Happy Holidays!

A week or so after we got back from Thanksgiving break we went out in search of the great D'Arco family Christmas tree. Mia suited up and Mom donned the kiddie-carrying daypack and we were off to Seekonk Tree Farm. It took a while to find the perfect tree...but we could tell from Mia's awestruck face when we came upon the right one.

Mia attended Berkshire's annual faculty children's holiday party dressed as the jolly old man himself. Here she is with two of her buddies (Fitz and Lucy).

She started using the walker a few days before we left for the holiday break. Santa was planning to put one under the tree for her, but when we saw her motoring around at daycare, we convinced him to visit a little early.

Turkey Day

The first Thanksgiving:

Mia had a great holiday and tried just about everything we put in front of her--even the brussel's sprouts, Nana Jan! You can see from the smile below that there wasn't much she turned away.

Here are some photos from Mia's first Thanksgiving:

And the obligatory exterior illumination set-up. That's one huge wreath, Grandpa Dom!

Kiddie Bye-Bye Day

To boarding school faculty and staff, today is Kiddie Bye-Bye Day. The day boarding students depart for a vacation, leaving behind their utterly exhausted teachers and dorm faculty. It's the first time since September that we've really been able to sit down and catch our breath. Phew.

Here are some pictures of the free time fun we had today.

After spending some time in Mom's studio this morning, and then in Dad's office, Mia set out to get some work done, too. She learned that crayons make marks on paper.
And...that mom takes them away when you put them in your mouth too many times.
After nap time we went out to the common room to play a few tunes on the piano.
All of our noise summoned Mia's friend, Noah--who came out for a play date that led to Mia's first wagon ride. She held on for dear life. They sure don't make red wagons like they used to. This one has seat belts, cup holders, and back rests.

And--even comes with a man to push you around.

To Danbury we go!

We went to see Aunt Lizzie, Uncle Scott, and Grandpa Dom last weekend. Mia brought some books along to save herself from having to watch football.

More October, finally :)

Dearest Mia fans--many apologies for the huge delay. Boarding school life is slowing down enough to allow us a chance to catch up with you. Mia is doing all sorts of news things now. She's eating finger foods--and loving them. She pulls herself up to standing and walks if you hold her hands. She "scoots" around on her bottom (instead of crawling), claps her hands, waves goodbye, and "shushes" the dogs when they bark. Enjoy these pics from the end of October (including Halloween--we've know you've been waiting to see that lobster costume!).Auntie Karen came for a visit. We did some accessorizing.

Mama brought out the giant bear from my closet. He kept my interest for a little while.

...And then I wanted to see that thing around Mama's neck.

Woohoo! Halloween! I'm not exactly sure what this is about, but everyone is smiling at me even more than usual today.

How many legs do crustaceans have? Too many. I have enough trouble coordinating my own limbs. Then mom and dad went and gave me even more.

OCTOBER, so far anyways

Ah-- Autumn in New England. Mia has been enjoying her first views of the fall foliage. Here she is bundled up in the swing. Grandpa Dom came to visit last weekend! Hey, this guy has whiskers just like someone else I know.

So did Nana's Jan and Sherrill. They couldn't help themselves. The Buckeye brainwashing has begun.

O-H-I-ONana Jan even read me my most favorite book in the entire world: DOG by Matthew Van FleetMom came home for a pre-race giggle before heading out to coach the girls cross country team on to victory.And, last but not least by any means...Mia borrowed a great toy from her buddy, Noah. The singing flowers make her smile every time.

SEPTEMBER

YES. WE HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DELINQUENT with the blog entries. We've probably lost most of the Net Mia fans by now, but things are finally quieting down--sort of anyways--and the internet speed has been upgraded here at school, so now we'll actually be able to add more photos when we want to.

Mia was busy as usual in September. She went to New York to participate in the Susan Komen Race for the Cure in honor of Grammy Lu.On the way to the race we stopped for a photo op. in Times Square: We stayed at the Cornell Club the night before the race. The front desk asked if we wanted a crib--but we knew there was no way this little lady would pass up a king size bed.Mia grew her 4th tooth and started nibbling on Baby Mum Mums (little dissolving rice crackers that she just can't get enough of).

She was gobbling them up before we could even unpack the groceries, let alone get her out of the car seat! If this isn't brand placement, we don't know what is!

And...she grew into these adorable black bear pajamas: