Elephant School

Roller Coaster Action!

2011-09-06T17:49:00.000-04:00

Well, this birthday gift was a huge hit! Madeline has shown everyone that comes by how cool her Knex Roller Coaster is. Every play person from polly pocket to playmobiles have "ridden" the roller coaster and continue to enjoy the new amusement park in the playroom. Thank you Grandma & Papa Brown! This is awesome!

She's growing up so fast!

2011-07-22T19:25:00.000-04:00

Well, we are on our way to 8 years old! Wow! It's so funny to think about her when she was... Yesterday we went to the hospital (haven't been there in a while!) for an ENT appointment for Madeline. She had an ear infection a couple months back and the fluid never completely drained from behind her eardrum so her Primary made an ENT appointment. Luckily everything cleared up and her hearing is perfect, no more fluid, and this was a "one time incident" according to the doctor. No need for follow-up. That's good. Madeline was a bit concerned she would have to do tubes, etc. as her doctored mentioned as a possibility, as were we! So, that's done. Good.

Summer has been eventful actually...

We had a grand camping adventure to kick off the summer. A thunderstorm to scare us home for a half-night (we were nearby); fishing, scootering, kickballed, frisbeed, exploring of the local countryside, old farmhouse explored, lunch in downtown Chelsea. It was really a good time and experience.

We followed that up with a long trip up and around the Upper Peninsula to get to Jason & Lane's wedding in Wisconsin. A stop in Mackinac, Sault Ste. Marie, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Marquette, Iron Mountain, Green Bay, Gays Mills, Chicago, home! Wow. What a trip! We saw some amazingly large barges in the locks and found Lake Superior to be a destination to hit again. Iron Mountain surprised us with a great tour of the mine! We figured out we pretty much went backward along the track the iron takes from the mine, to the docks, to the locks, to the mills. It was really neat. We stayed a night beside Lambeau Field in Green Bay and were pleasantly surprised by an amusement park on the Bay! Spent a bit of time there riding the terrifying swings and the Zippin' Pippin' (Madeline didn't care for this roller coaster, a bit too high).

This trip continued to Gays Mills, WI where we were privileged to witness Jason & Lane's wedding. We stayed at beautiful Lonesome Hollow Inn with its tranquility and great fishing nearby. It was a very memorable event and we are super happy for Jason and Lane. I cried a lot! They really look just so incredibly happy and that's wonderful.

Madeline and I spent a couple days in Chicago where Madeline was given her first real chance to swim in Lake Michigan! The waves threatened to swallow her up, but she had a great time just the same. I terrified her enough of the undertow that she didn't venture too far out without me by her side. Good idea.

Since we've been home, we have been in the midst of a heat wave so the pool has been our daily outing. She's an awesome swimmer now after just 8 lessons! We spend a few hours there cooling off before coming home to a well air conditioned house. Whoever invented air conditioning should get a big prize! Next week Madeline gets to spend a few days with one of her schoolmates while we host a mini-girls camp. In the midst of all of this, she is still practicing piano and getting so much better than I could have ever imagined. I feel so proud when I see and hear her play and she's only 7 years old!

Okay, so we just had peanut butter ice cream sundaes! Madeline helped Zak make the ice cream yesterday with organic cream, organic sugar, and vanilla. She helped me make the peanut butter today with organic peanuts and grapeseed oil. Tonight, we all enjoyed it! That is the way it should be. She knows exactly where her food comes from, how it's made, and there isn't anything in it that will hurt her now or long term. That's what we want for her. We also want to be sure we stay healthy in the same way so we can be around to enjoy her for as long as absolutely possible. Now, we just have to convince everyone else in her life to go the same distance. I think it's safe to say, she doesn't ask anyone to do anything she herself does not do. I have to say she is the biggest stickler in our house about what's good for us and what's not. That's good.

Well, we're looking forward to third grade with great anticipation. Thankfully, we are only in the third week of July! Many more Greenfield Village, Zoo, Pool, and play days ahead!

Piano Recital

2011-05-25T12:04:00.000-04:00

Madeline did an awesome job playing Cherries Ripe and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious in front of a crowd. You can't see her fingers moving, but she is playing every note from memory all on her own! The day before this concert, she auditioned for the National Piano Guild and was accepted with great commendations for both of her pieces! It took a lot of courage to do both of these events, especially one right after the other. We are very proud of her accomplishments.

Little Red Hen

2011-05-09T13:07:00.000-04:00

Madeline's 2nd grade theatre debut as Little Red Hen #2 in The Little Red Hen A Story of Friendship. The video begins with Madeline's part, which is in the middle of the play. The story is all about how Little Red Hen is going to bake cherry pies for her friends for Friendship Day, so she has a lot of work to do and her friends keep interrupting her for advise, favors, etc. She doesn't mind though, because "that's what friends are for". The play continues after Madeline's part, but I only uploaded her part.

School's Out

2010-06-15T13:56:00.002-04:00

We have officially begun Summer 2010. I'm sorry to say I am far from ready. I was planning to have a schedule of our days all mapped out, with me getting ready for the day long before I wake up Madeline and being prepared with something for breakfast and a plan for the day. Well, we're on day 2 and that hasn't happened so far. Yesterday, I was at least showered and dressed, then the day was gray with Monday morning responsibilities looming. Today, was even worse. I didn't even get out of bed until 7:30 just in time to wake up Madeline and say goodbye to Zak! It's now 2:00 and I still haven't showered! We've exercised, played outside, learned a bit of history (Wright Brothers via DVD) and tried out some piano practice. The piano practice has been put on hold due to frustration with the left hand not fully cooperating. We'll get back to it. Now, we're taking the time to write in our journals.

The plan for the summer is this: wake up and eat breakfast together; practice piano for 30 minutes; write in journals for 30 minutes; do a bit of housecleaning for 30 minutes; take advantage of rest of day to do whatever we want! This schedule should allow us to get everything in the house done before the day really gets going for the rest of the world. This way we won't have to worry about "killing" time waiting for things to open or friends to wake up and get around.

Let's get back to today... Madeline kept herself occupied with Magnetix while I figured out what was going on with the cable television throughout the house. I determined that one of our boxes has been discontinued. After all that, we decided to do a bit of playing outside. We harnessed up the cat and went into the backyard. Madeline hooked up Yellow Bear on the swing while I cleaned up the deck a bit. Then, it was time to do a bit of roller-blading in the front. We dragged (literally) Peanut to the front yard, hooked him up and we bladed for about 30 minutes. Good workout. We got a bit hungry so inside for some homemade mac&cheese and the Wright Brothers. There were some quizzes at the end to determine how much she comprehended and she did a great job! We'll have to look for more of these videos. Like I said, the piano came next and ended in tears so now the journal writing commences. I think she's going to need more room to write...

