Madison, Elmo and More

How fast they grow...

2010-01-26T19:17:00.000-08:00

Some amazing things have happened over the last several months! I'm not sure I believe it yet, but it appears that my little girl is about to turn 4! As I was putting her to bed tonight and she was all curled up with her num-num put perfectly in its place underneath her chin, and the tag just right between her fingers I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of that little roll she used to have at her wrist. I had to look twice, but I am pretty sure it was there. I know it won't be for long. Madison Kate has grown in leaps and bounds this year. What a difference between 3 and 4. She is doing phenomonally well in preschool and looks forward to going all the time. She would be happy to go 5 days a week if it were available.

We have moved out of mom and dads and have our own little place. Although we loved being at Mamaw and Poppy's house we are thrilled to be here. She looks forward to her sleepovers every weekend with Mamaw and Poppy. I still haven't found a way to not have to work yet =oP

We are very excited that Uncle Jay and Nina are have a baby and expecting in August. Madison is convinced it is a girl. She says "My butt (gut) is telling me it is a GIRL!" She can't wait! She hasn't decided yet if she is going to share her Mamw and Poppy yet. I believe one conversation we had went a little like this:

Madison: That is my mamaw and my poppy.
Mamaw; Yes, we will always be your Mamaw and Poppy.
Madison: I don't want to share my Mamaw and Pppy. That baby is going to take everything i ever had!

She is just a little dramatic =o)

She starts gymnastics tomorrow. She is very excited. We went to open gym last week to give her a chance to get comfortable and she loved it!

I will write an official update after her birthday party. For now I wanted to share some pictures from the past few months...

Halloween Fairy

2009-10-30T14:00:00.001-07:00

Preschool Pictures

2009-10-28T09:03:00.001-07:00

Meet the Falmouth Baptist preschool class of 2009-2010. they are a wonderful group of kids. Madison even claims she has a boyfriend... boy am I in trouble!

Disney on Ice!

2009-10-26T18:18:00.001-07:00

Fall Pictures

2009-10-26T18:13:00.001-07:00

Uncle Jay and Kristina get married!

2009-10-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

Madison starts preschool!

2009-09-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

Can we say slacker?? I am so far behind! Life has been crazy, but fun lately. Madison is growing up so fast. I look at her and can't believe she was ponce my little baby. Her imagination alone is wild and exhausting sometimes. She is a delight and a love. Madison started preschool last week. Most of you know that I used to doubt that I would ever send her to preschool. I even thought of homeschooling for a while, but came to my senses. I think HS is wonderful if it works for you, but some children are not right for it. Madison is one of those children. She thrives on interaction with other children, and even teachers. I was worried about her first day, but as we all stood in the hall waiting for the door to open you could just feel her excitement. I was worried she might be sad or scared when I left and was preparing myself to be a "strong mommy" when the time came to peel her off of me. However, as the door opened Madison wiggled away from me and was the first one to run into the classroom with a big smile on her face. It was almost as big as the smile she had when I picked her up. She told me she wanted to come back tomorrow! What a big girl.

Today she got to be the line leader and calender helper! She was so proud!!

I will fill you in on the lat 2 months very soon... Stay tuned...

July 25th... Fred Fair

2009-07-31T13:16:00.001-07:00

What a blast! It was a really hot day, but all the little beauties had a good time! We didn't show up with hairspray in hand like some of the moms. I decided to dress my 3 year old like a 3 year old. I also didn't stand behind the judges and coach Madison to shake her hips or butt, however, she was plenty cute on her own. She had plenty of smiles, kisses and waves for everyone all on her own. Everyone got a trophy prior to the title being given, so none of the other girls even missed a beat. Trophies all around and smiles all around.

We hit the fair after the pageant. Madison had a blast. Mrs Joann and Ccelsie came as well as Mamaw and Poppy! We stayed until about 2:30. Madison rode every ride she was able to and jumped on the trampolines. She learned how to do a backflip! She rode a camel too! I love my little girl and I am so proud of her every day!

Big Day Tomorrow...

2009-07-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

Well, sort of...

Madison will be in first pageant tomorrow morning... It's a summer attire event and is judged solely on personality. We'll have to see what kind of mood she wakes up in. She'll either show the judges her beautiful smile, or stink face! Either way I think it will be quite comical!! I told her it isn't important to win, just have fun. After the pageant we are headed to the fair! She is pretty excited. I'll let you know how it goes. Here are a few pics from tonight!

Newest pics...

2009-07-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of pictures...

Oh... Wish Madison luck. She will be in the Tiny Miss Fredericksburg Pageant Saturday!! (It's all about personality... they compete in summer attire) We'll have to see what kind of mood she is in =o)

In a whirlwind...

2009-07-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

This summer is flying by! I was hoping to keep up better, but I have come to the realization that living in the present is more fun! =o) I used to stress so much about what was going on every minute and trying to preserve it that I missed out some. Now I am living in the moment and enjoy every second. I will still continue to blog for Madison, and also for me, but I have decided to live in the moment and to the fullest. I know I will forget things, but I will also remember a lot too! Nothing is better that Madison's smile, her giggle and her hugs...

We are having a wonderful summer. So nice after the craziness of last summer. I still struggle with the loss of our "family unit" but know it was for the best. We are very happy and Madison loves it at mom and dad's. She always asks when we can have a precious baby, but I remind her that it will be a while and we borrow baby brothers and sisters. She tells me she wants her own, but when I ask her where the baby will sleep she doesn't offer up her room. She says they cry too much and will keep her awake. For now she seems to be ok with waiting until the baby can have its own room. I promise her one day she will be a big sister... I just leave out the part that she might be old enough to change diapers =o)

Madison is still in swim class with swimkids. This is week 6. She goes 4 days a week and we just signed on for two more weeks! She is like a little fish! She says her favorite part is going under water. She really is good at it! I love to watch her do something she loves. Her teachers are wonderful, and they seem to really love Madison too! In the pics you will see what we call her "thuper thuit" (super suit). She froze in the pool until I bought it for her, and it gave her great confidence.

She is also in Ballet/Tap class and loves that too! Much to my dismay she seems to like soccer the least. I am not convinced that she is not going to be the dreaded "flower picker" on the soccer field. Haha... truth be told I can totally understand what it is to what your child to be whatever they want to be, and love them unconditionally. I can spend all day with my little blue eyed munchkin all day and still miss her while she is asleep next to me. I love watching her grow, but also miss the baby she was. Even with missing her chubby cheeks and drool, I am amazed at the beautiful, smart, funny little girl she is becoming.

She is a thrill seeker too! She rode the scooby-doo roller coaster last week at Kings Dominion! As soon as it stopped she squealed "Let's do it again!!" She wants to ride everything! I think she is going to be a daredevil when she gets older. As long as I can I am going to keep her reigned in and safe under my watch. She tells me I am the "bestest." I think she is too. I have the best job in the world. I get to hug, play and kiss booboos to make them better... I love that my heart belongs to a 3 year old blue eyed Maditude! I think I'll work for life =oP

A week of achievements!

2009-06-24T18:12:00.000-07:00

It has been a wonderful week around here. Everything started with a certain dancing bumblebee... Grandma Debbie, Poppy, Nina, Daddy, Mommy, and Josh all came out to see a very proud bee buzz her way onto the stage for her first recital! (Sadly Grandma Linda and Grandpa were in Italy, but we know they were cheering her on from there!) Madison, Molly and Shelby were the custest little dancers I have ever seen. And Madison was so proud.

As the girls came in for the show Madison smiled a smile that would light the night sky and wave to all of us... "Hi Poppy!" She then mouthed hello to everyone else. They buzzed onto the stage and took their places and began their flight. 3/4 way through the dance Madison ran out to the audience and hugged each of us and states "I love you Poppy... Mamaw...Nina...Mommy...Daddy...Josh." Just as quick as she flew off the stage she was back, and finished her dance with a bow and a "Thank you, Thank you!" I have never seen a smile so big. I was so proud of her!

She got flowers and a trophy at the end of her recital. She has been eyeing the trophies at the dance studio since her very first class. I told her that if she finished the whole class and tried her hardest I would get her a trophy. With a little help from Poppy it was taken care of. She was even nice enough to share her flowers with the other girls!

Last week we started swim class through swim kids. Madison was hesitant at first, but has really gotten the knack. She went from crying when water splashed her in the face in the tub to now going head first for dive sticks. I don't mean that she is diving, just going under all by herself! She started at swim tots level 1 and before the end of the first week she was a swim tot level 2 and got her certificate and a prize from the treasure chest! She was very proud. I was so happy for her and on top of the world proud! On June 23rd she got her certificate for swim tots level 3. They had been waiting for her to go under water by herself. I didn't think she was gonna do it... especially since 2 days before she had \gotten out of the pool and tried to come to me. (Poor thing hates to be cold like me!) I ordered her a swim suit (not bathing suit) but one that goes from her elbows to her knees. I will post pictures later. We called it her "super suit!" WIth 3 minutes left in class she crept down the steps and hung off of the wall and let go! She came up and did it again, and again, and again! Coach Casey yelled for Coach Jason so he could see it and she got her Level 3! Another trip to the Treasure Chest! She was almost as proud of herself as I was of her!!

We have been spending a lot of time in the pool outside... 2 or more hours an afternoon! I have to pull the little water bug out of the pool for dinner. Tonight she didn't get out until after 7 pm! She dives in and out of the water like a little fish... she was practicing floating and swimming underwater! She has 4 weeks left in swim class... Can't wait to see what she can do then.

Off tomorrow to get fitted for Uncle Jay's wedding!

Madison's First Dance Recital

2009-06-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

I promise to write with full details later, but wanted to share a few pics of our little bee...

Can it really be over??

