Catching up

Hard to believe that it's been before Christmas since we last posted!

It was a marvelous Christmas season with Mara enjoying many firsts, including her first train ride in Santa Cruz on the Santa Town train.

Sitting on Santa's lap with her cousin Wesley.

Partying at Clare's work Toy Drive party.  A Christmas angel?

Mara's Winter Performance at her school. Mara continues to LOVE her school: to learn and to play with her friends.  She is absorbing so quickly and her teacher comments on how her cognitive abilities are right there!  We are supplementing her school with speech therapy and are investigating getting her physical development therapy.

Visiting with her friend Alessia, where we made ginger bread houses and shared gifts where Mara got a Doc McStuffins player, her new found obsession next to Frozen.

Mara and her Dad visited San Jose's Christmas in the Park.

For the first time she rode the merry go round with a horsey that goes up & down! What a brave girl!

Deep in thought - maybe contemplating what she wants for Christmas?

It was a very Frozen Christmas this year.  Here Christmas morning with her two dolls, Anna & Elsa.

Now that's one happy kid who got an Elsa dress and tiara from her Auntie Mimi!

This year her Granny treated her to her first Nutcracker at the Santa Cruz Ballet.  Her Granny also gave her a Nutcracker for Christmas which she quickly befriended and carried around the house constantly.  We caught her talking to her and saying that she loved it - how cute is that?!

At the top of Mara's Christmas wish list to Santa was Frozen sheets!

The "pretend" sisters

Mara also got a ton of Frozen clothes and it's nearly impossible to get her to wear anything else.

Now that's one happy kid!

Posing in her jogging suit that her Auntie Amy gave her.

One of Mara's greatest joys is to spend time with her family.  Here getting ready for a walk with her Auntie Mimi and Granny.

After Christmas we took Clare's new car (a Cadillac SRX - woo hoo!) up to Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite for Mara's first exposure to the snow.  Here Mara showing her Auntie Mimi that we bought her a vintage "Go Climb a Rock" t-shirt in our beautiful, upgraded room.

Mara getting bundled up to head out to the snow. Note the Frozen snow boots ;-)

The growing excitement of nearing Yosemite Valley.

Icicles

The girls at Inspiration point.

There's nothing like Inspiration point - you never get tired looking at it or blown away no matter how many times you see it!

Exploring the base of Yosemite Valley in full ski garb.

A very frozen Bridal Veil Falls.  Mara hiked all the way to the top of the base!  She likes to hike!

Yosemite Falls

Building her first Snow Man. We viewed this trip as "confidence building" since although we did not get up on skis Mara got to walk in the snow, try out ice skating and just get comfortable with it.  Hopefully we will make another trip this year to build on the momentum, as it's really important to us that she grows up skiing.

Mara singing a medley of Frozen tunes at the lobby of Tenaya Lodge.  She drew quite a crowd!

Mara and Mom in front of the massive Christmas tree in the Tenaya Lodge lobby - what a great place!

At home enjoying her first experience with chocolate pudding! She has developed quite a sweet tooth! And yes you do see another tooth missing, putting it at a total of three!

It's been a busy 2015, starting with a trip to Vegas with our friends Rob & Di.  This kid lives the life since we got the opportunity to fly in a private jet there.  Let's just say she adjusts to the good life well!

The jet setters!

Hanging out at the Bellagio.

Clare had a training in Miami for work which provided us an opportunity for a family vacation! While we were there we got to visit grandparents and cousins and enjoy the Miami culture.  Here Mara making herself at home in the hotel lobby.

The ladies at Clare's work were nice enough to make Mara her own badge with a title of "CEO of Markovits enterprises".  Who would have thought that a kid would love a badge this much!  She was quite the hit with Clare's co-workers, certainly not a shrinking violet.

Enjoying the sites of downtown Miami!

While Clare was in training Nick and Mara got to enjoy the local sites, including the Miami Children's Discovery Museum. Here the musician.

And the dancer.

From Miami, we flew onto Cancun for Clare's birthday to enjoy the warm weather and to see Chitzan Itzen.

A view of the unfinished side of the pyramid.

Mara and Clare soaking in the energy & grandeur of the pyramid.

