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Friday Night in the McGrath house:

So..... I was sitting here thinking about how we spend our evenings & I started thinking about this past Friday & how within 1.5 hours we had the best entertainment through our children!!

It all started with the youngest. Scott & Maximus were talking about what kind of animal they would be. Maximus said he would be a tree frog. Scott asked him, "what would I be?". He replied with, "you'd be a panther or a cheetah because your favorite color is black." Maci came marching into the room, yelling "I'd be an elephant". She is the smallest person in our home, yet she is the loudest & her footsteps match her mothers!! Scott looked at her smiling & said, "Maci I'd thought you'd be a hippo (this is her favorite zoo animal)". Maci responds just as loud as before with "CORRECT"! It was so darn funny!!

About 20 minutes later Marlena walked in the house from her school dance. Maximus & Maci start in right away with, "did you dance with a boy?" Marlena replied calmly saying, "yep.. 3 boys". I personally had a mini heart attack & Scott was perfectly fine. One would think the dad would go nuts, but he was so happy for her (as I am too, but I'm just not as willing to embrace her getting older) and that she had a great time. She went to the dance with a good group of girls & they had so much fun dancing & acting silly!!

Then about an hour later, Scott & I are watching tv & Maximus comes running through the living room & stops in front of the tv to tell me, "mom don't come in my room we're making you a project". I said ok & Scott asked, "then what are you doing downstairs". Maximus, "Lena sent me down to get a piece of paper -pause- she thinks I'm her minion" Scott said, "good choice of words". I asked, "what do you mean?" In a huff he said, "she tells me to hand her the remote & go do this & go get that". I didn't know what the word minion meant & I've never even heard it before. We have no idea where or how he learned the word & how to use it. Maximus is our little thinker & he is always surprising us!!

min ion\ : a servile dependent, follower, or underling. a subordinate or petty official

April 13th Our baby turned 4!!!!

Our sweet baby girl is now 4yrs old!! Maci has been all about her birthday since Christmas. She has been asking for a DS for the last 6 months & we kept telling her she needed to be older. So... when her birthday was approaching she informed Scott that, "dad I'm getting bigger and I'm going to get a DS." So the question is....... Did she get what she most wanted? YES!! I love transforming the house for Birthdays, making each child's day extra special!!
Daddy put up the streamers and...... Grandma, Grandpa, Marlena & Maximus blew up 24 purple & pink balloons to decorate her floor. As our lil angel slept we dropped all the balloons on her floor!!

We always open presents before everyone heads off to school/work. We've all been staying up kinda late so getting up on Maci's birthday was a little rough! We had to actually wake our little beast from her slumber.

Maci loves Polly Pockets & her Cinderella version of Polly. She has a Castle & the Carriage. In the set she is holding she got Prince Charming & more Cinderella outfits!!

Happy Birthday Maci!!

Maci's BFF, Caitlin in Colorado sent her this awesome envelope filled with cool crafts, glitter headbands, & beaded glow in the dark jewelry!! Caitlin always has the coolest neatest stuff!!

Admiring her new princess shoes from cousins Ian, Evan & Taelyn. A girl could never have too many shoes!!

Talking to Grandma Marty on her Birthday.

Maci received a bright red DS & a Pixy Pony (my little pony) Game. She went to her room & I found her on her bed learning her new game!! Our little Olivia lover with her hand painted Olivia made especially for her by Eyve Capaz!!

Maci picked out her own Birthday cake a month before her birthday. Yep, that's right! We were at Walmart picking out some rolls in the Bakery when she spotted this castle cake & asked if she could have it for her birthday!! So... I ordered it on the spot!

The cake was delicious & the kids favorite part was the icing!!

Maci Celebrated her Birthday with family in Illinois during our stay!!

Maci had the giggles & loved being the center of Grandma's attention. The evening was all about her & she didn't have to share her Grandma with any other children!
WOO HOO!!! Fancy Nancy Tea Party book to go along with an adorable Tea Cart & Tea Set. The tea set Maci can paint to create her own fancy design!!

Maci loved her birthday card from Uncle Craig & Ms. Jessica. She said the girl on the front was her!

Uncle Craig & Ms. Jessica came over to visit us at Grandma Marty's. They brought along an early birthday present. Maci was thrilled to receive a fairy princess Barbie (that she likes to play with in the tub) and the newest Olivia take Ballet DVD!!

On our way to Monkey Joe's for some unlimited bouncing fun!! Aunt TT, Cody & Grandma & pa Guerra joined in too!! For $5 a kiddo, the children got to bounce for an unlimited amount of time (which our personal cut-off was 2 hrs). There were 6 different bounce inflatables & the kids had a great time. So did the adults! Afterwards we

eat dinner at Portillo's! YUM!!

Aunt TT took Maci shopping for her birthday & Maci selected a make-up kit & a Barbie that you can put pink highlights in her hair & in Maci's hair. It proved to be a fun time!!!

Cody was a great sport at letting Maci doll him up with make-up!

Meeting Taelyn Marie Frangiamore

From the moment I arrived at Kristen's house the cameras were unpacked & I began photographing Taelyn. I wish I could be there to capture her every milestone, but I'll have to share the paparazzi role with her mama!! The following are a small sampling of the 250 pictures I captured during my stay. She is 1 wk old in the photos! I can't beleive she's 4 wks old today.

Maci's First Plane Ride Monday April 5th

Waiting for our flight at La Guardia Airport in Queens New York. Maci was shockingly pleasent at 6am. We were both extremely excited to fly to Chicago & meet the newest member of the family. My sister Kristen had her 3rd child on Monday March 29th. A precious lil girl named Taelyn Marie Frangiamore.

Of course, Maci had the window seat & she loved raising & lowering the shade a few hundred times!!

During the flight we read Five Little Monkeys Play Hide and Seek about 20x and played with Polly Pockets & eat our snacks I packed earlier that morning. The airline attendant offered us drinks & Maci felt super cool drinking her apple juice on ice from the lil cup!!

EASTER Sunday April 4th

"Mom, can this be my breakfast?"

below: Marlena catching up on her teen gossip!

AT 10:30am we were all dolled up to attend the Easter Brunch at the fun & fancy Thayer Hotel on West Point. It was delicious!!

No, she didn't start with dessert!
Maximus drinking his morning cup of coffee. He thought he was so so funny.

Maci having a mimosa with her brunch! JK