Water...I Need Water.

Last week we were lounging on the driveway.  Then March decided to bring winter again. Our neighbor, Keith Jensen, captured this cool picture of Maya.

Posing and some more Wesley love.

Maya's photo shoot.  I've learned it's better not to tell the girls to smile.  

Ammon reading books to India and Wesley.  

I Love it When She Dresses Herself

I let her stay this way in public too.   

 And here is my family's dog, Belle, still kicking at fifteen and a half years old!

Smoot Park

Maya is calling out, "Help!  Prince, prince save me from the witch!"  Growing up , I was always the princess, and Brittany was always the boy or whatever else I told her she was going to be.  Well, I've been the prince and the witch and the stepmother and the ugly "step ladies" for about three years now.  I am quite good.  But I'd like to be the princess again.

 

Isn't she pretty?  It's funny that she and India look nothing alike, but are gorgeous in their own ways. Personality-wise, she is so much like Ammon.  It's not funny.  

Naturally, Maya prefers the scary, twisty ladder to get up to the slides instead of the safe, secure steps. Also, I couldn't resist a backporch picture with that cute pettiskirt!

Guess What?

Rhino Butt. 

India redeemed her birthday coupon - a sleepover with Aunt Brittany.  As she left, India gave me advice on how to care for Maya while she was gone:  "Give Maya a big hug and kiss for me and let her watch a little cartoonie when she wakes up."

Maya was very upset when India left.  She sobbed, "Dida . . . Dida . . . Dida!" over and over and over.  We made it up to Maya by letting her wear India's Tinkerbell shirt and sleeping in India's bed.  Then she had a whole night of Mommy and Daddy time.

The next morning we met up with India and Brittany at the nearly-empty zoo.

Baby Zuri would roll snow into little snowballs with her trunk and eat them!

 This is George. The rhino up top is Princess.

 We saw lots of these up close.  Even fed one a cheese cracker.  Shhhhh.

Brittany told the girls this peacock was showing off for them because he thought they were cute.

More backporch views.

I named this camel Prince Humperdinck.

The gorillas were showing off too.  

We saw one of these big guys POOP into his own HAND then EAT it.  

It was so National Geographic disgusting.

This guy was trying to catch some zzz's despite my obnoxious camera flashing.

It's too dark to see the gorilla.  Maya is putting her hand on top of the gorilla's. 

 She may have been a little scared.  But I couldn't lose this cool photo opportunity.

Isn't this picture cool?  I love India's beautiful reflection.  So sweet and innocent and Fern Gullyish.

Both girls cheesing by the gorilla again.

So basically, Brittany and I go nuts over the animals at the zoo.  

And then the girls finally get to have fun when we take them to play at the zoo park afterwards.

Random fact:  Maya's favorite song is 5 Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree.  

She likes to change up who the Mr. Crocodiles snatches out of the tree though.

Sometimes it's Ariel.  Or Prince Eric.  Or Mommy Elephant.

Mookie Maya.

India, Maya, and Brittany on seesaw.

Elephant slide.

Though there was snow on the ground, it wasn't terribly cold.

Sweet Maya.  She's addicted to slides.

Last time.  Then it was time to go.

I liked the white outlines on this duck.

My favorite bird.  So elegant.

Christmas 2010

The best part of our Christmas Break was having Ammon home.  We took the girls ice skating, watched movies, built gingerbread houses, played games, spent as much time as possible with our fun families (those of you who haven't left us yet), exercised together, and had our surprise Nutcracker Piano Recital for my parents via skype.The girls were so disappointed when he told them he had to go back to work.  Now we're back to our usual Monday mournings. (Ha ha - get it?)  

India and I went to see the Nutcracker on Christmas Eve afternoon.  She enjoyed it, but not as much as last year.  In the second act, she loudly asked me if someone would turn off the music so she could go to sleep.  I might be soloing the Nutcracker next year.  

It was totally worth seeing Santa Claus pushing Clara's sleigh at the end and then getting candy canes afterwards.  Do you see her purse?  She is rarely without a stocked purse these days.  Such a pretty princess!

Here is the Christmas picture I did not send to everyone.  

India's curls were PERFECT ringlets that day, and I LOVE their cheesy smiles.

 The day after Christmas Maya turned 2! 

 The silly girl actually found and unwrapped all her birthday presents on Christmas! 

New Year's Eve our best, best, best, best, best friends the Reddings came to visit from Biloxi!  We MISS our Sara Circle times.  And this is the picture of the most kids smiling!  Good times you lovely people !

I love these two girls.  Maya is obsessed with India and begs every night to sleep in Dida's bed. India goes back and forth whether or not she wants to share her personal space with Maya.  When she decides she can handle it, my heart melts.  As a mother, all I want is my children to love and  to be there for each other even after I'm gone.

 

 Usually they stay up and play together, but this night they actually fell asleep.  Miracle!

Maya and India's current obsessions are Barbies, books, princesses,  the candy witch story Ammon made up, puzzles, Barbies, the horridly creepy cartoon Yo Gabba Gabba, and anything Barbie.  Ammon likes to tease Maya by saying, "I'm Pocahontas (or any other princess Maya has decided to be that day)."  Maya screams at him and gets really mad and cries or punches him.  Ammon laughs. And then they repeat it 15 or 16 more times.

These girls are so good at puzzles. While I was taking a phone call, Maya went shopping in my purse and  found my ipod. Then she laid on the ground and just listened to the music --- so much like her daddy!

Maryland

Last minute en route to New Hampshire, we decided to swing by Maryland for a couple days to see my cousins, aunts, uncles, and Grandma Garey! They were so generous to us, and India was especially sad to leave cousin Rachel Garey.

Great Grandma Garey

India & Aunt Rachel trying to keep up with Mom's crazy "walking" pace in D.C.

photo by Elizabeth Garey

Maya walking in between Smithsonians. Her dang flip flops kept falling off.

photo by Elizabeth Garey

Mom watched the girls for us while Ammon and I went to a RSL soccer game. And Maya decided to fix her own hair. She is obsessed with head bands.

photo by Elizabeth Garey

Maya Portraits