It's amazing how different this summer is from last year. Madeline is really growing up. She's spending time on her own playing with her stuffed animals or babydolls. She just wants to be nearby, but doesn't have to be actually engaged with me. She wants so much to please me and that can be frustrating for both of us, but we're getting through it. I try not to harp on her, correct her at every turn. I want her to learn some things on her own and the only way she'll do that is through her own frustration of getting it wrong a few times. I got pretty good at that when it came to walking and talking, now it just has to be applied to everyday life situations. It's so easy to make suggestions, or for her to ask for help.

I'll get better at this writing thing as the summer goes on. I feel like I'm all over the place, sort of like our days! Okay, time to put the blades on so the kid can do what she likes most these days... rollerblade in the house!

Wow, what a year!

2009-09-30T09:31:00.022-04:00

Well, it's almost October already and boy has it been a year! Madeline has gone from very much a 5 year old in Kindergarten and all of the trials and tribulations that brings, to entering a new school as a 6 year old and excelling beyond any expectations. Let me just start out by saying, that we couldn't be more proud of her accomplishments this year.

Madeline has added to her travel log with a big trip to Pittsburgh and Niagara Falls over Spring Break. We had a blast in Pittsburgh exploring the Conservatory, what a beautiful place that is! The campus grounds were the perfect setting for an afternoon of chasing each other around, listening to a drumming circle, and eating some quad asian cuisine in the shadow of the Cathedral of Learning. Our adventures took us to the Pittsburgh Aviary and the Carnegie Museum of Art & Natural History where Madeline photographed every rock in the collection, and sketched as many dinosaurs as she could. We got to close my eyes on the Duquesne Incline and explore some of the downtown with a stop at Primanti Brothers for the biggest sandwich I've ever tried to get in my mouth! Needless to say, we really enjoyed Pittsburgh and are planning a return trip.

From there, we went up to Niagara Falls. I must say, going in April is not one of the smartest things we've done. It was quite chilly and very windy, although not crowded at all!! We stayed at a very cute boutique hotel on the American side, Red Coach Inn. The accomodations were great, but the hotel restaurant proved to be considerably slow and overpriced. Madeline loved the Falls and the Rapids. We stayed up our first night to watch the Rapids light up, but they never did. So, we decided to bundle up and walk down to the Falls to see the lights there. What a sight! We loved it! Our trip included an elevator down near the bottom of the Falls and out on a deck to get a close up view of the Falls. We were there so early in the season that the deck wasn't complete due to the fact that the mist was still freezing and it was too hazardous to extend it at that time! What a view though! Simply amazing! Next time, we're going to venture over to Ontario and see what that's like.

We ventured into Buffalo one day and enjoyed incredible wings at Anchor Bar where Madeline really liked sitting in the bar area listening to the rock and roll music on the jukebox! She and Zak had a great bonding moment!! :|) We checked out the Buffalo Zoo and got there just in time to see the Seals going through their daily routine so that was a lot of fun.

Our trip ended up an overnight stay in Cleveland and then on to the Hayes House for an Easter Afternoon Tea. Madeline absolutely loves going to tea. The house was beautiful, and the tea service was very nice. There was a local newspaper crew there and we had the privilege of being interviewed for the paper. They took photos and heard our story. The pics didn't end up in the physical paper, but they did end up online. http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=BB&Dato=20090413&Kategori=PHOTOGALLERY&Lopenr=904130801&Ref=PH&GID=jRDcw/uymgt1Gb4Wahve/VbCfPToW/5s7Xa+uYDPb2E%3D

Madeline had her first birding experience. I pulled her from Kindergarten to go to Magee Marsh in Ohio to see some Warbler on their annual migration. Magee Marsh has a great boardwalk through the woods with really awesome viewing. We saw Warblers, Thrushes, even a Great Horned Owl! This is definitely something we will do every year!

We've had a few camping trips this year. I think camping is one of Madeline's favorite things to do in the summer. She gets to ride her bike almost nonstop and roast hotdogs and marshmallows over an open fire. The downside is when it rains or is frigidly cold. Unfortunately, this year was a bit rainy and a bit cold. We did have a very successful trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore which we did the weekend after she finished Kindergarten. What a way to start the summer! The beaches were beautiful, the lake was beautiful, the dunes were beautiful, the river was beautiful, the weather was beautiful! Madeline kicked my butt going up the Dune Climb! Man what a view from up there! She had fun playing with the sticks and little driftwood houses other kids had built. We spent a great deal of time on the beach building our "sleeping bears" and villages. We took a canoe trip down the Platte River where Madeline was able to row for the first time. The river was so clear and so full of life, it was really a great trip. Madeline earned her Junior Ranger badge there! The only hangup was that she didn't want to do the oath in front of the Ranger, so she did it in front of Zak and me and that proved to be good enough. Yeah Madeline! That is a place I would definitely go back to.

This was the summer of Gershwin! At Greenfield Village every summer, there is a song and dance show in Town Hall. For the past couple years, they've done George Gershwin songs. There are two ladies and two men performing the songs and little skits. Madeline absolutely loved it! We went over and over and over again throughout the summer. One of the ladies, Kelly "Mabel" would say hi to Madeline after the show and eventually got to know her quite well. So, when we would go, she and the other lady Andrea "Lillian" would sing to Madeline on occasion. I think this was probably Madeline's favorite part of the summer. Madeline began dressing up like a "Gershwin Girl" whenever we would go. We would make a point to learn something new every time we went and see a different show in the park. Now, what do you think Madeline would like to be for Halloween? Yep, you guessed it, a Gershwin Girl! So, her outfit for the park was good enough on a daily basis. But, she would prefer a dress like the girls wore in the show. So, I have been contracted to design and make this dress. It's almost done and I must say, it's cute and Madeline likes it, so that's all that counts really.

We decided to try something new this year and that was the Balloon Festival in Howell. We had never been to this event before and it was quite impressive. The area that they had for all of these balloons to get inflated(?) and off the ground seemed small, but it amazingly worked and very well. Madeline had her face painted for the first time! and she decided to be a tiger which, as far as I could tell, was the most involved design she could have chosen. It looked amazing!

Madeline was introduced to the world of Symphony this year when we went to Greenfield Village for the Salute to America. They shoot off fireworks while the DSO performs. This always proves to be a very moving event. We decided to spend the day at Greenfield Village and stay for the show that night. So, we packed a dinner and spread out on the lawn to enjoy the show! The cannons startled us all, but in a good way. Madeline made her own shirt, by stamping the words to Grand Old Flag onto a t-shirt and drawing an American Flag with fabric markers. It was pretty cool.

