and warmed ourselves up. The girls saw all the animals and rode all the rides, more than once. Now she is playing at the house before Morgaen and baby Emma get here for the Superbowl. It is nonstop around the Huff house, but we wouldn't have it any other way:)

Maddy's Visit to Daytona

2010-01-31T15:42:00.008-05:00

Maddy went with her daddy to see Gramma Nini and Grandpa Henry yesterday and they had tons of fun. Clint was great about taking pictures so I could see all the cool things they did. They went to an art festival and Maddy got her face painted, did canvas art and got a holster balloon made to put around her waist. She also went to the new pirate park after the rain and played on all the new equipment. Since she is on a steroid for her cough, plus albuterol...she has plenty of extra energy and sass to get out of her system:) While at the house she and Nini planted plants, picked veggies and stayed entertained, as always. Maddy even made me a fortune cookie that said, "I love you"..so cute. She had big hugs for Grandpa Henry, as you can see and lots of love for Gramma Nini. We hope tos ee them again soon:)

Always time for Dress Up

2010-01-27T19:40:00.007-05:00

Maddy has been very busy playing dress up in the mornings before school. She loves to prance around the house and pretend to be a mermaid, or a hula girl, sometimes a bumble bee or a princess (not pictured). She also went to the zoo recently and while waiting for her friend Rachel, was reading up on Dinosaur Land. I had to take a picture because it was so cute watching her read the brochure with her feet crossed. She loved the zoo, with the exception of the chimp throwing his poop ALL over us. She just moved up to the 4 year old room at school and she is loving it. She is learning lots of new things and enjoys her new friends and teachers. Her BFF, Jackie Love, is in there too...so they are in heaven together. In addition to playing dress up, going lots of fun places and being in a new room, Maddy is LOVING baby Emma. She is gentle and helpful all the time and loves to be a 'big sister' to her. We hope you are all doing well...more posts to come.

Forever and a Day

2010-01-18T16:25:00.008-05:00

i know it has been forever since I posted any new pics but this time I have a valid excuse. The computer was broken....now it is fixed and here are some recent photos. We spent today at the zoo and she had tons of fun, despite the fact that the chimp threw his poop all over us!!! She also went on her first roller coaster and had the time of her life...she loved it so much that we went 6 times. The other pictures are from her Christmas break. She got to see her grandpa Don and Jane, she visited camp, went to Busch Gardens, and spent a week in Naples. She was super busy...which means we were super busy:) Enjoy the pics!!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T21:55:00.009-05:00

Merry Christmas to everyone. Maddy is officially asleep and I have time to update, the day of Christmas...amazing! She woke up and realized that Santa had come and eaten her "delicious cookies" and left her so many presents that she"doesn't know if I can open all these presents in one day." The ease in pleasing a three year old:) She loved everything, but her favorite was her tool box...so she can help her daddy. In fact she went out and cut the grass with her saw because, "this grass is too long daddy!" She got all dressed in the gorgeous dress Aunt Franny bought and wore it to dinner. Needless to say, it was a HUGE hit. I have also included a picture of her singing at her school performance a couple of Fridays ago. She had the biggest part, and she made us proud:) We hope you all had a fantastic Christmas. Enjoy the rest of your holiday. Love, The Huffs

Baby Emma

2009-12-22T06:38:00.001-05:00

Here is a picture of Getta and Kev's beautiful little girl!!! She is perfect:)

Thanksgiving Time

2009-12-03T18:43:00.010-05:00

I know it has been FOREVER since I have posted anything and I offer my apologies..life has been so busy. Maddy had her surgery and recovered extremely quickly with the help of her Gramma Nini. Jeanine came over on Sunday and stayed with us until Thursday; which was fabulous! Henry drove over on Wednesday to play golf and it rained the whole day, of course! We ate a delicious turkey lunch and then it was time for them to go. Maddy was very sad to lose her Gramma NIni and Grandpa Henry but we assured her she will see them soon. She had fun having tea parties, playing pizza parlor, baking cookies, going for bike rides, reading books, and a million other creative Gramma Nini games. I took her ice skating(that's me..looking hot in shorts while I ice skate) and she thought that was super cool. She actually got pretty good toward the end:) She is fascinated with Christmas and was a huge helper in putting up the tree and all of its ornaments. She loves to go each night and look at the lights on all the houses in the neighborhood. It is awesome to experience Christmas throught the eyes of a child! I promise to post again soon. Enjoy the pics and have a great weekend.

A Busy Bee

2009-11-09T19:05:00.006-05:00

Maddy has been busy with dance, trick or treating, playdates, camp adventures, school and many other things. As you can see, she was a beautiful fairy princess for Halloween and she got more candy than you can imagine. Fortunately we have a "Treats for Troops" program at school that some of her candy is going to disappear to:) She had tons of fun at her bff's house with all of her toddler friends. She also had a Halloween dance routine for us that weekend, and she did a great job! We went to camp this past weekend and she had a blast, as always. We built sand castles, hung out with Zoey the zebra and Boo Hoo the donkey. As if all the camp activities weren't enough for her, she came with me to a scrapbooking party and had some fun time with her friend Morgaen. Maddy was right in her element with all the crafting! By the time we got home, she was DONE. She fell asleep in the car at 4:45 that afternoon and didn't wake up until 6:30 the NEXT morning. Yep, I checked her breathing several times:) Then she took a good nap at school today too. Maybe she is finally going to grow. She and her daddy went to the bookstore after school today and got a new Thanksgiving book before coming home to bake cookies. She is always busy and helpful and we love her more as each day passes. Enjoy the pics!

Daytona Visit

2009-10-31T08:15:00.006-04:00

Although it has been a couple of weeks now, Maddy is still talking about how much fun she had on our trip to Daytona with Aunt Heidi. She loved having Aunt Heidi watch her at dance class and having sleepovers with her for 3 whole night. She told me aunt Heidi had sleepovers as many nights as she is old. We got to Daytona and Gramma Nini and Grandpa Henry were very excited to see miss Maddy. Jeanine had set up the back yard with TONS of creative, fun games (of course)..:) THey made witche's stew, played in a cardboard box house, rode on witches broomsticks all around the yard. We all made a human spiders web with yarn (Maddy thought that was super cool). You would never know we were there celebrating nini's birthday but we were. We also got to see Jeanine's sister Kathy and brother in law Bob. It was nice to finally meet them after nearly 10 years of being in the Huff family:) Once we got done playing in the backyard, we went to the pumpkin patch and to get ice cream...always two hits. Grandpa Henry was at home making delicious meals for us to eat....but I don't have any pics of MAddy with him:( Before leaving on Sunday, we went to the Children's museum in Daytona and Maddy had so much fun. They had a pretend pizza parlor and Maddy was entertained forever there. We LOVE our visits to see Nini and Henry, and it was extra special this time with all the family members there too.

Happy Times

2009-10-13T20:29:00.006-04:00

Maddy had a blast with her cousin last weekend and continued her fun in the sprinklers last night. We played forever and laughed a lot. Those are the moments that can't be taken away or replaced. We are very excited for this weekend. She gets to see her Aunt Heidi, Gramma Nini, Grampa Henri and finally meet Kathy and Bob:) It is gramma Nini's bday next week but it is never too early to celebrate! We hope you all have a great week. Enjoy the pics,

Future Diva? Baseball Player? Cowgirl?

2009-10-06T19:58:00.007-04:00

She loves to play and we love to watch her. She is a beautiful child with an "old soul" and amazing heart. We are blessed beyond words:)

Lots of FUn and Pirate Video

2009-09-27T15:09:00.008-04:00

Here are some pics and a little video of Maddy having fun this week. She did her own make-up, as you can see and clearly doesn't follow her mommy in the little to no make-up category! We went to the ice cream shop and she saw "Slabby." That was the highlight of her week. You can see that she was in the Gator spirit this week, wearing BOTH of her cheer leading outfits toward the end of the week. It worked...woo hoo. She has the Gator chomp down to a 3 year old science. She also loves listening to Hannah Montana in the headphones...too cute! The video is hard to understand but it is a song she learned at school, and loves to perform! Enjoy and have a great week!

A Blessing Everyday

2009-09-22T17:52:00.002-04:00

We continue to have sooo much fun with Maddy. She really is such a gentle soul and we appreciate her every moment of everyday. The other night I was putting her to sleep and she had my ponytail in one hand and was rubbing my back with her other hand and she said, "Mommy, even when I am not with you in the day, I am thinking about you because I love you SO much." It just proves what a sweet child she is and it puts all the small things into perspective. SHe is loving dance class and we are working on skipping, hopping and doing the backwards crabwalk (that one is proving to be difficult) but nothing gets her down. She smiles the whole way through and blows us kisses from across the room. I am teahcing her young to be a Gator fan and she has essentially mastered the Gator chomp...thata girl. She is also loving school and enjoys coming home to craft and do "homeowrk" with us. She is interested in knowing how to make all of her letters with her pencil since she knows the sounds they all make. It amazes me how much kids can learn and retain at such a young age. I promise to have more pics up soon...it won't be another two weeks...sorry:(
We hope you all have a great week!

