The Little People Nativity

Maya loves her Fisher Price Little People toys. She has the farm and the circus. We saw some holiday Little People sets on Toys R Us while shopping for Christms gifts and they are all so cute. We ordered a set that was a Christmas town and didn't like it very well so I took it back and then ordered the nativity set. OH MY! This little set is too, too cute! We wrapped it and put it under the tree (it was the only thing under there) and let her open it. She goes to it first thing in the morning to play. We have a little Christmas nativity pop up book that she has been reading for about a month. Now she has a nativity set that she can play with while we read the book. I see this being a great toy for many Christmas' to come.

Christmas Crafts

Julie (Tess's Mommy) posted the beautiful "O Holy Night" pictures that she created for the holidays. What a great idea! In the fun tradition of a "challenge", she asked for other folks to post their crafty Christmas decoration creations. So here is mine.
A few years ago a ordered a book of Christmas recipes/decorations/gifts etc. My favorite idea in the book was these ornaments. They are made of a ball of foil with paper mache over it to make the shape of the face. I never dreamed that they would turn out they way they did since I'm not all that crafty and am certainly not a painter. I made more than 20 and gave them out as gifts. These are a few of the ones that I kept.
This is my favorite Santa in action (if you call hanging on a tree "action" LOL)

Just When You Thought it Couldn't Get Worse

Poor pitiful Fisher! He had to get his ear stitched up again after the vet took the stitches out from the hematoma surgery. The incision wasn't healing and it was nasty! He'll have these stitches in for 3 weeks. Only one more week to go.

The girl loves a straw. Maya is a camel. She doesn't drink much at all throughout the day. She drinks a 7-8 oz cup of milk in the morning and I still give her an 8 oz bottle at night. But, if I give her a drink in a cup with a straw, she will drink at least some of it. If I put something in a sippy cup, forget it.

And now you see why I keep a hair clasp or a pony tail in her hair.

Yet another cup with a straw...and Maya's BFF Jennifer. She loves this doll. She reads her books. She sits with her to watch Sesame Street. She sits Jennifer on her lap on the potty and enjoys a ride to visit Grandma and Grandad with her side by side.

Maya loved the pool at the hotel. It was pretty cold but that didn't stop us from swimming. I don't know what would keep our little fish out of the water.

Grandma warmed Maya up after our swim.

She had to give equal lap time to Grandad. She did enjoy holding Grandad's hand while walking around the hotel and after dinner. She has been on a big hand holding kick lately. She reaches out her little hand and says "han". But she wants to hold yours not for you to hold hers. There's that hair in her face again.

The shirt says it all!

Veterans Day

I'll just say this. Thank you to our veterans and those currently serving in our countries armed forces. I am a lover not a fighter but this is the day to remember those who are/were fighters for our country and I do appreciate that.
Maya and I took fall flowers to the cemetery last week for my Dad and Grandparents. This old faded flag was lying at my Grandmother and Grandfathers plots and she thought it was a great toy.

We went to the Shrine Circus on Sunday with the Rasberrys. Maya had a great time and was a very good girl especially considering how long it was. She had a good time with Lauren and ate lots of popcorn.

Who knew that Maya would enjoy wearing this cheetah mask. Well, she does and she will put it on then pull it up and wear it as a hat. Cute huh? Even under the mask.

Just had to get some pics of our beauty with the fall display on the front patio before everything was wilted and dead. I almost waited too long.

This was the first time we have been outside with a hat on since our first few days home from China. Maya was saying "hat" and pulling the top off of the jack-o-lantern.

This is our neighbor, Monnie. She is the girl with the green thumb. Monnie has the beautiful yard with the flowers that we use for our wildflower pics in the spring and summer. Maya loves Monnie and will take her hand and walk right over to her house without even looking back. This may not sound like a big deal but if you know Maya, you know that it's a very big deal.

Maya is a helper. Ok, maybe that's an understatement. She has to get her little hands in to anything we are doing. It doesn't matter what. She says "help" and will just grab whatever so she can "help" with it. Here, she is "helping" her Daddy with a manicure. His nails have never looked better.

Oh! How we love this beautiful angel!!

Halloween Revisited

Sickness has been abounding around here since Halloween day thus the lack of posts. So, I thought I would go back a week or so and catch you all up.
On Monday night (last week) we carved our big pumpkin and Maya helped color a face on a couple of small ones. Tuesday was the big Trick or Treat night. We packed Maya up in the wagon and pulled her around the neighborhood. She was a trooper and we're still eating her candy.

Our weekly visit to Busy Boppers brought much joy to Maya because her friend Emma came for the first time. The girls had a great time even though it was only the two of them.