Alright, well, that covers maybe half of it!? At the end of July, Madeline and I took our first airplane ride together where it was just the two of us! We went out to California to visit Grandma & Papa Brown and Aunt Theresa. Well, didn't that girl learn a thing or two there as well! Grandma Brown has a neighbor with a great pool and 6 year old daughter, Alexandra. We met Alexandra on Tuesday and scheduled a swimdate for the following day. While meeting Alexandra, she was in the pool snorkeling and Madeline was entranced! She said she would like to try that. So, before our pool date the next day, we went out and bought Madeline a snorkel set complete with fins, mask, and snorkel. It took her a few tries to get the hang of it, but once that was done, she was off and running! There was no stopping her. Of course, I wouldn't let her out of arm's length so I was right next to her swimming all over the pool over and over and over again! This was awesome! So, on the second swim date, the next day, Madeline decided it was time for her to jump off the side of the pool without anyone catching her! So, she did! She jumped off the side into about 4' of water and swam under water to the ledge. Then, she started swimming above water! Now, she can swim about 15' head above water without assistance! She's come a long way. She is so proud of herself!

Well, who would have thought that the fairies would find a perfect dwelling in Chico, CA? They did! The fairies moved in right under Grandma & Papa Brown's deck!! They have a door you (or they) can decorate, a stoop for decorations for parties, and everything! Apparently, they had a party recently maybe in honor of Madeline's birthday. We saw the decorated door in a picture Madeline received for her birthday from Grandma Brown. This was very exciting!

Alright, so after California, Madeline and I hopped on another plane to head to Seattle. We really felt like world travelers that week! We met up with Zak at the airport and Madeline was very pleased to see her daddy! (me too) It was great to have us all together again and we took full advantage of it. We headed down to the waterfront where we enjoyed some Ivars and a walk along the piers before we caught our ferry across the Sound. Very enjoyable! We made our way across and headed right up to Fort Flagler. This year was definitely more calm than it has been in years past. Our bald eagle wasn't roosting in the bare tree this year, but flew between the houses several times a day to hunt. Madeline got to see Mystery Bay from the water this year. We rented a canoe and went out paddling with Sue, Peter, Sally & Dennis. We saw oyster beds, jelly fish, birds in the cliffs, and Sue! Needless to say, Sue is always the highlight of our Washington trip. This year, we hung out and played games, flew kites, explored the beaches, and even tried swimming once! Brrrr!! Madeline thought she would give her new snorkeling abilities a try in the Bay. It proved too cold even for her feet, much less her body! Then, she cut her foot on a broken shell in the sand, and that was the end of that. She was very disappointed, but quickly got over it once we got back to the house.

From Fort Flagler, our little family headed out to the ocean. We decided to make an impromptu stop at Lake Crescent and man are we glad we did! We ended up taking a great hike up to Merrymere Falls. Madeline had a lot of fun exploring the river and taking pictures of the falls. We stayed a couple nights in Forks, WA. No, we didn't do the Twilight tour! There were some great restaurants and an air conditioned room that made Forks a very nice place to stay. We ventured down to the Hoh Rainforest, but with the dry climate this year, it wasn't very rainforesty. We did happen to run into a herd of Elk lounging by the river! This was very cool. Madeline was not impressed with the rainforest, nor were we really. Maybe another time. From there, we went out to Rialto Beach! Wow!!! It was a bit chilly out on the ocean which was in sharp contrast to the warmth of Forks, but we quickly acclimated. Madeline is definitely in her element on the water. We didn't see any elk this time, but we did see a bald eagle hunting at the mouth of a river which was very cool. That never gets old! We decided to rest on a log at one point and watch the waves. Well, the waves got a bit too close and actually swept over Madeline and Zachary who were at the end of the log nearest the water and drenched Madeline. She was wet, scared, and cold! Luckily, we had a change of clothes in the car so she was dry very quickly but finished with the beach for the day. We headed back inland to get warm.

Our trip ended in Seattle at the University Inn where Madeline was finally able to show off her snorkeling skills for her daddy. They swam every night in the hotel swimming pool no matter how cold the water was. We ate delicious food in Pike Market, saw amazing views from the water tower and crossed the monkey bars in Volunteer Park, were awed once again by the Night & Day House in Woodland Park Zoo, touched a lot of sealife at the Seattle Aquarium, and just had a wonderful time in Seattle. This was a really great family trip!

Life got right back to normal for a while. August brought a camping trip to Ludington where it rained the entire whole day we were there. We spent the day inside at a "children's museum" downtown and Madeline had a blast! It was very simple, but she spent the entire day there playing grocery store, short order cook, ice cream server, postal delivery person, veterinarian, and piano player. A great spot for a rainy, windy day on the lake. We ended that trip with a trip out to the Breakwater Lighthouse and a great playground. This is another place we will return to on a better weather weekend.

The end of summer was near and that meant the Fulton County Fair! We met Chuck there and had a great time. Madeline had a bit of her own money to spend on games this year, so she decided she wanted to try the fish game (throw the ball in the cup and win a fish). So, she played and won! She played again later and didn't win, but the man gave her another fish anyway! We thought, great! We stopped on the way back to Defiance and bought a fish bowl, some food, a little sunken pirate ship, some gravel, and a small fake plant. All set right? Well, the fish lived through the night. Madeline named them Spotty and Goldie, drew their picture the next morning, and about an hour later, Spotty died. This broke her heart! Her first memorable experience with death and it was everything it should be. I don't think there's anything harder than seeing your own daughter's heart breaking before your eyes, and knowing it will happen again probably very soon. So, we did our best to prepare her for the great possibility that Goldie probably wasn't long for this world either. She was so brave. All morning, she would put her hands over her eyes and say she didn't want to cry. Well, Goldie ended up dieing as expected only a couple hours later if that. Madeline handled it without so many tears this time pretty much knowing it was going to happen. So, we decided we would do some research and get some fish when we got back home. After much research, it was determined that goldfish are not the best first time fish and they should never be kept in a "fishbowl" if you expect them to live for the 20 years a goldfish can live. This was an eye opener. Long story short, we ended up with a large fishtank, complete with a castle, beautiful neon colored rocks, and now 6 Danios. We have lost two in the few weeks we've had them, not sure why, maybe over feeding, but Madeline accepts their death and moves on quickly. She is responsible for feeding them in the morning and afternoon and loves having the fish. We've come a long way in less than a month!