Bi-Weekly Blogs

2009-09-06T17:59:00.007-04:00

So the time has come to announce that I will be doing bi-weekly blogs starting now. I love to keep everyone up to date, but I am back to work, back to the gym, blah blah blah...and between this and facebook...it is keeping me busy. If you do not have a facebook account, I highly recommend you get one (pssst...it is free). I do a much better job of posting the funny things that Maddy says because I can do it from my phone...and she says a lot of funny things when we are in the car. For example, the other day we were int he car and we were practicing letter sounds. I said, "t" Maddy. What word starts with t.t."t"? She said, "I know mommy, tits!" Yep, that is Madison. The next day we were on our way to Naples after weekly dance class and she said, "Mommy, when I am SUUPER old, like 29, can I still go to dance?" She is hilarious and creative and loves crafting these days. She just got home from Naples and is already playing with her neighbor friends....hmmmm, who is shocked? We are looking forward to a great day off tomorrow. We hope you all have a wonderful week.

Too Long...I Know

2009-08-29T21:15:00.005-04:00

It has been a crazy couple of week trying to readjust back to work but we are back into the swing of things...full force. Maddy is in the 3 yr old room and loving it, I am teaching 4th grade this year and LOVING it and Clint is back with his seniors, loving it...so we are all good. Maddy stays busy with dance, playing with her friends, gardening and crafting. She has also taken up being Baby Emma's dr...making sure each day that she is doing okay in Aunt Getta's belly. She told me the other day she wants a baby brother....NOT GONNA HAPPEN!!!She was with her daddy today while I was at camp and he asked her if she made the rules or if mommy and daddy made the rules and she told him, "God maked the rules." How can yu argue with that? She continues to impress us with ability to learn, retain, laugh and now manipulate:) The fun has just begun! Have a great week.

Maddy Turns 3

2009-08-16T11:24:00.013-04:00

Maddy had a blast at her bday party. We enjoyed everyone's company and appreciate you making the time to make her bday special for all of us. The pictures tell more than I could. Today is our last day before going back to work. It was awesome to go out on a high note for Maddy...she is an angel and we love her beyond words!

Pickle Things

2009-08-03T08:25:00.003-04:00

Here is a picture of Maddy hanging out with Clint and a video of her reading her favorite book, Pickle Things, to all of her bedtime friends. Hope you enjoy:)

Medad Visits, Princess Recital, Silly Socks, Flower Girl

2009-07-26T16:43:00.015-04:00

Each week is so busy it feels like I should be updating the blog daily...but time does not allow. We enjoyed a visit from Medad today, as he made his way back to Tallahassee to do important things:) Maddy got to show off her new big girl room, her artistic talents, her bike riding and soccer skills along with some Maditude! She also got some silly mix match socks from her Aunt Heidi this week, just in time for her Princess dance recital. Her feet are too small for her tap shoes but fit PERFECTLY with her new socks!!!Good job Heidi:) You already know that she was a beautiful flower girl but I had not yet posted pics. I hope I remembered to put a little of all of it up here, but if not, I will post them next time. This week we are headed to the beach to play, on a boat ride to see dolphins and a private beach to shell, to the movie to see Horton Hears a Who (free at the local theater) and several playdates, as usual. We hope you all have a great week as well!

MAddy, TJ and Dance Camp

2009-07-22T08:22:00.008-04:00

Maddy had sooo much fun with TJ and Aunt Heidi and continues to have a blast at dance camp. She is definitely the littlest one there but she keeps right up! We have been staying busy, but that is nothing new:) Enjoy the pics...more to come.

A Fun Time in Naples

2009-07-16T17:54:00.006-04:00

We are back from Naples and we had tons of fun. Maddy got to celebrate Brittany's birthday and all of her cousins. They had a blast together and we all enjoyed watching and playing. Maddy is getting more and more brave each time we are in the pool, but she is making progress. Her only boy cousin, TJ, is a little rock star in the pool. At 15 months, we can dunk him, throw him, make him swim under water to each other...and EVERY time he comes up with a smile on his face. Brittany has caught up with Brooke and they are little fish. Fun stuff!!Britt enjoyed her new toys and we enjoyed her pizza and cake:):) When we got home, Maddy wanted to be a giraffe, so I did it and here is the result. She said that giraffes always have their tongies out so she had to stick hers out too (for the picture). Enjoy your week...More to come! Oh yeah...Maddy had her first ever dentist appointment and she did FANTASTIC!!!! All is great:)

So Busy All the Time

2009-07-08T16:46:00.009-04:00

Summer is for relaxing and getting caught up..unless your first name is Steph and last name Huff. I swear, I have two speeds, and neither include slow:)
We have been to Daytona twice, Gainesville, all over the south and are headed to Naples next week. We managed to get Maddy's room painted and clothes gone through but we have a long list of stuff still no done!
In the meantime, we have had LOTS of fun together and that is most important!
Here are some pics to prove it!!!

Dynamite Time in Daytona

2009-06-26T17:13:00.009-04:00

We got back yesterday from Daytona and as always, we had a blast! Gramma Nini and Grandpa Henry were equipped with lots of fabulous activities, food and boating adventures. Jeanine read Maddy a new book with lots of different flowers throughout then planned a scavenger hunt in the backyard to find all the flowers they had read about in the book! She is so incredibly creative, it STILL amazes me. They played endless games until Maddy and crew needed a nap. Then we went to the party store to get goodie bags for Maddy's birthday party (yes it is more than a month away), then came home and played some more games. The next morning, Henry got the boat all ready for us to go on and it was fantastic. Before getting to the beach, we saw some dolphins swimming and playing in the water right next to the boat for about 10 minutes. Henry told Maddy that Thursday was "dolpin day", and he was right:) Once the dolphins swam away, we made our way to the beach where Maddy and I swam and splashed and played for a long time until she and her daddy built castles and motes and unsuccessfully attempted to catch fish with a net. It was awesome watching Maddy have so much fun and we can't wait to go visit again:)

Summer Fun

2009-06-23T07:40:00.008-04:00

Our summer has been a blast so far, but it is going by TOO quickly. We had our trips and since then, we have been spending lots of time together, doing a variety of fun things. This past weekend, Memaw came to visit Maddy and they had lots of fun together. They read books, and read more books, and then they read even more books:) Maddy took Memaw on the train at the mall. She even took her own money out of her piggy bank to take her. It was super cute. Tomorrow we are going to see Gramma Nini and Grandpa Henry and we are all very excited. Madison can hardly wait to go shopping for her birthday party favors; she is really into her b-day this year. Saturday, Clint and I have a wedding to go to so Aunt Getta is coming to stay with Maddy; that is always a blast for her. You can see from the pictures that her face of the week was her sad face. She thought it was hilarious to make her lip stick out....Have a great week!

I Promise

2009-06-22T20:45:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow the blog will be updated!!! Crazy days and nights. I will make time tomorrow for sure:)

Road Trip 2009

2009-06-12T14:45:00.004-04:00

I have put together a video of our road trip. Lots of pictures with some Imagination Movers music to boot:) Maddy had tons of fun but was VERY ready to come home and see her daddy. She is napping right now, hours behind on nap time. We hope you are all well and enjoying your summer adventures. I chose my favorite picture to post:)

Almost There

2009-06-01T19:48:00.006-04:00

We are getting so close tot he end of the year! WOO HOO. I am so ready to spend as much time with Maddy as possible, and Clint too. We are both heading out on separate trips this weekend. Maddy and I are going to the Carolina's to visit family and friends (Aunt Cici, Brooke, Brittany and Getta are going too); Clint is going on his annual "Mancation" to a music festival close to Georgia. Then we will reunite and have the summer to explore. We have had a busy couple of weeks (gasp, I know) but Maddy continues to be more hilarious as each day passes. We hope you enjoy the pictures and your summers. It will be a little bit of time before I post again. Enjoy!

Funny video and cute pics

2009-05-24T14:03:00.008-04:00

Here are some pics of Maddy throughout the week. She was very excited to give Big Kev his new hat for his birthday. She has also discovered the concept of "backpack" and insists on using it correctly. Today we went to church and she leaned down on the palmetto plant and says, "Mommy, take my picture." Hmmm..think she is in front of the camera enough:) We also made Big Kev some cupcakes for his birthday and just like her mommy, her two favorite parts are the raw batter and the icing. The apple does not fall far from the tree!
Enjoy the video of her "Giggleboppin~" We hope you all have a great week.

Maddy and Daddy

2009-05-17T16:43:00.003-04:00

This week was busy, like all the rest:) Clint and Maddy had a Maddy/daddy day and night Saturday and a bit on Sunday, while I went to Vero Beach to take part in a fabulous bridal luncheon and bachelorette party. It was SOOOOOO fun and I took full advantage of having some "me" time. I am so grateful to Clint for always taking such great care of Maddy. She had tons of fun with her daddy and was incredibly well behaved. (She listens to him better all the time). I got home this morning and she has been busy since. No naps and lots of playing....we are making up for lost time this weekend. We hope you all had a great weekend as well! Have a great week.

