Christmas

Samantha was so gentle with the ornaments and she did a great job decorating the tree, although I did have to follow her and hang up the ornaments that she had laid on the tree!

Here she is on Christmas eve. She had a great day but didn't take a nap so she zonked out on Papa. Good thing I got her in pjs early!

On christmas morning she was much more interested in her chocolate than she was in opening presents. Thankfully Dominic loved opening presents so much that he opened Samantha's as well. Once they were open Samantha loved them, especially her Elmo Live!

Getting the Christmas tree...

So with all good intentions we set out to the local tree farm to cut down a christmas tree. When we got there Samantha insisted on walking but kept falling in the too deep snow, the trees were all about 3 feet high and it was bitterly cold. After a few minutes I carried a screaming Samantha back to the car and we drove around until we found someone selling cut trees!

Sillyness with Dominic

It is so great to see Dominic and Samantha play together. She insists on doing everything he does and he is more than happy to egg her on!

The Polar Express

I was wondering how Samantha would do on our long weekend to the polar express and beyond a truly awful night of sleep the first night, she had a great time! She loved the Sleigh ride and seeing the deer. She was enthralled by Santa and when they finished singing a carol she would say "again!"

Cutie Pie

Just a pic of my cutie! She just gets bigger every day!

YES WE CAN!!

Woo Hoo! President Obama! Change is coming and I'm thrilled!

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can.
Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America!

Trick-or-Treat!!!

Last year Samantha got carried around for Halloween, this year she got to collect her own candy! It was a beautiful night and Samantha sort of understood...She mostly tried exchanging the candy in her hand for the candy in the bowl so we had to intercept. She walked most of the way and was in great mood the whole time.

She wanted to carry this candy ALL night!!

First Snow of the year

Daddy took the kids out to play in the first snow of the year. Ignore Samantha's sneakers, I bought her snow boots that day! Dominic's first boots were a size 7 so Samantha (who's a size 5) needed her own pair.

Enjoying the weather

The day after Dominic's party we went downtown with Brendan, Kelly, Ethan, Katrina all the kids and Gee and Papa. We had a great time and since it was such a beautiful day we went for a walk with Gee and Papa after lunch. We went to a nice little park by the lake and had fun throwing things into the water.

Party Time

Dominic's 3rd birthday party was on the 25th. Samantha had a great time with everyone around although as typical she was pretty quiet around all the people. It's hard to convince people she's a chatter box when it's just us!

Mini-Me

(sigh) yup. I can't deny it any longer. Samantha is a miniture version of me. I knew we were in for it when at a couple of weeks old I saw my Papa's scowl on my newborn's face. Well, now that she can talk and express her desires it's pretty clear. She's me. She has the Richardson resolve. Things are very black and white for her. She comes by it honestly and it has served generations of Richardsons well even if we have been told to *eh hem* soften our approach.

Samantha loves her duck pj's. (The ones she is wearing in the nose picking post.) I had to buy a second pair of identical pj's because if the duck pjs happened to be dirty Samantha threw a fit! As it is, she has started to close her hands around the sleeves of her pjs in the morning when I try to get her dressed and every morning I have to convince her why her flower pants etc are superior to the duck pjs and promise that she can wear the pjs when it is night night time. She is not easily distracted, just ask Gee about the 30 trips back to the rocking horse in the Christmas loft!

Otherwise Samantha is becoming quite the conversationalist and strung three words together the other day ("Gee work too.") She does whatever Dominic does which is really adorable. She loves Mickey Mouse and Elmo and sings the words to the "Scooby Doo" song and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", well parts of those songs anyways. She even sings the Scooby version that Dominic made up. She is enthralled by horses. Definitely a girl thing! She loves her brother and they are so good together even if sharing has to be negotiated sometimes.

Samantha is so fun and is quite the toddler now!

Autumn in Vermont

I love fall! It's my favorite time of the year and we have been having a beautiful one!

Bronx Zoo

I had a conference for work in White Plains New York at the beginning of October and Daddy and the kids came with me. On the last day we went to the Bronx Zoo and had a great time looking at all of the animals. The zoo was absolutely huge and we didn't get to see everything. Definitely worth a visit!

Hanging with Papa

Samantha is a Papa's girl! She is always asking where he is and following him around when we visit.

You know, weather this time of year is crazy. We go from wearing fleece to shorts and then back to coats.

Harvest Festival

We went to the annual Adam's Apple Orchard Harvest Festival and had a great time picking apples and doing all sorts of activities. The seasons are just flying by!

A Brother's Influence

There's nothing like an older brother to teach you all of the important things in life...like picking your nose.

Party

On Saturday we went to a party at Lauren & Brad's house and had a great time even though the weather did not cooperate. The kids loved playing with each other and Jorja though it was great to hold the phone up to Samantha's ear! It was very cute!