Madeline started her new school, Daycroft Montessori this year as a first grader. She's passed with 100% two spelling tests now with "Super Speller" stickers, and is learning Spanish. It seems her favorite class might be music. She learns a song in class, and recites it at dinner for us. She has a great memory that girl! Her writing skills have improved so much! The letters and numbers are going in the right direction, and she's reading everything! This was a good decision. She's making a lot of friends and just generally seems to still really enjoy school. I am noticing that waking up in the morning doesn't come as readily anymore. She's up about 30 minutes earlier this year I think and that may have something to do with it. She sleeps in later on the weekends too though, so we'll just have to keep an eye on the whole sleeping in thing. Her mood is a bit more unpredictable this year. We think it's the growing/regression pull that happens with big changes. There's a lot of "I can do it myself!" as well as "Why won't you help me with this?!". It's actually good to know that she trusts her home environment so much that she feels comfortable she can let these feelings go where they go. I'm not saying, it's fun by any means, but I would be worried if she wasn't expressing. There are certainly days when we're better off in separate rooms, but really for the most part, she's a genuine pleasure.

Alright, well, Madeline is doing famously. She hasn't lost any teeth, but loves the dentist and looks forward to her cleanings. I think her arm finally "popped" this morning so maybe she'll have more mobility from when she broke it. The doctor warned this may happen at some point. At least, I hope that's all it is. Today is picture day so those will be coming soon. We don't have any vacations planned until March when we venture out for Peter & Jenny's wedding. Chat soon.

Snow, Snow, Snow

2009-01-10T08:41:00.001-05:00

Hey, it's been snowing here since 11:00am yesterday! and it is now 8:30am! We estimate there are about 8" now and it is still snowing and the forecast calls for it to continue well into the night. I think there will be some sledding this afternoon!!! Madeline has only had the chance to sled in our front yard so far this year, so this should be fun.

Alright, time for breakfast and some deconstructing of the Christmas tree.

Sing A Long

2009-01-09T10:39:00.001-05:00

Today is the AALC Sing-Along concert. It was postponed from December 19th due to a snowday right before the holidays. So, Madeline is very excited and has been singing the songs since two weeks before the original date. She's dressed in festive red with red bows in her hair.

Well, the Early-Primary kids did a really great job in the concert. They sung, they danced, they really outperformed everyone else.

The day held quite a few events for Madeline in class. A classmate's birthday, her teacher's birthday and the event. So, there were blueberry muffins, ice cream sundaes, and party foods - cupcakes, chips, cheese sticks, juiceboxes, etc. Our girl was quite hopped up by the time we got there. I'm just very glad this doesn't happen every day. Well, I guess if it did, she wouldn't be attending that school.

As far as schools go, we are now committing ourselves to really observing her classes to make sure she is getting what we expect out of them. The concert, as far as Music Directors go, was a disappointment. The direction of the concert as far as the Dean's responsibilities was a disappointment. So, we will be taking an active role in her classes so we can make the most educated decision possible regarding her attendance at AALC.

2008-05-07T08:04:00.004-04:00

Madeline is making great strides with flexing her arm. We have created a couple of exercises that she enjoys doing. She shows the ceiling her palms then the floor, then the ceiling, etc. The exercise she really enjoys is sitting in her little pink chair with her hands on the armrests and she raises and lowers herself; she turns this into a bouncing game which is good since it really takes her mind off of what she's suppose to be doing and ends up bending her elbow more than she would if she were paying attention!

Her HUGE motivation is riding her bike. We've told her that if she can touch her left ear with her right hand then she can ride her bike. The catch is that we go back to the way it was in the beginning with one of us walking beside her. She won't get to ride on her own until after she gets the OK from the doctor. When she remembers the motivation, she jumps into her chair and starts bouncing. Yesterday, she was climbing all over her playstructure, and like I said, when she isn't paying attention, she bends her elbow much further and doesn't make note of it. The rest of the time, she babies it, but it has only been 1 day after all! She's even swinging on her bottom again! Yeah!!!

We have a camping trip scheduled for this weekend, so she's very excited about that and I think much progress will be made then. She's in very high spirits so that's good. Last night, she and Zak set up the tent to air it out and she was beside herself excited. She loves an empty room so as soon as it was up, she got inside and ran & jumped around. We had to remind her that it is not a bounce-house.

There are so many other things going on around here. I don't want to give the impression that it's all about Madeline's arm. Madeline forgets about it most of the time, so of course, we do too. She still says off-the-wall things (none of which come to mind at the moment), and runs around like a wild jack-rabbit most of the time. Her Polly Pockets are her primary source of entertainment and she's really into playing albums on the turntable, the Disney tunes are her favorite.

I'll take a minute to post a couple pics from our zoo trip last week. I'll try to get the video up of Madeline with a SlothBear... whenever Madeline (no one else) came up to the glass viewing area of the enclosure, the SlothBear would chase Madeline back and forth. When she went away, he looked for her, then when she came back, it was right back to running back and forth. We tested it with me and PopPop, and other kids nearby, but it was fascinated with Madeline and that flower headband. It was funny, but a little scarey too.

2008-05-05T20:29:00.002-04:00

Today was magic day, or so we thought... Madeline had her cast removed today. Yeah! Her elbow is quite tender from not moving it for so long, so that was a bit of a shock to her. The biggest disappointment came when the doctor told her that she could not ride her bike for another 3 weeks! She has been given strict orders to get that elbow bending and the wrists rotating in 3 weeks or she will need physical therapy. So, at her follow-up appointment on May 28th, she needs to be in a lot better shape than she was today to be given the OK to get back on her bicycle. She could not have received worse news today. It absolutely broke my heart to hear her dreams crushed at such a fragile time. I don't know what we were thinking, but it wasn't that. We really went in with rose colored glasses and had them removed very quickly.

She was doing much better tonight, albeit very tired from the anticipation and then the disappointment. She's trying to move it, so I think she'll be getting it done in time for her appointment. We keep reminding her that it's better to have happened now than in the middle of summer.

I plan on keeping notes about her progress just in case this happens to anyone she knows, or heaven forbid her own children someday. I want her to be able to give a clear picture of what to expect so another child or family doesn't go through this day again. The ups and downs are too much for me to bear, I can't imagine what they're doing to her.

Tea Party!

2008-04-23T17:00:00.003-04:00

Madeline had a tea party playdate with her friend Emma yesterday and it was awesome. They both really enjoyed getting dressed up, and having the tea and heartshaped sandwiches & snacks served to them. They even had butterscotch brownie/cupcakes for dessert. The playdate ended with them both covered in sand and water from the sand/water table in the backyard! Princesses? hmmmm

Here is the new cast!

