Happy 4th Birthday Hadley

We celebrated Hadley's fourth birthday this week.  On her actual birthday, I surprised her by being the mystery guest reader in her class.   She got to help me turn the pages of the book which she thought was exciting.  Then I took her out to lunch and to paint at a new painting store near us.  That night we went to Yo My Goodness after dinner.  Yesterday she had a party with her friends in the morning and then Jim's family over in the afternoon.  We will celebrate Hadley and Maribeth's birthdays next weekend with my family.   She is enjoying all the celebrations and her presents!  I can't believe she is 4!  She told me a few times on her birthday that she couldn't believe she would be 5 on her next birthday.  She also has been very excited to tell everyone we see that it is her birthday and that she is 4.

Posing with her new owl dress... she keeps asking for a dress she had when she was 2 that had owls all over it so I had a new owl dress made with her name and one owl on it.  She was so excited to see it.

Opening her balance beam and bar for her American Girl doll. 

Her birthday party with her friends at the bounce houses at Vetta.

Jumping down the slide.  All the kids started to get a little crazy with this slide.

The special birthday girl chair

Hadley really wanted a cake with her picture on it.

Birthday party with her cousins

Blowing out the candle one more time

ABC NYC

In early December, the girls and I went to New York to visit Amy and Seth.  Unfortunately, Poppy was unable to come with us too.  For weeks before, we read ABC NYC every night and the girls memorized what every letter was.  We saw quite a few of the letters... starting off with U for Unisphere from the airplane.  On the ride to Amy's airport we hit t for taxi, w for watertower and C for Chrysler Building.  This was my first time visiting Amy and Seth at their new apartment in Brooklyn.  They have a great neighborhood and the girls really enjoyed the playgrounds.  

Posing with Manhattan in the background on our way to the carousel

Underneath the Brooklyn Bridge

Riding the carousel which had reopened after the hurricane flooded all around it

Day 2 started at Rockefeller Center... Hadley was not too impressed

Madeleine was impressed with the ice skating rink but not as much with the tree.  They both enjoyed the elevator to the street and wanted to do that again.

Next stop was Radio City Music Hall for the Rockettes.  We all enjoyed the show.

Madeleine was determined to ice skate even though it was drizzling so we headed to Bryant Park.  

Skating on the very wet and slippery ice

Taking a break from skating

Madeleine fell on lap one and was ready to quit but I got her to go out again. 

Another carousel at Bryant Park.  Madeleine was so excited that she was able to ride by herself.

Waiting for the subway.

N for Newsstand

Saturday afternoon we visited Slide Mountain... Uncle Seth was excited to take the girls here.

Hadley slept through Slide Mountain though

We ended the trip going to the Lincoln Center to see the Nutcracker

Waiting for the Nutcracker to begin.  Both girls loved the performance.  We might have ruined every other Nutcracker for them though having their first experience be at the Lincoln Center with one of the best ballet companies.

Catch up time

 The girls and I just got back from a fun weekend visiting Amy and Seth in New York.  But before I do a post on that I wanted to catch up on the fall.  So here is our October, November and early December in pictures.

Madeleine and Jim ran in the annual Glendale Firehouse Run

Madeleine getting a manicure and a pedicure at a birthday party.  That was big excitement.

Playing in the leaves and pine needles.  The girls wanted to sweep the leaves up as you can see the broom in the background.

Tommy getting cozy on Gracie's bed.

Picking out our 2012 pumpkins.  This might actually be the best pumpkin patch shot we have ever had.

Trunk or Treat at North Glendale.  The kids had a blast seeing their friends and getting candy at all the cars.

Tommy on Halloween

Hadley's class party... she decided to dress as Princess Merida after she found out another friend was.

Madeleine's class party

Carving pumpkins... Hadley was the only one interested in helping.

Madeleine as Izzy from Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  

Hadley went back to her original Alice costume for trick or treating.  She had also dressed as Dorothy at the Kirkwood Halloween Walk.

Tommy as the cutest lion.  

Madeleine and her soccer team.  They had a fun season.

Hadley at an ice skating party

Caught this on the camera Thanksgiving morning.  Madeleine said Tommy thought she was the Mommy because he kept bringing her books so I told her to read to him.  He sat right down on her lap.  Then she realized how frustrating it is when he only lets you get through a few pages before he wants a different book 

Tommy on Thanksgiving.  He enjoyed walking LuLu around the house

The girls enjoyed dressing up.  It was a very coordinated effort.

Hadley with my old American Girl doll all dressed up for Christmas. 

Three asleep in the car on the way to the annual Pig Roast at our friends

Madeleine couldn't wait to try and climb a tree there this year after seeing the other kids do it last year.

Hadley found some new friends to ride with on the hayride.  Their blanket must have looked cozy.

Tommy and Jim on the hayride.

Madeleine enjoyed sitting on the back with the other kids

Visit with Santa at the Glendale tree lighting.   This is after he arrived by fire truck.

Tommy was not interested in Santa so Mrs Claus tried to read him a book.

Visit with Santa at Viz breakfast with Santa the next morning.  Tommy was still not interested in Santa but this time I got a picture of it.

The girls loved seeing him though.

Celebrating Uncle Todd's engagement on an unseasonably warm day in December.   Congrats Todd and Maribeth!

This might be our best family picture ever!  We need to pose with Todd and Maribeth more :)

A bike ride in December!  Yes, it was warm enough to wear shorts at 9 in the morning.  Crazy!

Tommy loves the water bottles.