Gramma Nini and Grandpa Henry Visit

2009-05-11T17:30:00.010-04:00

We had such a wonderful weekend. Friday night we stayed in and hung out and it was so fun. Maddy was in a great mood and stayed up later than normal playing. Saturday morning we waited for Gramma Nini and Grandpa Henry to get here so we could go see the botanical gardens at USF. There are some really cute pics of Maddy checking out all the different flowers. I tried to capture her chasing a butterfly, but was unsuccessful! After the gardens, we went to the park and had a delicious picnic. Once we all felt like we were going to melt into the ground, we decided to go home. Maddy took a great nap from all the excitement and woke up to tons of fun activities with Gramma Nini. They put glue on some paper and blew through a straw to make it artistic...and they made art for everyone:) Then they painted her hands and made Jeanine a t-shirt that said Gramma..with Maddy's handprints...it is adorable (she wore it over the next morning of course)! Then they made a purse cake and I have to say it was amazing! I eat A LOT of cake and that was one of the best. Maddy and I seemed to be in an unspoken race to see who could eat more...I won (it was Mother's Day...I figured I deserved it). After dinner, Maddy showed off her bike riding skills until it was time for them to go to the hotel (THAT is how small our house is)...After seeing them on Mother's Day for awhile, they headed back to Port Orange and Maddy and I headed to church. It was great, as always, and then we went swimming at Alli's house. She LOVES to go swim at aunt alli's because I don't make her go under there, like she has to at the gym....and she has fun toys for her every time! She came home and took a great nap for her daddy, so I went shopping with Getta (like all good mothers should). We spent the rest of the day playing and hanging out before we all headed to bed.

Fish Video and Cute pictures

2009-05-03T14:29:00.008-04:00

Maddy had a great week. She found out that her Aunt Getta and Big Kev are getting married and that she gets to throw the flowers down the aisle. She was very excited...as were Clint and I:) She also learned how to play chess with her daddy...too cute. She has decided that she loves wearing braids in her hair, but seems to love even more what it does to her hair when they are taken out.
One of the best parts of her week was going to Morgaen's Tinkerbell birthday party. She wants Tinkerbell to be at her own birthday party, " on August 18th, when I turn free" (as she puts it) and she found the perfect balloon to help her turn "free"...pictured below. We spent this morning at church and swimming at Aunt Alli's house before coming home for painting and story time...it's a rough life around here;)
There is a short video of Maddy and Clint "fishing" on the big bed. It is pretty dark I know, but too cute to not share. Have a great week!

Happy Birthday Aunt Cici

2009-04-28T06:50:00.007-04:00

We went to Naples this weekend to celebrate Cindy's birthday! Maddy had a blast with her cousins and Brooke and Brittany were very excited to see Aunt Getta. Although I was battling some type of illness, I had lots of fun with the girls and enjoyed being with my sister and mom for the weekend. We are back home and settling into another week of work and school. Have a great week...enjoy the pics.

Family is Fun!!!

2009-04-21T17:56:00.008-04:00

We had a crazy busy weekend. Thursday Heidi, Fran and TJ came to town and went to the SHoopes for a night of great outdoor music. It was awesome...even after Maddy projectile vomitted ALL over Getta FOUR times. Maddy was crying, Getta was gagging, Kev was problem solving and I was apologizing profusely!!! She threw up one more time in her car seat, all over herself and I managed to get to her in enough time to dangle her out of the car for the last bit. The beautiful side of parenting:) On Friday, Uncle Bob and Andy came to spend the night...Heidi, Mike and TJ came over again and we had a blast. Maddy LOVES TJ and it is adorable. SHe knows not to get any ideas of a baby anything human! Saturday we went to Busch Gardens with Heidi and TJ and Getta and we had lots of fun! She slept for three hours afterward so Clint and I loved that. Sunday we went to the Clearwater Aquarium to see Anut Cici (Cindy) and Brooke. That place was awesome and it is always great to see them. We have a big weekend in Naples planned for this weekend, so I am sure there will be lots of pictures to share. Have a great week.

Coming Soon

2009-04-20T19:19:00.001-04:00

the stomach flu bug has hit me hard....i will update once i feel human again. it will be worth the wait..i promise:)

Happy Easter Everyone

2009-04-12T18:58:00.008-04:00

Hope everyone had a great Easter with family and friends. We had a wonderful spring break, filled with a lot of great family time as well as time with friends. Maddy went and saw the Easter bunny yesterday and she loved her. It was a completely different experience than her visit with Santa:) She had tons of fun baking cupcakes for the Easter bunny and dying Easter eggs for her to find. This morning, she was very excited to wake up and find out where her basket had been hidden. She also got a visit from Aunt Alli and Norm and Cindy...and she thought that was pretty special.

We actually went over to Alli's house and had a fun time swimming today too...except when she had to go under (bad mommy...making her work a little). It is back to work tomorrow but with only 38 work days left, I think we can make it to summer. Have a great week and enjoy the pics. Despite the fact that she looks sad in her first picture, with those big blue eyes and pouty lips...she was just being a drama queen; but I think it is a cute pic:)

A Weekend to Remember

2009-04-06T18:51:00.003-04:00

We have had such a great couple of weekends. Last weekend, Aunt Heidi was here, as you all know from the prior post. This weekend marked the beginning of our spring break and it has been loaded with fun. We went to camp to celebrate Getta's birthday, then headed to Daytona for more fun than one can imagine with Grandma Nini and Grandpa Henry. Rather than try to post ALL the pics we wanted to share, we decided to do a short (about 3 minutes) video of Maddy and all the fun she had. We hope you enjoy:)

Hooray for Heidi Huff

2009-03-29T18:05:00.004-04:00

It was another fun weekend at the Huff household. Aunt Heidi came to town and we had a blast visiting with her. She and Clint picked Maddy up from school on Friday and although she was a bit grouchy to start, she quickly moved on to a new mood and warmed right up to her Aunt Heidi. We had dinner and then Clint and Heidi went to the local Skipperdome for some adult time with friends while Maddy and I went to a pottery store and painted. Saturday was filled with playing at the park, napping, sidewalk chalk, mini golfing, go cart driving, skeball and some delicious dinner. Today we waited out the rainy weather, then headed to the "new" mall for some Barnes and Noble time and Moe's grub before heading to the pool for some fun in the sun. Maddy played with her Aunt Heidi while I swam laps....fun was had by all. After the pool adventure we were heading to another park, but Maddy's tired eyes got the best of her. She took a much needed power nap in the backseat! We got home and spent some more time with Heidi before she headed back to Daytona for her flight tomorrow. We are sad she had to go but are soooo glad she made visiting us a priority; it is always fun to have her around. We hope everyone else had as great of a weekend as we did. Enjoy the pics...more next week!

Big girl Big girl Bed...

2009-03-22T11:27:00.010-04:00

Maddy is officially in her "big girl big girl" bed! When we went from crib to toddler bed..it became he "big girl" bed so now it is the "big girl big girl" bed! It was supposed to be here on Thursday night and the guy overextended himself, so rather than the whole plan going to..well you know...Clint still took Maddy to Target to pick out her new sheets. He had done some research online before going, so her knew Target had what Maddy wanted. Well....life is NEVER that easy:) Already disappointed that the bed didn't make it, he had been walking around Target for awhile with Maddy, unsuccessful in finding the sheets and comforter sets he had seen online. He was getting frustrated and Maddy of course knew that...so she looks and Clint and says, "Maybe we should ask someone daddy." He laughed, did just that and the night was saved. She picked out Tinkerbell sheets and they were on their way; way to go Maddy! We went to a new park this week and she got to see an alligator in the lake. We kept our distance of course but she thought it was pretty cool. Yesterday we went to Busch Gardens and had tons of fun. She got to see more alligators, an albino peacock, a baby gorilla..and lots of other exciting things. Maddy also has a new friend...Big Kev...and she LOVES hanging out with him. He is Getta's boyfriend and awesome with Maddy:) We all love Big Kev!!!!This week is going to be very exciting too. Aunt Heidi is coming down from Indiana to see Maddy and we are very excited. Maddy has been saving a poptart for her in a special place for several days...it should be delicious by Friday. Anyway, Alli just got here so we have some playing to do. Enjoy your week!

Sorry for the Delay

2009-03-17T15:19:00.006-04:00

We had a great weekend in Naples...once we got there. It took over 4 hours but it was worth every minute. Maddy got to play with her cousins and spend lots of time with Aunt Cici, Memaw and Uncle David. The girls sawm, rode bikes, went to the playground, baked cupcakes, played games, had power struggles, fought, bumped their heads...then did it all again. Before heading out of town Maddy got to see my Aunt Franny and she is doing great. Once we got home, I was exhausted so Clint had Maddy be his helper with washing his car...too cute:) Since getting back, I have been exhausted and took the day off of work to recharge. I think I have a touch of the flu at the same time but no food and lots of rest has helped today! Enjoy your week and the pictures. More to come...of course.

Good Times

2009-03-08T18:54:00.003-04:00

We have had a great week and Maddy has been making great choices. She went to the Strawberry Festival with Clint yesterday while I worked at camp, she hung out with Gabe and Livy on Friday night and had a birthday party today. There is certainly no shortage of entertainment for Miss Maddy. We hope you all have a great week. Enjoy the pics.

So Many Fun Times

2009-03-01T12:51:00.005-05:00

This was a crazy week with trips and company and although all of it was a blast, we are paying for it in the sleep department. Maddy stayed with Getta Wednesday night while Clint and I went to Naples to see my dad receive a much deserved Life Achievement Award. It was a fantastic event and we are all very proud of all that he has accomplished. Gramma Nini and Grandpa Henry also came over this weekend! Clint planned a whole day of surprises for me while Maddy got one on one time with 2 of her favorite people. They played the day away and so did we...a very fair trade. Thanks to Jeanine and Henry for giving us that opportunity and thanks to my AMAZING better half for planning so many fun things for us to do. We are off the Busch Gardens...everyone have a great week.