2008-04-23T16:50:00.002-04:00

2008-04-23T11:11:00.000-04:00

Whew! That's over with. Madeline and parents went to the hospital bright and early this morning for the removal of the pins in her arm. We hung out in Radiology for a while getting multiple x-rays to make sure all was well enough for removal. Then, off to Orthopaedic Surgery! Hang out, hang out, hang out, then into the cast room. Madeline was a little upset with anticipation but with a little help from the I Spy book, the cast removal was no big deal. Then came the pin removal. This didn't go quite so smoothly for Madeline. Even though I kept her head buried in the I Spy, she still screamed pretty well when the pins came out. The pins slid out, but the initial pull on her skin is what bothered her the most. Later, she said it felt like ripping a band-aid off of her skin. She chose red for the color of her cast with "fairy dust" (glitter) sprinkled all over it, so she's very sparkly and much more slender (no more bulging pins).

The new cast comes off in 10 days! Yeah! Monday, May 5 is the magic day.

The Mudhens lost!

2008-04-21T21:53:00.002-04:00

Madeline went to see her first Mudhens game yesterday in Toledo at FifthThird Field. She was so excited about this game. The days leading up to it were filled with big disappointments when she would learn that that day was not the day of the game. (we did tell her what day it was, and how many days until the game, but she refused to remember this hoping the day would magically change I think.)

She got to eat cotton candy, footlong hotdog, try a fried bologna sandwich, ice cream sundae in a helmet!, nachos, and a bit more hotdog from PopPop. At the end of the game on Sundays, they let the kids run the bases. I wasn't sure if Madeline would want to, but she jumped at the chance. She even stood in line for an inning (a long inning) to do it! She had a really great time and can't wait to go back.

2008-04-21T21:47:00.005-04:00

These pictures were taken the day before Debbie's 50th birthday party. Madeline had just finished painting a watercolor card for Debbie and was showing it to me and discussing how well she did. She was very proud, as she should be. Zak did a great job with the lighting I thought and catching her feelings on film.

2008-04-21T21:43:00.002-04:00

Madeline told me today, while eating lunch, that she broke her arm so she could make her left arm stronger. Of course, she didn't do it on purpose. This was just her way of coming to terms with maybe why her arm is broken. There is a reson for everything, and she is working out the reason for this. She's a very smart girl you know.

2008-04-18T19:51:00.002-04:00

Well, Thanksgiving came and went in Chicago then Defiance with the now tradition of going out for Thanksgiving dinner with Aunt Theresa, and having a second dinner in Defiance a couple days later. Madeline loved the museums (The Field and The Science & Industry) where we played with Dinosaurs, became bats & birds, planted & picked some corn, compared our legs to that of a dinosaur, built a hovercraft, drove a John Deere, milked a cow, played in a lifesize airplane and train, saw a submarine up close, and even wore a Darth Vader mask for a few minutes! Madeline and Daddy flew helicopters around Aunt Theresa's apartment while we were out shopping, and managed to never hit the cat once! Wow, what a couple of days in Chicago! The weekend ended with more good food and much more playing in Defiance with Grammie & PopPop.

Grass does not grow under our feet. The very next week after Thanksgiving, we were on a plane to Sacramento, California! My mom turned 60 this year and my sister and I felt it would be great to surprise her. So, surprised she was when she saw all of us walk in her door as she was blow-drying her hair for dinner that night! Madeline loved being a part of that surprise and the fact that it was a birthday surprise meant even more to her. She couldn't get enough of the good food and adventures we had that weekend. We were able to take her to Bidwell Park again (she hasn't been since she was 1) and play on the playstructure and the grounds, having fun playing dragon and castle. There was a spinning thing obviously for older kids and I put Madeline on it thinking she'd be ok. Well, apparently you have to have better balance than she had and she fell off! Big surprise, but ok. The park ended with a great game of "plane" follow-the-leader adventure to the natural pool that they had partially dammed so she got to play with Daddy in the rushing cold water with leaves and sticks. That was very cool! The next day we travelled up to Redding to Turtle Bay Exploration Park. This was great fun. Madeline can never get enough of the science museums and exhibits so she just loved this, from the wildlife barn exhibit to the farm life in middle-America to the giant sun-dial over the glass bridge. It's funny, because Madeline is just as happy staying home exploring the orchard with Papa Brown and letting the dog in and out and hunting for the cats under the beds. It's necessary to keep tabs on them at all times apparently. Grandma Brown had a steady supply of coloring/activity books to keep Madeline entranced when we just needed to sit for a bit. This was a very good and memorable trip.

Christmas was Madeline's choice and she chose to wake up in her own home on Christmas morning so we had a houseful and we loved it! Aunt Theresa, Uncle Jason & Sarah, Grammie & PopPop all came to celebrate the holiday with us so the party and the presents never stopped! The festivities all began with a special day at the Detroit Opera House for The Lion King. Madeline's first real theatre production! We must have told the Lion King story 25 times after that day at her request so it was firmly cemented in her brain, never to be forgotten. I think she liked it. As if that weren't enough, Madeline received everything from a snorting pig pillow to the beginnings of a large collection of Polly Pockets to Lincoln Logs to wonderful books and awesome puppets. Needless to say she was in her glory. There is nothing Madeline loves more than having people visiting her house and getting presents at the same time! She did a great job at Church where Aunt Theresa kept the mini M&Ms in full supply.

The beginning of the year brought many Simba shows. Madeline couldn't enough of the Lion King soundtrack and the music brought out the dancer in her. So, everynight for a few months, she would perform a Simba show with dancing and the occasional song. This was a real treat! I think the shows came to a screeching halt when she broke her arm at the end of March. More on that later.

Madeline attended some of her first birthday parties for schoolmates and had awesome times at all. She now can't decide where she wants to hold her next birthday! There are just too many choices! I think she had the most fun at Jump City with all of the blow-up bounce houses and the pizza party that followed. This was high on the list after that party! She really loves playing with all of her friends.

School kept on going. Grammie & PopPop even got to take her to school one day so they were able to meet her teachers and see where she learns twice a week. Madeline is so proud when she gets to show someone "her" school. She really takes a lot of pride in how she's grown up enough to attend school on her own and everything she gets exposed to. Mommy benefitted from this visit with breakfast out - that was nice.

Madeline continued to attend Gymnastics and Dance classes at Splitz until

Our big decision this year is "where will Madeline attend Kindergarten in the fall?"!!! Can you believe she is going to be 5 years old in September?!! Well, she is and we need to find the perfect place for her first year of 5 day school. We explored a couple different schools in the area, one private, one public with a charter school atmosphere and she absolutely loved the public school. Want to know why? There were guinea pigs in the classrooms and a very large media room/library right inside the front door! Madeline was hooked and so were we. So, we are on the waiting list hoping her number will come up before summer's end. If not, there are other options we are continuing to explore, this is just our first choice.