2009-06-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

We have made it home safe and sound! I can't believe the week passed so fast. Madison couldn't made up her mind if she wanted to come home or stay. She asked me several times if we could live at the beach and have mamaw and poppy come visit us. She also said at times she wanted to go home and see mamaw and poppy, but it never lasted long. We enjoyed our last few days at the beach. The weather was beautiful all week. One of Madison's favorite thing to do was walk the beach. She would walk for miles if it was up to her. This morning when we got up we took one last walk on the beach together and got in a little mommy time and grabbed a few more shells. It was a beautiful day. It made it really hard to pack up and leave, but it was also nice to get home...I guess =o) Would you believe she scored a another free cupcake from the bread company lady?? They call her the cupcake girl! And, I brought home nothing but CLEAN laundry!

Madison is already asking when we can go back. I told her it wouldn't be long!!

2009-06-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

June 10, 2009

Sherry and Alyx arrived just after lunch time yesterday and we decided to skip nap time and head to the beach! The girls had a blast and Madison learned that she LOVES the waves! Of course she enjoys them in the safety of Mommy’s grip. She cracks up and squeals when the waves come in and break on her! I think she has grown up since we got here. We played peek-a-boo with “Crabby” the sand crab again today and got some good pics of him. We also saw a bulldog surfing and tons of birds!

Madison has a huge appetite here and naps are a necessity most days. She has been asking for them! I think I am ready to move here! She gets so much exercise and sleeps so hard! Alyx and Madison have played well together. Madison is glad to have another friend around. Popsicles are flying around here. We have gone through 2 boxes so far and have 2 to go! Time for lunch, nap anad then off to Jockey’s Ridge (Ribs as Mads calls it) and the Kitty Hawk Kites for kids day!

June 9th at the beach!

2009-06-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

June 9th

I think Madison likes the beach. I have never heard more beautiful words... “Mommy, I love you tooooo much!” It seems every 20 minutes or so Madison is reminding me how much she loves me. She is having a great time! Mads and I were on the beach yesterday lying on our towels and talking when out pops a little sand crab. She squealed “Mommy, look at its little eyes!” We watched him go in and out of the sand hole a few times and he even ate a sand ant. Once his belly was full he disappeared into the hole and took a nap. That gave me an idea, so off we went to de-sand and fill our bellies. She is eating hotdogs on buns here. After lunch I tucked Mads in for a nice nap. I had to wake her after 3 hours for the second time so far!

We ate at Capt. George’s last night with Jason and Ashley and I have never seen so much food in front of a little girl, esp. my little girl. She had crab legs, rolls, broccoli, green beans, salad, extra tomatoes (with ranch might I add) and more. Then she hit the desserts!! I have pics, so I will post some. We took a night walk on the beach last night with Madison and our flash lights. Madison wanted to get another look at the sand crabs. She really enjoyed seeing them scurry around. Some of them let us get really close. I had to carry her because she was afraid they would pinch her toes, but it really was fun. The moon was full and beautiful too! At bedtime Madison told me her favorite part of the day was “the crabs!” and the least favorite was “the waves.”

Our day started off bittersweet because we had to pack up Mrs. Joann, Mrs. Lynn and our beloved Ccelsi and send them back to VA. We so enjoyed having them here and wish they could have stayed all week! Madison and Ccelsie were sad to say goodbye, but we promised them that we would get them together soon.

More of our friends leave today and we anxiously await the arrival of Sherry and Alyx!

Pics from yesterday

2009-06-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

We went to Jockey's Ridge... Can I say awesome! It is this really huge sand dune that you can walk on, climb on, roll down or jump off. And we did all of it! Madison had a blast and was fearless. She hung in great with Ccelsie and was jumping and rolling with the best of them. On the way back to the car the girls were taking a few more jumps when Madison took a face plant (and I mean face plant) into the sand! She got up and had a sand beard and mustache. i was ready for her to cry, but no way! She came over, spit a few times and we wiped off her facial sand and off she went! It has been an adventure packed couple of days! Sending love home! And kisses to grandpa and his new Booboo!

Late night, early morning...

2009-06-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

But who cares when you are AT THE BEACH?! Madison and Ccelsie couldn't wait to get to the beach yesterday when we got here. We made them wait until beds were made and clothes unpacked! Then off we went. The waves here are not huge, but are bigger than anything we saw last year. A few snuck up on me while I was trying to get a few good pictures off. One soaked me and hit Madison at her thighs... (don't worry Hand are on her at all times Poppy...) We are collecting seashells (or beach trash lol) and keeping it in a bucket. Madison went to bed like a champ even though it was late and woke up early. I looked at the clock and I swear it said 9:30, so I jumped in the shower, got dressed and dried my hair only to realize it was 6:45! So it was an early start, but we have hit the beach and are now headed to take the girls shopping. We definately need some sweatshirts! Brrr... it gets cold here. So hello to everyone from Madison, Ccelsi, Josh, Mrs. Joann, and Mrs. Lynn. We have more friends arriving tonight and then Sherry and Alyx on Tuesday!

We made it! (Kitty Hawk)

2009-06-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

After a few stops and several hours in the car we have made it to the beach! Madison is so happy! I will tell our story later but wanted to share a few pics for those who are waiting!

And visions of sand dunes dance in their heads...

2009-06-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

Madison is off in dream land... FINALLY! (After we woe the WHOLE house looking for "Mousey" the very special num-num she has decided she can't sleep without) I Have been frantically trying to get things ready for our trip to the beach! We leave in 2 days!! YAY! Of course we will both be finishing up Zithromax (along with Mamaw and Poppy) but we are all on the mend. I can't wait to get to the beach with Madison and show her the dunes and airplanes! I will keep you guys posted. Please wish us safe travel and good weather!

Back to the park!

2009-06-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

Well, a successful day at the park this week! And I didn't lose Madison! Sherry and I were able to get a few more friends from work to come with their little ones. It was so much fun! We parked ourselves in the shade to the left of the stage this time. this gave Madison the entire front of the stage to dance where I could see her perfectly. She was the first one out there and soon had many little friends. True to her character she found a cute little girl that latched on to her and gave me hugs all day! We ate our lunch that we packed from Goolrick's and had snow cones for dessert. Madison was able to introduce her little friends Carter and Alyx to their first snow cone! Madison also got to see baby Madelyn who had so kindly found her way out of her mommy's tummy since the last time we had been with Christina and Carter. She immediately started making silly faces at her to make her smile and said "ohhh look mommy, look at the little toes!" After the park (and a long walk with 3 flat tires on the stroller--leave it to me) Madison and I headed to the movies to see UP. And boy was it cute! All in all one of those days you have to love as a parent. Seeing your child running, laughing and happy and then snuggling up in a movies and sharing popcorn!

Madison hosts a pool party/cookout

2009-06-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

Madison invited a few of her friends over to play in her new pool and the sandbox Poppy built for her! (It was last Thursday) I have to say I think Madison, Alyx and Kendall had a blast! SHe is quite the little hostess! Looks like I might have a future of parties for little ones on my hands!

Madison and Poppy put up the pool

2009-06-02T05:46:00.000-07:00

I am behind again! It all happens so fast! I think back to when Madison was just a little tiny thing that couldn't talk or move much on her own and wonder how I ever thought THAT was hard! 3 is hard! Fun, but it presents it's own challenge... especially when your 3 year old is smarter than you. (Shhh.... don't tell her). Two fridays ago Poppy and Madison spent most of the day putting up her pool. They started with the tiller and then raked and gathered rocks. madison was a big help. When the trailer of sand showed up Poppy's helper sort of lost her train of thought. A bucket and a shovel (and some sunscreen) and she was happy to play for hours! She refocused when Mamaw came home and it was time to fill the pool and get the wrinkles out. Madison thought this was great!! She used it as an incredible slip in slide! In total about 7 hours of prepping, grading, smoothing and then filling, and the pool was up! Would you believe it collapsed the next morning?! But Madison never knew! It was up and running before she came home again from Daddy's!

Pictures as promised...

2009-05-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

Here they are...

Pics of Madison and a few of her buddies at the park!

Strawberries all around

2009-05-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

13+ pounds of strawberries... that's how much 3 adult women and 3 children under the age of 3 can pick (minus the ones tasted) on a Wednesday morning at Belvedere! It was such a blast. There were goats for petting and feeding and an open bounce house for fun! Madison is a dare devil and jumped from perch to perch in that thing! Keeping 3 kids in a row at a strawberry patch proved to be the biggest feat of the day, but all in all it was a blast! Strawberry juice from forehead to toes on all involved!

What the heck... or there is a God

2009-05-20T18:19:00.000-07:00

Ever had one of those days when you think you should just go back to bed? I can honestly say I have. Yesterday nailed that one on the head. It all started when my brothers car broke down in the early morning. My dad was working on it as Madison and I left the house to pick up Heather and Dolan to go to Hurkamp Park. We were headed to meet Sherry and Alyx and Vanessa and Ella there. We pulled out of the driveway and I noticed the car was driving funny and sounded strange. I pulled into Burton's and jumped out to find my tire was FLAT as a pancake! So, a $15 dollar repair and we were on our way. We picked up Heather and Dolan and made it to the park in record time. I ran into half the world yesterday. That part was nice. Everywhere I turned I saw someone I knew and hadn't seen in a while. Just when things we starting to look up Madison took off running and turned in a crowd of mommies and babies and I lost sight of her... for about 5 sec until I could catch up. My heart dropped to my feet and my world started whirling around me. What was 5 seconds felt like eternity. I can't even begin to describe how scared I was and how much flew through my mind in those few brief seconds. Once I located her I watched close behind her but waited to see that she would do. I wanted to teach her a lesson out of this. To my relief, when she realized she was "lost" she went right to the very next tent/vendor and said "I can't find my mommy. I need help." I then went and retrieved her. I reassured her and told her I was proud of how she handled herself and then discussed how dangerous it was for her to run away from me in a crowd. (I am seriously thinking about putting her on a leash!) We recovered and spent the rest of the concert playing and then off to walmart. At walmart we picked a cart that was apparently falling apart. Madison asked to get out of the cart and as I picked her up, we caught her new shirt on the rusty broken metal and ripped it. First time she wore it, and all they could do was say sorry! Good thing she didn't get hurt! When we got home we played outside and made plans for Heather, Dolan, Mads, and I to meet up with Carrie and the twins (Aiden and Alexis) at Joe's Crab Shack. As we were about to leave I learned that my very good friend had been in an accident. As soon as we got to Joe's Mads took off running through the patio to the playground and ran head first into a table. I swear I felt a dent in her head and almost ran off to the ER. After a few minutes and a frantic call to mom I determined she was just fine b/c she was running around playing and climbing on the playground. Dinner was uneventful, everyone ate well and then went off to play some more. As we were about to leave Dolan hit a 10 point face plant into the curb. He got a fat lip and a bloody nose. Talk about sad =o( What a day! I would say it can't get any worse, but I know it could be much worse. o , all and all, God was there and took care of all of us! Bless you!

Oh yeah, at bedtime I have gotten into the habit of asking Madison what her favorite part of the day was. Her reply... "getting lost!" I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. And so, on went the discussion about strangers and the danger of running away from mommies and daddies... I'll try to get pics up from the park tomorrow. They are on the other camera.

Poppy Fridays

2009-05-18T18:02:00.000-07:00

Poppy Fridays have gotten to be a tradition. Madison looks forward to them all week. As soon as Poppy is done with work for the day they have special time together. Madison often stops to let us all know how she feels about us. "Poppy, I sure do love you." This past Friday they had "lawnmower races" and went fishing after digging up their own "sqwilliams" (worms). They even caught a few fish. Poppy always asks her what she wants to do with the fish after they catch them. Madison always says, "throw them back in." But this Friday she said "I want to eat them!" And they did. I asked her if the were scaley to eat and she said, "No mom... We took the scales off!" What a smart little girl! She continues to grow and surprise us everyday. I am so lucky to have her. I can only hope she feels as lucky to have me one day.

Adrianna comes to visit

2009-05-15T08:52:00.001-07:00

If it is possible to have a best friend before you are born, then Adrianna would be that for Madison. From the time both girls were in our tummies they would go wild around each other. We assumed Adrianna was a boy and that our kids would date, but Rachel and I were wrong. Our girls just knew they would have a special bond that no one could come between. After Adrianna was born, 9 weeks early and 7 weeks after Madison, and came home from the Nicu we started getting together with the girls. They have loved each other since. We continued to get them together regularly and Rachel even babysat for me until last summer. Rachel and I have been through as much together as the girls have. Both of us found ourselves in the middle of Divorce this past year. The girls are no longer living down the street from each other, but talk on the phone and see each other at least once a month. They talk of each other everyday. We were so excited when Rachel and Adrianna were able to come visit this week. The time went by so fast, but was much needed on both ends. The girls were so happy to see each other and played wonderfully together. We took them to build a bear and they made each other bears with a special message. Madison is sleeping with hers at night. I snapped a few pictures of the girls and wanted to share. Enjoy! They are precious...

Hurkamp Park

2009-05-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to say that warm weather and sun returned in time for the concert in the park this week! I have loved going to the concerts on tuesdays and for the first time in 3 years I don't have to work the night before!! It was beautiful there. The music was great and friends were plentiful. Heather and Dolan went with us and Alyx and Sherry met us there! If you ask Madison it was a perfect day... her "little brother" and "little sister" were their with her!

CBS comes to a close...

2009-05-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

I am sad to say that our first year of Community Bible Study has come to a close. It will start back up in September. I can't even begin to tell you how much this time meant to my family. Madison has a hunger to learn and loves to learn about God and life's lessons. She looked forward to going to church each week. They ended with a small children's program and Madison's class sang several songs. Grandma and Grandpa came and Great Grandma too! She was very excited and proud to stand on stage and see everyone there cheering her on! Grandpa has pictures and will share when he gets home! I grabbed a few pictures before going into church that I thought I might share...

Mother's Day

2009-05-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day was a very special treat this year. It gets to be more special as your child gets older and is able to make you gifts. These gifts from the heart are forever more valuable than anything they could ever buy. Madison and her Grandma Linda spent a lot of time on a very special project for me this year. i have to say it is my very favorite thing and I will treasure it forever. Because Madison put so much hard work into it and because it will remind me of how tiny she was this year. Thank you so very much Madison and Grandma.

We also had lunch together on Friday before Mother's Day to celebrate with Grandma Linda since Grandpa was away on travel. We had great fun and even went to feed the baby ducks and geese outside of Outback. On Sunday Madison and her Daddy met me to have dinner at Outback and we got to feed the ducks again. it was so great to spend part of the day with her!

Personal Hygeine...

2009-05-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

May 8th, 2009

Ever wonder what might happen if you are napping and you leave your child alone with grandma and a bag on personal hygeine products (AKA emergency bag for work)??? This might answer your question...

More Catching Up....

2009-05-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

April 16th

Garden Girl!! Madison loves to dig in the garden with her poppy! She has her own garden tools too. hey have planted quite a bit this year and am happy (and saddened) to say that what she planted is coming up better than what poppy planted. She is my little green thumb nature bug! Her favorite thing lately is to look for worms. She holds the little slimey squigglers in her hand and talks to them. Poor things go swimming sometimes too. She doesn't understand that they can't breath in water... She came up to the deck today and said "Mommy look at my wormy. His name is sqwilliam." She comes up with the silliest yet most appropriate names for things. I think we even have a picture of sqwilliam...

April 24th

What a beautiful day! And so special. We went downtown today, (at Madison's request), and met Great Grandma. Madison loves Goolrick's so we have started to visit at least once every 2 weeks. We met for lunch and then walked around a bit. Madison and GGrandma shared a coke float and posed for some treasured photographs! I am sure these will be special to her for years to come! She even conned me into a new lovie! (Like she needed another one!)

April 29th

Anyone who knows me knows my best friend Shannon. Our story is a rarity in that we have known each other literally all my life. She was waiting for me when I was born and we have grown up together ever since. She is a year and 3 days older than me. We have seemed to do many things together about a year apart... We got married a year apart and even had our babies a year apart... Madison is 1 year and 4 days older than Kendall. Strange how things work out! We have promised to keep our girls close so they would always have a solid friendship to fall back on... one where even when life gets busy and you lose each other it is only a matter of a phone call, or dinner to get right back to where things left off... we have done a terrible job this far!! Life is so busy and we work opposite schedules, but Shannon has had us over for dinner lately and it has been a blast to see the girls play (and fight) together. They are both sweet but hot tempered girls. They had an altercation tonight over a toy vacuum. It got pretty heated. We laughed a bit at them, took a few pictures and then broke it up! So silly! Can't wait to see what kind of trouble they get into one day...

Easter

2009-05-14T14:18:00.000-07:00

I feel it is important to catch up on my blogging. I want Madison to be able to look back to one place and see highlights of her life. I am failing miserably at this right now. I have little notes jotted down, but the past year has been a wild ride for all involved. The year has come to a close and I am going to try to focus on getting caught up and staying caught up so that it doesn't all seem so overwhelming. Hang with me as I attempt to touch on the highlights of the last month...

April 12
Madison is a very lucky girl. The Easter Bunny came to see her twice. Friday night at mommy's and saturday night at daddy's. I would say she made out great!! She also got to do an Easter egg hunt at Grandma Linda's house! She has really grown up!

Little "Green Thumb"

2009-04-23T05:24:00.000-07:00

Madison had a blast last weekend gardening flowers with grandma Linda and Grandpa! They shared a pic with me and it is far too cute not to share with you! Enjoy... she has a blast out there. what a lucky girl. I will catch up on the rest of my blogging soon :o)

Bunny gets outside

2009-04-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

April 10th

Just a few adorable pics from Madison and Pocus' first adventure outside! She loves to feed him clover...

There will be more to come. You see, Madison is a very special girl. The Easter bunny comes twice for her. I have gotten word that the EB plans on stopping by tonight!

April 6-9th

2009-04-17T07:33:00.000-07:00

Wow, almost caught up, I think...

April 6th

Well, Spring is in the air... or at least Easter is on the horizon. Thought it might be time to color some Easter eggs... We went to Jay and Nina's where we had dinner and made some beautiful eggs. Madison was quite proud of herself.

April 7

Many of you know that our friends Rachel and Adrianna moved away. Lucky for us they are now back from PA and in southern VA. We were able to stay the night at Jay and Nina's and meet up with Rachel and Adrianna for a surprise play date for the girls. Jay's puts us just 30 min from Richmond and around 2 hours from Rachel. We decided to meet in the middle at the Richmond Children's Museum. I have to admit it was much more fun this time than last. I think it is b/c Madison had a little friend with her. THey played their little hearts out. They were so happy to see each other! Really made me miss having them right down the street. And I can't believe how big Adrianna is and how great Rachel looked! (They too are in the middle of a divorce) So glad to see everyone is doing well! Here are a few pics of the girls playing...

April 9th

In celebration of the nice weather that is trying to come in, we decided to take a ride to Madison County with some good friends to go to a little Amish market. We had a blast. The ride was beautiful and Madison had a great time feeding the animals and running around outside!

Easter Bunny... or not??

2009-04-17T06:21:00.000-07:00

April 3

When I was younger, and even following as an adult anxiously awaiting the arrival of my first baby, I would try to imagine who that child would be. Would he/she be shy like I was, or outgoing and makes friends everywhere they went like Jason?? What would they look like. Would they be practically bald until age 3 like me? Would he/she be a tomboy, or afraid of the dirt? Will she be even tempered and easy to get along with, or hotheaded and impatient? I fantasized about playing Santa and The Easter Bunny and recreating the magic my parents created for me and my brother. I would wonder how long it would be before they questioned the reality of a fat man in a red suit who came down the chimney (when there was one) and made it all around the world in one night, or a giant bunny who hops all around the world leaving jelly beans and easter eggs. Ever see a bunny eat an egg??