A Week of New Adventures

2009-02-22T09:54:00.008-05:00

Maddy had a great week. She got to go to her first fair ever. Getta took her on Thursday while I worked late at school and she had a blast. She "won" her first ever goldfish and was very excited to name him Boodo. Clint took her on Friday to get Boodo a bigger house and some friends. When I asked her what she was going to name her other goldfish (I thought we were only getting 1 friend), she told me Boodo two! She followed that up with, "Silly Mommy!" Clint was smart and got 5 more fish so we now have 6. They have a beautiful aquarium with colorful rocks and a big fish castle. She also got to go bowling for the first time ever too. As soon and she walked in, she said,"I don't have my rollerskates." She has never been rollerskating either so I am not sure where that came from, but she got it straight eventually. Today we are on our way to a birthday party and she is very excited. She has been practicing her singing while we play around the house. She is a "Happy Birthday" expert now.
We hope you enjoy the pics and video and that you all have a great week!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T16:43:00.011-05:00

We hope everyone had a great week. Maddy had lots of fun wearing red every day and getting a couple of new Valentine's Day books. That was the extent of her gifts:) We made cupcakes with red and purple icing and sprinkles on Thursday, so she could bring them to her friends at school on Friday. It was all her idea, truly, and she was VERY proud of them! We spent the day playing inside and outside and tonight, Alli is coming over to babysit while Clint and I enjoy a yummy dinner and movie. Thanks Alli:)
You can see she is getting better and better at hide and seek. Her daddy couldn't find her ANYWHERE...until she had been in there too long..then he heard her!
There are a couple of videos..one is very quiet, but she is wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day and sending you her love. The other, she is trying desperately to get Cailin to play with her...but she was unsuccessful:( She got over it pretty quickly!
Have a great week ahead!

A Busy Weekend

2009-02-09T06:59:00.005-05:00

Happy Monday to everyone. This will be a short post since it is Monday morning and work is in the near future. I was so tired at the end of yesterday, I climbed in bed at 7:45 to "chill" and never got out. Thanks to my wonderful husband for taking care of night time stuff with Maddy. We had a great weekend. Maddy got to see her Aunt Cici, Brooke and Brittany while Clint and I got to go celebrate Sarah's 30th b-day at Ft. DeSoto. It felt great to camp again and even better to laugh so much. Thanks to my sister for driving up here, sick, to watch Maddy so we could do that. Love you:) Yesterday afternoon, Maddy and I had a b-day party for one of my students and it was a blast. She bounced in bouncy houses and went down slides for 90 straight minutes....which means I did too. I realized while I was there, I could have (and should have) skipped the gym earlier in the day...but it was an awesome time and all the kids had a blast. I have only a couple of pics to share but I hope you enjoy. Have a great week.

Charging into Trouble

2009-02-01T11:29:00.009-05:00

We hope you all had a great week. Maddy is certainly learning how to navigate the world, head first. She is continuing to have a hard time making good choices at school but no hitting, biting, kicking, etc...so it could be worse I suppose. Clint and I are having to roll up our sleeves a little earlier than we expected but she is responding to us (holding my breath as I write that) right now. We'll just have to take it one day at a time. In the meantime, she continues to be hilarious and fun and inquisitive. She has recently become fond of the dirt hole Cailin dug in the back yard. The first couple of days she was satisfied covering herself from head to toe in sand...then she had to bring it to a new level. She told me she had to go potty so she pulled her panties down, walked over to the dirt pile and went there. I captured a picture of it and had to blog it....of course:) She was VERY excited to see Mike and Alexis this weekend. It was the first time she has met either of them and it was a hit. Their little girl, Avery Elizabeth, is due in June so they watched with inquiring eyes. When she is not playing in the dirt, we are playing board games, doing obstacle courses or playing hide and seek. The ball pit is her newest hiding spot...and she is very proud of it. The last picture is Maddy proudly displaying her polished toenails. Red is her favorite color and I thought it was time to make her pigs pretty for the first time ever. It was a big hit..and she even let them dry. That is about all...we hope you all have a great week.

New Adventures

2009-01-25T12:27:00.007-05:00

This week was an adventurous one for us. Maddy got a Barbie Jeep from one of Clint's co-workers/friends and she was very excited. The first day she was more excited about the idea of the jeep than actually driving it by herself...the video is of the first day...but today she woke up and decided that only BIG girls can drive barbie jeeps alone. So on the 25th day of January, Maddy is officially a big girl, in the world of jeep driving! In addition to becoming a big girl this week, she also managed to get her first bad report from school. Her best friend was gone one day so she played with a little girl who does not make good choices. Maddy immediately acknowledged her bad choices and promised us she would make better choices the next day...and she did! Good job Maddy:) We went to the store to buy some new big girl shoes. I was looking at her "pigs" one night and one large indicator that her shoes were getting too small was 10 bent toenails. She got some Winnie-the-Pooh shoes, some white slip on shoes and some new pink and brown shoes, thanks to Gramma Nini's holiday gift card! It's amazing how she isn't CONSTANTLY trying to take her shoes off now:)
We hope this week brings more exciting adventures for us to share. Have a great week and enjoy the video and pictures.

Busy Times and video of Maddy!

2009-01-19T16:27:00.002-05:00

We have been on a fast track, as usual, but have been having a great time! We went to Vero this past weekend and Maddy did great with a brand new babysitter. Les actually had her sister come over to watch the three kiddos but I think Leah could have done it on her own! Maddy had fun taking piggy back rides with Sean and screeching so loud for so long she had no voice the next morning. She woke up and her words would not come out....that was very scary for her. She still tried to talk and sing throughout the day and I must say it was quite entertaining. She woke up this morning and it was significantly better. Today "baby Rachel"(who is not longer a baby) came over to play and Madison showed her sassy side....uggghh. Then when Rachel left she asked to paint with Mia (her neighbor friend) and she decided it would be funny to paint Mia rather than the paper. Well, when Mia went home and the paints went away....Maddy realized it was not funny at all. The hardships of a two year old:)Enjoy the video!
Have a great week!

Back into the Swing of Things

2009-01-11T20:09:00.006-05:00

Last week was our first week back to work and we all had a great week. Maddy was happy to see her friends and we felt rejuvenated. We got to see Betty Jo and Rich last Sunday, and that was fabulous as always. We enjoyed our time at the fairgrounds and Maddy got to ride a very tall horse. She thought that was pretty cool. There was also a puppy there, named Bella, who she thought was there to play with her, and most importantly to her...she got to open MORE presents. She loves her new tea set, barn and red guitar. Thanks to everyone in Indiana:) She also enjoyed her dress up clothes but ESPECIALLY enjoyed the Gator victory on Thursday night. She proudly wore her Gator gear both Thursday and Friday and displayed her talent of doing the Gator chomp....pretty cute; even to those who aren't Gator fans.
We hope everyone else had a great week as well. I will post again next weekend.

More Family Time

2009-01-04T11:08:00.006-05:00

We got home from Disney last weekend and had a few great days at home before heading down to Naples for a few days. We got to see Heidi, TJ, Mike, Uncle Bob, Aunt Fran, Andy and of course Aunt Cici, Uncle David, Brooke and Brittany! Maddy LOVES playing with her cousins and they love playing with her. She is always begging me to take her to Naples...and she got SO mad at me yesterday for bringing her home that she told me, "I want to go live in the house with Aunt Cici and Uncle David and never with you and daddy in Tampa!" I thought I might not have to hear those kinds of things until she was a little older but no...we only made it to 2 and she already wants to move out:) We have had a fabulous couple of weeks off and we hope you have enjoyed the pictures.
There are a couple of adorable pics of Maddy's cousins...enjoy!

Happy Holidays

2008-12-28T19:44:00.003-05:00

We had a FABULOUS trip to Disney....so many stories, so many memories....put together a short video for you to enjoy. Thanks to everyone for making our holiday so special!

Taxi Driver and Singing Video

2008-12-21T10:33:00.003-05:00

It is almost time for Santa to come and Maddy is VERY excited. We are in the process of trying to figure out how to bribe her after he's gone:) He is a powerful man that motivates good choices!!! We are headed to Disney on Wednesday and she is super excited to see everyone. Memaw, Nini, Henry, Aunt Heidi, Alan, Cindy, David, Brooke, Brittany, Mickey, Santa, all the princesses...oh my it should be fun! Enjoy the picture and the video of her singing Jingle Bells. She has learned quite a few holiday songs but that one seems to be her favorite!

Tis' the Season

2008-12-15T17:27:00.004-05:00

Well it wouldn't be a holiday season if someone wasn't sick. Poor Maddy has been battling a cold and chest congestion for a week or so but she seems to be on the upswing! Better now than at Disney World in a week or so. I know the picture of her doing her breathing treatment is pretty pathetic but that is the reality of our last week...so that is what we have pictures of. She did get to sleep in the big bed and you can't really beat an elevated bed surrounded by pillows. She got the best sleep there, and therefore so did Mommy. Everyone wins:) Last week was C.O.L.D. (in the thirties...for all of you northerners laughing at me right now) and Maddy got to wear her new winter coat. She was adorable and thought it was very fun. We hope everyone is doing well. More pics to come.....have a great week!