February brought Sesame Street Live at the Fox! Talk about a fun time for a 4 year old. Elmo and Cookie Monster were larger than life and that was absolutely wonderful. She loved it and even got some souvenirs - they let off some confetti at the end and she got to take a bag full of the tissue paper streamers and confetti home! She really loved that, and she even felt that was better than any Elmo balloon. Good girl. The very next day was the Superbowl Party where it is a party for EVERYONE, not just the grownups watching the game. Oh no, Grammie brings games for all the kids and a ton of prizes - so it is non-stop fun and non-stop prizes to take home. Madeline absolutely loves seeing her second cousins and had a really great time. She won some Cowtails while she was there and was ready to eat them about a week or so later, only to discover that Daddy had already eaten two out of the three! I told him she probably forgot about them, and it was ok. I was wrong. We've been making up for that ever since.

This winter brought nothing but snow! And, we made the absolute most of it. Madeline, Daddy, and I went to a nearby hill and went down that sledding hill many times. The first few times were in twos, then Madeline got brave and decided she could do it alone! So, with nervous hands we let her go down the hill and she loved it! She open mouth screamed the whole way down, got to the end, stood up, turned around and we saw the biggest smile on that girl's face! She was so proud and so excited, I don't think she knew what to do with herself for a minute. So, after that, Daddy and I rarely got a turn on the sled and it was time to buy a second sled. This turned out to be a fun adventure. Madeline and Daddy went shopping for a new sled. Well, who would think at the beginning of February, the stores have all replaced the winter fun with summer bikinis and gardening tools! So, they end up with a red sled made up of two round saucer sections bridged together. We tried this sled the next time out, and Madeline began spinning the minute she went over the crest. That was the last time she rode that sled. Do you know who rides that sled now? Me! That's who! She rides the big comfy two seater green sled, and goes straight as an arrow down the hill, while I do all I can to keep my larger than the biggest saucer section bottom on the thing while spinning down the hill! This is actually pretty fun and we went out a few times doing just that.

We still go to the library from time to time for storytimes or special events, and Madeline just happened to get to go to a Safari event held at the library just down the street. She was able to see a Great Horned Owl, Chinchilla, Three Banded Armadillo, Tarantula, Tucan, and a Python at least 20' long! She was really happy she got to see all of them so close and she really took in all the keeper had to say. She will still talk about it if asked. This was something to remember.

Well, March came in with a bang. Madeline was on her way to her second showing of the Lion King! This time, she would be sitting with Grammie & PopPop at The Stranahan Theatre in Toledo. It was a little unnerving for we parents. She looked so sad to see us go when we left, and it was one of those "just go before she starts crying" times. Ya know? We ended up fretting over a rock candy lollipop for nothing. Apparently, she was just fine with the grandparents (imagine that!) and had a great time. She made sure PopPop knew just what was coming up since she had seen it already and he had not.

Well, Gymnastics and Dance at Splitz came to an end in February and Madeline started her first lessons in Soccer in March. She was very good at the drills, really getting the techniques down pat. She did very well in class until they held the scrimmage at the end of the lessons. The last 10 minutes, the class was divided and told to get the ball in the opposite goal. Well, this turned into 16 kids running after the one with the ball down to the goal, only to have it thrown back in play and then continue running after the ball toward the other end. This was very frustrating for Madeline and she would do this for about twice around the field, then stop, stand in front of me (below me since spectators sat above the field), look up at me and just about start to cry. The poor girl just wanted the ball! So, we would comfort her for the first couple lessons, then we decided to teach her some defense. We told her that no matter what her coach says, stand in front of the goal and protect the goalie. Well, this lasted for about two minutes when her coach all but shoved her into play, at which time she ran around for a bit, then stood in front of me and started to cry. This was the last time Madeline played soccer. It was not because of the frustration.

We held the Fantasy Baseball Draft at our house this year, and boy was that fun. Jeff, Donovan and Courtney came over with Grammie & PopPop already here and we had a great time. Madeline enjoyed helping everyone find the stickers for the board, and playing with the shooting ice cream cones with Courtney & Donovan. She thought that was real fun! She's never had such a lively bunch at her house so willing to run around and play with her, so she simply couldn't get enough. This is something she still talks about and can't wait to see Courtney & Donovan again. They really made an impact.

Another trip to Great Wolfe Lodge for Zak's birthday celebration! Yeah! Of course, we all had a ton of fun and swam for hours. Madeline won close to 800 tickets I think in the arcade so there are now 3 stuffed wolfe puppies to add to the collection of stuffed animals, and a bunch of tootsie rolls which I'm not sure of the location. This was only a couple days before the Easter weekend began so this was due to be a super great weekend, beginning with a couple of really awesome swimming days and a stay in a Cabin suite!

Aunt Theresa, Uncle Jason & Lane came to Defiance to help celebrate Easter so more people meant more fun to be had! Playing, coloring eggs, eating candy, making goodies, eating good food, going to church, and an Easter basket & egg hunt filled our weekend. Madeline enjoyed the scavenger hunt theme put on her Easter hunt this year, it kept it interesting and exciting to figure out where everything was. She loves to figure things out, solve puzzles, etc. that this was right up her alley.

