Busy Times

So it's been a WHILE since we've posted, and there's SO much to show you! First of all, check out this outfit (Daddy picked it).

Doesn't it look like it should be in polyester? ;)

Now it REALLY looks like the '70's!

Mattaya LOVES when we set her on the exercise ball and bounce her.

Can you tell that Daddy put the hat on?
(It's backwards.)

Tobias and Mattaya are learning how to share....

(And Amy and Mommy are learning which toys to hide!)

There are certain things that Mattaya is allowed to pull out of the cupboards, and this pot lid/hand mirror is one of them.

Weighing her options.....

"Toys, DVD player, Toys, DVD player..."

"The fish was THIS BIG; and when I pulled him out, he stuck his tongue out at me!"

A fun ride.

Mattaya often runs up to this chair at Gramma Julie's house and asks to go for a spin.

Walking outside with Gramma Julie.

I don't think there have been too many years that we've been able to walk COATLESS outside in mid-October!

Great-Gramma Catherine made this very big bear for all of her grandkids (we each got one), and now Mattaya is enjoying it. It weighs about as much as she does, but she insists on lugging it around. When she tires of that, she drops it on the floor and belly-flops on it.

After Gramma Julie had back surgery, Mommy and Mattaya spent quite a bit of time at Gramma's house helping out. Actually, while Mommy was running around trying to be helpful, Mattaya got creative in her mess-making.

She may be a mess, but she's a darn cute one!

(In my humble, unbiased opinion, of course.) ;)

Mattaya usually eats lunch during the sermon on Sundays.

We stopped by The View to celebrate Grampa Lee and Gramma Cate's 60th Wedding Anniversary.

Giving Carol Burnett a run for her money.

(Remember her Tarzan routine? Don't make me feel old now--she was before my time, too.)

We made some quick stops on Oct. 31 to show off our costume (which we bought early and was too small). Here we are at Gramma Mabel's where the little monkey started to break things (lots of glass and ceramic items at eye-level in that house).

Riding the elevator up to see Grampa Leander and Gramma Catherine.

Captain Jack Sparrow meets Curious George.

She didn't need to receive any candy because the costume came equipped with a felt banana.

Grampa Dave and Gramma Julie gave the monkey a toy instead of candy.

The Pumpkins.

Daddy's home, and this little girl is ready to have some SERIOUS fun (in spite of the fact that she had a super-nasty cold).

Daddy is the resident "growling tickle monster".

Running back for Round 2.

And this was a rousing game of "put the pillow on the baby and listen to her giggle hysterically."

And, of course, there were frequent breaks to catch the green stuff forever flowing from her face.

Poor girl was all played out.

Grampa Dave has done some babysitting while Gramma Julie has been out of commission. Mattaya was still feeling pretty rotten here. She wouldn't play; she would only read.

And read and read.

"Can you believe my parents have me taking out my own trash?!"

"First I take a good sniff and kiss it good-bye."

"Then out the door we go."

Still feeling miserable.

But as you can plainly see, it didn't keep her from fulfilling her civic duty.

Debuting some new PJ's.

She looks like a giant Peep.

So one day our friend Joy (in Colorado) e-mailed and mentioned they were expecting their first major snow. So I, reveling in our very mild fall, wrote back that I pitied them because of their early winter. The next day, this was the view from our front door.

The snow really stuck around. Matt was convinced that it was going to stay until spring. Silly man. ;) It has since melted.

Matt's really good about keeping our driveway clear. He was very proud of this drift/embankment he made because it kept more snow from blowing in.

This was a going-away gathering.

Vince got his green van stuck in the snow in the street.

So Randy (who was one of the going-away family) took the camera out to get some pictures of the stuck van but came back with a bunch of pictures of all these weirdos.

[Matt, James, Randy]

Going-Away-Randy and Soon-To-Be-Married-Josh.

And this is Vince, the manly-man who plays "baby" with his boys.

Basket o' junk.
Mattaya often accompanies me down to the laundry room where there are no toys. There are no toys, but there is a basket full of White Elephant JUNK that she drags all over the basement.

You didn't think she was kidding about having to take out her own trash, did you? ;)

Well, Daddy does help.

While she was sleeping, Daddy turned her Pack N Play into a ball pit.

"It's just way too early for this."

"Oooo, this is kind of fun."

"This is LOTS of fun!"

The whole first day, she didn't throw even one ball out. Matt and I were thinking, "Whew--no regrets on this toy." Nevermind. Day 2 revealed the second best way to play with the ball pit: dropping balls one by one onto the floor.

Monkey see, monkey do.

Remember The Stash (the PILE of candy at Gramma Julie's)? Whilst I was at a wedding rehearsal, Gramma and Daddy let Mattaya have a KitKat bar.

"Should I really be eating this?"

"Yes, I SHOULD be eating this! I should be eating this EVERY DAY!"

"Hey, I'm running out of candy bar here."

"I need more candy!"

And an addict is born.

"I LOOOOOVE CHOCOLATE!"

And then Josh and Angela got married.