Naples Visit

2008-12-07T18:42:00.009-05:00

Maddy and I went to Naples this weekend while Clint stayed in Tampa to catch up with a friend that flew into town from Indiana. We got there on Friday and had a delicious dinner with my mom...Memaw to Maddy....and the rest of the gang. Then we headed to my sister and David's house to begin play marathon, round 1. All the girls played hard until after 10:00...at which time it was time to go to bed (for Cindy and I at least). They all woke up early the next day and began play marathon, round 2. That continued through the day...with no napping of course...until it was time to go see my dad...Medad to Maddy.....for dinner. He brought some presents for Maddy and then treated us to dinner at Carrabba's (I have no clue how to spell it but I do know how to eat WAY TOO MUCH of their food). Once we got home from dinner, David built a fire in the fire pit and the little girls "roasted" marshmallows....which to 2 and 3 year olds, means eating them right out of the bag. Brooke did however roast hers correctly and enjoyed each one of them immensely. Bedtime was much earlier for Britt and Maddy that night...8:15....and you can guess who was right next to each of them:) This morning was another early riser and play marathon, round 3. It started at Cindy and David's house, where Maddy got to ride the Barbie Jeep with her Uncle David. She thought that was VERY cool. Then we went to Aunt Franny's house where Maddy got a couple of adorable outfits and lots of love from Fran, of course. Finally, we landed at Memaw's house again where the girls played for a couple more hours before it was time to head home. Maddy was putting all of the pine cones (that live in a basket at the base of my mom's stairs) into a plant...she told us she was "making the plant beautiful."
We had a blast and appreciate everyone's hospitality. Can't wait to see everyone again on the 24th for Christmas at Disney!
Enjoy the pics...I LOVE the one of her in the wig...classic!

Gobble Gobble

2008-11-30T07:47:00.007-05:00

We have had a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday. It started with a trip to see Gramma Nini and Grandpa Henry and it couldn't have been more fun. Maddy had turkey hands to make, a feather hat to create, pictures to color, pine cones to cover in glue glitter, dominoes to knock down, musical parades to be a part of, a museum with alligators, turtles, snakes, owls, etc. to visit, shell collecting on the beach....among many other things. Henry cooked an amazing turkey and Jeanine finished it off with the rest of the fixins:) We also went to Carl's 2nd birthday party and Maddy played like it was her party from the time we got there until the time we left. She also got to help Clint and I put Christmas lights up outside and the rest of the decorations in the house. She thought the stockings made great shoes! Today Aunt Alli and her parents are visiting and then I am taking her to the movie...which she says will be, "so cool and so much fun!" We will see how long she makes it!
I have tons of pictures from the weekend and have tried to choose some that you would enjoy. We hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well.
P.S. I have included a picture of our trip to see Santa...the picture describes it all:)

Still Cute:)

2008-11-23T09:25:00.004-05:00

It has been a great week again. Maddy got to dress in warm clothes and she thought that was pretty cool. She had a great week at school playing with her friends and making a book. Friday we went to Red Lobster and she loved looking in the tank at the lobsters. Last night we went to the new mall for the tree lighting, caroling and Santa Claus. It was awesome and she danced her heart out. We missed Santa but we are going to try again today. We are on our way to rollerblade, then the park to slide and swing and run around, before heading home for a much needed nap. She knows that Santa sees little girls who have taken great naps:) Everyone have a great Thanksgiving. We are headed to Daytona to see Nini and Henry and we couldn't be more excited. You KNOW I will have lots of pictures from that. Travel and eat safely:)

movie and princess shoes

2008-11-16T14:42:00.001-05:00

Madison is adorable. Last weekend I went to see Phantom of the Opera...as I mentioned in last week's blog. When I came out, she said..."Mommy, you look pretty. You look like a real princess!" It was so cute. Once she saw my shoes, she had to go get HER princess shoes and we modeled them for everyone to see. She walked around in those shoes for days...3 sizes too big and all. They start young don't they:)
I posted some cute video of her playing with Aunt Getta and if this video doesn't get you giggling, I don't know what will.
Have a great week. New pics will be posted later in the week.

Getting Ready for the Holidays

2008-11-08T15:56:00.006-05:00

Maddy realizes that Santa is coming to town soon and she is getting very excited. She called and talked to Santa on the phone today and told him she wants dress up clothes. She told him she has been a good girl all year...it was pretty cute! Thanks dad for your help with that:) We had a great week that was pretty uneventful; that is a fabulous change for us. Maddy enjoyed a long stroller ride at the park while Clint and I roller bladed and then some time at the park where she could swing and slide. Being outside is always fun for her, and therefore us as well. I am going to Phantom of the Opera tonight with Alli while Maddy stays home with her daddy. She got some mommy time last night while Clint went out with the guys.
We hope you all have a great week. Enjoy the pics.

Happy Halloween and Video

2008-11-01T17:08:00.013-04:00

Happy November and day after Halloween to everyone. We hope you had a fabulous trick or treat experience like we did. As you can see, Maddy enjoyed being Elmo for the day. She started the day in her Dora trick or treat shirt before putting her costume on and keeping it on for what seemed to be hours. She had a party at school with all of her friends and had tons of fun. I was glad I showed up to participate in the rationing of candy or she would surely be making an early trip to the dentist. After school, we went to Skip and Sheri's house where Maddy played with Gabe and Livy before heading out to trick or treat. She had so much fun. She said trick or treat to everyone and even put one candy back in the bowl when given two and said, "only one...thank you." She saw one of her best friends from school and was very excited! Today we went to the new mall in Wesley Chapel and it was amazing...we didn't buy anything but lunch but it is a fabulous option for shopping:) When we got home, there was a kitty cat at our house and she was SO excited. There is a picture of them playing in the mulch together below. There is also a three minute video of Maddy doing a combination of 2 year old things but I promised some footage and this is what I have. Sorry in advance for the change of viewing direction throughout the video. Hope you enjoy anyway. Have a great week:)

Back to Normal

2008-10-27T18:34:00.009-04:00

Things are back to normal in the Huff household and I have several cute pics to share with everyone. Maddy is in the process of potty training and doing quite well. She only had one accident at school today...in her new cute outfit..DUMB mommy to put her in a new outfit in the early stages of potty training. She is enjoying her newly cleaned playroom with pretty pink curtains to replace closet doors and boring white window valances. She is also geared up and ready for trick or treating on Friday night with Gabe and Livy. She isn't sure if she wants to be Elmo or a pumpkin, but since her favorite color is consistently red, we are guessing Elmo. Now that we are into Fall, she loves wearing her jacket with a hood and she insists on wearing it every time we take a dog walk....along with mommy and daddy wearing theirs too. I can only imagine what people are thinking and saying when they see us walking down the street:) I promise to have some video for you the next time I post; I know it has been awhile:(
Enjoy the pics and have a great week.

We Need a Break:)

2008-10-22T19:15:00.003-04:00

Well I haven't forgotten about the blog, it has just been a crazy couple of weeks for the Huff household. I managed to get released from the hospital as you all know from the previous post. I returned to work the next day and began to feel better as each day passed. I was glad because my sister and I had planned a fun trip for my mom's 60th birthday (sorry mom if you don't want people knowing your age..too late now;) ). She wanted to go to Epcot and the Animal Kingdom since she hadn't been in ages. We made reservations at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, right on the Savannah so we could see all the animals...it was gorgeous! We left on Saturday and Clint was staying home with Maddy for the weekend. Gramma Nini and Grampa Henry were coming over to spend some time with Miss Madison while I was away (Gramma Nini's birthday was Tuesday, so it was a nice present for everyone!) Well, my mom, my sister and I arrived in Orlando, checked into the hotel and were at the Animal Kingdom waiting in line to get a locker when my phone rang. It was Clint, telling me that he and Madison had just been in a car accident on the way home from swim lessons. He told me his car was totaled and asked me to call his mom and Henry to come pick him up. NEED I SAY MORE?!?!?!?! The bottom line is that everyone is okay. Clint's car is in fact totaled, he has major bruising (it looks like he is permanently wearing a seatbelt of all colors) and Madison is just fine. It scared her to pieces as you can imagine...all she kept saying was "daddy's car is broken." Getta, Henry and Jeanine got to the scene and took great care of Maddy and Clint. I will be forever grateful! Between hospital stays and car accidents, we are done with challenges for awhile. We know that it could be a lot worse and are forever grateful that everyone is okay on all accounts. Thanks to everyone for their well wishes. On a positive note, the trip with my mom and sister was great. We laughed a lot and walked a lot too. It was nice to be able to spend time together even in the midst of craziness. Maddy had a BLAST with Nini and Henry, as always. They played catch and slapjack and rode bikes, among a million other things! I don't have many pics because my mom took most of them on the trip and Jeanine took all of the ones from their visit here. I hope you enjoy the couple that are posted. One is from a previous Naples visit...I thought it was cute of my sister, my cousin and me. Have a great week. More pics to come:)

Pumpkin Fun

2008-10-12T15:08:00.003-04:00

Maddy went to the pumpkin patch today and had lots of fun. We intended to have her play with all the "gook" in the middle of the pumpkin, but she wanted no part. When we got done digging all the seeds out, we put them in the oven and baked them...YUM. Clint carved a fabulous face in the pumpkin and showed Maddy how it lights up with a candle. She thought that was pretty cool. She also had a little pumpkin that my mom bought her when she was up this week and we had fun drawing all over that one. She wanted mommy to help her draw circles on the pumpkin and Getta got a cute picture of our hands! Most of you know by now that I spent most of last week in the hospital and although I am still recovering, I am MUCH happier being at home with Clint and Maddy. Clint was AMAZING while I was gone and with the help of our family and great friends, the week went great for Maddy. She and her daddy are closer than ever and I think it is adorable. I hope everyone feels as lucky as I do to have an incredible husband as well as family and friends. THANK YOU EVERYONE! Enjoy the pics.

