Back to random pictures...

Being silly while getting dressed one morning!

Yes, the tongue hanging out helps in concentration. You don't wear a tiara for hanging out in the kitchen every day?

Making chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks. An unholy mess, but so yummy!

Testing out her new roller skates from Gram and Pop

Christmas Pictures, finally!

Can't believe I'm actually up-to-date with posting pictures; it's been a while!

Ready for bed on Christmas Eve in her pajamas from the Elf and with the cookies for Santa.

Her first sight of the loot on Christmas morning (note, it was still dark outside the door behind me! She was awake at 7am on the dot) - I think this picture is particularly funny because immediately after it she fell on the floor in shock to see so many things she had asked Santa for!

Checking out the kaleidoscope from her stocking

Puppy from Uncle Phil and Aunt Janice helping to open another present

The hit present of the year at the M household - the Black and Decker Junior Workbench. She built the birdhouse, randomly "drills" and "saws" the pieces of velcroed wood, built the birdhouse several times, etc. One of these days we'll have to put her to work with some real tools and see what she can do for us!

More birthday pictures

Have to get caught up on these so I can post Christmas pictures!

Tired girls - they all played so hard they were WORN OUT when it was time for cake!

The whole gang - L to R is Nicolas, Johanna, Ellie, Lauren, Douglas, Caroline, Audrey, Jeremy, Madeline, Erin and Sarah.

The super-yummy birthday cake, half chocolate and half vanilla.

Sitting on the birthday throne - this chair was what sold Caroline on having her party here in the first place!

Birthday Pictures

As close as possible to her exact time of birthday - 8:04am December 7th!

Waiting for guests to arrive at the party. Caroline was particularly thrilled that they let her flip all the switches to inflate the jumpers.

Caroline and Audrey on the slide

Caroline and Douglas racing through the obstacle course

A few seasonal pictures

Making Christmas cookies, and a little liberal on the sprinkles....

Uncle Phil gave Caroline this piano either for her first birthday or that Christmas, and it is still one of her favorite toys, except now her focus is on the mike instead of the piano and singing whatever weird songs she can make up (the one being sung in this picture was about a purple cow who needed a haircut - no, seriously!)

Our beautiful Christmas tree - can you tell where Caroline focused on hanging ornaments?

Our own little elf - she said "Mom, we have antlers I could wear?" as though I had been hiding them from her all these years.

The many and varied interests of a 5-year old...

I've always taken pride in the fact that Caroline is interested in lots of things generally above her age level. But some of them are just so odd for a newly-5-year old that it makes me laugh....

Occasionally on our way home from school we will travel the back roads, which means along Route 832. This is a very rural area, with several old homes. Driving along one day, Caroline said, "Mom, STOP! What's that little house behind the big house?" I thought she meant the shed, but she said no, it's smaller than a shed. Since no one was driving behind me, I stopped to look. She had spotted a still-standing outhouse!

I had to mull about how to explain this on her level. So I said that a long time ago, before people knew how to build houses with water pipes inside the walls, they had to go outside to go to the bathroom. She was FLABBERGASTED to consider this - "you mean they went peepee outside?" with a tone of incredulity as if I had said Tom Cruise's religious beliefs make perfect sense. :) So I explained that yes, they had to go outside. I told her to think about the last time she called me in the middle of the night for company to walk down the hallway to the bathroom. She said she knew. I said to then imagine putting on her shoes, and her coat, and maybe a hat or gloves if it was cold outside, and tromping out to the backyard to go potty. I think there is some small part of her that actually didn't believe me! hahaha

So I decided to take this opportunity to introduce her to chapter books and told her that the next time we go to the library I'm going to get a book about a little girl who lived a long time ago and used outhouses - Laura Ingalls. ;-) And now whenever we drive up Route 832, she counts the outhouses along the way!

Moving on....

I've given up on the vacation pictures - everyone has already seen them anyway! So it's back to regular life stuff.

Ready for professional Christmas pictures - I just loooooved her hair smoothed back and the headband on, since she doesn't normally wear them!

Her ballet recital - the teacher said she has excellent posture.

On the stage stretching with Ms. Leslie

The Three Musketeers of Bancroft Street - Sarah, Caroline and Erin

Our first day going to the parks

A quick visit to the spoonbill cranes

Caroline LOVES spinning the teacups!

Lunch at Cinderella's castle - Cindy was very impressed that Caroline found "her shirt".

With Princess Belle, Caroline's longtime favorite

Caroline and Jasmine, who was about the most gorgeous woman EVER.

It was exciting even for me to get to eat in the castle - we had our pick of times, and walked right up and in. But even as a grownup, walking into Cinderella's castle gives you that little bit of "oh, WOW" shiver. The food was impressive, the princesses got around to each and every kid and gave them a little bit of one-on-one time. No wonder they call it a magical experience!

The beginning of our Disney Trip

Let's go on vacation already! (she was up at 6:15am, rarin' to go)

The lovely view from our balcony
Here comes the giraffe!

Caroline liked watching for the zebras

Caroline's Artwork

A zebra - notice the "snort holes" (nostrils) in between the stripes!

Can't remember if this was supposed to be a cat or a squirrel....

Very happy turtle!

A bird with impressive tail feathers

Next up will be pictures from vacation!

Catoctin Zoo

Caroline and her friend Nicholas, ready to go feed some animals.

Baby Bengal tiger cubs - so cute and fuzzy you want to put them in your pocket!

Caroline and Nicholas intently watching....

the ALLIGATORS!

"Mom, we HAVE to take a picture of the flamingoes for Gram!"

Making Halloween Cookies

Care for a little cookie with your sprinkles?

Very intent with the cookie cutters

Ready for the oven!

Firefighters and EMS came to their class for a talk - Caroline's favorite part was getting to climb in the ambulance and check things out.

Caroline with her wooden doll from Grandma and Grandpa - she carried it around for DAYS, even took it in to school to show her friends. It was all we could do to convince her not to sleep with it! (I was afraid of her rolling over on it and puncturing herself in the face with the pointy wooden hands or something)

How big my baby is! Caroline was helping me gather up some clothes in the basement to take to Goodwill, and wanted to hold up one of her baby outfits to see how much she had grown. Pictures like this make me catch my breath....

Netbusters 3, Silver Stars 1

Caroline played in her first soccer game on Sunday afternoon (the first official game was the previous week, and she positively refused to play; said she was "afraid" of the other team) Who knows what changed between last week and this one - maybe it was getting to hang around with her friends first to take team pictures.

A high-five from Mr. Gene for a well-kicked practice goal

Caroline and her team celebrating blocking a goal from the other team

2/3 of the "Three Musketeers" having fun while waiting their turn!

Caroline and Erin sharing post-game Halloween brownies and fruit punch.

Sarah and Caroline - in the larger version of this picture the soccer jersey makes her eyes look SCARILY blue!