Well, with my first child now at the age of 3, some of my questions have been answered. Madison is a smart, articulate, funny and sweet child who is outgoing and makes friends everywhere just lie her Uncle Jay. She has a head full of long beautiful brown hair and shockingly beautiful blue eyes (never thought that would happen in a million years). It is a fight ti keep her hair out of her face some days and others she can't wait to have it pulled up and tied with pretty bows. Some days she wants a pretty dress and twirls like a ballerina to tell me how beautiful she feels. (And boy is she beautiful... inside and out). Some days she wants to be in her jammies all day... and who can blame her right? Some days she doesn't even want Elmer's glue on her hands, and others she is digging in the dirt in the garden with Poppy, in her jammies I might add! She is sweet and funny and patient and hotheaded and sour and demanding on any given day. She is a prefect 3 year old. I wouldn't change a thing about her... I am so lucky to be her mommy. In fact, we are all very lucky to have her in our lives.

We usually have to go to see Santa in the mall several times a year... The Easter Bunny too. This year I dressed her in her Easter Dress and took her to the mall to see the Bunny. She waited patiently in line grinning ear to ear. She ran up to him, jumped on his lap, smiled for the camera and then... didn't say a word. She jumped up came to me and we waited to see her picture. I asked her what she had said to the Easter bunny and she said "Nothing." I asked her what the Easter Bunny said to her and she replied "Nothing... that wasn't the Easter Bunny Mommy." I tried to reason with her and resorted to telling her it must have been one of his helpers and that the real EB was busy making Easter Eggs and Jelly Beans. She settled for this. I spent the rest of the weekend trying to figure out what had just happened. When I picked her up from Grandma Linda's house I got my answer. While discussing her trip to the bunny she very simply told grandma... "There was a boy in there... I saw his shoe!"

Welcoming baby Madeline

2009-04-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

April 2

Ever tried to explain how a baby grows in a mommy's tummy to a 3 year old. I am sure most of the population has. it is really funny and quite cute to watch them try to figure it all out. It is so easy to forget that a 3 year old is only 3 years old at everything... at seeing clouds, at following directions, at taking naps... I made the mistake of telling Madison that we were going to a baby shower for Christina and Baby Madeline. She was confused for two reasons... One because she thought Christina was Kristina and two, she was distraught at the end of the shower b/c she didn't get to see Baby Madeline and didn't understand why she would not come to her own party for cake! We showed her Christina's belly and explained that Madeline was in there and would come out soon. She put her hands on Christina's belly and giggled. That seemed to work for now... I have added a few pics of Madison and the other munchkins from work! Enjoy... they are really all just too sweet!

Can we say PIZZA!

2009-04-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

March 27th

With the FM group, we attended a trial class at the YCA (Young Chef's Academy). It was a blast and I totally recommend it. There were a handful of kids there and they all really did a great job. They learned how to make pizza. They colored a chef's hat while it cooled and then got to eat it! And I found out that Madison lies pepperoni before it is cooked just like mommy! Madison ate almost all of hers! She shared a small piece with me first though and I am relieved to say that she appears to have gotten the cooking gene more so than I ever did! Looks like we'll have to go back so I can learn to cook! And, I was a terrible mom and forgot the camera! Don't worry though, a very nice mommy in our group got quite a few for me, so I will get them

April 1st

Pizza night with Poppy! Madison made pizza with Poppy and Mommy tonight! It was yummy! She taught us all how to make a mouthwatering dough and delicious toppings! Here are a few pics of Madison "Chefing it up!"

Soccer with mommy

2009-04-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

March 21st

Today, as promise, I took Madison to soccer tots. It was a blast. I got the opportunity earlier than expected after Aaron got a St Pat's Day booboo. His leg is nasty looking. Should be interesting to see what is going on with that! They are expecting it will be a meniscus or ACL tear. Keep your fingers crossed that it isn't anything too bad. It's his right knee, so no driving right now, and either of those two options mean surgery is likely.

I wish I could be a Tots every Saturday. She was a blast to watch! We took her pretty blue ball for class. I assumed we were supposed to come with a ball. I thought I saw bright colored balls in some of the other pics from before. Turns out those were balloons and that the field house provides balls to the class. I became "that mom" The one who comes in causing problems. All was good until another little boy wanted the blue ball. Anyone who knows my Madison can guess how well that went... Yep, she picked the ball up and ran around the field refusing to put it down and wasn't happy. The coach brought me the ball and said "at this age they just don't understand..." Of course they don't... like I said. I was "that parent" I hung my head in shame =o)

She conned me into an ice cream after class and told me daddy gets them for her... After I paid for it she cracked a big smile and said... only you get them mommy!

Circus Excitement

2009-04-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

March 19th

Sherry and I took Alyx and Madison to the Barnum and Bailey Circus! IT was wonderful. I thought the animals were beautiful, although some were a bit overweight. Madison liked all the excitement, but stll talked about Disney on Ice though out the show. I guess she really liked that huh? She thought it was funny that the animals did tricks. She remembered the circus from last year. She has quite a memory. She asked if she would get to ride an elephant and pony. (some memory huh?) A snow cone eaten from the head of a plastic clown and I didn't hear a peep from her for almost half the show! She loves those things. I am proud to say I am getting pretty good at navigating the metro to the MCI center! Here are a few pics to enjoy!

2009-04-15T08:54:00.001-07:00

March 18th

On Wednesdays we are still going to CBS and Dance. They are busy days, but so much fun! Madison is always excited to go. here are a few pics I snapped today. She looks so grown up!

The Leprachauns were here!

2009-04-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

Those sneaky little green men ran rampant at our house! Madison woke up to a trail of gold coins from her pillow all the way down the hall. Chocolate covered coins I might add! The next trick they had in store was discovered when she had to go potty. "Mommy, the toilet water is GREEN!" She found this most amusing =o) She even had green milk at breakfast. Raisin Bran, and yes we had to pick out all of the raisins first! She will eat raisins lie crazy, but not those... she doesn't like sugar on her fruit! She still looks for treats from the little green guys. I have to remind her that they only come around to play their tricks once a year!

March 17th

Bare with my over the next few posts while I attempt to play catch up...

2009-04-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

March 11-12th

Madison is still hanging in there in dance class. She is very funny. Her class has changed drastically since starting. She has a new teacher for one. Ms. Suzi (love her) abruptly disappeared and the girls got a new teacher. Ms. Veronica had a rough start. The girls... all 3 of them, gave her a terrible time. As a 2-3 year old structure is important. When Madison's new teacher stepped in she acted scared to death of the girls and they knew it! They worked her over good. Madison even told her her name was Ashely and let her call her that for a whole class! I started to doubt whether it was worth it to continue. Their whole schedule and routine had been uprooted and nothing was getting accomplished! Apparently I was not the only parent who missed Miss Suzi. One little girls mom pulled her out and another little girl quit on her own... (they had both been with Miss Suzi for 2 sessions or about a year! We stuck it out and had two new friends join us. Things have gotten better and Mads is learning again, but I have to say I still miss Miss Suzi! But hang in there folks! There will be a "recital" at the end of class... June 14th I think.

On Thursday we went to a play date with the FM group we belong to. It was at the playroom. Madison continues to have an ongoing love affair with the Incredibles! We have gone as far as to keep track of little 2 inch "bob" sticker. It has gone everywhere with her. Once we left him at a friends house and I resorted to making a "Flat Bob," (closely related to Flat Stanley). This was good enough to get her off to sleep. I then went on a hunt for ebay and found some plush guys. Life is easier now. But I am not sure how many more times I can stand to see the movie. We have tried Bolt, Fox and the Hound, and many many more to no avail! In fact when you ask Madison what her name is she will most often tell you "Violet" She really is too funny! Anyways. We went to the playroom... even after our horrible experience there for Mads birthday party. There were so many kids, it was wonderful. And I for once wasn't the only crazy one with a camera... Leave it to my child to latch on to the ONLY child that wasn't there with our group! And the Only child there whose mother was reading a book instead of tending to her child. It might have had something to do with the fact that it was her dream man. Mr Incredible himself! They were inseparable. She even invited him in for snack time. And she was heart broken when he left. We ended up at party city looking for a costume that afternoon. We had no luck, but settled for costume masks for the whole family! I ordered a violet costume (which she wore twice) and it is hanging in the bathroom collecting dust!

Soccer Tots! First Day..

2009-04-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

March 7

Today Madison started Soccer tots! She had a blast and run her little legs off! Daddy took her since I take her to dance class. I hate to miss things, but I know her daddy likes to enjoy things too! Madison was a little upset with mommy, but I promised her I would come see her play soon! She was so excited!! Don't worry... I sent the camera with her daddy...

Meet Hocus Pocus...

2009-04-09T17:35:00.000-07:00

Madison's new bunny. He is 7 weeks old and a flop eared bunny! She has been asking for a bunny for months and in the Easter spirit Poppy made it happen! Pocus is adorable. he is so soft and has a twitchy little nose... Madison loves to hold him and watch him hop around. One of his ears stands up and and one falls down. The lady says both will lie down in the summer and from then on, but in the winter their ears have a tough time. He seems happy enough here. Hopefully this will thwart any plans on catching frogs and ladybugs for a while. Lisa and Lenny Ladybug have met their maker, and while we aren't sure exactly what happened to Froggy, we do know that he disappeared in Daddy's car... let your imagination take over from there. I am way behind on blogging, and promise to catch up soon! Here are a few pics...

3 year well visit

2009-03-05T06:50:00.000-08:00

I guess I will start with the stats...

Madison is 38 inches tall and weighs 31 pounds! She is in the 75% for both height and weight! What a big girl. She has had the sniffles and a cough on and off the past 2 weeks, but seemed to be getting better. Or so we thought... turns out the poor thing had an ear infection. The doctor went to look in her right ear and she winced and pulled back. There was fluid present, so she is on an antibiotic. She also got stated on a multivitamin with fluoride now that we are on well water. We then learned we had to have blood work done to check on her hemoglobin f. She was a trooper. And only cried for a little bit. Even squeaked lunch and play time at chick-fil-a!