Maddy time

2008-10-05T16:39:00.006-04:00

Maddy time is fun all the time. This past week Maddy went to Getta's kickball game and perfected how to kick a ball and enjoyed very much digging in the dirt. She also discovered that she can fit her entire self in the dog's water bowl outside....and she spends a lot of time there. We've always heard it's the little things in life:)
She was working on a very special craft today and had some left over hearts. You can see she had no problem finding a place to put those, and she was PROUD of it!
This past week, CLint was changing her diaper and she reached up and hit him in the face (there was no real reason, other than she is two and did NOT want a new diaper) so Clint gave her a little swat on the hiney and she said, "be nice to my hiney daddy!" For all of you who gasped when you read that she got a swat on her hiney, look past it please and enjoy the humor in her comment. She was clearly okay:)
Again, there are tons of examples of her humor. We will try to catch some on video and post it for you next time. In the meantime, have a great week. Enjoy the little things!

Our Time in Naples

2008-09-28T17:04:00.004-04:00

We went to Naples this weekend to see my Aunt Fran and we had a great time. Heidi and TJ flew in from North Carolina of course and it is ALWAYS great to see them. TJ is 5 months old already and getting SO BIG. My sister brought the girls to my mom's house and we had a huge slumber party! We went to the playground, swam in the big pool, went to the water park, had a fabulous lunch with Medad and then headed home. Below are a couple of pics from the weekend. More to come.....Have a great week!

Fun with Gramma Nini and Grandpa Henry

2008-09-21T20:53:00.017-04:00

We went to Daytona on Saturday to visit Nini and Henry and we all had a blast. Maddy was an angel on the way over and stayed in great spirits for the remainder of the day (and night). We played at the house, went to the beach and visited a cool state park just around the corner from the house, where Maddy played on the playground and walked the boardwalk. She was busy all day long either being entertained and entertaining us. She is a master at both:) The visits to Daytona are always so much fun and they go by in a flash! We are looking forward to the October visit already. The rest of the weekend was productive but fun and now we are getting ready for the week ahead. We hope you all have a great week.

Funnier Every Day

2008-09-15T18:19:00.008-04:00

Maddy truly seems tog et funnier by the day. This whole two thing is quite entertaining. My "maddyisms" book is going to have a lot of entries by the time three rolls around. A couple of examples for those of you I don't talk to on a daily basis:) Sunday morning, Clint and I were taking our morning walk with Maddy and Cailin. Maddy was walking a couple of paces ahead of us so Clint told her red light...there is a car coming. So she stops (we celebrated that moment of listening as well) and watches the car pass. Only moments afterward she turns to her daddy, with her hand on her hip and says, "That's not a car daddy, that's a big truck!" (duh daddy) That same morning, we were on our way to Target for weekly grocery shopping and Madison is getting very frustrated with something in her car seat (a very normal occurance) and started grunting like an animal in heat. Clint says..."Maddy, didn't you just tell me this morning that you are a big girl now, not a baby anymore?" To which she replies, "yeah". Clint says to her, "then can you please use your big girl words to tell us what is wrong." she says, "yeah...this flip flop is making me VERY mad!" It was great. There are a million(it seems) examples of her little "Maditude" and I wish you could all hear them all the time:( THis past week, I had a major scare with the snake pictured below. I opened the garage and found the snake right behind my car...I didn't know at the time that it had JUST been hit by a car, so I freaked out for a moment and grabbed both Cailin and Madison. I quickly realized he was dead and then took pictures to share with all of you. You're welcome:) The pic of her with the adorable little boy is Carl. Carl's mom, Natalie, and I work together. Her son goes to baby school with Maddy and they are only 3 months apart. Can you say PLAYDATE? They had tons of fun and they were cute doing it! She and her Aunt Alli were playing dress up and Maddy was hammin- it up in front of the camera. Many of you will appreciate (or hate) the picture of her in the gator gear (oh yeah) and Dora umbrella...both thanks to the Marshall family....but we love it! Enjoy the pics and have a great week!

Hilarious story to go with the picture and TWO videos

2008-09-07T19:08:00.007-04:00

We have had another busy weekend, with swim lessons, birthday parties, football games, etc. Today I was attempting to put Maddy down for a nap and was getting NOWHERE . Sleep is definitely an area of parenting that I have failed miserably and it is a daily reminder each night and twice a day on weekends...it's awesome (and I am not undoing my wrongs by having another one...for anyone who is thinking maybe). Well after trying for 30 minutes to get her down and being unsuccessful, I came out...had a mini nervous breakdown...and decided on a random Sunday afternoon that I would let her "cry it out." So with 30 minutes of screaming and a thousand or more, "open the door" and "I want mommy" moments she finally stopped crying. Getta...who witnessed my meltdown and sat there quiet and still.. not knowing exactly WHAT to do...insisted that she go look under the door to see where she had fallen asleep. After having her wait a couple of minutes she went and looked and came back telling me she thought she was in her bed. So I decided to open the door..just to make sure... and this is what I found:) HILARIOUS!!!! I guess she thought I was going to come back and rock her (since I have for the last TWO years, I am such a sucker). Then I decided it wasn't safe for her to sleep there, for obvious reasons, so the second Clint walked in the door, which was only moments after she had fallen asleep (he missed the meltdown), I asked him to go in there and move her. He did, and she woke up 45 minutes later. All that for less than an hour....better than nothing. I am celebrating the small success:) Enjoy the video of Maddy in the bathtub and the one of her picking her nose, thinking it is so funny. They're pretty cute. Have a great week!

A Fantastic Long Weekend

2008-09-02T19:27:00.009-04:00

We had such a great weekend. We played lots of fun games at home on Saturday and Maddy even learned all about pressure washing...it was fun:) We went to Busch Gardens of course and it was beautiful and not crowded at all. She had lots of fun at a pool party on Monday and after tiring herself (or us rather) out at the pool she played on the playground until it was time for a nap...which she never took for the record:) I love that she wears my shoes b/c it is the only time my feet EVER look big. I'll take what I can get. Anyway, enjoy the pics. More to come. We have some great video from the other day too....look for that in the next blog (this weekend).
Hugs to everyone.

Keeps us Laughing

2008-08-25T06:30:00.006-04:00

Maddy continues to make us laugh all the time. I have started a book of "Maddy-isms" because I know I will never be able to remember all the hilarious things that come out of her mouth. Plus it gives me something to scrapbook next summer; when I have a little free time. We made it through our first week of work and managed to all catch and recover from colds...glad that is already out of the way...and we are already looking forward to a long weekend this upcoming weekend. Can you blame us:) I hope you enjoy the pics. Sorry for the brief dialogue but it is time to get ready for work. Have a great week.....more to come.

Off and Running

2008-08-16T11:31:00.011-04:00

We have been back to work for a week now but students start on Monday and then we are off and running. Of course more important than it being the first day of "real" school, it is Maddy's 2nd birthday and she is excited. She transitioned better than we ever thought she would into the preschool room and seems to love her new room/teachers and friends...thank goodness:) We are going to get cupcakes tomorrow to share with all of her friends at school...another reason for her to be excited. We went to Busch Gardens last weekend since they were still staying open late and we had a lot of fun! Madison has graduated to pull ups as she works on potty training both at home and school. She does LOVE going on the big girl potty and getting stickers for her sticker chart. SHe also loves sleeping through the night in her big girl bed to get a sticker too....and trust me, mom and dad love that more:)
Getta sent me the pics from Maddy's visit to camp this summer, so I am posting some pics from that as well as our most recent trip to Busch Gardens. We hope this blog finds everyone well and happy. I will be sure to post more as the week progresses!

The Countdown is On....

2008-08-08T07:18:00.007-04:00

This past week was our last week of vacation and we had a great time! It started with the dual birthday celebration for Brittany and Maddy and they both had fun. Maddy slept through the first part...as pictured below...but then she got up and realized it was her birthday party. She had fun opening her presents and playing with her cousins. We spent some time in my classroom this week and Maddy thought that was great:) One of my coworkers has a son two months younger than Maddy so they played together a bit one day...We also went to Kids Zone with Sarah and Morgaen and they had a blast. Morgaen said that she is Maddy's big sister, which works out perfectly, since Maddy won't ever have a blood sibling:) Yesterday she got her second haircut, and of course I took a picture while Clint laughed at me (what's new) because she has her two year old pictures today. Ms. Christy sent Maddy the most adorable dress for her birthday which will be perfect for pictures! Thanks Christy. Lastly, last night marked the FIRST night in a while that Maddy stayed in her big girl bed ALL NIGHT. We have been battling (for hours on end in the middle of the night) her staying in her own bed. We love her more than anything in the entire world but we are not okay with her sleeping in our bed, and that was a battle. We hope the trend continues...keep your fingers crossed for us PLEASE:)
Have a great week.

