Chooby eats food now. She mooches with her eyes when we all eat our big people food in front of her, so that was one indication that she was ready for some "Rice Surprise." She gulps half down and spits half out, as most babies do. But we've discovered that she has the LONGEST tongue. This picture does not show off her full extension- it basically goes all the way to the bottom of her chin- maybe further, no joke- and it is pointy on the end! We get a kick out of it, anyway.
Jensen and Noah came down yesterday and brought with them a Sesame Street workout DVD. Our girls have pretty much been bouncing off the walls being cooped up inside the house, so it was a welcome way for them to expend some energy. They worked out pretty hard, got the giggles, and then they all somehow ended up behind the pushed-out couch in this position, staring at the TV. Raleigh, who loves to pose for the camera, saw that I was taking a picture and flashed us all a smile . . .
Okay, so I have to brag a little about Dallas. He has taught himself to oil paint, and the first things he begins painting are PORTRAITS! (Not landscapes, but PORTRAITS!) This is one that he's been working on of Raleigh. (The color as seen through a camera lens is a little off.) Fun, huh?!
Dallas made Madeline this awesome chocolate cake with double frosting and oreo topping. He also made her a chocolate cheesecake. (We call that "true love" at our house.) These are the only pictures we have at the moment because Dionne can't figure out how to put pictures from the desktop on this blogger-dealie. Raleigh helped Madeline blow out the candles because Madeline was suffering from stage fright. Raleigh couldn't get them out, though, so Madeline helped her.
Raleigh made this crown for Grandma La Rue back in July for her birthday, but she didn't get to give it to her until November on Madeline's birthday. She was so nice to wear it! Raleigh didn't waste any time "sharing" Madeline's new birthday dress-up, either!
How could we blog our trip to the Mayan without mentioning Madeline's free birthday dessert? It was GOOD. How do I know that? Because I ate it for her.
We ate at the Mayan for Madeline's birthday and had a blast. The food and entertainment are both overrated, but to the girls, it was "an adventure." Even though Raleigh said she "[didn't] like the idea of having a restaurant look like a jungle," it was a great atmosphere for kids and a good little fake-cultural-experience for them. We enjoyed the diving show, cheesy as it was, and we even got splashed a little (COOL!) We knew the girls enjoyed it when Madeline's Sunbeam class asked us about it, and Raleigh wrote about it in Kindergarten the next day.
