With not much going on...

I'd thought I'd share more of Madison's pictures.  We took it fairly easy this weekend.  A festival on Saturday morning and then nothing on Sunday.  Madison is looking forward to Grandma and Grandpa coming to visit next week.  She let me know that she wanted to save up all the excitement for them.  Have a great week and talk to everyone next week.  Love Tiff

Window in the attic

Look at my toes

Daddy just getting home

My BFF!...Allie

Walking on Sunshine

The heat finally broke with weekend...well, it wasn't 100 degrees anyway!  We made the trek back to the beach (Surf City) and Madison had a BLAST!  She didn't stop for four hours.  The minute her feet hit the sand she was on the go.  From jumping in the waves to running down the beach she kept Jeff and I going while at the beach.

All ready to go right down to the sunscreen!

Keeping up with Dad

Rolling in the waves

Running, running, running

Looking for seashells

Still running...

There was a quick break for a lunch in there somewhere but she just kept going and going until finally...

Daddy, I'm getting a bit tired

It took a bit to get us all cleaned up and ready for that two hour trip back home.  It didn't take long for Madison to hit rock bottom.  This is the picture just before leaving Surf City (literally two minutes from pulling out of the parking lot!)...

We call this "The Zone"

Not 30 seconds later...

We call this "Down and Out"

And unlike our last trip to the beach, she slept ALL the way home.  She had a wonderful time at the beach and is already asking when we are going again.  We hope to get at least one more visit in before the season is over.  Saturday was pretty jammed pack and Sunday was take it easy day.  There were a few errands to run and sleep to catch up on.  A really great weekend here at the Raleigh Sanford's!  Love Tiff, Jeff and Madison

Building a Bus

Future...America's Top Model!

Play, play, play...That's all Madison did on Saturday.  Home Depot sponsors a Kid's Workshop every other month at the Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh.  Jeff volunteered this month to help the children put together a pencil holder in the shape of a school bus.  With so much for Madison to see and do, she wasn't the least bit interested in putting together a pencil holder.  She wanted to slide, race cars and paint pictures...just to start!

Riding a pony...

Sliding...

Making lemonade...

Surfing...

Painting...

People watching...

There wasn't a dull moment for either of us.  Jeff stayed pretty busy with putting together school buses and I stayed VERY busy keeping up with Madison!  The museum is always changing so we'll have to go back again.  Saturday night we thought she was going to have an early night (with no nap that day (for her anyway)) but she planned differently and wanted to play with Allie.  We visited with Lisa and her friends visiting from Maine and the rest of the family before she finally just hit "the wall."  

Sunday wasn't nearly as action packed but she did manage to take the time to put together her school bus. The videos will be downloaded onto PicasaWeb tomorrow.  Here is a still shot to "whet" your appetite!

Oh...No, Madison did not fall down at the museum.  No, she did not hit herself with the huge hammer that sits before her.  And No, Allie didn't sucker punch her.  We just have a picker on our hands.  She gets one little bump and she picks, picks, picks!  The only way to get her to stop picking is to put a band-aid on it.  She has one on her arm as well.  Even after the wounds have healed she wants the band-aids.  I think she thinks they are part of her outfits!  Look for the videos online this week.  They take a little longer to download and I'm ready to go to bed!  Love to all, Tiff

A Visit from Steven and Mark

Where did the weekend go?  Everything happened so quickly this weekend (except Mark's drive from DC to Raleigh) that it is hard to believe it is back to work tomorrow.  Here are just a few shots from the weekend...

Actually I think this one was Friday morning as Jeff was trying to get Madison in the car to go to "school."  She wanted to take all her "babies" with her.  She didn't want anyone to be left home on their own and not be able to partake in all the Friday activities.  Her dad let her pile them all into the Jeep but she made sure they were all safe with him for the day...by buckling them all into her car seat before going into daycare :-) 

Madison and some of her babies!

Steven and Mark stopped by for a quick weekend that was made even quicker due to Mark's six and a half hour drive from Springfield.  UGH!!!  What a mess.  We were so happy to be able to spend a little time with them Saturday afternoon and then share in a good Southern breakfast before sending them back home.

We Sanford's know how to eat...

After breakfast Madison showed off her photography skills...

"Say CHEESE Steven"

Bullpen's Bulging Eyes

Reflective Prospective

Tickle, tickle, tickle

Steven and Mark hit the road and we hope that Mark's trip back wasn't a repeat if his trip down.  We liked having them here and can't wait for them to visit again.  This weekend we were also able to make it to the neighborhood pool with Allie and Lisa for a bit for Madison to wet her webbed feet.  It's almost scary how much our little girl loves the pool!  She runs from the car to the front entrance and it is all Jeff and I can do to keep an eye on her that she doesn't beeline right to the water.  After such a full weekend it's always nice to be able to curl up with your furry best friend and just share a moment (even if it is just for a second!)

Ahh...the best pillow in the house!

Love to all!  Tiff, Jeff and Madison

Who's potty training who?

This past weekend was very quiet.  The weather was cool (compared to what it has been) and gloomy...hard to believe it was the end of July, first part of August.  We really didn't have much planned.  Originally we were going to head to the beach but the weather Saturday morning didn't convince us otherwise.  So, this week I've decided to share just a few pictures we've taken since we got home from Atlanta.  Last weekend Madison was attached to the hip with her monkey.  She took him everywhere.  In this picture she was preparing for "going shopping".  With purse and "child" in tow, glasses on her head, she was ready to go (other than the fact she was still in her pajamas!). 

Ready to go shopping.

Madison likes meal time...if you haven't figured out from the pictures.  Not sure what she was eating at the time but she sure did enjoy it...smiling after every bite.  And as you can see, monkey is still within reach!

S-M-I-L-E

As we continue to work on potty training, it seems that she understands the concept well enough to teach it to Monkey.  She is obviously doing something better than we are since she tells us that Monkey is going poo-poo on the potty and she continues to have to clean up after him!  Her potty training is going well for the most part.  She knows to pee on the toilet when we remember to tell her it's time to potty but we haven't been able to get the poo-poo part of the training completed yet.  We were on to something last February since she was using the potty but since then we haven't been really pushing poo-poo on the potty and it continues to be something of the past.   

'

We picked up a bit of peaches on our way home from Atlanta and although they were hard when we picked them up, it didn't take long for them to begin to ripen.  I had my fill (sort of) of whole peaches, cut up enough to freeze for snacks later and what do you do with the rest?  You make MILKSHAKES!!!  Madison loves her a good milkshake and couldn't get enough.  She could be the next poster child for "Got Milk?"  What a ham!  We sure do love our little girl!!!!!  She is impressing us more and more each day.  She talks like never before and she carries on full conversations with us now.  We don't understand most of what she is saying but we do get an idea of what she is trying to say.  If we repeat it back to her and it's not quite the idea she is trying to get across she is quick to let us know that that is not right and tries again.  It's so much fun!!!  'Til next week.  Love Tiff