Nickelodeon and Seaworld Fun

2008-07-31T19:06:00.008-04:00

We have compiled a group of pictures and put them to a Dora song from her Musical Adventures Around the World cd...we hope you enjoy. For those of you that do not have video capabilities, one way or another:) I have included a couple of pics for you to see. We had a blast on our vacation and look forward to doing it again. Madison loved seeing Dora and singing a long with she and Boots at the sing-a-long. She got to help them find the big red chicken. You can imagine the comments Clint had about that one:) She also got to eat breakfast with Dora and Diego and Spongebob, which she figured out was really fun after a few minutes of uncertainty.
We also took her to Seaworld. She had been a couple of times before but does not remember...of course. She loved the dolphin and shark underwater exhibits and the kid zone too. She made it until 10 o'clock so she got to see the fireworks on our way out. Ever since 4th of July, she thinks those are pretty cool, and she is right! Clint and I are so grateful to be educators...not only because we get the summer to spend with her, but because we get a lot of great perks, like free entry into Seaworld and various other discounts, making trips like this possible. We know we can't get this time back so we are trying to make the best of each moment. They go by quickly!!!! Saturday is the dual birthday celebration for Maddy and Brittany (who turns 3 tomorrow). We decided not to do a party and have only a family celebration since there was so much other stuff going on. Maddy actually turns 2 on the 18th, which is the first day of school for students in our county. How awesome is that?!?!?! Not really obviously.
More pics to come. Enjoy the video!

Busy Busy Days

2008-07-29T08:59:00.005-04:00

We had such a fabulous weekend and are looking forward to our vacation today. We went to Naples and celebrated my Aunt Fran's birthday Friday night and had a shower for my cousin Heidi and her adorable little one TJ. A long time friend of the family, Tracey, was also in town with her son Duncan...who is almost 5 and super cute! We went swimming and mini golfing and to the water park and to the beach; it was all a lot of fun. We came home yesterday and we leave today for the Nickelodeon Hotel in Orlando. Maddy, Clint and I are going for 3 days as a last hoorah before summer is over. Maddy will get to meet Dora and Diego for the first time and she is VERY excited. We are also going to Seaworld and she is pretty pumped to see the dolphins too. It should be a great time! We hope you all had a great weekend. Enjoy the pictures.

Busy Days

2008-07-21T11:53:00.007-04:00

Last week was another busy week but lots of fun, of course:) Heidi and TJ came on Tuesday and we had an ice cream excursion in the rainstorm but it was still fun. She went to swim lessons with her daddy on Wednesday because I had a training and they both had a great time. That afternoon we took her to Kids Zone, an indoor place for toddlers to play play play. She loved it!!!! On Friday we headed to Naples to see everyone...Heidi, TJ, Fran, Cindy, Brooke, Brittany, David, Memaw, and Medad! As always, she wore herself out trying to keep up with the big kids but had more fun than ever. She showed everyone all of her "big pool" tricks on Friday...had lunch with Medad on Saturday before heading to the water park. Once we finished there, we headed to Memaw's house for an afternoon of playing, napping and eating. We had a fabulous dinner and then went home. We came back to Tampa on Sunday and rested a bit before going to Skipper's. Skipper's is an outdoor venue with live music...a place where Clint and I and many of our friends have spent a great deal of time. We were so excited to take Maddy there and as expected, she LOVED it. She danced and played for hours before it was time to go home. Enjoy the pictures of our adventures and have a great week.

Another Week Gone By...

2008-07-14T07:11:00.010-04:00

Another week of summer break has come and gone...I just wish we could hit pause! Maddy got to see her Aunt Cindy and cousins on Wednesday and they had lots of fun. Then we went to see gramma Nini and grandpa Henry and that was a success, as always. She wore herself out playing with all her toys and games and even realized that she loves popcorn. It was great....Jeanine put Maddy's chef hat on her, put the popcorn in the microwave and taught her to jump every time she heard a pop. So here we are jumping to the sound of popcorn, which is great all in itself, then it gets done and upon it cooling, Jeanine takes a piece out and hands it to Maddy. Maddy puts it in her mouth, chews it up well and says (with a sound of total surprise in her tone) "my like it!" We laughed so hard...those are the moments (and they happen all the time) that are priceless:) Heidi comes this week...my cousin not Clint's sister...although we would LOVE to see her too...and then we head to Naples on Friday. More pics to come. In the meantime, have a great week.

A Summer of Fun

2008-07-06T10:02:00.011-04:00

We were very busy having fun last week with visitors and friends and this week will be just as fun. Clint and I celebrated our 4th anniversary on Thursday and Alli was kind enough to come play with Maddy while we had a delicious dinner at Olive Garden, thanks to our gift card from my wonderful sister:) On Friday, we had our annual fourth of July celebration with an amazing fireworks display. Getta bought Clint a ton of mortars (not sure how to spell that exactly) for his upcoming birthday and he went and took advantage of a two for one deal from a local vendor down the street. Our friend Eric also contributed to the event and it was great. We weren't sure how Maddy would do with the noise factor, but she loved them. She was clapping and saying "good one daddy...more more" the whole time. We had lots of friends over and Evan and Rachel even came to play with Maddy. We went to the park to feed the ducks and play on the playground of course and yesterday we went to the zoo and the mall. She experienced the petting zoo for the first time and she loved it. She has a genuine love for animals that is fun to watch. We went to the mall to try and find Clint some good birthday presents but we were unsuccessful. Alli came with us and was a huge help, as always:) This week Maddy has swim lessons and I am hoping it goes a little better than the last time. She gets to go play with her friend Jocelyn on Monday, see her Aunt Cindy, Brooke and Brittany on Wednesday when my sister comes up to babysit...so we can go to the Dave Matthews concert (which falls on Clint's birthday) and she gets to go see her gramma Nini and grandpa Henry this weekend. We should have lots of pics to share next week. We hope you enjoy these and have a wonderful week!

Fun Times

2008-06-30T18:21:00.007-04:00

Madison had a great visit from her cousins Brooke and Brittany and her Aunt Cindy and Uncle David. She was feeling much better than the last time she saw them so it was a lot more enjoyable for everyone. Thursday afternoon the girls played inside because of the rain, but with Maddy's ever growing collection of toys, they had shortage of things to do. We went to Macaroni Grill for Brooke's birthday dinner and it was fabulous. We had them sing to Brooke, which she had never experienced, and she loved it! Friday we spent the day at Busch Gardens and it was a blast. It was David's first time there and Cindy had not been in years so it was exciting for her as well. All three girls had fun playing on all the rides and in the water until they could take no more. We came home and spent the evening in. Saturday we went to the park to feed the ducks and squirrels and play on all the slides, etc. Then we spent the afternoon at the aquarium. Madison tried to keep up with her big cousins but had to stay home and sleep that one out. Clint cooked again on Saturday night (he was the weekends chef....much like most nights in the Huff household) and it was great. Sunday the girls came and played before we headed to lunch before they went home. Maddy took a near 4 hour nap upon their departure....she needed it. She has been asking for them since they left but is slowly accepting the fact that they are back at home. Today Maddy had her first swim lesson and she loved it. Then we went to Circle F and she rode a horse all by herself, went kayaking, swam around the lake and played on the playground...all with her Aunt Getta and Rachel some too. She got to see Diana and lots of other people she hasn't seen in a while. I didn't have my camera (gasp!!!) but Getta took lots of pics so as soon as I get those from her, I will post them. In the meantime, enjoy the pics from the weekend!

Visit to and from Gramma Nini and Grandpa Henry

2008-06-24T12:43:00.009-04:00

Thanks to all of you who called and checked on Clint. He is finally feeling better but has a little ways to go. In the absence of daddy being able to play with Maddy, Jeanine came over to help out...thanks to her Memaw who also offered to help! Prior to Jeanine getting here, Getta came home from camp for a night and brought Madison lots of hugs and kisses and me a beautiful flower arrangement and 8 balloons (of course) to honor the loss of my grandmother 3 years ago. It was very thoughtful and we enjoyed sending our love to her last Wednesday. Maddy had lots of fun playing with her Aunt Getta and her Nini and Henry this week. She was full of laughs and smiles but definitely missed being able to play with and love on her daddy. We went to the local park and fed the ducks...which we do frequently and played lots of indoor games since it rained all weekend. Then we headed to Daytona yesterday and went to the beach. She had lots of fun playing in the ocean even though she was unsure of the big waves. Her grandpa Henry taught her how to play the flute and she enjoyed that. It still doesn't rank as high as the harmonica but she does love it. You can see her playing the harmonica in her new bikini that Olivia gave to her, and she is serious about it. I hope you enjoy the pictures. There will be lots more to come since Aunt Cindy, Uncle David and the kids are coming for the weekend. She is looking forward to having lots of fun with her cousins. Have a great week.

Movie with Music

2008-06-22T14:20:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Clint's persistence and hard work, we have a video of Maddy's trip to Indiana. There are pictures of her from each step of the way. Now that he has figured it out, we will try to put more clips together to share! Enjoy....more pictures to come later.