But while we were at the doctor she showed her defiance. it is pretty bad when the pediatrician helps you put your child in time out! She has gotten so sassy! And rolls her eyes terrible. She told me about a book called "1,2,3 Magic" and a few other things to try. So far so good. People were not kidding when they said that 3 year old girls experience their first adolescence. She is still a very sweet little girl and I love her more and more everyday! I do want to do the best for her I can, so I am trying to get a hold on the sassiness. Wish me luck! Oh yeah, she starts Soccer Tots on Saturday!

A New Hair-do

2009-03-05T06:42:00.000-08:00

Madison has discovered a new hair-do. She calls it her big girl hair...She wakes up in the morning (at 7 am) and tells me who she wants to be that day and whether she wants one bow or two. This particular day she was "Jade" her 7 year old friend. She calls this her "Jade hair" I think it is adorable! She is so full of personality!

Jesus Heals the Blind Man...

2009-03-05T06:33:00.000-08:00

as told by my 3 year old...

"Mommy! There was this man and he could here everyone walking, but he couldn't see them. And then Jesus came and he spit in the dirt and made it mud and he put it on the man's eyes and told him to wash it off in the pool, and the man did, and then he COULD SEE!" Sorry for the long sentences, but she told the story in what seemed to be one breath.

We started CBS last week with a friend. Madison has her own class. We both really seemed to get a lot out of the study. She is excited to go back. Thanks Sherry!

Of course I had to put in some pics from her first day of "school."

The Letter "A"

2009-03-05T06:10:00.000-08:00

I have decided to take a letter a week or so and spend some time on it with Madison. I think I am finding out that she is going to be a handful at school! She is super smart and super stubborn... it should make for an interesting study =o) We started with the letter "A" We spent time talking abut the letter, connecting dots to make the letter, tracing the letter, and talking abut things that start with the letter "A" and then we drew pictures. We also found Starfall.com which has games for children using the alphabet.
"Mommy, this one has glasses..."
"Look at the man mommy!"
My ant and apple and her version... her ant has a "BIG BUTT" according to her... I think her artistic abilities far outweigh mine
Her first (and last, so far) "A"

Disney on Ice!

2009-02-13T21:52:00.000-08:00

We braved the traffic and the metro to get to the Verizon Center on Thursday for Disney on Ice. I am quite proud to say that Heather and I were able to get there on time with two munchkins! We even had time to pick up the tickets at will call! And what do you know... we were about 3 rows off of the ice! It was a blast. madison was so excited the whole time. Once she was seated and watching the show I ran up to get snacks and surprises! She was happy as could be on Heather's lap when I returned bearing presents. I was upset that I spent $16.00 on some mouse ears and a program, but I must say, we have read that program over and over and over again. The story line is based on The Incredibles family vacation to Disney. Madison had not yet sen the movie, but followed the story line much better than I was prepared to give her credit for. She got really into the show and even yelled at the bad guys and threatened time out! She was very relieved when Mickey and Minnie were saved and everyone was happy again. I must say, I am glad I took her! She still hasn't stopped talking about the show!

Happy Birthday Kendall!

2009-02-13T21:48:00.000-08:00

February 7, 2009
Today our little buddy Kendall is 2! Hard to believe. We had a blast at her birthday party and Madison got to have a little fun with a pinata! She thought that was very cool. Kendall got a baby alive for her birthday and all of the kids enjoyed feeding her peas. Shannon had them feeding her over her toilet though. It was quite funny! I think Madison can just ply with Kendall's baby and we will forgo the firsthand experience! Rachel and Adrianna came with us and after a tumble, I think we all had a good time. Happy Birthday Kendall! Thanks for inviting us to play!

February 6th 2009 ~Party Time!

2009-02-13T21:23:00.000-08:00

Today we had Madison's Birthday Party at The Playroom! I have to say it wasn't quite what I expected but he and all of her little buddies had a blast. In the end, that is all that really matters, I guess. I will still be letting them know that mommy was less than thrilled. It is terrible to spend all that money for what we got, I was livid. But again, Madison was oblivious and that's a good thing. We had a great turn out. We even had special visitors from Williamsburg. Thank you Lisa and Addison for making the trip to celebrate with us! Rachel and Adrianna also came up from McKinney and stayed a few days with us. it was really nice to have the girls together again. We had pics taken while they were there also and they turned out awesome! Madison's "Bug Cake" was adorable! She was thrilled and so cute when she blew her candles out! Thank you to everyone who made it out!

Feb 3, 2009

2009-02-13T20:59:00.000-08:00

Madison is 3! I can't begin to tell you how fast the past 3 years has gone, or how much of an impact Madison has had on my life. I can't remember what life was without her, and am happy for that. I love being a mommy, her mommy. She teaches me new things every day, and constantly reminds me of the joys of motherhood. She is the light of my life, joy in my heart and priceless! She is a beautiful, smart, caring and strong headed little girl. She gives me a run for my money and keeps me on my toes. I still sneak into her room and watch her sleep sometimes. I have almost given up on trying to sneak her out of bed to rock her b/c I swear she is almost as tall as me! I remind myself of the book I Love You Forever by Robert Munch.

Madison had a pretty great 3rd birthday. As soon as she opened her eyes she said "Am I 3 now?!" If you ask her how old she is she will proudly display 3 fingers and a great big smile. I sang to her and we got ready for the day. We met Aaron at Cracker Barrel for breakfast and they surprised us with ice cream after breakfast and a song! She was thrilled. Then at the checkout the lady sang to her again, and boy could she belt it out. Madison had a huge smile on her face. It was her day after all!

We asked Madison what she wanted to do next and she told us very plainly that she wanted to go to Buzzy's. We thought we'd do one better and take her to the Richmond Children's Museum. We drove all the way there and let me just say we were less than thrilled. We stayed briefly and decided we should have listened to the birthday girl in the first place. We packed up and headed back to the 'burg to Buzzy's. Mads had a blast and played and then climbed on Aaron's lap and let us know she was ready to go home.

We had a small get together that evening and ice cream cake. She got to blow out the candles she had been practicing for for weeks with poppy... ( no joking). Then she got to get into some presents. She even got a real big girl bike. She was so excited! She slept like a baby that night!

Happy Birthday Madison~ Mommy can't believe you are 3. Thank you for all of you love, funny moments and even tantrums. Mommy loves every minute of it!

2009-02-11T11:09:00.000-08:00

Sorry guys...

My computer has been out of service for a while due to a little mishap with a certain 3 year old =o) I promise to update in the next few days. It has been a very special week! Someone had a birthday!! There is so much to share! But for now, here are a few pics to hold you over...

Snow Bunny 2009!

2009-01-27T14:21:00.001-08:00

Falling behind again...

2009-01-27T03:04:00.000-08:00

Wow, it is getting harder and harder to keep up in the blogging world. We are rounding the corner on age 2 and hitting the homestretch to age 3. It's crazy to think my little girl will be 3! I am not sure how it happened. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital. Now she is just about up to my waist in height and wears a size 9 shoe! She has hair as long as mine and opinions all her own. SHe is turning in her why's for what's at this lately. I think I like it better even though it's funny b/c she looks right at you so you know she heard what you said. We went with Grandma Linda to Mary's Cakery and Candy Kitchen in KG to order her birthday cake. She met Mary herself! And, Madison worked her magic on her as normal. Mary is going to come up with a masterpiece cake. "It has to have bugs on it, Mary." Straight from the mouths of the birthday girl. Madison is still enjoying dance too! She argues a little with her teacher, but is getting better. The last argument was over walking like a bear, or hopping like a frog. Needless to say Madison hopped like a bunny! She also dreams a lot lately. I got home from work Sat morning with a terrible headache. Madison woke up and called for my mom and told her "Mommy doesn't feel good, mommy is sick." A little freaky, but who knows, maybe mom's and daughters are connected stronger than we think!

Let her dance...

2009-01-14T17:33:00.000-08:00

Today was Madison's first dance class. It was every bit as much fun as I had thought and more adorable than I could have imagined. Three sweet little girls hopping around in tu-tus (?sp) Madison was thrilled with herself. So much in fact, she spent the first 10 min of class looking at herself in the mirror! I am so excited to watch her grow and develop. It is something she loves to do anyways, so she should do well. The best part is that they have a recital at the end of the program in June and she gets to wear a costume! I am so excited. We will keep you posted on our little prima ballerina!

Pitter Patter

2009-01-13T18:13:00.000-08:00

That's all I have heard this evening. Madison is all signed up and ready to start dance class tomorrow at the American Talent Training Center. She got her little outfit and shoes/slippers today. She loves them! I'm not sure who is more excited, Madison or Mommy. She is dancing away in her little ballet slippers =o) I will have to keep you posted on how it goes.

I know I am way behing AGAIN... still need to say farewell to 2008 and ring in 2009. Hope to do that this week!

CHristmas Week pics

2008-12-30T06:55:00.000-08:00

Santa was here

2008-12-28T01:05:00.000-08:00

What a busy holiday season. I have come to learn that holidays as an adult tend to be a hurry up and wait and then fly by the seat of your pants event. Christmas was wonderful. Madison had a very busy holiday season. We kicked it all off with Christmas at my mom's family event on 12/20. We saw cousins and family we only see once or twice a year. It is a tradition started by my great grandparents and upheld by my "gangdaddy." Now that he has passed our families take turns holding the get together at our houses. It has been a blast and is wild to see how much the kiddos have changed. Madison is and will be the youngest for a while. There were to new engagements though. Congrats to Jay and Kristina and Kelsey. Madison latched right onto Olivia and played her heart out. After breakfast and present opening Madison stood up as sweet as can be and exclaimed "Thanks Everybody! Happy Birthday!" A little too much frosty I guess, but adorable all the same.

Madison went to a Christmas party with grandma and grandpa on the 23rd and really had a good time. It was a busy day. We met after the party and went to see Santa for her picture with him and a few last minute errands. I could see the excitement in her eyes as Christmas grew closer. As adults it is easy to lose the magic of Christmas, but seeing it through the eyes of your child quickly reignites the spark! What a gift it is to be a mom...

Christmas Eve was a blur... Madison spent the day with her Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa. I think someone there is in good with the big red man because Santa had made an early delivery there! Madison even worked hard to pick out presents and a candy basket for me and for herself. Her Daddy said i was very hard for her not to eat it all up... There was so much excitement about Santa's upcoming arrival at our house. Madison even got a phone call from the big man in the red suit. She was very excited. We have it on tape, so if I can figure it out I'll post it soon! We were watching tv when Madison heard Santa outside. She jumped up and said, "I need to take a bath. I need to go to bed, Santa is here!" We took a quick bath, climbed into Christmas pj's and then settled around the couch for "The Night Before Christmas" as told by Poppy. Mads got mad at everyone laughing and left the couch, climbed into aunt Kristina's lap and demanded the story be finished there. It is sure to be a family classic for years to come!! Got it on video too! We took her to bed, tucked her in and she told me to get out so she could sleep and Santa could come! And boy did he...

We woke up Christmas morning just before 8 am and set out to the living room to find a trampoline, smart cycle, train table, star station and more!! She was more than thrilled and by 12 noon was gifted, jumped, cycled and star stationed out. She headed for a nap and slept for 2 1/2 hours. When she woke up she got ready for her cousins to come and more presents! She even got a huge dollhouse! She has had a blast.

Madison had made mom and dad a light up Christmas tree to match the one mom has that is great-great grandma's. madison's fav thing to do is take all the lights out and put them back in. She called mom out bigtime Christmas night. Mom had the old tree lit, but had yet to plug the new one in. mads came out looked at both trees and said "you like your old tree better mamaw??" What a smarty! Of course mamw loves her new tree... no worries Madison, I think it is her new fav!!

All in all a great Christmas filled with family and friends! What a great way to close 2008!

Crafty!

2008-12-17T05:56:00.000-08:00

Madison has been busy at home and at Grandma Linda's taking in all the Christmas fun the season has to offer. Who needs preschool when you are having this much fun? I might add this is the longest she's been healthy since August!! Here are a few projects she worked on with Grandma Linda this week...

Santa's Wonderland

2008-12-17T05:51:00.000-08:00

We made a trip to Ashland to the Bass Pro Shop. It was quite the trip. We took Uncle Chris and Sarah and Connor and Kaelyn with us, Sherry and Alyx, and Tina and her boys. We ran into another girl from work and her 3 girls too! It was a blast. They had a place with fake snow, and that seemed to be the hit if the place second only to Santa. Madison ran full tilt at Santa, and the rest of the kids were more timid. We saw big fish, lots of toys, and even a big bear!! We topped it all off with dinner and headed home. Madison still talks about Santa's Wonderland.

Our "Brindabread House"

2008-12-17T05:45:00.000-08:00

I am having a blast this year with Madison! There is so much she can do. We have been keeping busy with Christmas crafts. She is also learning Christmas songs. I have to say Frosty is her favorite. I'm sure she will be watching him for many months to come. We tackled a gingerbread house last week. What fun! Madison has quite the decorative touch. She even had fun sneaking a taste every once in a while. She bit the roof, and was wired until 11pm that night!!

Christmas Pictures!

2008-12-09T11:19:00.001-08:00

All went well considering we were there for 2 1/2 hours start to finish! Madison Played really well while we waited. Can't believe she is so grown!

Through the years...

2008-12-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

This is a time a year that i love to look back at pics of Madison and see how she has changed from my sweet little baby to my beautiful, smart and priceless little girl. I don't have many pics to go from this year, although Aaron assures me he will have them to me soon, but I will work with what I have. I also can't wait to see all the video from Mads over the years. Hopefully we will have that soon too. I am so thankful for the video we have of her, it's priceless. If only we had started sooner. Well, Here are a few pics from her first Christmas at 10mo. Her seconds Christmas at 22mo. and so far from this year.

My tree!

2008-12-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

Madison is such a big girl this year I decided to let her have a tree in her room. it's a fiber-optic tree. We let her decorate it when I bought it home and she has been thrilled with it. She made little foam ginger people with her Grandma Linda last week, so last night we put tree hooks in them and let her add them to the tree. It turned out really cute! And on a positive note... after 3+ weeks I think her cough is getting better!!

They're Engaged!!

2008-12-03T13:38:00.000-08:00

Well, Thanksgiving came and went and we had all kinds of excitement. My brother finally proposed to his girlfriend of almost 8 years!! It was beautiful!! We are very excited to be planning a wedding. I can't help but think about how sweet Madison will be in as a flower girl. I'll keep you posted as they decide on a date...

Christmas is right around the corner!! I braved my first Black Friday. I managed to get all of the hot items I was hoping for. Madison is going to have a great Christmas. She has gotten in really tight with Santa. She has been to see him 5 times already. He knows her name. It's very funny. I'm hoping she will be healthy by then. We are still fighting pneumonia. Her little buddies Lexi and Aiden (who she will tell you is her boyfriend) are in the hospital with pneumonia. Madison misses them terribly.

We went to the hospital today to listen to some Christmas music. Some of my co-workers were playing the flute. Madison went front and center and danced and twirled and clapped and cheered. She attracted as much attention as the music!! We may go back next week.

We were watching Sleeping Beauty today and Madison asked why everyone was sad... it was the part of the movie were Briar Rose pricks her finger and goes to sleep. I told her the mean lady made her go to sleep. She asked why she was mean. I told her some people were just like that. To this I hear come from the back seat, " This is reediculuss" I couldn't help but laght.

I also became "that mom" yesterday. We went all over town with a princess tiara on. It's funny how strange thing become perfectly normal when it has to do with your child and the things that make them happy. She even went bowling with it on. What a stinker!!

Back to square one

2008-11-26T13:15:00.000-08:00

We're home from the doctor. Madison still has walking pneumonia. The doctor wrote for the Brand name Zithromax this time and off we went to fill it. 6 pharmacies later we discover no one in town has it. It can't be filled until Friday... I call the doctors office back only to speak with a very rude nurse who talking to me like I have a 5th grade education and hear the doctor talking to me through the nurse in the background. I am fit to be tied. I am entertaining the idea of changing pediatricians. I will be making calls next week.

Back to the doctor

2008-11-26T05:04:00.000-08:00

Well, Madison has decided she likes this cold thing she has picked up. We have pulled her from preschool and kept her from Buzzy's, and she is still sick. Some days she seems better, others a little worse. She is a real trooper though. She never acts like she feels as bad as I imagine she must feel. She coughs terrible any time she gets active at all, and coughs sometimes at night now but not always. It sounds gross. I'm sure Dr. Allegretti is going to be less than excited to see us. Remember our adventure last appt. To her I'm sure I'm the mom who can't get her 2 year old to take medicine and she had to call in prescriptions 3 times for us. I'm sure she is going to tell me she needs the zithromax and I guess I'll have to ask for the real stuff, not generic. I'll let you know what happens. I guess insurance won't pay for brand name when generic is available, but they should taste that stuff!! I certainly can't blame the little stinker.

Our Finished Photos!!

2008-11-25T10:10:00.000-08:00

We got our pictures back from October's photo shoot. They are awesome. I can't help but think Madison could be a child model!! I highly recommend Melissa Arlena Photography. She is wonderful and very talented. Here are a few more of the pics... ENJOY!

elfed!!!

2008-11-19T12:46:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Preview of Melissa Arlena Photography

2008-11-14T16:24:00.000-08:00

Here are a few shots that are edited by Melissa Arlena.

OMNICEF to the rescue

2008-11-14T16:22:00.001-08:00

Madison took her new medicine that the doctor called in like a champ!! Thank goodness. I didn't know what else to do. The only downside is that we have 9 more days of meds and this one can cause diarrhea... Oh well, better than pneumonia I guess!

Advice needed

2008-11-14T13:06:00.000-08:00

Ever tried to give a NASTY medication to a 2 year old?? The generic for a child's Z-pack is disgusting!! Madison refuses to take it and spits it out. I have tried everything. I am at a loss. I even called the doctor to see about an injection, but apparently this is the only medication that works for walking pneumonia. I'm not sure if I should believe this, I guess kids with an allergy to this are just SOL. Apparently e-mycin can be used sometimes, but they say it tastes worse than the z-pack. I don't know what to do. We even had a second bottle called in and flavored, no luck though. They ay there isn't a shot for this either. What should I do?? We are waiting for the doctor to call me back any minute now...

UPDATE-- Doctor visit

2008-11-13T12:42:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess my instinct to take Mads to the doctor was right, even if I doubted it. She was a champ. Dr Allegretti was awesome. Apparently Mads has some wheezing with forced inhalation and exhalation. She said this could be the germ that causes walking pneumonia. She started her on azithromax, and if her cough isn't better by Monday she wants to call in an inhaler or nebulizer. I hope she is better. I hate it when she is sick. No school tomorrow for her!

Never-ending cold

2008-11-13T07:32:00.000-08:00

It seems like Madison has had a cold or at least a runny/stuffy nose since the end of August. This happens to be the same time she started preschool. There is rarely a week that she gets to go in both Monday and Friday, and you guessed it, she usually gets there Monday and is home sick Friday! This one in particular seems worse than the others, so we are off to the doctor at 2:20. I'm pretty sure they will tell me it is just a cold and to "elevate her head for sleep, use cool mist, give motrin for discomfort." I'm sure they will also say to "give a vapor bath, use pediacare/vicks plug-ins" all of which I have ben doing. It will make me feel better to hear it though... She did sleep better last night, all night with almost no coughing. Wish us luck while we go out in this nasty weather!!!

Melissa Arlena Photography

2008-11-07T16:23:00.000-08:00

Madison and I had our pictures done last week. Melissa came to our home and took pics of us. She was wonderful. She just put up our pics for proofing. We get to pick 25. She was running a special. If you would like to take a peek at our proofs please do. Just don't laugh at some of the pics of me. Mads looks great!!

