The Power of Barney

Stella has never been much of a TV watcher. However, lately she has been captivated by Barney. Thankfully Barney allows Mom to shower in peace.

Say Cheese!

Markers Gone Wild

This morning Stella was quietly coloring with markers on her art easel.

Thanksgiving Cooking with Grandma!

Stella busted out her own apron and got busy in the kitchen cooking with Grandma on Thanksgiving! And where was Maia during all of this?


Unfortunately Maia wasn't feeling very festive and was asleep on Daddy most of the day....which Daddy enjoyed because he watched football ALL day :)

And they say it never snows in Seattle

Winter is here!

With super cold temperatures and even some snow today, it's officially Winter in Seattle. Yesterday was cold but beautiful so we bundled up the girls for a wagon ride and Maia tested out her walking skills on the sidewalk.

Keeping up with her Sister

Maia is doing a great job keeping up with her big sister Stella. When we were in Hawaii for her 1st birthday she started to take a couple of steps. She is now walking all over the place. She's taken lots of falls and she's trying to learn to balance, but she is doing great.

Happy Halloween

The girls had a very Happy Halloween weekend. They attended a party at the Community Center on Friday night and had some friends over for dinner and trick-or-treating on Halloween. Stella loved trick-or-treating....although we did have to remind her to say "trick or treat" and not "candy, candy!".

Kauai

After 10 days in Hawaii and hundreds of photos, it was tough to pick out a couple to post here. But here are a couple of my favorites. Hope you enjoy them!

Early Preschool Photos

Here are Stella's Early Preschool photos from this Fall!

Happy belated 1st Birthday to Maia!

Yes I'm super behind on the blog and need to catch up. We've recently been on a trip to Tahoe for cousin Jamie's wedding and we just got back this week from an amazing vacation in Kauai. While in Kauai Maia celebrated her 1st birthday Aloha-style! We had a yummy Hawaiian guava cake...which Maia didn't really eat but we all did :) Can hardly believe my Maia is already 1 year old and starting to take steps. Time flies. Will post more Hawaii photos soon.

Maia and Mason

Maia had a great time this week playing with baby Mason. She's looking forward to the next playdate!

Pumpkin Patch

Maia and I had a great time yesterday at the Pumpkin Patch with good friends. It was Maia's 1st trip. Unfortunately Stella and Dad couldn't make it because Stella was home with a temperature. Thankfully she is 100% back to herself today!

Issaquah Salmon Days

We had a great time on Saturday at the Issaquah Salmon Days. We saw friends, played in the park, saw the salmon swimming upstream, ate yummy corn on the cob and smiled a lot.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Maia and Stella were so happy to wish their Daddy a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY today! They were so excited to wear their "Daddy!" shirts to surprise Daddy. It was impossible to get a photo of them actually looking at the camera.....before Maia crawled away or Stella jumped off the couch. The back of their shirts say "Father of the Year".

Painting

Stella's new hobby is painting with watercolors.

Pasta

A true Italian at heart! Maia can eat more pasta than Stella in one meal.

Stella and her Wingman

So far, they really seem to be the bestest of friends! If you ask Stella who her best friend is, she always answers "Maia". :)

Maia's 1st Toddler Time

Stella and I took Maia to her first Toddler Time at the Community Center today and she LOVED it! The minute I put her down on the ground she was off and exploring and playing with all the toys. She spent most of the time walking and pushing all the cars around.

Neighbors

We are truly lucky to have the BEST next-door neighbors. Brett and Spencer stopped by this past weekend to entertain Stella and Maia....and to bring over some toys they are no longer using. Seriously, can you ask for better neighbors? I think they keep bringing toys because they know I'll bake them cookies as a thank you :)

Grandma's September Visit

The girls had lots of laughs, lot of tea parties and a whole lot of fun with Grandma this past weekend. We can't wait to visit her in California in a couple of weeks!

Baking!

Stella and mom made homemade applesauce muffins today. This was the first time Stella was really excited to help stir and cook....she actually did a pretty good job and didn't make that much of a mess. We'll see if she eats her applesauce muffins (with hidden butternut squash puree in them!) for breakfast tomorrow.

A Rare Family Photo

Thanks to Auntie Amy for taking our photo in front of the Aquarium.

Good Times at the Seattle Aquarium

Maia was mesmerized by all the fish at the Aquarium this past weekend! She was studying up on the "Fish of Hawaii" exhibit for our upcoming trip.

Stella LOVED the Aquarium as well! She liked seeing the divers feed the fish in this huge fish tank.

Stella's 1st day of Early Preschool

Although Stella did attend school over the Summer, today was the official 1st day of the school year. She was really excited and happy to wear her backpack and see her teachers and friends today.

Hiking with her buddies

Stella had a great time this morning hiking with Autumn and Hannah. We're trying to enjoy the last days of Summer and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts.

Loving her new art easel

Dry erase board, markers, chalkboard, chalk, paper, crayons and paint! Stella is in heaven with her new art easel.

Happy 10 Months to Maia!

Up She Goes

Maia has discovered how to get up the stairs!

The Little Ones

Maia and Isaiah had a great time playing together while Stella and Gianna were off in the other room doing big-girl things.

When a 2 year old picks out her own clothes....

She chooses her watermelon pajamas and Hello Kitty rain boots.

Summer Fun with Grandco

We beat the heat this weekend by boating with Grandco on Lake Sammamish! Stella LOVED driving the boat and Maia was happy to be out on the water.



They both also had a blast swimming with Grandco!