Cousin David

Let it SNOW!!!

We are getting lots of snow to play in while we are visiting Michigan!

More Pictures

Since I heard that some people check the blog EVERY day looking for new Madison pictures I thought I would add a couple more today too......for Grandpa G.

Madison making cookies with her friend Ellie.

We had crab legs and Madison thought that the lemon tasted pretty good by itself. She ate more lemon than crab!

STATE of HOCKEY!!!

Since we live in the "State of Hockey" we took Madison to her first hockey game. Appropriately enough, it was high school girls hockey. Jennifer's Ice Arena addition that she has been working on for 2 years had it's grand opening last night with the ceremonial "puck drop" from the Mayor. Madison really liked to watch the game, she hadn't seen anything like it before. Before we went we told her she would get to go skating. She had no idea what "skating" was but she was really excited to do it. We met some friends there that had a pair of skates just for Madison. Double bladed Barbie ones!

Go Park High Wolfpack!!!

Madison and friends!

First Ice!

Look Mom, I can skate!

All by Myself!!

Chef Madison

Madison just loves to help out in the kitchen! This week she got her very own Dora the Explorer apron from Aunt Liz. She put it to use right away!

TRICK or TREAT!!!

We saved the seeds from the pumpkin and then roasted them and ate them.

Madison and her pumpkin. She really likeded it when we lit him up with the candle.

Madison and some friends ready to go to the tailgate trick-or-treat in Woodbury.

After a long night of trick-or-treating Madison needed her morning coffee to get going. (okay she was really drinking her "milk-coffee" as she calls it)

Halloween Costume

Madison is going to be TIGGER this year.

Minnesota Zoo

Today Madison and Daddy went to the Minnesota Zoo. Madison got up close and personal with one of the Brown Bears that was swimming.

This animal is a Tapir, in case Madison ever tells you about them. They kind of look like a cross between a pig and cow with a long nose. They are a South American animal.

Waiting to go into the bear exhibit.

The aquarium was really neat, lots of fish and a shark too!

Madison liked to watch the River Otters playing in the water.

Backyard Visitor

This afternoon we had a special backyard visitor....a redtail hawk. I first spotted him on the other side of the fence on the ground eating a tasty morsel of something. He then flew up onto the fence and then moved over to Madison's playground fort to scan the yard for more snacks. Yesterday, Madison and I saw a demonstration at the library from the Raptor Center. The guy had a kestrel, redtail hawk, great horned owl, and a bald eagle, so Madison was able to see these birds up close then, and now see one in her backyard (she wasn't quite asleep for her nap yet so I went up and she looked down from her bedroom window).

The Apple Orchard

Today we went to Afton Apple Orchard to pick some apples. It was a gorgeous day with no coat needed. Madison helped pick the apples right off the tree that we are going to use to make apple pie and apple crisp with. She had to really tug on some of them to get them off (see video). They also had a pumpkin patch so she picked out a nice pumpkin and then we also got to pick and eat raspberries (we didn't buy any, just ate them :)

I like my pumpkin!

Mmmmm raspberries.

Picking Apples, Pumpkins and Raspberries just tires me right out!

Cooking and Painting

Madison has been quite the little Martha Stewart lately. She helped Mommy make cupcake ice cream cones one night, and she helped make a pizza for dinner tonight. She liked eating the pepperoni as much as putting it on the pizza. Of course the part she really likes best is EATING whatever we make!

This weekend we decided to paint the "blue room" in the house. This is the third bedroom upstairs that we don't really use right now and we thought brown was a little nicer color for it, plus it had some patches on the walls that needed to be covered and we didn't have any of the original blue to cover them with.

Daddy and Madison went to the Como Zoo this week and saw lions, tigers and giraffes. One of the lions was really roaring while we were there and Madison likes to imitate it. Inside the other male lion was standing right up to the glass looking outside to where the other lion was, it was a little intimidating to be inches from his face when we were the only ones in the building at the time. At home now when we talk to Madison about something and have to ask her if she is lying about it she says she is "lion" about it. We are still working on this concept of truth and lying.

Madison Rides a Horse!

Madison, our little girl who has been afraid to touch a kitten or baby bunny actually went for a horse ride. She didn't technically touch the horse of course, since she was sitting in the saddle though. Her friend Tabitha rode with her on Sparkles and Anna walked the horse around. Madison did really good at holding on. We were so shocked that she went for the ride that we even made a video of it for you to watch.

Madison's Uncle Mark

Madison's Uncle Mark (Jim's brother) was involved in a very serious car accident in North Carolina. Since a lot of you are praying for him right now we wanted to put up some pictures of him in case you had never met him.

Wyoming 2007

Madison with Jim, Great-Grandpa Levitt, and Uncle Mark, 2007.

Christmas 2006.

Going to School

Today Madison put on my backpack and told me she was "going to school". Then she tried to go out the front door before I stopped her!

Potstickers

Madison learned how to make potstickers (dumplings) the way our friends Gaofeng and Minya taught us to do it. It was a lot of fun, she got to wet the edge of the potsticker wrap and then Jennifer would seal it up. They did really good too, not one of them busted open when we cooked them (granted, they were not as full as Gaofeng can make them).

Then, because Jim was using chopsticks, Madison insisted on her having them too. She understood how she was supposed to use them even if it took two hands at times. She liked the potstickers and ate several of them.