Sugar, Sugar

This past weekend was Maple Open House Weekend here in Vermont. It is a great opportunity to get out and enjoy the maple sugaring process up close. We are lucky enough to have some wonderfully generous friends who open up their sugar house for all their friends and neighbors to enjoy. Not only do they open their house/land/sugar house to all, they even set up hayrides for the kids, let you test the freshest maple syrup straight from the evaporator and make the most delicious maple treats around. How can you say no to all that?

Unfortunately Scott had to work on Saturday so he missed out but I loaded up the Bugs and off we went to Jeffersonville. This is how Addison prepared for the big event.


Dan & Deb's sugar house (he built it himself!)

The awesome tractor (also Dan's) and wagon set up.

Our first spin on the hayride. Addison was fascinated and observing everything as usual.

Our trusty driver.

A view of Smuggler's Notch ski resort which is right down the road.

After our first hayride, we finally made it inside the sugar house. Check out all that shiny equipment! (that is the evaporator which is used to boil the sap into syrup - and that is pretty much all I know about it)

Dan offering up fresh maple syrup right from the evaporator. I am pretty sure you can't get it any more pure than that. Yum, yum.

I forgot to take any pictures of all the maple goodies but you can see by the remaining evidence on Addison's face/hands that she particularly liked the mini maple frosted cupcakes. It is the only cupcake I have ever seen her eat! (and later she licked the frosting off a mini maple doughnut - she was pretty much in seventh heaven)

Checking out the chickens to counteract some of her sugar high

A Vermont garage

Rocking on the front porch and enjoying the view.

One last hayride before it was time to head home. Addison waiting patiently for our driver and showing off our sweet seat selection.

Let's go!

We had a wonderful time visiting with friends and it was a great way to spend a sunny, cool spring afternoon. And while it looked pretty guaranteed that Bugs would crash on the ride home, she sprung to life about two minutes out of the driveway and kept me company the whole ride home. Talk about sweet!

Pony

On St. Patrick's Day I went a little crazy and gave Addison her first ponytail (traditional ponytail I guess I should say).

Check it out in all its tiny glory.

Addison wasn't totally sure what to make of it. I couldn't really figure out a good way to show it to her so she just kept reaching back and touching it again and again.

The view from the front. I admit, she is pretty much a mess (hair wise).

I just keep telling myself to hold on and soon enough it will grow through this in between stage and we can have 'real' ponytails.

And in the meantime, we just get some nice laughs out of this mad scientist in between stage.

Happy Birthday, Grammy B

On Saturday, we celebrated my mother's birthday. Addison eating her cupcake. She didn't actually get that far with it so Mommy & Daddy stepped in to help out with the job. Tough work.

We enjoyed a good dinner and some yummy treats for dessert, as well as a few fun presents.

My mother really wanted a picture of the grandkids. This was our best end result. Perhaps we should have started earlier in the night.

And then naturally, my mother wanted to be in the picture. And that's when we knew we definitely should have started this picture process earlier in the night.

Happy Birthday, Mom/Grammy! We love you and wish you the most wonderful year filled with joy and happiness. xoxo

Here Birdie, Birdie

In mid-February we went to visit my aunt and uncle at their house one Sunday morning to spend some time with them prior to them leaving on a month+ long trip to warmer parts. Everyone had a great time and Miss Bugs was most especially fascinated by their collection of bird feeders. She thought it was a total hoot that she could see the birdies fly in and out to get a snack. She enjoyed it so much that Scott went out that very afternoon and bought us our own bird feeder. He put up the stake, hung the feeder, filled it with seed and we waited and waited. I think we went almost two weeks with not a bird in sight. And then suddenly one little bird finally came and it's been on ever since. We have seen chickadees, cardinals, blue jays, finch and a whole bunch of other ones that I have not the slightest idea as to what they are called. Addison loves watching the birdies through the sliding doors while she eats her breakfast.

Now that we finally have some takers, it does require more frequent filling and Addison is always ready to help out Daddy with that task. (yes, he's in a pj's)

Spilled some!

I love this face. After two weeks of unseasonably warm temps it was quite cool this particular morning (and snowed an inch about two hours after this photo was taken). I think Addison was a little chilly.

Getting a close up of how the birds eat.

Sometimes if she's really loud while eating breakfast the birds just hang out in all the trees around the backyard but never come to the feeder (which drives her slightly batty). As soon as she is done breakfast and leaves the kitchen to go play, they all start coming in. Guess they don't know what to make of a loud toddler!

