Kennedy spilled

Teething is in full force here at the Shemenski's. Kennedy is drooling like a crazy lady most days with her hands in her mouth. Madison doesn't understand drooling, so she tells me, 'Uh oh Mommy, Kennedy spilled!' every time she sees a drop coming off her sister's chin. This is probably because Madison knows she is not allowed to dribble water out of her mouth. (A trick she thought was cute after sloshing her juice around in her mouth one night)

This photo was taken during our Christmas photo shoot under the tree tonight. Madison backed away and spouted her usual line when she saw Kennedy's drips. Guess she didn't want to get blamed for breaking the baby or 'spilling' on the floor!

Christmas crafts

Monday a few of Madison's friends came over for Christmas crafts. We started with cinnamon applesauce ornaments (which were much gooeier than I remember as a kid). Noah, Madison, and Spencer doned their smocks and dug in with cookie cutters.

Madison is the monkey in the middle of this one.

Next we decorated Christmas trees with stickers and glitter glue pens. The kids LOVED squeezing the glitter all over the place.

Ryan came later to join the fun. Everyone had friendship bread as a snack. Madison wasn't ready to take her smock off yet.

Don't you just love seeing 4 little monkeys all in a row?! Kids in groups are so funny.

We had lots of fun and can't wait for cookie making day!

Nativity

Madison loves playing with the Nativity.

She tells us all about the Kings, Mary, baby JEEEsus, and Mary's husband Jo-fess.

Did you know Mary's husband was Jofess?

Now ya do. tee hee

Aunt Kristi

Late Sunday, December 7th Aunt Kristi came to town and brought her new boyfriend, Keith for us to meet. Keith's best friend lives in Los Angeles so he picked Keith up from the airport for a day of boy time before we got to meet him.

Mommy picked Kristi at the Van Nuys Flyaway just after 11pm and we stayed up talking until after 2am, at which time Kennedy decided she needed to nurse. Shortly after Madison woke up. After less than 4 hours in bed it was time to be up for the day.

Luckily for Daddy he slept in the office, didn't hear any of the madness, and got a great night sleep.

Monday all the girls spent a fun day playing around the house and running around town. Aunt Kristi brought a fabulous scarf her grandma made and Madison decided she wanted to wear the 'blanket' all day.

She even napped in it.

Later, Aunt Kristi entertained Kennedy while Mommy made spaghetti and Madison slept.

Angie, Noah, Kelly B, Chad, and Dana came over for dinner.

Keith and John arrived just before Daddy got home from work. We had a great time visiting.

Tuesday Kristi, Keith and the girls played and visited all day.

Madison started calling Keith 'Uncle Donkey'.

We think it is because of the donkey in the nativity scene. She also called Aunt Kristi, 'Uncle Kristi'. Hmmm...

We were so sad to take them to the airport early Wednesday morning.

The girls had so much fun with both of them. Keith has 4 nieces/nephews and loves kids so he was great with the girls.

Kristi just bounced Kennedy to sleep before this picture was taken.

We are looking forward to more, longer visits in the future!

Kennedy's first Christmas Tree

Saturday, December 6th we went Christmas tree shopping.

It was a quick trip this time, one stop.
We chose the second tree Daddy unwrapped. Nice and easy.

Madison had a great time playing with the twine the tree was wrapped with.

She swung it around like a jump rope while we were waiting to check out. (like her belt? It was mine when I was little!)

Kennedy hung out in her favorite spot.

Daddy carried the tree to the jeep and

loaded it up while Mommy loaded the girls in her car.

When we got home the girls donned their Gators gear to get ready for the SEC Championship game.

Madison gave Daddy directions on how to prep the tree for the stand.

Kennedy stayed inside and teethed.

Mommy decorated Saturday and Sunday to get the house ready for Christmas.

Stay tuned for more pics of our decorated house.

First discussion

Today was my first REAL discussion with a two year old.

It went like this:

Madison: "Mommy, watch too-v"

Mommy: "You want to watch TV?"

Madison: (in a louder voice with annoyed look on her face) "No Mommy, watch TOOOO-VEE"

Mommy: "What?! TV?"

Madison: (louder voice and getting closer to my face and using hand motions) "Mommy TOOOOO VEEEE, wif da mouse, in da bottom of da bowl and da sawad (aka salad)"

Mommy: (with sudden clarity) "OHHHH!! You want to watch Ratatouille? With the mouse?"

Madison: (full of excitement and jumping up and down) "yea Mommy TOOO VEEE, TOOO VEEE, TOOOOOOOO VEEEE".

By the time I grabbed the movie we were both laughing at our exchange and Kennedy was looking at us like we were both crazy.

The hilariousness of this discussion was only furthered by the fact that Madison had this goofy hat on!

The first of many silly discussions to come.

Quick learner

Tonight was take #2 of rice cereal for Kennedy.
She got considerably less on her bib and decided against the hands-in-mouth technique this evening.
By the end of the first helping (yes, Mommy had to make seconds!!) she was swallowing more and pushing out less with her tongue.
Last night she only slept her normal 5 hours before waking for her first feeding.
We'll see how tonight goes. One hour and counting...
**
On a side note: Madison is getting pretty good at the Rudolph song, which she is singing to Daddy now as the clay-mation Rudolph on CBS tonight comes to an end. Maybe it's the 85 times she's already watched it since Gramm sent the entire clay-mation set that are helping her singing.

Kennedy's first Rice Cereal

Tonight Kennedy had her first rice cereal.



Megan Snee let us borrow her bumbo chair and tray, which were perfect for the big event.

Kennedy wasn't sure how she felt about the first few bites



She ended up eating about a teaspoon and a half, and wearing at least that much
Kennedy learned shoving the hands in the mouth doesn't help get more cereal, afterall.
We ended the big event with a big bath.



4 hours of sleep and counting...

Thanksgiving Saturday

Georgia may have lost the Georgia vs Tech game this year, but we still had plenty to celebrate.

TONS of leftovers!




Uncle Chris and his new girlfriend Tali came over to help eat up these yummy leftovers and see another fun holiday treat...

SNOW




It's been snowing (bubbles) at the mall every night since November 14th, but this weekend was the first time Madison got to see it this year.
She was so excited at the 'snow' falling from the sky.



Kennedy fell asleep in the sling, officially missing her first Southern California snow.



I'm sure there will be many more opportunities before the nightly storms end.

Black Friday

Mommy and Kennedy got up and left the house at 5am for Kennedy's first Black Friday shopping experience.

Mommy used to go with Gramm every year early Friday morning to see what all the greatest deals of the year were.

It was so fun to get our box of cracker jacks or special ornament with percentage off coupons inside at the department stores.

Mommy is so lucky to have TWO girls to share this mother-daughter tradition.

Daddy stayed home (in bed) with Madison while Mommy and Kennedy met up with Mindy at Walmart and Toys R Us. It was a zoo and fairly unfruitful for us, fun none the less.

We made it home in time to get Madison dressed in her special Charlie Brown t-shirt and piggie tails, get Daddy off to work, and head to the Oaks mall. We walked and looked around at all the crazy shoppers.

Madison played at the fantastic indoor play place.

The entire time we were at the mall she said, 'Wuk Mommy, see the bear, see the bear'. Well I did NOT see the bear and thought she was crazy....until we were walking back toward the car and stopped to nurse Kennedy.

Madison pointed to the Build-a-Bear sign (which we conveniently stopped in front of) and said, 'SEEEE Mommy- the BEAR!'. Since she was such a great sport on her first REAL black friday experience (she spent her very first one in a baby bjorn in Florida when we met up with Daddy and Uncle Daniel who spent the night at Best Buy- crazy!), we went in to look around.

Did you know you can build a bear (or other animal) for as little at $10?! It's all the accessories that make it crazy expensive.

Mommy let Madison pick from a few of the basic 'bears' and make one to take home. She chose the orange kitty and named it 'Hello', just like her special bandaids. 'See the kitty Mommy? her name Hewwo.'

She told me she loved her kitty and hasn't left it out of her sight since we made it.

Thankgiving 2008

This was Kennedy's first Thanksgiving. What a great Thanksgiving it was.

We started the day by watching the Macy's parade. Madison LOVED the big balloons and fun floats.
While the parade was going in the living room, Daddy was playing with Tom the Turkey in the kitchen.

Kennedy was being cute. She started the day in her Thanksgiving onsie (seen in previous posts) but ended that quickly with an early morning diaper accident.

Every year Daddy does the turkey and Mommy makes everything else.

We are a good team.

This year Madison helped Mommy in the kitchen.

She had to wear her 'person', aka apron.

At one point she went missing. Anyone who has seen our house is laughing right now.
How does a 2 yr old go missing in 1,000 sqr feet of house? She doesn't

She can't get out of the house, but my heart always sinks when she doesn't answer right away and stays quiet behind doors.

She thinks it's great fun to hide.
I went from room to room searching for her.

When I found her in the girls' bathroom she looked at me as she grabbed a towel and said, 'Hi Mommy, I washing my hands'. Could she be any cuter with her purse over her shoulder and her apron. Guess she felt her hands were not clean enough to play with her toys.

Mommy decided to use up orange, black, and white Halloween marshmellow ghosts for the sweet potatoes this year.

Madison admired the turkey with Daddy when it came out of the oven.

Mommy made yummy giblet gravy.

She stirred

and stirred (like her Grandma Lackey taught her)

until it was JUST right.

Daddy carved the 22.40 lbs of turkey- (no we were not feeding an army- just us- don't ask!)

and it was time to eat

Kennedy fell asleep on Mommy's lap during dinner/lunch (what do you call a 3:30pm meal?)

Madison was great right up until we sat down.

She threw a huge fit and hid under the table for most of the meal.

When all was said and done Daddy rocked a screaming Madison to sleep while Mommy took a cat nap with the wonderful, sweet Kennedy (can you tell who won the child of the day award?)

Most of all this Thanksgiving we are thankful for our beautiful, healthy girls, our family, and all the blessings God continues to bestow upon us each and every day!