After driving 12 hours, the first half pretty slow going due to the snow, we made it to Fairmont, West Virginia where Maddy immediately scoped out a new toy...a bag of coffee.
Sunday afternoon we arrived in Louisville where we got to celebrate Christmas with the Fields. Maddy got to meet lots of people for the first time and I appreciated all the willing babysitters.
Once we got to New Haven later that evening, Maddy made fast friends with Bailey. He was very tolerant of her groping. She was very tolerant of his knocking her over periodically. They had a very good, symbiotic relationship.
One morning, Grandfather Johnson took Maddy to see the model trains at the Kentucky Railway Museum. Unfortunately, Bob has been inspired to rig up a track around Maddy's room now (but I've hidden all the power tools for now.)
On this vacation, Maddy had the chance to meet lots of new friends, Olivia, Sophia and Gabriel (not pictured)....
...and one friend which will be shipped back to Uncle Patrick as soon as I can find a box that's the right size.
On Christmas Day, we decided that Bob and Maddy needed to experience the view from the top of Buzzards Roost. At the top, Maddy a big believer in carbo-loading, decided to have a bagel...
...while waiting for the Johnson men to stop arguing about who shot that disputed deer years ago. (I think the Magic Bullet Theory makes more sense than the stories I was hearing.)
After coming down from the Roost, Maddy got a little piano lesson from Aunt Katie. I think I know now where Maddy gets her love of music from.
And lest anyone think that Maddy is a perfect angel all the time, let me present Exhibit A:
I think this fit is the result of telling her that it was time for lunch or something. Italian operas are less dramatic! Luckily, Maddy's meltdowns usually don't last very long.
On Friday, before celebrating Christmas with the Johnsons, we got to spend some time with Great-Grandfather Johnson.
And then on Saturday, it was time to hit the road again. This time, we took a different route, heading through grammatically challenged northern Kentucky.
We stopped for the night in Buffalo, NY where we took a dip in the pool and Maddy got to practice her fish kiss.
And finally, a word from our sponsor the Magna Doodle: The official distraction for toddlers on long road trips. We would have been lost without it!
It was a great trip, we can't wait to go back!
4 comments:
There's a story behind that Florence Y'all water tower. The one I heard was that it was going to say Florence Mall, since it's right next to the then new mall, but they ran out of paint in the first go at it. Then someone thought it was clever as Y'all and added the apostrophe.
Love the fishy face picture.
That's the same story I've always heard too. Bob didn't believe me until he saw it for himself!
Did you really say 12 hour drive? Oh my...you are good! I agree...I cannot believe how big our kiddos have gotten. It happens so quick! Just when I think I've figured out something, he moves on to his next phase. Post some pics of that train set with Maddy!
is that an Elmo Live? Those things drone on and on and on and on......
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