Ok, we've made it to the end of March. Fun weekend... Zak fishing, Madeline and I meeting PopPop at the Toledo Zoo on Saturday. Great times ahead. Wrong!!! About 3:45pm on Friday, the 28th of March, Madeline fell off the back of the loveseat. Apparently, she was pretending to be a cat when she tried jumping from the arm of the loveseat to the back of the loveseat and slipped over the edge and landed on her right elbow breaking her humerus. I was literally 2 feet from her, just not facing her! The cry I heard was unlike any other cry I've ever heard. It was deafening; more like a confused and dazed cry, no real bellowing. Really quite eerie actually. Anyway, I was able to get her calmed down, get her sleeve off to see if anything was visible, and convince her to go to the hospital. This last part was the hardest actually. We raced to St. Joseph's Hospital in Saline, had x-rays (painful movement of her arm), got some Tylenol (over the counter strength), and were told she had a pretty serious break requiring surgery to set it. We were sent to UofM to be seen by an orthopedic surgeon. After quite a while in ER, and one IV later (very excruciating - this was the screaming cry), Madeline was admitted and given Morphine to help her sleep. We all fell asleep around 12:30am and were awakened periodically by nightmares of falling. Since I was sleeping with her, I was able to calm her right back down to sleep. About 5:00am we were awakened for vital signs and more Morphine to get her through to surgery. About 7:45am, the doctors and anesthesiologists started coming in to inform us of what she and we were in for. At around 8:00am, Madeline got into a wheelchair with me and wheeled us down to pre-op where the nurse there instantly asked Madeline if she wanted to watch TV. I thought she must be out of her mind! What was she thinking? Doesn't she know we are all upset, this is a very serious time, watch TV? How crazy is that? Well, this woman knew what she was doing. The TV instantly soothed Madeline to the point where she actually asked me to move my head because I was in the way of the television and the program she was now watching (Charlie & Lola on Disney). They started some more aggressive painkiller and a bit of the sleepytime tea, and Madeline instantly started to melt in my arms. This was, as you can imagine, a bit difficult for a mother. We are made aware of all of the dangers surrounding anesthesia, and with all of the trauma we've all just been through, knowing what she will be going through in the hours and weeks to come was a bit more than I could really bare. So, we then got her settled into the bed that she would be wheeled into surgery on and this was again an emotional time, until Madeline told the doctor that now he was in her way and blocking the television! They gave her a bit more sleepytime tea and away she goes. She was very groggy when we watched them roll her through the double doors away from us. Of course, as soon as we got to the Surgery waiting room (very private) I fell apart. This was the first time since the previous day that we had a chance to show any real feelings away from Madeline so they weren't going to be held back any longer. In a bit, we were both talking calmly and thinking about what we might eat while we wait. The Grandparents showed up with a change of clothes and we were instantly into the discussion part of the event which was welcomed. We were told Madeline should only be in surgery for about an hour, when two hours had passed I was getting worried. Zak kept a level head which was good. The doctor (Hensinger - apparently the God of orthopedic surgery) came in and informed us of all that happened, why the long surgery, and how she should progress from here. We really liked his bedside manner and felt very comfortable talking to him. Apparently, Madeline broke her arm in such a way that only 5% of children break their arms. So, this required a different procedure, more x-rays, and a bit of trial & error with the pins to get it set. He told us she would be in a cast for about 3 weeks, then the pins would come out, then another cast for a week, then she'd be done! Amazing. Well, we just finished the third week and she is scheduled to get the pins out on Wednesday the 23rd. We have varying stories regarding the pain associated with getting pins out - so we are planning to give her some Tylenol3 right after the x-rays, then by the time she goes in for the removal, it should be in full effect and hopefully lessen some of the pain if there will be any. I'd rather have a local anesthetic, but I don't make those decisions. She has chosen hot pink for her current cast, painted it with some blue/purple paint at the suggestion of the woman who put the cast on, and will be choosing purple as her follow-up cast color.

The weeks have been going by and Madeline is getting better and better at being left handed. The day after she came home from the hospital, she was doing dot-to-dots with her left hand! She's climbing on her playstructure (up the ramp using both hands, up the rungs with assistance), sliding down slides, and swinging on her tummy. She uses her right hand to open CD cases, change doll clothes, etc. So, I have no fear that she'll be using that arm again in no time after the casts are off. She started back to school this week, fell down in the playground - handled that just fine - apparently they have mulch so it's ok, and has overly impressed her teachers at how well she has bounced back and is handling the whole situation. When we were in the ER, we were told that they were going to give her morphine because we would want it if it happened to us. Well, our girl sat there from 4:00pm to 12:30am with nothing but a bit of Motrin and Tylenol and a ton of book reading not crying (except for the insertion of the IV when we really lost it) because she didn't know she was suppose to be in excruciating pain and she was literally able to take her mind off of it with all of the books. She is one incredible child with more pain tolerance and bravery than I could ever hope to have.

Thank you to everyone for all of your kind wishes, gifts, and prayers. She can't wait to get back on her bicycle for a good ride to the library with her mommy, and that's really awesome.

Need to check in...

2008-04-17T14:59:00.003-04:00

Alright, I've heard I need to start updating! What, it's only been 6 months?!?! Nothing's really happened right? That couldn't be farther from the truth. So...

This is on my list to do tonight after Madeline goes to bed. If I take anymore time on the computer, Madeline's eyes will pop out of her head I think. We're off to a park to run off some stink, or maybe a walk to the library.

All in a few days!

2007-10-24T09:52:00.000-04:00

Madeline finished another session of Gymnastics and Dance and did an excellent job. There were 6 girls in her final class and they all did the dances just as choreographed, and Madeline has become quite the gymnast. She is able to hang from the bar and pull her legs up over it, then hang with no hands! or flip herself over (with hands)! The trampoline moves are coming along too. Madeline is able to do a seatdrop (jump, drop to your butt, and right back up on your feet all in one bounce). She has really come a long way and gotten so strong. Her accomplishments are very impressive.

As many of you know, Zak and I were married 5 years ago last weekend. So, for our fifth anniversary Zak bought me a Pin Oak tree since the 5th year is wood. I thought this was a really great idea. On Saturday morning, we planted our new tree in the backyard. We all helped dig the hole, and Madeline was a big help mixing the soil to help our tree grow.

Madeline has had a dog bone (milkbiscuit) for her puppy (stuffed animal from Sue) for probably a couple years now. Well, she has decided that she needs a new one. So, she and Zak went to Target and came home with a BOX of milkbones! Now, she has one for all of her puppies. Madeline was so excited when she got home with that box of milkbones. She went right upstairs, dumped out the dogbones onto her bedroom floor in a pile and then gathered all of her puppies around it. She came downstairs and told us all about it with such excitement. I had to get over the idea of those dogbone crumbs in her carpet so my excitement was not shown, but Zak was awesome and assisted her in picking up the treats and making sure every dog got their own. Madeline brought them downstairs and put them on the coffee table, each with their biscuit. She was very attentive to them making sure they were comfortable with their treat.

Last weekend, our little family went to a local park where Madeline and I explored while Daddy fished. Well, near the dam there were some extremely large Carp so Zak decided he must try to catch one. While he was doing that, Madeline and I had fun taking a few pictures. She loves posing so here is a snippet of that love. Her natural beauty still gets to me.

Madeline has decided her hair is too long. So, after a few requests, I scheduled a haircut for our girl. She picked out the hairstyle and we went in for a style change. Now, you may not know this, but for children there are movies to watch while they get their haircut. They don't have to make small talk with the stylist, they can just watch the movie of their choice, tip their head this way or that, and they're done. So, while Madeline watched Elmo, she got about 6 inches cut off the length. She's very pleased with her new look.

2007-10-10T14:48:00.001-04:00

Check out these October digs! Is it cold? Cold enough for hat, mittens, and sweater. Is it warm? Warm enough for capris and sandals. She's a funny girl.

First Field Trip

2007-10-10T11:58:00.001-04:00

Madeline had her first field trip today; Apple Picking at a local orchard. She rode the school bus for the first time too (equipped with five point harnesses in every seat!). She was very excited and right in her element since she had done this a few times before. The weather was absolutely perfect for apple picking. The hot/humid days are over and fall has begun, so it couldn't have been scheduled any better.

