So Busy!

I feel like the start of the holiday season for me is now MiniM.E. (and Bob's) birthday(s).  Which is awesome.  I LOVE the holidays.  BUT, I have to say, it's certainly a busy time of the year.

Which brings me to the topic of this post.  I think having a baby makes being busy even busier.  Because instead of having a giant list of things to do and having all day to do it, I have a giant list of things to do with only nap time to get everything done.  And with nap times having diminished to one nap of maybe an hour, that's not a whole lot of time.  I try to get things done in the evening too, but usually by the time MiniM.E. is asleep, I want to be sleeping...

So right now, MiniM.E. is napping, and instead of getting things done, I'm procrastinating by writing a blog post.  But I'll try to only procrastinate a little.  I'll just put lots of pictures and only a teeny bit of text...

Lately, its been cold in the mornings, which is usually the time we play outside so we've had to find other things to do.

watching the washing machine

taking long baths

playing inside

Fortunately, it isn't winter yet, and we can still play outside most days.

We also had a busy weekend.  We went to Poughkeepsie to visit our friends who just moved back from Germany.  We had a great time.  MiniM.E. seemed to enjoy herself too!

And yesterday, we took advantage of the nice weather and went to Sunnyside Gardens.

Someone's awake... until next time...

Happy First Birthday MiniM.E.!

Sunday we had a party for MiniM.E.  

This is why I haven't written a blog post in forever.

the cake

MiniM.E. got to open a few presents early... 

the bow was the best part

 MiniM.E. seemed to have a good time, though she really didn't have a clue what was going on.  The whole cake thing?  She didn't have a clue.

"seriously? what is going on?"

"you really wanted me to wear this?"

"am I done?"

blowing out the candle

 I was hoping for a baby smashing her face into a cake.  Instead I got this:

daintily "smashing" the cake

feeding Mommy

feeding Daddy

 Typical MiniM.E.  She didn't even TASTE the cake.

at least WE liked opening presents

"that's right I'm one.  and don't you forget it!"

MiniM.E.'s favorite part of the party was the balloons.  A huge thank you to my parents, who, despite the helium shortage and the extreme difficulty of finding a place to buy helium without remortgaging their house, managed to find us enough helium to inflate more balloons than any one-year-old needs at a party (I needed them though-all of them).  THANK YOU!!

 

...Okay, it might have been a tie between helium balloons and Daddy juggling

Oh, did I forget to mention it was also Bob's birthday?  Lucky him: from now on his birthday is all about MiniM.E.  But  birthdays aren't important when you're old anyway, right?  Still, he got a present. No, not MiniM.E., though she does look cute in a bow... A wheelbarrow.  Which, actually... is more of a present for MiniM.E. since it's purpose is obviously giving her rides...

Monday was actually MiniM.E.'s birthday and my mom and I took her to...

BOWMAN ORCHARDS!  Again!  Because she really loves it.  She rocked the teeter totter.

and the tractor

and the slides

Until it started raining and we had to move our mini-party to the Tiny Tots Tea Room... which, if you live near Clifton Park and have a child under the age of 6 is a fantastic place to go.

I was a little worried about MiniM.E. turning one.  I've only been dreading it for months.  BUT... as it turns out, she's even awesomer today than she was yesterday.  And today she was one.  All day.  So... I guess it will be alright.  I just have to get used to the fact that she's not a baby anymore.  Officially.  She'll always be my baby...

Apple Picking

Sunday morning we went to an apple orchard with my parents and C. & H.

Remember H.?

isn't he a cutie? no wonder MiniM.E. has a crush on him

We went to Meadow Ledge Farm, and this time, we actually picked apples.

But first, we picked through some pumpkins

Then we got on the haytractor ride to the orchard

Ate some apples

Picked some apples (or at least looked like we were)

Rode the tractor back (while the babies ate more apples)

And played a while...

Before heading home.

The babies had a blast eating apples, picking flowers and riding the tractors.

And might I add that they have THE BEST apple cider donuts?  Seriously... any cider donut you've ever had can not compare to these ones.  They make them hot right in front of you on one of those old-fashioned donut machines and they're hot and greasy and super tasty.  mmmm... donuts....

Is it sad that the thing I write the most about is donuts??  But really... they are sooo good.