Piano Lessons

Ethan always has to be a part of everything. So when Daddy is playing the piano...so is Ethan:

Madeline and Her Guitar

The other morning when we were hanging out in the family room, Madeline wanted to "play" her guitar. I let her play with it and tried to show her the correct way to hold it. She kept correcting me and would lay it flat on her lap. Fortunately, Brad Paisley was coming on Good Morning America!. As soon as the band came on and started playing, she corrected the way she was holding the guitar and started playing with the band. It was so cute!
Ethan loves listening to her play! He just stood there laughing and cheering.

Sorpresas

5/20/09
On Wednesday, our Mom's group went to this new place that just opened called Sorpresas. It's a place that a lady started to "celebrate the fine arts." I'm considering signing Madeline up for a class, but I'm still debating waiting until she's 3. Anyway, here's pictures from our visit:

Here is Madeline outside playing on the pirate ship. This was perfect because for quite some time now, she loves pretending to be a pirate.
Climbing on the horse swing:

Then we went inside when it was our turn for a mini-class. In this picture Madeline is marching to some music.

You can't see it too well, but Madeline is looking at a painting by Picasso (I think...I was chasing an 8 month old, so couldn't listen too well).

Ethan loved these tubes the lady had:

After talking about the Picasso painting, they sat down at table to make their own art using shapes (since the painting they looked at had lots of shapes in it):

I'll have to put a bigger copy of this picture up because it's too funny! The lady is helping Madeline hold the glue, and Madeline is squeezing it for dear life!

Working on her piece of art, concentrating...she just loves working on crafts.

Friend, Owen, working on his. Owen is a bit of a minimalist:

"Do we have to listen to her talk again?"

"I'll just play pirate some more."

Craziness at the Harkins': The SuperBaby video

5/12/09

We picked up another booster seat for Ethan and I had it set up in the kitchen for his snack, but Madeline wanted to check it out to make sure it was OK for him. So she sat down and started eating his snack, a blueberry muffin. Anyway, I don't know who was wound up more, but Madeline started saying/singing "SuperBaby." something she got from Max and Ruby, and Ethan got the biggest kick out of it.

Smiles

I think the best way to describe Ethan is with one word...smiles.

He's not smiling in this picture, but it probably explains the smile in the previous picture...he knew he was up to no good!

His favorite thing in the world...the swing.

He was helping Daddy play the piano and thought it was so funny.

Can't forget our little princess.

Madeline's 1st Tea Party

Shortly after we moved here we became friends with a guy Doug worked with, Jason, and his wife (Jasmine) and 2 kids (Robert,4 and Jenis, 3). Jason is currently overseas on a one year tour of duty. Madeline and Jenis are 6 moths apart in age, so they have made great playmates!
Jenis invited Madeline over the other day for a tea party!! I was SO excited!!! My little girl going to a tea party?!?!?! Too many dresses to pick from!
When we got there, they started by making cookies. Well, actually the cookie dough was already prepared. They just (attempted to) used cookie cutters to make shapes out of the dough. Here they are working together (or sharing germs...whatever you want to call it)
The hard part...waiting. Not sure what Madeline was saying here, but she was probably telling Jenis which one is "mine."

While the cookies were baking we went upstairs to put on some jewelry. Madeline found a beautiful necklace and bracelet. Of course all you probably see in this picture is our daughter playing the drums!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She loves the drums a little too much. My cousin Nathan says she's starting at the perfect age. I'm not sure what Nate is implying, but there will not be a drum set in our house! (unless she asks of course :) )

I'm sure when Ethan is older he won't want to be reminded that he attended a tea party, so we'll just tell him he was there as the bodyguard. Robert was at school while we were visiting, but my kids were quick to play with everything in his room, especially the drums and the trains. Ethan LOVED watching the electric train go around the track. Every time the train would get close he would grab it and put it right in his mouth. I would take it away, put it back on the tracks, then he would grab it again when it came around. He sure makes me laugh.

Posing for a picture. Notice the drum sticks in Madeline's hand!!

Choosing their plate and saucer. Guests first!

Madeline needed quite a bit of help pouring the (sweet iced) tea. She thought it was like a watering can where you just pour until it's empty.

Time for the delicious cookies!

She loved the tea! Madeline brought her purse from home and when it was time to drink the tea she wanted to wear her purse.
Not sure what she was doing here, but the picture cracks me up! Not sure where she gets her girliness from!

Poor Ethan, he just hung out in the bouncer, on the floor, or stood at the table to watch us eat and drink stuff and can't have yet. He had a great time though!

Madeline and Jenis were singing their ABC's together, but by the time I got the camera out, just Jenis was singing and Madeline was dancing. Madeline was too busy eating her lemon to sing.

Musical Moments

Madeline has been fascinated with the flute recently. She would go around the house pretending to play her imaginary flute....sometimes using another object, sometimes just using the air. While we at Target the other day they had recorders for 2 bucks, so I couldn't resist. We picked one up for her and one up for Aunt Mary. Madeline picked out the colors. I told her she had to wait til Easter to play it because that's when Aunt Mary would get hers. But of course, we weren't home very long before Madeline was going around the house pretending to play her flute again, so I caved (this tends to happen a lot). I gave her her recorder and she was in heaven! When Daddy got home from work she wanted to play a song with him...