Big Jet and Harmonica Video

2008-06-17T07:13:00.012-04:00

Maddy has been on her first big jet and big vacation and we could not have asked for a better little girl. She didn't make a peep on either flight (even with a 5 hour wait in the airport on the way home...tornadoes) and was amazingly well behaved each day. We spent the first couple of days in Indianapolis, where Aunt Heidi lives. We saw her adorable apartment, the upscale coffee shop she runs and spent time with her better half, Allen. Heidi took Maddy to a local park with a water area and that was very fun for all of us. On Friday we met Dave and his niece Kennedy at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. That place is amazing and Maddy found exciting things to do on every floor. Clint and I wish we could bring it to Tampa...along with Aunt Heidi too of course:) On Saturday we headed to Bremen and although Aunt Heidi was worried about what she was going to do in the backseat with Maddy (if she started crying), we made the almost 3 hour trip without incident. We got to Bremen and went straight to Grandpa Don's house. Madison gave him a quick hello and was off to see the dog and play on the hill...a foreign site to a native Floridian! We went and had lunch with Jane, Don and great grandpa Lou before heading to the hotel for a nap. After attempting to nap, unsuccessfully, we went to Aunt Betty and Uncle Rich's new house for dinner. This experience for Maddy was equivalent to that of a story book coming alive. They live on a lot of land and have more than a dozen horses, a couple of cute dogs, a pond with fish to feed and across the street where great grandpa Lou lives, there were cows and cats to see too. She was in heaven!!! She had lots of room to play hide and seek inside and a couple of fun toys given to her by Nikki and Betty. It is nice that she and her great grandpa got to spend some time together.
Father's Day was our last day in Bremen and Clint, Heidi, Don, Maddy and I went to breakfast and it was nice....once I got past the fact that smoking is still allowed in restaurants up there! She went back to grandpa Don's house and played for a while more before heading back to Indianapolis! Outside of the delay on our way home, the trip was amazing. It was so great to see everyone and have them meet or see Maddy again. We look forward to doing it again:) Enjoy the pictures and make sure you watch the video of Maddy playing the harmonica. It is what she got Clint for Father's Day....I am not sure who is better:)

Sorry its been so long

2008-06-11T09:57:00.009-04:00

We have had a busy week and a half! Maddy and I went to Naples and stayed at hotel Memaw:) My mom was in the Keys until Sunday night so Cindy, the girls and I set up camp at her place. It was convenient since Aunt Fran lives a mile away and that is where Heidi was staying with the newest addition TJ. He is ADORABLE!!!!! Heidi is great with him and Franny couldn't be a more proud Nana. They have both waited a long time (and Mike too) to have TJ be with us and he was worth the wait. Even though Maddy was battling innumerable illnesses, she made it through the weekend playing with all of her cousins. Aunt Fran made dinner on Sunday night and let all the kids make their own sundaes. That was a huge hit with not only the kids but the adults as well. I think there was a contest between Maddy and I to see who could eat the most sprinkles; she gets it honest:) Monday morning we were supposed to have breakfast with Medad but b/c Maddy was under the weather, he came to Memaw's house to see all the kiddos. As always, it was great to see him! Thanks again mom for sharing your space with us and making everyone breakfast Monday morning! We leave tomorrow morning to go on a "big jet" as Maddy calls it to see Clint's family and our long time friend Dave. We are hopeful that the flight will go well and that she will be in good spirits for her family in Indiana. I am sure there will be a lot of pictures to share upon our return next week. We hope you all have a great week.

Early Birthday Fun

2008-06-01T07:23:00.009-04:00

Even though Madison doesn't turn 2 for two months, her Memaw bought her a new kitchen to start enjoying now. She loves it and even called her Memaw to say thank you. She loves to talk on the phone....as long as it is on her terms of course:) She thinks the blender is tons of fun and finds enjoyment in all areas of her kitchen. Thanks mom! We went to the aquarium last week and that is where the pics of her in her red bathing suit come from. She had fun playing in the water, as usual, but was very cooperative when it was time to go home. I think the picture of her with her pigtails makes her look so grown up. There are moments when I just want to hit pause...then she has a tantrum and I want to fast forward:) We are headed to Busch Gardens today and that is always fun! This is her last week of full time school until August...woo hoo. We have a very busy summer planned with lots of visits to and from friends and relatives. It should make for some great blogs. There is also a video below of Maddy and daddy playing with match box cars...the end is great...hope you can hear it well. We talk about all the sounds animals make and then I ask her what daddy says and she starts snoring:) It is priceless! Good thing Clint is a good sport about things! Have a great week.

Are You Kidding Me?

2008-05-26T10:32:00.006-04:00

Happy Memorial Day to all! Hopefully everyone is getting a much deserved day of rest! We went to Naples this weekend and fortunately our family members love us unconditionally! We went to the water park and it was amazing. I don't know who had the most fun, but I think I come close to the top of the list. Madison had tons of fun with her Memaw, Aunt Cindy, daddy, Julie and cousins and was very tired afterward. She took a good nap before having dinner with Mimi and Meded but wasn't in the best mood at dinner. She got some fun toys from them and she loves them a lot, of course:) I realized when we got home that she had gotten a little sunburn on her back (that's right, I am mom of the year) and she was a little feverish b/c of it! She had a rough night of trying to sleep that night but we made it! As if being sunburned isn't enough, she is also getting some teeth....uugghhh! I really don't understand why they have to go through this pain and agony, just to lose them in a few short years! Some things just don't make ANY sense. I had to put the picture of her in her hat since she loks so thrilled:) She'll love me for that one later!
Anyway, we have had a busy and fun weekend and we are VERY excited for summer. Only 7 more days of school (who's counting) and then a fun filled, packed summer is upon us. Lots of pics to come for sure.

Can You Say Temper Tantrum?

2008-05-18T14:16:00.003-04:00

I love that I have so many pictures to choose from because when we have had a week like this last one, I have options for pictures with smiling faces rather than
pictures of her face down slamming her feet and fists into the carpet...or even ones of her throwing objects as far and as hard as possible in no particular direction. We have officially entered the "Maddytude" Zone and she seems to enjoy it. All I have to say is the red in her hair is real and the temper that comes with it is undeniable. For all you parents out there, how many times have you questioned whether or not a demon has manifested itself inside your child's body? There were a couple of times this week that Clint and I just stood back, looked at one another, and waited for our sweet Maddy to come back to us; and she always did:) She shares her 21 month birthday today with her Meedad's (my dad) 60th birthday celebration. I am hoping he recovers by the time Maddy turns 2:) We hope you all had a great week/weekend. I will post more soon.

Busy Busy Week

2008-05-11T10:20:00.010-04:00

Maddy had such a busy week!! She got to go to the aquarium with just her daddy and she had lots of fun! He even got pictures of her having fun in the play area; props to daddy. She also got to see Murray and Luis a couple of times and played in the pool with her Aunt Getta...I have some cute pics of that but Getta doesn't like pictures of herself...crazy girl! She went and played with Gabriel and Olivia and then went to Relay for Life walk to support some of my coworkers that are cancer survivors! She loved the long jump pit...it was a sandbox just for her:) Then we went over to see Nini and Henry. She had been asking for them for TWO STRAIGHT WEEKS. She was so excited to go on the boat and she loved every second of it...even wearing her "magic jacket." Jeanine figured she might fall asleep on the boat and I would have bet against her! I would have lost that bet. In the picture of her in my arms below, she is SOUND ASLEEP. The fact that she fell asleep was crazy enough but the fact that she stayed asleep with all the boat traffic was more amazing. She got herself a 45 minute power nap and was ready for round 2. We got home and she immediately played on her bike. She couldn't reach the peddles but she could make the horn work and that was good enough for her. She also went fishing in her pool and played golf in the backyard. There is never a shortage of things to do with gramma Nini and grandpa Henry. At the end of the day she fell asleep in the highchair and again in my arms while I was eating dinner. She is still recovering from her busy week today but will succeed and enjoy another fun filled week! Happy Mother's Day to any who read the blog today:)

Camp Fun and Video

2008-05-04T08:19:00.005-04:00

Maddy went to camp this weekend and had lots of fun playing with the horses...she calls them "nay nay's"...seems appropriate. She got to see Jay Jay and Murray and had lots of fun showing them how cute she is. She did a great job of driving her first golf cart too. She seemed to enjoy going left a lot but we had a safe journey around camp. She has also discovered the sprinkler in the back yard and LOVES running though it...as well as the hose. It's the little things in life you know:) Enjoy your week...more to come. We are going to visit Henry and Nini next weekend and she is very excited to go in the boat!!! After looking at this blog, I think I should have titled it Go Green. That seems to be a big push these days, which is a great thing and there is A LOT of green in this post. Anyway, have a great week and enjoy the video!

A Collage of Pictures to See

2008-04-26T17:02:00.006-04:00

Here are some pics of Maddy's first trip to Busch Gardens. She had tons of fun and so did we! The moment when she had to drive the car alone was tough for me. She is getting big way too fast. SHe also discovered how cute she is this week. She now loves pigtails or one pony tail and has to admire herself in the mirror. It is pretty funny. Hope you all had a great week. More to come.

Pool Fun Video

2008-04-19T10:13:00.006-04:00

Well Maddy is finally done with her breathing treatments and is feeling much better:) She had a great week at school with her friends and is enjoying her weekend so far. We are taking her to Busch Gardens tomorrow so I will have a lot of fun pictures to share. Enjoy these [ics and video of her in the pool!

2008-04-14T17:19:00.006-04:00

Well it is Monday and I am finally getting to the blog. We went back to work and school today and everyone survived:) Maddy is finally feeling better after her breathing treatments. She is still getting them periodically to help with her internal rattle. Clint went to a music festival this weekend and Maddy and I went to Naples to see her aunt/cousins/memaw/uncle...she loved the pool. Oh my goodness, she has ABSOLUTELY NO FEAR of sinking whatsoever.....WOW! I have taught a lot of swim lessons in my days and have never seen such comfort in the water. It is a little scary actually:) In addition to Maddy loving the water, she loves to climb too. She is officially out of her crib and in the big girl bed. She does very well and has only fallen out twice...we rigged it to help prevent that from happening. She is growing up before our eyes, and getting more ornery by the SECOND. Needless to say, she keeps us on our toes whenever she is awake but we are loving it all. The curiosity and innocence of a child is priceless.

More to come...

2008-04-14T14:21:00.002-04:00

For those of you waiting patiently for more pics...I apologize for not having any yet. I promise to upload tonight with some new photos of the little one.