Last year my mother-in- law had suggested starting a family christmas tradition of just getting together and enjoying a family day with a Christmas theme. Last year we went to Historic Ellicott City to a cool train garden then to dinner. This year we stayed a litle closer to home and went to the Bel Air Christmas parade. It worked out perfectly for me since I had to cover the event. We al met up and found a nice spot and while I went to work, occasionally stopping back to snap a few pics of the munchkins enjoying themselves. Maddie got to see Santa go by then she and I walked just behind the sleigh to the park around the corner where Gramps took over and tried to talk Maddie into talking to the big man but she wasn’t having it. Afterward we went to dinner and enjoyed some good family quality time. There’s even some talk of making the parade our annual tradition, guess we’ll see next year !
Archive for the ‘Family’ Category
Tradition continues
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009Tricycle time
Saturday, December 26th, 2009
(no kitties were harmed during the making of these images) On a nice fall in November Maddie was outside just running around enjoying the day and trying to get the hang of pedaling her tricyle around the yard. After a bit Maddie made friends with one of the little kitties and decided that he, the kitty, wanted to ride her bike. So the routine went: pick up kitty, carry him to bike, place him reasonably gently on seat, attempt to push kitty, Kitty jumps down almost immediatly and repeat about 30 times. The kitty took it REALLY well and never even made a peep let alone make a break for it and try to claw Maddie. After a bit kitty got smart and ran off leaving Maddie to ride her bike.
BOUNCIN !! BOUNCIN !!
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
(more pics on the Bouncin page) One of the beautiful things about my job is that I often have assignments that I can take family and friends along on. Last Sunday was a perfect example, a fall festival at Swan Harbor Farms. Kathleen and I got married there so it made it that much nicer to take the munchkin. Maddie had a great time, especially in the “bouncy house” as she called it. We stopped by the performer stage for a few minutes and got the “wheels on the bus” song embedded in my brain for the afternoon. Kathleen and Maddie wandered around for a bit while I gathered up a few photos for the papers. We made our way to the water and Maddie loved watching the folks drift around in canoes and sitting on the pier with mommy. The petting zoo was entertaining. Maddie saw goats, a pony, a bunny even a pot belly pig.
Hitting the trail
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
Earlier this summer I bought a bike cart to pull Maddie in behind my bike. She was a bit reluctant at first but after a spin around the yard she settled in nicely. Kathleen and I figured a cruise along the Ma&Pa would be cool…so we loaded up the gear and headed out for a family ride. Maddie was again a bit reluctant but once Kathleen rolled up along side and waved to her the munchkin settled in and just enjoyed the ride. I’m hoping to take her on a ride on the NCR trail sometime soon for some fun.
Easter 2009
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
Yes, I know I’m a bit late with this entry but it’s been a bit busy lately. Maddie enjoyed Easter a bit more this year. She got a really nice bunny stuffed animal from Poppy & Nonnie along with some other fun stuff and a basket of goodies from Grams & Gramps. Nothing spectacular but she enjoyed pulling the fake grass out of the baskets and playing with everything.
Munchkin on the Move : month 13
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009maddie-walk-3 (click here to view movie) So for month number 13 we’ve truly reached a milestone…Madeleine is now officially walking on her own !! She has been walking with some help from people, walls, tables etc. but now she’s put it together and she’s a baby on the move. Her vocabulary is still growing like crazy. She repeats just about anything you say to her and I’ve really had to start watching what I say around her. Purple is one of the newer ones, I tried to get her to say Ravens along with purple…she’s working on it. We’ll have it nailed by football season !!
Snow time
Saturday, February 7th, 2009
A bit of real snow finally fell a week or so ago so I of course felt obligated to take Maddie out to see what the fuss was all about. While she didn’t actually walk, roll or really play in the snow because it was a bit chilly for all that, she did enjoy just taking a stroll around the yard looking at the critters and laughed when she got pelted in the face with snow flakes as she looked to the sky. She did get to at least touch the snow when I put a little snowball in her hand and she shook a branch of one of the pines in the yard. Next year should be a real blast…if we get any snow of course !!!
Double digits (ten months)
Sunday, January 25th, 2009
I’m a little late getting this one up but better late than never !! My fellow Aegis photographer Nicole Munchel shot these fun pics last week when grandma called out sick…it was take your munchkin to work day !! Madeleine was good and was a welcome distraction to the newsroom. She made a great little subject for some photos as you can see. The munchkin turned ten months old in January. She’s crawling like a flash and walking is coming slowly but surely as she pulls herself up on everything. Talking is coming along well too, cat, pop, wow, ba ba or bob for her bottle and many more. When she starts laughing…it’s the greatest thing !! hope to have some video soon ? Teeth are coming in like crazy and she’s starting to eat real people food, chopped into tiny pieces but real people food none the less. It is amazing to see the personality start to show a bit more day by day…she’s going to be a handful but she certainly is a good baby !!!
December 25th 2008 (Maddie’s 1st Christmas)
Wednesday, January 7th, 2009
Well we took her to see Santa, got through the photo with no crying, did a little shopping and finally the day came. December 25th, Christmas day but not just another Christmas, this was Madeleine’s FIRST Christmas. We started and Poppy and Nonnie’s for gifts; a nice princess chair, a talking purse (very cute) and some other fun…then back to the living room to play with the new toy lawn mower and other stuff from Santa and friends. A little later we through on Maddie’s Christmas dress and it was off to Grammy and Gramp’s for even more loot. A nice wooden rocking chair and teddy bear and some other fun toys. She had as much fun crawling around collecting the bows on presents as she did tearing the paper. Though I’m sure she really didn’t know exactly what was going on I know she had fun and that’s what is important. Next year will be an entirely different experience I feel…can’t wait !!! Please check out the 1st Christmas page to see more photos.
Some family Christmas fun
Monday, December 29th, 2008
So for some family fun and to begin a family tradition…this year we went to historic Ellicott City to visit the B&O train station museum for the train gardens. Gramps Gran had fun showing the munchkin the trains and she really seemed to enjoy watching them go around. It will be fun to see where we end up next year !!!