A shot of the base of the pyramid.

More Mayan artwork, lots of skulls!

The surrounding area where they made human sacrifices.

Lots of iguanas everywhere.

Mara was disappointed that she couldn't climb the actual pyramid so luckily we were able to indulge in a nearby ruins of Ek-Balam.  She was quite the explorer and a great little traveler!

Rooftop view.

Surrounding jungle

Mayan hieroglyphics

More Mayan art on the grounds.

 Climbing the Ek-Balam

Mom and Mara having fun climbing the pyramid together. Talk about confidence building!

Nick climbed the top and looked down.

A view from the top and the surrounding jungle.

After visiting Chitzan Itza, we drove to a watering hole, Ik-kil.

Climbing pyramids aside, Mara favorite activity continues to be swimming!

Mara makes friends so easily (or is it the power of the ipad?). Here her playing with a Mexican girl at a fancy restaurant on Clare's birthday. Who needs to speak English anyway?

One of the days we visited Playa de Carmen.  Here having lunch at a local restaurant - Mara with her Day of the Dead skeleton friend.

Mara around town (some other cute shots)....

Mara mastering her Dora puzzle (just before she dropped the entire Dora phase and slipped into Frozen craze)....

Mara making her scary face.

There's nothing better than rainbow cake!!

Mara's first exposure to twins.  She held their hands and showed them the ropes in her multipurpose area at school.

Loving her pumpkins.

Enjoying a tea party with Danny the Dragon and her dolly.

Followed by a "real" tea party with her new friend Mia. Yes, they are dressed as Queen Elsa and Princess Anna!

Scary!

What a contrast!  Mara's second Halloween experience has been so different than last year.  With her improved communication skills, she told us how excited she was for Halloween!

Her school put on an imagination parade and Mara's classroom dressed up as Bats.

Here Mara picking out her pumpkin at her school's pumpkin patch.  What do you think is going through that little mind of hers?!

Mara has taken a fancy to one of her Mommy's expensive silk scarves (one of the first gifts Nick gave) and uses it as a "cape", wearing it to school every day.  At first her fellow classmates were perplexed but now they think it's kind of cool and talk about super heroes every time we drop her off.  Her teachers like it since they use it as motivation to do all kinds of things - keeping her shoes on, circle time - you name it! Her momma loves it since it shows she has a mind and fashion sense of her own!  Here Mara enjoying her first taste of Skittles, compliments of her Auntie Linda (which was included in a Halloween treat bag, along with some wonderful Halloween books)! Thank you Auntie Linda!

What's the fun of Halloween without the anticipation and planning!  Her excitement was fueled by her friends at school, including her friend Eila whom decided to be Queen Elsa. Of course then Mara decided to be Princess Anna.  Here Mara trying on her costume on the potty (good girl?!), inspecting her gloves and wand.

Much to her Mommy's delight, she enjoyed watching the Charlie Brown Great Pumpkin show (watching it over & over again) and as a result, has become a little obsessed with pumpkins.  She liked that we got three of them, calling them "Daddy pumpkin", "Mommy pumpkin" and "Mara pumpkin".  

Now that's excitement!

Mara lost her first baby tooth!  Not sure who was more shocked: Mara or her Dad, since it fell out after hitting his wedding ring. 

Mara showing off the t-shirt her Granny gave her from South Carolina, the ever present cap and sticky numbers which she has strewn all over the entire house.

 

British Invasion?! Mara sporting a fabulous new frock from Bodem (compliments of our dear friends Rob & Di) and a Harrod's bag that her Momma brought back from her trip to the UK. Thank you Rob & Di!!

 

Mara making cookies with her Mommy.

She is still growing so fast.  Her Mommy still loves to make clothes for her but she has to squeeze them in quick before she outgrows them.  Here wearing a smock that was made from a beautiful remnant her Daddy picked up.  The first time she wore this was on her fifth birthday and she was practically swimming in it.  Mara doesnt like her to have her hair done.  She tolerates letting her Mommy do anything but removes everything right after her Mommy leaves.  Now I can bribe her if I call them "Princess Anna" braids.

Loving her fur vest.