Football Tailgate at the Orsini's

Who doesn't love football season!?! So we decided that the Orsini's should host a Football Tailgate Party! We allowed everyone to dress up in their favorite teams jersey and we only had a couple outcasts that didn't wear Bears attire...how dare they!

It turned out to be another gorgeous Fall day. Lucky for us Chicago people...we'll take 50 degrees any day this time of year and wear skirts!

As of late, Maddie has been quite the daddy's girl. I guess this is normal of little girls. When Mike has to go to work in the mornings, Maddie will throw herself at the door begging for him to stay home. It's so sad to see those tears roll down her face but she is quite the actor. The cutest is when she hears the garage door open. She knows her Daddy is home and will run to the door with open arms! Why does she not do this for me!?!

Madison had so much fun playing with all the kids. I love this neighborhood because all the kids are roughly the same age. Here is Miley (19 months), Madison (15 months) and Grace (17 months). Not sure where Izzy (15 months) was...she was being the shy girl since her mom woke her up from nap time early to party!

Thank You Orsini's for hosting a great party! They ordered in food from Ruth's Chris!!! How lucky were we!?! Note to the next host/hostesses: We decided it would be best to have our next get together on a Saturday because there was WAY to much beer leftover. I guess that calls for another party ASAP! Who's in!?!

And what is a party without a few rounds of flip cup!?!? I really need to lay off this beer drinking. Christin is such a bad influence on me! These pictures are showing the beginning stages of "Fat Face" and we all remember that from Atlanta!

My Little Dare Devil

Maddie doesn't understand that she is CRAZY! I know I've mentioned before on the teeter totter picture that it looked like she was falling but in reality she was just getting ready to stand up. I'm sure no one believed me and that I was just covering up for the fact my child was about to fall. I figured I better start taking some pictures of my little dare devil in action. No matter the toy, she finds a way to freak us out and finds it hysterical that her dad is screaming in panic!

Even her shopping cart...she can't push it...she has to sit/stand in it. What will be next!?! I'm sure she'll get herself into many compromising positions this weekend at Magee and Papa's house!!!

Photography

My newest goal is to become this amazing photographer...who knew it was so hard!?! Now I see why they have classes for this. Do I have any volunteers to mentor me???

I've started taking a couple classes at our local camera store but their is just sooo much to learn. I'm excited to watch my progression and who doesn't love a pastime of taking photos of their beautiful baby...I mean toddler!

Here are a couple shots I got of Madison the other day. We took these at a local farm stand.

I've been trying to think of creative shots for Christmas time. Let me know if you have any great ideas. I would love to hear them!

Please leave me a comment and let me know your Christmas Photoshoot ideas!!!!

Best Friends

We took Madison and Miley to the park yesterday because it was such a gorgeous Fall day out. We missed seeing Izzy and Parker though. The girls are at the age where they are beginning to love playing together. Ok, well maybe not yet but it sounded good ;)

I look at them playing together now and think back how they used to just lay on the floor and look at each other. It seems like just yesterday they were born and drinking bottles and eating baby food. I can just picture the two of them being the best of friends in the future. I love watching them play together now. Pretty soon Jill and I will be taking them to the nail salon and the mall...oh goodness!!! We better start saving our pennies now. These girls are going to take us for everything we have!

I know it looks like Maddie is falling here but she's just being a little daredevil these days. She was in the process of standing up with no hands. Do we see a circus career in her future? (It's a good thing Dad wasn't around...he doesn't find this stage so amusing.)

This is Maddie's I've fallin' and I can't get up because I have food in my hand I won't let go of it and I hate getting my hands dirty pose!

I'm looking forward to watching them grow up together and to see what adventures we can get into this winter! I hear gymnastics is in the works. Should be interesting!

No More Bibs!!!

This is a HUGE deal for the Boyum household! For any of you that know Madison, you know she has always been a drooler. A drooler to the point that she must be wearing bibs at all times or her shirt will be soaked in the matter of seconds. For some reason she found it too time consuming to swallow her spit. As of today, we are no longer wearing bibs! I think I found this more exciting then her first steps. Pictures will look so much better without stained mismatching bibs!

Goodbye Bibs! Hello Teeth!

Indian Summer

What a gorgeous weekend it has been! We were able to spend a lot of time outside enjoying the last few rays of sunshine until the snow comes in. Madison enjoyed playing at the park in a sundress and having the breeze fly through her hair while laughing in the swing. It's becoming more of a workout at the park that she now wants to do more then just swing. Our rotation is usually swinging, slide, walk around while she tries her darnedest to keep up with the other toddlers and then teeter toter.

Halloween

Madison was the cutest Minnie Mouse I had ever seen but its too bad she didn't feel the same way I did :)

This year we only took her to a few houses around our neighborhood just to say she went Trick or Treating. I promise next year we'll do it right because by then she'll know what candy is! My mom was in town because she was kind enough to babysit Maddie so Mike and I could be kids and get all dressed up and go out on the town to celebrate his and Becky's birthday.


Madison is now officially a copycat. She will try and copy anything we do or say. It is the cutest stage yet. She will copy everything from mouth gestures (clicking your tongue, kisses, blowing bubbles, etc.) to the way we walk (stomping, jumping, walking backwards, etc.). She still loves to give big open mouth slobbery kisses and I will always love to receive them!

Some of the words Maddie can say are:

• Mama

• Dada (favorite word...I'm a bit jealous)
  

• Thank You

• Hi (whenever she holds a phone up to her ear)

• Daisy
  

• Up

• Cheese (with the biggest smile ever)

• Baby
  

Other cute things Maddie does:

• Wave Hi and Bye

• Scrunch her hand together for "More"

• Shake her head "No" when shes all done with something

• Blows kisses

• Claps

• Winks (at least tries to but ends up shutting both eyes really tight)