I've Been Doing A Little Crafting

It's a good thing Maddie is a girl.

Birthday Backdrops

We have had a few 

first birthdays 

around here. 

I may or may not

have gone a little overboard with

 Maddie's.

But I'm her grandma.

She's our first. 

And her mother said I could.

Something I have noticed in checking out all the 

fun party ideas on line is the use of 

backdrops.

I think they really help to set a

table off and make a fun

focal point for the festivities.

For Maddies' party I hung

streamers from a curtain rod.

I helped Viki out for 

Eliana's birthday with this:

That is just two colors of table coverings

 that I stapled

 (one on top of the other)

to thin latice strips.

I cut them into strips

and then knotted the two colors together at the top.

Here Viki tacked balloons to the wall:

This was in the garage which is probably the 

only place you could do this. 

That would be a lot of holes in your

dining room wall.

It's Maddie's Birthday

That's about one year and 8 months ago.

This is from one year ago exactly.

We must have been getting ready for 

Margarita Friday.

Who knew back then that they would

forever be changed to 

Maddieday!!!

Best. Day. Ever.

I've Been Teaching Maddie Things

 She now knows she has a tongue.

Michelle asked why I couldn't have just taught her to

point to her nose.

Hmm, never thought of that. 

Walker Races

Problem is, nobody told them they have to be 

facing the same direction!

Baby Races

My niece has twin boys.

She and her husband have joked

about when the time comes, 

when both boys are crawling, 

 they can have 

Baby Races.

This wasn't so much a 

Baby Race

as a 

Baby Escape, 

but you get the idea.

So we decided to hold our own 

Baby Race on the 4th of July.

 Aaaand, they're OFF!

 But they aren't really moving.

 Ah, the front ends are getting stuck in the grass.

 Eliana takes a little break.

 Eliana is so happy to see Maddie again!

 Maddie is finally getting serious.

Yeah, eat my dust.

I thought this would be a fun 

4th of July 

event for years to come. 

Only problem is, 

come next 4th of July

these two won't be babies anymore.

Hmmm....

we're gonna need some more babies :)

Maddie And The Pool

 Papa took the afternoon off for Maddieday.

 Besties :)

 Her Eliana, let me help you with that.

Trust me, it's better this way.

For Mom and Big

 Peek-A-Boo!!

A Little Maddie For Your Consideration

 Great Grandma grabbed her before Meme got her

request in.

 Todays best smile.

 My first walker.

Meme shares.

 Checking out the bell.

What happens if I put my feet up here?

Sharing Babies

I was looking through old photos of

Shanna because it's her birthday. 

I came across this one:

 And this one:

Those would be birthdays one and two.

I had the first baby in the family.

That would be my sister holding Shanna

in each photo.

And then it occurred to me,

I had the first grandbaby.

 This is what we do.

We share babies. 

Meme and Maddie

 Big loves to hold Maddie.

 Each visit she asks someone to put Maddie on her lap.

 And we oblige.

 It will be sweet the first time Maddie climbs 

up there on her own.

But till then 

this is pretty sweet too.

 See my mom back there?

I don't pop Maddie in her lap because she can grab

her anytime she wants.

But she looks pretty happy just watching the joy

that is Maddie.