On the Ball in October

Here's my attempt (again) to get on top of (and stay on top of) blogging. I'd really like to do it more often for a variety of reasons: (1)it will be a smaller block of time to carve out to post a few photos rather an a million, (2)I will actually REMEMBER what is going on in the photos, and (3)people will actually have more of a clue about what's going on in the PRESENT rather than what WAS going on a month or two ago. ;) So here's what the first half of October looked like for us:

"This feels yucky in my mouth."

First taste of chicken.

"Now THIS is yummy."

(She got the rice part of the chicken and rice.)

While at the commissary, Mattaya asked if she could have a little pumpkin. Oh, sure, why not. It's not like it's candy. They became fast friends. Little Pumpkin was a he, and he was quickly given the name "Pumpkin Patch". She kept a running conversation with the little gourd and introduced him to everyone we met.

One day, we decided to PAINT Pumpkin Patch.

Yup--barely started and she already had green paint in her hair. :)

She took this very seriously and was concentrating very hard. She took her time and was very particular about how she mixed the colors.

Assessing the breakfast sausage.

Given the stance, I was a little concerned she was about to use the pumpkin as a potty. ;)

This was the first year for this particular pumpkin patch, and we thought they did a fabulous job. Mattaya had a BLAST, and Makenna was very cooperative. Going with good friends also made the experience enjoyable.

Sisters!

Makenna and Analise

Mattaya LOVED climbing and sliding in this stack of hay bales.

Daddy tried to tuck in her shirt to keep the hay out of her pants.

There was a mini hay bale maze for the little ones. Of course, our daughter has no concept of rules and just CLIMBED OVER every obstacle between Point A and Point B.

And then it was on to the corn maze. We were quite the herd. Matt, Karisa, Mattaya, Makenna, Julie, Micah, Keaton, Valerie, Angela, Analise, double jogging stroller, and a regular stroller.

We were soon lost. After about 30 minutes, we were passing by food the kids had dropped and realized we were retracing our steps.

So we hung out and sent the boys ahead to figure it out (which was much faster without the strollers and such).

The kids did SO WELL given the fact that we were in the maze for well over an hour.

The girls got to rotate which strollers they rode/ate/played in. It was a good time. ;)

Munchkin kitchen is open for breakfast!

Pouty little princess.

Thanks for the dress, Grampa Gary & Gramma Pam!

She was a little out of sorts. Just awake from nap and on our way out the door for lunch. :)

As close as we could get to a smile. We should have taken the camera to the restaurant--all kinds of happy grins there, tasting so many different kinds of foods!

We're STILL having nice weather and trying to take advantage of it as much as we can.

Mattaya loves to have a picnic with her snack. :)

"And I get to eat the crumbs she drops."

She calls this her "garden". In her mind, the tools are flowers that she planted in the bucket of sand (which is potting soil, of course). Not sure what the goofy face is about, but it makes me laugh. :)

Standing on a step stool trying to reach the balloon.

Feeling a little dejected that she couldn't reach it.

(No worries--I did go help her after I got the picture.)

Mattaya has become interested in "eftasizing" (exercising). This is how she does push-ups with Daddy.

I think even I would enjoy push-ups like THAT! ;)

"Hmmmm, which toys to choose..."

Heeeeeeere fishy fishy fishy fishy!

New cozy jammies from Grampa Gary and Gramma Pam!

Matt's first stab at Tri-tip. It came out really nice! Flavorful AND juicy!

My beautiful husband allowed me to take a day off and go shopping with the ladies out of town. Before we were even out of city limits, he smashes my baby's face with a piano bench. ;) Not really. She kind of fell backward and pulled it down upon herself in the process. Swollen purplish eye and a little scuff on her swollen nose.

While I was gone, I found new snow pants and mittens and boots for Mattaya. She was so excited to put them on and immediately exclaimed, "I ready to go SNOWING." She was pretty sure that putting on these garments would magically mean that there was snow outside. Reality was a little hard to grasp that morning.

Pretty sure this was my first attempt at homemade bread in a decade. It was a Honey Whole Wheat. Excellent flavor. I started to run close on time by the end, though, and wasn't so careful about my rolling out process...hence the funny-shaped loaves. The one that looks like a butt did give us a little chuckle. ;)

V is for "vine".

We're nearing the end of the alphabet!

Now Mattaya is doing push-ups and the bear is along for the ride!

Now Mattaya is the camel, and the bear is Jonah (delivering a message from the Lord, of course).

This day Mattaya had asked to make blueberry muffins. In the process of making them, she became distracted by two of Daddy's little tomatoes sitting on the counter: a little one (Bob) and a little big bigger one (Bob's mom). As is typical of Mattaya, she began conversing with and mothering Bob: "Bob, you have to be patient while Mommy is making muffins. Be careful--no jumping off the counter. You can get hurt." She also kept telling me that she was going to take a bite, and I told her it was fine. Eventually she asked me to cut him up. Not wanting this to result in hysterical tears, I verified, "You want me to cut Bob up into little pieces so you can eat him?" Her response: "Yes. You cut him. I will eat him." So I cut him. She ate him. And offered some pieces of Bob to his mother who she began referring to as Larry. :) And to further confirm our love for VeggieTales, before the vegetable scene, she was helping me stir the blueberries into the muffin batter. She informed me these were Madame Blueberries and proceeded to sing, "I so blue-hoo-hoo, blue-hoo-hoo, blue-hoo-hoo-HOOOO. I show blue I dadada do!" This girl makes me laugh. I love my life. :)

Special treat for snack. Sometimes if she's hungry after nap, we'll have a snack together. This day we sneaked some of Daddy's favorite granola cereal. Mmmmmm!

I was TRYING to get a picture of these girls in their matching outfits from Aunt Marlys, but there was just no cooperation. So here you have Makenna.

And here you have Mattaya.

And here you have Makenna trying to wrestle free from Mattaya's embrace and Mattaya thoroughly enjoying the fact that she had permission to try to pin Makenna down. :)

At lunch Matt pulled up a crazy drumming video online, and Mattaya was getting into the music and shaking her booty. ;)

And the best news of all, which we received JUST YESTERDAY: Makenna is all done with her nightbar! She saw the podiatrist this morning, and he was so giddy about her progress--just amazed at how well her feet have corrected. He did mention that she may need orthotics in the future for her flexible arch, but for the time being, she's GREAT! We thank all of you who have been praying for her, and we thank our great God Who has healed her. :)