The Fabulous Life of Stefanie

Politics and dead birds aside, I am a fan of Thanksgiving if only because it involves two of my favorite things: warm fuzzy feelings and food. I could list a lot of things I am not thankful for at this very second, because I am definitely having one of those days BUT there is a heck of a lot more that I am thankful for, and that is much more fun to share, right? This year I am thankful for not one but TWO happy, healthy daughters. I am lucky to get to be their mama and that Annabel has been a relatively easy baby compared to a certain someone else... I am thankful that I have an awesome husband to raise those two kiddos with and that even though this season in our life is more falling asleep on the couch at 8:30 than sunset strolls, there is no one in the world I would rather have by my side. I am thankful for my mom and the renewed commitment we have made to our relationship; the mother/daughter relationship is a special one and I am thankful to have such a loving mom who is a...

Last night after I tucked Maddie in and whispered "goodnight, my three year old" she told me "and tomorrow I am four and it is going to be awesome" and I don't doubt it for one second. Our Maddie is a lover of life, of friends, of fun and EXCITEMENT. She is the least shy person I have ever met and makes friends wherever she goes. Everyone knows her - at school, at church, at the local breakfast diner - because she is quite unforgettable with her big smile and need to talk to and hug anyone she meets. She is kind and funny and smart beyond what I could have imagined and although raising a big personality doesn't come without some big exhaustion I would not have it any other way. Maddie Jane, you light up our family's life like a meteor storm. You get the biggest smile out of Annabel and have taken this year of change and chaos and run with it (quite literally). We love managing your busy social calendar just as much as we love snuggling with you ove...

I am thrilled to report that Maddie may be just as excited about holidays as her mama; from decorating the house to arts and crafts projects about the big day, not to mention the actual day when it finally, finally came, she was INTO Halloween this year. We spent the weeks before watching movies ( The Great Pumpkin being a family fave), carving pumpkins and attending as many Halloween festivities as we could fit into our schedule. And talk about getting some mileage out of a costume! We got a lot of use out of that unicorn and little Annie had three that she rotated based on the party (and ability to crawl as fast as she could in it). We had a school Halloween party, a trip to the Castle Island Halloween Party with their new nanny, the annual Pumpkin Float, pumpkin carving with our awesome neighbors and a little costume parade around the neighborhood with Maddie's school; she even got to wear her costume at dance class! I was really glad she loved the costume so much and didn...