Go to Melissaarlenaphotography.com , hit the option for website and then go to proofing. The password will be Brumbaugh.

Enjoy! I am excited to see what the finished photos will look like!!

Political Princess

2008-11-06T11:35:00.000-08:00

I did not vote this year, but if I had I would have voted for OBAMA. My parents were split, as was the rest of our family. Madison made a clear decision and is very distraught that her choice fell to the wayside. we spent 20 min in the car today discusing the election. She makes it very clear that she voted for MCCAIN, and the thinks Obama is yucky! She makes a funny noise and everything. It's very funny. She told everyone everywhere we went today that she likes McCain and Obama was in fact Yucky and that we needed to get him away. So young yet so opinionated!! Look out world, she's only 2!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T16:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween to everyone! Mads and her Daddy and I just got back from trick-or treating. I think she had a pretty good time. She was the only "Crabby-patty" out and about. It didn't take her long to realize how things worked. She quickly forgot the whole trick-or treat part and started running up to doors saying "i want candy.... please!" After we reminded her a few times she caught on. She was so funny! The way her costume fit she couldn't move her arms much, so when people handed her candy she always asked for help. "I can't reach my bag" she would say. She was an eye catcher for sure!!

Poor baby started off her Halloween rough... We made caramel apples last night. She decorated them with sprinkles, candy worms, and candy corn. She woke up at 5 am and threw up 3 times over about an hour. SHe then had diarrhea a good part of the day. I think we'll stay away from Target's worms from now on. Once she stopped puking and pooping green (from the black worms) She was good to go. She missed her Halloween party at school, but was none the wiser. All and all a great night. She's one well-loved kid.

We are still awaiting the arrival of the great pumpkin here at poppy's house... Hope we have better luck than Linus did!

It's cold

2008-10-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

Madison woke up this morning and told me it was fall. She told me it was cold outside and the leaves were changing there colors. Some were falling she said. How observant she is. Fall is going to be a blast with her this year. We went to the pumpkin patch Friday night with the family. It was great. Mads got to play with her cousins Connor and Kaelyn. They play so well together.

If raising a two year old is any indication about what it will be like to raise a teenager I'm in trouble. Madison can be quite the handful. Don't get me wrong, I love everything about her, but boy can she challenge me. She even told me the other night that she was 3... not 2! Dinner time can take 2 hours the way she eats... like a chipmunk packing food away for the winter. It's frustrating, but she does it because to a 2 year old it is power. It's quite funny how their brains work. She has quite the imagination too... sometimes I can't keep up with her. Some times she has me laughing so hard I cry. She really likes Charlie and Lola on tv now. I adore the show and she even talks like them!!

Here are some pictures from the patch... enjoy!

Success!

2008-10-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

Madison is potty trained! She only wears a pull up at nap and bed time. She is even venturing out with a very brave mommy and using public potties... after they are completely covered in toilet paper and I remind her why we don't touch the potty. I am so proud of her. I have lots of stories and Madison-isms, but I'll save them for another time!

Potty update

2008-10-15T05:05:00.000-07:00

It has been six days since Madison decided to "potty train herself." Six days and only 2 accidents I might add. The first was last Thursday on my bed and the last in the car yesterday. She told me she had to pee, but we didn't make it in time. She told me "the baby made me pee in my pants!" She couldn't produce the baby, so it must have been another one of those buddies created to take her blame. Even at 2 they're smart! Oh yeah, she is still wearing a pull-up at night and wakes up a little wet, but not soaked...

Could it be??

2008-10-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

Could she really be potty training herself?? We officially made it through Friday with no accidents! What a big girl. She is doing it all herself. I'll keep you posted...

All Business

2008-10-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

Madison has decided to potty train herself. She decided Wed morning that she was going to go potty everywhere we went... watch out for those potty's that self flush. She didn't care for those much! She wakes up wet from night time and stays dry ALL day... until about 6:30 at night. She clocks out then and pees once, as if she is on a 15 min break. So I guess I could say she is potty trained during business hours only! Stinker! She even peed on my bed last night right after I had made the bed. Oh well...

She also seems to be catching a cold every week from school. As soon as we get her healthy she is sick again by Friday. She's a trooper though... Not sure what to do. Let her get exposed some now and build an immunity or wait til school when she HAS to go. I guess it's better this way. She's pretty tough.

Shhh... I'm trying to sleep

2008-10-08T05:36:00.000-07:00

Lastnight Mads, Mom and I were laying around in my bed playing and calming down for the night. Mom was rubbing mads back. All was quiet until Madssat straight up in bed and said "hey guys... shhh...I am trying to sleep. I work very hard all day to pay for this house. I am TIRED." We didn't quite know what to say, we were too busy laughing.

I just asked her if she was exhausted and she looked at me and said "No, mommy, I'm 2!"

Everyone's a Critic

2008-10-08T05:31:00.000-07:00

It isn't uncommon for my mom and I to sing to Madison throughout the day. Yes, we know we are tone deaf and no we couldn't carry a tune if it we in a paper sac, but it's fun anyways. Or at least it was...

Mom was singing to Mads in the bathtub the other night when Madison stopped what she was doing and asked her to stop. Mom stopped and asked her why. She simply said... "Because Mamaw, it's bad!" Do you believe it?

Fall is here!

2008-10-05T01:35:00.001-07:00

I love this time of year... it is beautiful, and not too cold yet. There is so much to do with all the pumpkin patches open, and preparing for halloween! Madison is undecided on what she wants to be this year. Gone are the days when I could pick her costume for her. At two she is already very opinionated... wonder where that came from? If you ask her what she wants to be she will spout one of three things, a witch, a butterfly, or a bat. As things get closer, I will have to have her narrow it down... otherwise she may end up as a ghost with an old sheet. I know how fast costumes sell out. I'm not convinced she's going to like halloween this year though. She doesn't seem to like the masks and scary stuff. It's almost funny.

I took her to Leesburg Animal Farm for their "Pumpkinville" park this past week. A few friends went and the kids enjoyed the animal park full of rabbits, livestock, monkeys, giant turtles, birds, etc. There were pony rides, hay rides, free cider and apples, moon bounces, airslides, and a huge hill slide that flew! Madison managed to get away from me on that one. She went down all by herself as I scrambled to the bottom to get her. All the while she was screaming "Where am I going guys?" It was really cute.

Madison is having a better time getting off to preschool now. She didn't even cry when I dropped her off Friday. There is something to be said for a routine with a toddler. She had school pictures on Friday. She was adorable. When I dropped her off in her classroom she was greeting be a ton of kids screaming "MADISON!!" She turned around hugged me, gave me a kiss and said "bye mommy, see you after lunch." She has also told me she has a boyfriend. It's Carrie's little boy Aiden. They were holding hands and hugging on Tumblebus the other day! I talked to Carrie and she assured me she would have "the talk" with Aiden =o)

One thing is for sure... she is growing up too fast!

Sleeping Beauty

2008-09-18T05:03:00.000-07:00

I'm in shock... Madison refused her nap outright yesterday. she had a fit, kicking, screaming, told me i was mean, even tried to bite me. I held my ground, and pulled a nanny 911 on her and continue to place her in her bed and ignore her outburst. This went on about 10 min or so on and off.... it felt much longer. She finally settled into her bed and read books. She started to thing napping was a good idea, but it was getting late and we had planned to go get our nails done like big girls, so she had "quiet time " yesterday, but no nap. We went to get her nails painted and she stuck her hand out and said "no lady, i don't want you." Needless to say there was no nail painting for her. We came home to find Poppy and Uncle Rick and Jay cutting grass. We decided to go get outback curbside... Madison rode with Kristina and I... on the way home, despite my every efforts, she fell asleep. IT WAS ONLY 6:15!! I took her in the house, put her on the ouch, changed her clothes, pull-up and took her hair down. She was out. I took her to her room and laid her in her bed. She curled up on her side and that was that. I waited and waited to see if I had made the right choice, and fully expected to be up all night. When bed time came and she was still out, I fully expected to start my day at 5am... She stretched around 12 midnight and rolled over and about 3 am sat up in bed for a minute before grabbing her num-num and giving in to the night again. I heard the pitter-patter of little feet at 7am! Wow!! She was tired.

We got up this morning and made dinosaur toast and eggs. She wanted to know where her white was, so we learned about eggs and how heat turns the clear stuff into the white stuff she likes to eat. It's been a good morning!!

Here are a few pics from the last week or so...

~Oh yeah, she had her first "hay"-ride!!

Writer's Block...

2008-09-11T05:22:00.000-07:00

I am finding it increasingly hard to blog... or maybe it's that I don't have time to blog... or it could be that my brain is "why"-ed out. That's right, Madison has entered the world of why and she is dragging everyone in with her, kicking and screaming. She just woke up one morning and out it came. All I can do is laugh to myself. I have been waiting for this stage. She wants to know the ins and outs of everything now. Lately our conversations go a little like this:

Mads: Where are my puppies?

Mommy: We put them downstairs.

Mads: Why?

Mommy: You wanted to have a picnic. I didn't want them to eat your food.

Mads: Why?

Mommy: I want you to eat your food.

Mads: Why?

Mommy: So you can grow big and strong...

Mads: Why?

You get the general idea. By this point it tends to be smiling and cringing all at the same time. You never know how long one of these conversations can go.

In other news, Mads is recovering from quite a nasty cold and fever. She's on the up and up now with just a nagging cough left behind. She's doing well in her new toddler bed, just likes to fall asleep with the door open. She is waking up earlier in the mornings too. It's good though, it means she gets a good nap in and makes it through the day without getting to cranky.

She woke up last night at 12:20 (am) crying out for her friend. She was crying b/c "nana' (Adrianna) is gone far away and she needs her here. It was really sad. We rocked, sang, read a book and I even laid in bed with her for a bit. When I moved to the floor she put her hand out and waited for mine in return. She held my hand while she fell back into slumber.I can only imagine she had been dreaming and was disappointed when she woke up. While she drifted I couldn't help but notice how big her little hand was becoming with mine. She seems to be growing overnight!