Big Girl Room

We have had a few requests for pictures of Addison's new room...especially since there was a lot of back and forth about what color the room would be (and if she would even move or not). In the end, it just made sense to move Bugs as her new room is a little bigger and has a slightly bigger closet...all stuff that doesn't matter now but will in about 10 years or so. Addison seems excited about her new room and she has adjusted with little issue. It doesn't hurt that the room ended up this lovely pink.



Scott also surprised Addison and I by using chalkboard paint to create a nice chalkboard space for Addison in the existing built-ins. A great idea and it also has the added bonus of breaking up all the pink and white.

After moving Addison's things into the room.

We still have decorating to do (curtains, more wall art, etc) and while things are mostly settled I imagine there will be some changes along the way.

And just for old time sake, Addison's old room in transition. Soon enough we'll have pictures of this room transformed into the new baby's room. Things they are a changing!

Big Girl Seat

Another sign of Addison's big girl status...her flipped around (forward facing) car seat.

It was actually pretty fun to look in my rearview mirror and see her little face behind me. While it's obviously nothing new to have her in the car with me, it sure felt different!

And when she was backwards I definitely missed out on faces like this.

How can that not make your drive home from work better? (or at least more entertaining)

Tutu and Hat

When Addison was a young baby, my dear friend Jodie sent us her daughter's old tutu that she had outgrown. It was such a sweet gesture and a cute little number as well. I first put it on Addison when she was much younger and she honestly didn't want anything to do with it.

My how times have changed.
What's that you say? This outfit looks like a total mismash? That's because it is!

One part pj's, one part pacifier, one part hat and one part tutu (and a random flashlight thrown in for good measure) = a fun Saturday morning.

How sweet is her little bum sticking out in her tutu?

I am not sure why but she somehow associated this particular hat and the tutu and now won't wear one without the other. I'm working on it as it goes against my good senses.

In the meantime, I just enjoy how much she likes how it all looks together.

Eighteen Months

Dearest Addison,

Here you are in all your wild haired glory enjoying your breakfast on St. Patrick's Day. You are actually sporting your first ponytail but that is a whole other post. Late last week you turned 18 months and you are so quickly turning into a 'big girl' in so many ways and yet still our baby. You have a whole arsenal of words that you are testing out including daddy, mommy, elmo! (of course), night night, bye, hello, water, airplane, choo choo, 'cuse me, the ever popular no and about a million other ones. You have two or three phrases you also say including, 'I poop!', 'I love you' (sounds like I wuv you) and 'My Mommy!' (used at daycare). All so cute and sweet (yes, even the 'I poop' one).

You have gone through yet another slew of changes, particularly in the past two weeks or so. These include moving into your new big girl room, moving into a new classroom at school with the bigger kids and finally getting your car seat flipped around to face forward in Mommy's car (just today in fact). You seem to take it all in stride and I am pretty sure I was the only one who was a little sad when you moved into your new room. You love the pink color and the giant mirror to see yourself in.

You are testing your independence and that is both exciting and hard sometimes. It is so fun to watch you run, slide, climb your way around the playground and to hear you using words to express your thoughts and needs. The tough part is that your brain has not caught up yet to all the things your body wants to do and so you are sometimes frustrated by not getting your way or when Mommy and Daddy can't figure out what you want. And while those times can be tough on everyone, I stop and remind myself to be proud of your independent spirit. It will serve you well in the long haul.

As always, you continue to be the light of our lives and we love you beyond infinity.

xoxo
Mommy

PS - We also had Addison's 18 month check up last week and for those interested/keeping track she came out as follows:

25.5 lbs (!!) = 70th percentile (gained 2lbs)

31.5 inches = 50th percentile (grew 1.5 inches)

It sounds like most kids grow a lot their first year and then slow down but our Bugs is sprouting now instead. And the nurse discovered that Addison has a nice right hook, especially if you try and give her a shot in the leg. Good times!

Art Table - Part Two

When we got home Wednesday night, Daddy worked hard to get the table all set up for Miss Bugs. He even drew the first picture to set the tone. Addison was very excited and wasn't really sure what to do. We reassured her that yes, this was actually a table to draw on and that was all it took. She was off and running.

Concentrating very hard on getting it just right.

The photos don't do a good job of showing it but she basically ran around the table marking every corner/side just to make sure we knew it was all hers. It was quite dog like in fact ('marking' her territory).

The end result of her first crack. Not too shabby.

We have since covered the entire table not once, but twice with all sorts of drawings and scribbles. The best part of the table (other than that roll of paper at the end) is that it has two other sets of legs so the table will grow with our girls so they will hopefully get lots of use out of it.

I see a future of glitter pens, beads and art projects headed our way!