Happy To You, Madoc! (3 Years Old!)

Madoc woke up to find Nana Cris here! What a fabulous way to start her birthday. It only got better from there... Nana Cris gave her a beautiful pink dress, that twirled exactly the right way and was exceptionally fun to run around in ...



































Then we made strawberry cake (with real strawberries) with strawberry frosting (strawberry puree), with Angelina Ballerina on top. Not the prettiest cake, but very tasty!




















When Daddy got home, we opened presents and served-up cake...















Big sister found it VERY difficult to 1) not micro-manage the entire day (hmm, where did she get that from?) and 2) not open Madsie's gifts herself. That is why we also got her a gift, to thank her for being such a great big sister for 3 years!




















Here is big sister trying hard not to blow out Madoc's candles...














Make a wish ...
















First there was barbie ...




















Then there was sizzles!















Then cake and sizzles ...




















Sizzles! And a Barbie dining room set from mom and dad. Even though I swore up and down to myself that I would not buy (1) plastic, or (2) barbie. Oh well.















I love this picture ... oh sizzles, you are cute!















Jojo gave her a lovely gift of Snow White!




















From there, we went off to dinner, where Madoc ordered Macaroni & Cheese (Madoc-a-roni and Chase as we call it in our home). And before she went to bed, she set up Snow White and Barbie at their little plastic dining room table, set out plenty of little plastic food and then carried sizzles up to bed.

Happy Birthday, Madoc. You are a shining star. You are a smart, sweet and beautiful little girl. We are so proud of you for all that you are and all that you do. We love you forever and always, no matter what.

Just Not Fancy Enough

Today I bought what I thought were two very fancy little coats for the girls. They are pink boiled wool, with a fur collar and silver buttons. I also bought two little broaches. Chase saw the two coats and immediately told me they were not fancy enough. But she hasn't seen the broaches yet...

Happy Birthday Madoc: Disney

As Madoc's birthday is at the end of December, we decided to take her to Disneyland in lieu of a birthday party. Probably won't be able to get away with that next year! But here is the 2, soon to be 3-year-old!





























And what better way to start a day at Disney?














Worth mentioning Chase wrote the names of all the princesses on little slips of paper before we left the house. We weren't really sure what she was going to do with them, but they seemed really important. Turns out they really were - she gave them to the princesses and they loved them. Who knew princesses had pockets in their dresses?











































Snow White and Cinderella just received their special name cards...














3D movie. VERY COOL. Chase almost climbed over the woman in front of her trying to catch Donald Duck.















Stopped for a rest ...














I turned to look at something and when I looked back I saw this ...














Dumbo ride ...



















Carousel ...














TEA CUPS! These photos of Mads crack me up!






































































It's a small world, after all ...



















Our two princesses ...



















Daddy and his two girls ...














Totally exhausted ...

Grampa Mark Visit

We just had an absolutely wonderful visit with Grampa Mark and his wife Fern! Thank you both so much for coming to see us. We really enjoyed spending time with you. The girls really miss you! And so do I!!!

Updates

I have been super quiet. Too quiet. Just trying to keep up with what life has been throwing in my direction. Mads had pneumonia. Helper was flat out sick for an entire week. Chase got bronchitis. I got bronchitis. Hubs was dropped in rugby and is now contemplating knee surgery, or maybe walking across the Sahara desert (sometimes it's hard to decide what to do). And no, I'm not kidding.

And because it's December, both girls have had numerous school functions and activities associated with Christmas. International Christmas cards were put on hold this year (sorry friends!); grandparents will have to settle on belated Christmas gifts. I almost pulled off everything (including homemade peppermint marshmallows, lollypops and gingerbread men), but then I got sick and totally spaced on getting teacher's gifts, so I suppose the New Years Penguin will have to make an appearance (he is extremely helpful if Santa forgets something).

I was able to take some pictures from Madoc's school fair. Chase's school fair was big, busy and I had to keep my eye on both girls, who really wanted to be in different places.

Madoc was so happy to have a butterfly on her face that she insisted I paint a butterfly on her face every day (not kidding here, either) for a week.

Second Wobbly Tooth

It's true. Tooth number two is very wobbly. It wants to come out soooo badly.

FIRST lost tooth

I found myself, for the first time in a really long time, feeling really sad about my little girls growing up. This, of course, is linked directly to the fact Chase lost her first tooth. All I could think about when I held it in my hand was the exact moment I saw her first tooth, cutting its way through her gums. And how amazing it was to see her go from having no teeth, to a mouth full of gorgeous teeth.

Her lost tooth is so little. And white. And absolutely perfect. Just like her.

Guy Fawkes Day

We celebrated Guy Fawkes Day with friends. Sadly, due to Hong Kong's rules and regulations (for which I am most grateful most days) we could not light a bondfire and burn things, as they do in London.

But there was an effigy ...




















Games ...

































































Bobbing for apples...

































And even home-made caramel apples ...













Almost the size of Madoc's head! Whoa!

Her mouth, by the way, is full of caramel in this picture ...

Halloween In Honkers

Before trick-or-treating, we stopped by a friend's house for a party. I'm not sure I'd want to answer the door for this lot!

The kids ...













The parents ...













Kids: "Swarm! Swarm!"

Parents gently reminding kids: "Say thank you..."














The candy ...




















And finally, our annual Halloween family picture ... maybe one day we will all (1) look at the camera and (2) smile.

Halloween Prep

Here are my two little cherubs. Chase wanted to be a Queen Bee this year, and I have no idea what Madoc is (yet again). Some kind of princess, fairy, butterfly.


























































But above all else they are sisters forever!