Setting Up Christmas!

Our Thanksgiving was busy, but just as perfect (and yummy!) as always! Darby LOVED my turkey and ate her way through Turkey Day, just like the rest of us. We had a great time being with family and getting stuffed!

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us yet again, we are gearing up for Christmas - my favorite time of year! I am SO excited for this year. Darby already loves all the decorations we have up and is amazed by all the lights around the neighborhood.

Here is a video I took this evening of Darby around the tree!



On a side note:
Don't forget!! If you are interested in ordering a custom handmade tutu, email me at shoplittlemissmuffets@gmail.com or go to my Etsy site www.littlemissmuffets.etsy.com

What Every Little Girl Needs!

A TUTU!

This is something I have been wanting to do for awhile, and I am finally getting it all together and making it happen. I am so excited! Right now I have 2 listings up in my Etsy shop (http://www.littlemissmuffets.etsy.com/) and will be specializing in custom order tutu's - but plan on having some in stock to order as well.

Tutu's are part of being a little girl. Darby just loves playing around in the tutu's I have made for her! What could be better then seeing the little girl in your life having fun AND looking super adorable?

If you know anyone that would be interested, PLEASE pass the word on! You can either contact me through my Etsy site or at shoplittlemissmuffets@gmail.com

In other news, we have just been busy getting Darby healthy - she was put on another round of antibiotics because her double ear infections weren't budging! Today is her last day and she seems to be doing much better. I wish I could look in her ears to see for myself!

I can't believe Thanksgiving is in 2 days! There is SO much to be thankful for this year. Darby (of course!), my Mother In Laws sucessful double lung transplant (she is doing wonderfully), loving family and fantastic friends. There is so much more but life with a 1 year old wont allow me to sit here and type any longer!

Here is wishing you and your family/friends a wonderful Thanksgiving!

We're Back...Finally!

After a week in Texas, a fever (Darby), vomit in the rental car (Darby), a double ear infection (Darby), cough and cold (Darby too!), we are back in action! It's been a crazy 2 weeks but we made it.

Texas was WONDERFUL! Darby and I had such a great time. I picked right up where I last left off (6 years ago) with my old high school friends and it was awesome. We stayed with my friends Katy and David, and their 3.5 month old babe Enzo. We felt so at home in their beautiful house and Darby loved breaking in all Enzo's toys! Darby and I also got to have brunch at my friend Monica's house (another beautiful one!), along with her 6 month old little girl Olivia and a few dinner with a bunch of other old friends too. The trip was absolutely perfect.. until Darby got sick on Sunday night. We were supposed to go to the zoo on Monday but since we were traveling Tuesday I wanted Darby to get as much rest as she could! Flying with a sick baby was not fun but we survived and were so happy to be back on California soil again!

I am SO SO SO sad I never got a picture with anyone, but hopefully it wont be TOO long before we can all see each other again. Here are some of the pictures I took on our Texas adventure!

Darby and Enzo having breakfast together

Kisses for Enzo

Learning how to be gentle with the baby

Ready to head out to meet Monica and Olivia at the park

Monica and Olivia

Katy and Enzo

Friends!

Olivia is such a sweetie!

Darby and I crashed Katy and Davids big family photo shoot...

... and we had some fun of our own!

HALLOWEEN FUN!

On Halloween we drove out to Orange to visit with Darby's Great Grandpa and Nana! She got all dressed up in her Panda Bear costume to show it off. We also go to see Darby's Great Aunt Sherri and cousin Jordyn - who dressed up too! We had a great time. Darby had fun seeing the horses and even got to ride one with Jordyn!

Darby had a GREAT time Trick or Treating - or "tricktreat" as she would say. Here are some pictures from our fun night!

One of the pumpkins I carved (while Eric napped)

Our "honor system" treat bowl on the front porch since we weren't home to hand out candy!

Darby blowing kisses to the pumpkins (she did this every day)

Ready to hit the neighborhood

First stop: Kaeli (Thumbelina) and Zanes (Iron Man) house!

Treat from Grandma and Grandpa Murray's house

Checkin' out her goodies, she got a ton of candy...

... and she got to eat a Kit Kat!

I'm so behind on posting, you will have to forgive me! Darby and I are heading down to Houston tomorrow to visit some friends. I am so excited, a bit nervous about traveling alone with her, but completely ready for the adventure! We will miss Eric a TON, but he will be busy taking the trailer up to Solvang and doing a 63 mile bike ride with a few of his buddies. I will have the camera with me - of course - so I will be sure to share our adventures with you when we get back!

Happy Halloween!

For Halloween this year, Darby is going to be a panda bear! She has been practicing wearing her costume (mainly the hat part) for the last few weeks and loves to wear it! Of course, we think she is the cutest panda bear ever! See for yourself!

Darby has also been practicing saying "trick or treat", although the only part that you can understand is the TREAT part. But then again, that's all that really matters anyway!

Hope everyone has a very HAPPY and SAFE Halloween!

Fall Family Tradition

Now that Darby is a little older, everything seems more exciting! She is constantly in "discovery" mode - into everything, walking everywhere and always learning new things. It's so much fun. We decided to indulge her need to discover by taking her to a pumpkin farm. What's even better is that the farm is called "Murray Family Farms". I found the farm by googling pumpkin farms in the area. Once I saw it online, I knew we had to go!

We made a weekend out of it and took the trailer and went camping in the area, even our dog Billie got to go (but not to the farm, of course!). The farm was so much fun - corn mazes, play areas, petting zoo, pick your own pumpkin and a hay ride! It would have only been made better if there was actually some FALL-LIKE weather to go with it.

Since we pretty much don't have ANY traditions that don't include other family or friends, this will be our first one! We plan on taking our little family back next year to Murray Farms for our pumpkin picking and lots of fun! Darby loved it, and so did we.

We already can't wait until next year!

The Gift of Gab!

Darby has definitely been given the gift of gab. Our little chatty cathy has already added quite a few words to her vocabulary. Here they are, in no particular order!


Mama, Mom, Ma, Mommy (she calls me all of them)
Papa, Poppie
Buh (Billie, our dog)
Book
Cup
Bowl
Juice
Sides (from a song at Gymboree were she goes side to side)
Baby
Ball
Shoes
Hi
Bye
Flower
Thank You
Mi Mi (sleep)
Num num (eat)
Jack
This
See
What's that
Cracker
Apple
Kick
Poo-poo (I'm trying to teach her to tell me when she goes!)
Phone
Clock
Meow (cat)


She has a book that I really think has helped teach her words like - kick - which she likes to point to and say, and actually kick her leg!

Speaking of books, Darby is a bookworm! She loves going into her room and opening the cabinet in her dresser and reading her books.

Darby is also a couch climber now. She would actually climb right over the top of it if we didn't stop her. She loves to climb up on the couch with her books and look at them. I find her this way multiple times throughout the day. It's adorable. Every time I see her sitting there on the couch with her books, I can't believe how much she has grown in 14 months.