When her whole cold thing started we had been at Chuck-E-Cheese earlier in the day. Mads had won a white balloon from one of the games. She played and played with it. We even took it outside and tied it up while we went swimming. To our dismay, the balloon managed to slip ot of her hands and my reach and float right up to the sky. We watched it for a long time. Mads was not too excited. She remembered sending balloons to Baby Aleah in Feb for her heaven day and asked if that was where it went. She asked if Aleah would share her balloon and send it back. After a while we managed to get fixated on something else. I believe she had her first night terror that night. She woke up screaming for me, but didn't seem awake. She was calling for me through half opened unfocused eyes long after she was in my arms and even out to the living room. The whole thing lasted about 20 min, but it felt like forever. I hope she never does that again.

Once she was awake and feeling better (it was now about 10 pm) she remembered her balloon, which we told her had become a star for her to look at. She was distraught, so Mom, Cassie, and I decided to go on a balloon hunt. We put Mads in the car and went searching to see of her balloon had been floating around anywhere. Our hunt led us right to the Giant parking lot. Mads and I waited in the car while mom and Cassie searched around. And guess what?! That special white balloon came all the way back from the Heavens and brought friends of all colors with him! Mads was so excited. From there she went off to sleep pretty quick! Oh, and did I mention Cassie is allergic to latex?? Amazing what we will do for our children!

"mommy, don't leave"

2008-09-07T01:46:00.000-07:00

I have been hearing a lot of this lately. My little girl who has always been outgoing and never afraid of running off to play is now turning back to look for me. She is having a hard time letting herself sleep at nigh or go down for naps b/c she is afraid I'll leave her. So bedtime now goes something like this... We have her bath, go to her room to read, rock and sing, say prayers... she gets into bed, asks about the tv to which I say that TV is already asleep. (she will stay up as long as it is on) I rub her back and then she says mommy don't go, don't leave me... I tell her I will never leave her, and will only be in my room at night. SHe tells me again not to leave, I "lay low" on her floor holding her hand. WHen she lets go I stay on her floor waiting for her to drift off. I never fails that 2-3 times she sits straight up yelling " Mommy... mommy, where are you?" If i don't answer she begins to cry. I'm not used to this. It breacks my heart. Of course it makes me doubt preschool. It's great there, but I hate to take her when she tells me not to leave her all the way there. They are great about letting us call to check on her though. And I HATE her being there on fridays whie i am home, but it seems that 2 days a week will help her to adjust better than one. It'd be nice if tuesdays open up b/c then she could go then and stay home on fridays. Wish us luck as we try to get her sorted out. She's going through a lot, and as smart as she is I know she is onto the whole thing.

Preschool week one

2008-09-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

Our little girl started preschool last week on the 25th. We were nervous and excited. Aaron and I met there and took her in together. She was all smiles holding her num-num close. As soon as we got in her room she shimmied out of my arms and took off. I watched as she settled onto the floor and started to quietly fight with a little girl for the toy she had. I started to speak with the teacher and took a look back to see the num-num laying alone in the floor where Madison had been. It hit me then that she was going to be just fine. I looked at the teacher and asked what to do now. She replied with a smile "you leave."

They said it took her an hour and a half to realize we were gone and she whined for us on and off for about 2o min and then was fine. She ate well, sat on the potty and even napped. When we showed up to get her she played for 10 min before we finally had to call her attention. We watched her run and play, ride a car, wash her hands, and drink from a water fountain. We saw her artwork too. When we saw her she said "Hi Guys." We asked her if she was ready to go and she said no and later told us she wanted to go back to school then. She said she had a blast and when Rachel call her to see how her day went she said "My mommy left me at school!" Do you believe that?? She also talks a lot about her little friend Gabby from school and of course Lexi and Aiden.

Friday as we drove to school she was excited but told me not to leave her. When I got there she put her num-num in her cubby and took off. i told her bay and she took off playing again. i called to check on her at 11 and they said she was great. When I got there at 4 to get her she was playing but happpy to see us. They said she didn't nap and cried for me. Madison made sure to tell me too. It broke my heart. "mommy, I cried for you." I reminded her that mommies and daddies go away sometimes, but they always come back. They said otherwise it was a great day. She ate ALL of her food and stayed dry all but once and used the potty the rest of the day. She loves school, but has her moments. I just hope this is the best for her.

My New Bed

2008-09-01T21:57:00.000-07:00

Last week we converted Madison's crib into a toddler bed, only to find out we were missing the rails that make it a toddler bed. So,in essence, it became a day bed at that point. We decided to try it out and see how she did and placed a beanbag chair at the head of the bed incase she rolled off. We at that point started on an apparently endless journey to locate the company and found out how to obtain the rails that were never recieved. We tried only to find that Simplicity (the company) had gone out of bussines and that the company that was still selling the cribs was not taking any responsibility for problems prior to that time, even though we only wished to purchase the rails and did not want any freebies. It is the same company that just last week refused to cooperate with a recall of the simplicity bassinet that killed to infants recently. Needless to say, I'm done with them.

Madison came home from Aaron's and we took her to her room to show her her new bed and she said "My bed, it's got one broken piece" placing one finger up. We explained that it was a big girl bed ad that she didn't need her crib anymore, but she could not wrap her head around the idea. She reluctantly slept in it all the while reminding us that it was indeed broken. She rolled out of the bed and onto the beanbag. This didn't wake her, but scared me to death. I decided then to shop around for a toddler bed. I found a really cute toddler sleigh bed in cherry to match her room and had it ready when she came home today. She loved it!! It looks tiny in her room, but it's great for her. I'll let you know how it goes.

Alyx came to visit

2008-08-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

We had a mini pool party today! Baby Alyx came over for her very first dip in our pool. She had a blast. madison calls her "baby Alycus" She is so funny! Here's a few pics to show you how it went...

A Funny Story

2008-08-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

Two has definately turned out to be the biggest challenge of parenting Madison thus far. She is a very strong willed, demanding, intelligent and loving child. She knows exactly what she wants already. She puts her little hands on her hips and tells you exactly what's on her mind. We have been doing big girl things recently. We took another trip to K.D. She rode lots of rides and even the Scooby Doo Haunted Mansion where she "shoot two scary ghost" And "i wake scooby up" It was really cute. I love to watch her face while she experiences something new. On our way out of scooby we ran into Shelley and Lexi. Madison rode the Scrambler with Shelley!
She wanted to ride the Avalanch Bobsled too, but she wasn't tall enough. This broke her little heart. It wasn't anything an Icee the size of Georgia couldn't fix though. As she rode the rides in the Kidsville I noticed she was often spending a good portion of the ride buckling the empty seatbelt next to her. She did this a few times and then while getting off one of the little car rides she was helped out of one side by a worker and then promptly ran around to the other side of the car reaching inside. As I wastched this I was wondering what she was doing. I assumed she wanted to get back in. Apparetly so did the worker. He ran around the ride too. To our surprise she reached in, grabbed an imaginary something and started to walk to me. She must have noticed the puzzled look on my face because she said, " I had to get my baby..." We spent the next few hours riding rides and without fail she would buckle her "baby" in and retrieve her after the ride. She held her in a closed fist as we walked and even switched hands if I forgot she was there so that we could hold hands and the "baby" would be unharmed. It was adorable. It was on this day that I was reminded that it is entirely possible to love your child more with each passing day. I fell in love with her all over again.... not that I had ever really fallen out in the first place.

Pears and Poppies

2008-08-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

What's better than picking a sweet pear right of the tree and sharing it with your Poppy?

"Working day"

2008-08-28T06:21:00.000-07:00

Madison has developed a green thumb. Just about anything she helps with in the garden explodes with produce. She fits right in in the country. She runs loops and loops around the yard. We are still picking blackberries, now also pears, grapes, and more. She is often out in the garden helping us out and then finished off her "work day' with a quick dip in the pool! Cross your fingers as Miss Green Thumb anxiously awaits the spouts of her newly planted pumpkins.

Mommy and Madison time

2008-08-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

On Thursday Madison and I went to Kings Dominion. We stayed at Uncle Jay's house, so KD was only a 10 min drive away. Madison was so excited. We got there about 10:30 am and as soon as we walked in Madison spotted Spongebob Squarepants! She ran up to him and hugged him and kissed home and danced with him. The rest of the day went much like this. We constantly ran into characters, Dora, Spongebob, Little Bill, Tommy and Angelica Pickles, Blues Clues... And she knew them all. She did the hokey Pokey with Tommy and he tried to eat her nose. Go ahead, ask her about it. She'll tell you the whole story! We had such a good time driving the cars, trucks and airplanes that we are definatly going back this week. If you ask me, KD is much more kid friendly than Sesame Place was (although it was a blast) about the characters. Here they let the kids play with them and enjoy time with them. At Sesame we all felt as if the kids were rushed. There was no brushig past kids in a hurry here. I highly recommend it!

Triplets anyone??

2008-08-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

Aiden and Lexi came over last night to play and swim. If you remember, there is only 3 months difference between them an Madison. All of them act like they are 3 already. We hit the yard running. there was swinging, sliding, running, jumping, swimming... They played house and kitchen, and even played in Madison's room. It was a taste of what triplets would be. NO THANKS! It was a blast, but one is enough for me at one time. KUDOS Carrie... you have made it almost 3 years!! Lexi and Aiden were convinced that our doggies were going to bite them. I didn't quite understand until Carrie told me about their new kitty who bites toes in the middle of the night. I think I would be scared too! I have never seen a little girl move so fast, or climb so high. I think Carrie could have raised her arms and placed Lexi right on the roof! Madison misses her friends already... She was really deep into pretend play last night. Polly Pocket became Lexi and Patrick (sponge bob's friend) became Aiden. She also made a makeshift pool. I think she could have stated in there all night. Well, I'm off the try to grab a little snuggle from my 2 year old teenager... wish me luck.