Achy Breaky Tuesdays

2007-10-03T12:03:00.000-04:00

I am so glad to hear that Madeline survived her incident with only bruises. What a scary thing!

Michelle, you have a great touch in bringing these stories to us. Thank you for taking the time to share.

I can imagine how big your house felt when you walked in the door without Madeline. Suddenly, no project seems as important. No nap seems quite as alluring......it's all about the kid. We never quite realize how much children add to our day until we find ourselves without them.

and how did this big step get here so fast.......wasn't Madeline just born a few months ago!!!!!!!

Love to all of you and thanks!!!! Gretchen

2007-10-03T09:34:00.000-04:00

Alright, now that I'm finished crying I can post a couple more updates. I'll start with yesterday and work my way back...

Tuesdays are dance/gymnastics days so I was getting ready to go while Madeline watched a bit of TV in my bedroom. I typically close the door while I blowdry my hair because if I don't, Madeline will. She doesn't like the noise it makes obviously. Well, yesterday I was blowdrying my hair when I hear a loud crashing sound right outside the bathroom door and an instant cry from Madeline. I ran out to find Madeline under my chest of drawers (tall 4 drawer dresser with a TV on top) and the TV right next to her head. I instantly pulled the dresser off of her and got her out of there. She was very upset, as was I, so we just sat for a minute while she cried. Come to find out, she was more scared than hurt. I'm not sure how, but she came away with only a few scrapes and bruises. All of the weight of the dresser wasn't on her, thank goodness, so she has a couple bruises from the drawer pulls. Nothing broken. Of course I had to confirm this with her many times before I believed her.
Side note: When I was 4, I attempted climbed up a tall gravestone that ended up falling on my leg and creating a hairline fracture that we weren't aware of until much later in the day.

We got all calmed down, checked her over, made her walk across the room a few times, then decided if we were going to continue with dance class or just stay home that day. She said she wanted to go to class, so I put the dresser back, moved the TV out of the way, blotted up the coffee that was on the dresser, and finished getting us ready to go. No, I didn't finish blowdrying my hair.

If you're wondering how it happened... Madeline had pulled out the bottom drawer, then the next one, then the next one and wanted the top one to come open. It was caught on some clothes, so she gave it a good yank thereby opening the drawer but bringing the dresser down as well. We are very thankful that the TV didn't drop on her head, or she was crushed under the dresser, or ... I did my best to tell her how the dresser came off balance so hopefully she won't do that again. We can only hope and be better prepared.

Of course, I went out yesterday afternoon and bought a lower, wider dresser. So, maybe with a new dresser and a little bit of knowledge, this particular incident won't be repeated.

We went about our day yesterday, and if I didn't tell you about our morning, you never would guess that's how it started. She has either forgotten all about it or has chosen to push it away for now. I told her that now she has her own story like Mommy. She's not ready to tell it.

Last week was her 4 year checkup with the doctor. We had been getting Madeline ready for this appointment, telling her about the TWO shots she was going to get, how they wouldn't hurt for more than a second, and everything would be fine.

Well, let me tell you, this was a very brave girl. She somehow had come to believe us that the shots wouldn't hurt much and went through the appointment procedures like she did it everyday. She is now 40 1/2" tall, weighing 36 pounds. Her bloodpressure was 84/52 I think, which is apparently normal for someone her size, and her eyesight is 20/30 with impeccable hearing. She did a really great job with the vision and audio machines.

When it came time for the shots, the nurse told her to sit up on the table with her legs off the end and she did just that. She was ready. She laid down, I leaned over her to chat and hopefully take her mind off of things a little, then the first shot came. That was the end of her composure. She looked at me as if to say, "that didn't hurt a LITTLE! that hurt a LOT! and why did they hurt me?" Well, this went on not one more time, but twice more in her left leg and once in her right. Yep, FOUR shots! One being a tetnus that apparently stings like mad. So, we sat for a minute and cried, got ourselves together and went out to the front to get her tattoo for doing such a great job.

We sat in the waiting room deciding what we were going to do next. See, this was last Tuesday right before dance/gymnastics and the plan was to go right from the doc to class, then out to lunch whereever she wanted to go. Well, she said her legs really hurt (can't imagine why!) and said she really didn't want to go to class that day. Of course, I didn't force the issue and we headed home.

We went home and I gave her some Motrin and that made her feel instantly better. She felt good enough to walk (no bikeriding today, she said) to the Coney Island behind our house. We sat at the counter, which she really likes to do, and ate our lunch. Madeline's favorite diner food is french toast & sausage with milk to drink. She did a great job, and we even took more of a walk to Target to get some things, then headed home. Her legs were a bit achy for a couple days, but she's fine now. Tuesdays have not faired well lately, hopefully next Tuesday will be better. We need to break this streak of Tuesday luck.

First Day of School

2007-10-03T09:13:00.001-04:00

Well, I just dropped off Madeline at her first day of Preschool. We had visited twice before so she was very familiar with the surroundings and knew her teacher by sight. I'm pretty sure Madeline was more at ease than I was. When we got there, we found her cubby with her coat hook and her basket for notes so up went the jacket and in went the backpack (packed with an extra change of clothes all labeled with her name).

A couple other girls were already in the classroom and immediately asked Madeline if she wanted to play. She wanted to so I gave her a big hug and I was about to ask her if she wanted me to stay, when she said "good-bye mommy", waved, and walked away to play. I was a bit surprised to find how UNready I was for that moment. So, of course my eyes started to well up so I made a quick exit, didn't look back for fear she would see me and left the building. I thought about hanging out in the parking lot for a bit, but since we live right around the corner, I thought it best to come home and cry instead.

It was certainly a change coming home without her, leaving her in someone else's care. All of the fears come to the front, and I just hope everything goes well. I hope she continues to have a wonderful time with her new friends and gets to do some things she's never done. Most of all, I just hope she has fun and comes away with a good feeling about everything. I know all of her days won't be that great, but the first day should be. Right?

Well, now I think I'll sit for a bit and give this a minute to sink in. There are a million things I was thinking I would do today, but I'm not sure my brain can think of anything else! Man, it's quiet in this house. Talk to you all soon. Love, Michelle

Beautiful Smile

2007-08-06T10:52:00.001-04:00

Madeline has a beautiful smile. She has really learned how to smile for pictures. The blog is a great idea for keeping up with her life plus it gives us stories to put in the Madeline Book. Thanks
Love Gramma Brown

Annual Strawberry Picking

2007-07-04T11:22:00.000-04:00

Every year since Madeline was born, we've taken her strawberry picking. Her first experience was in the backpack, then every year after she's been able to do her own picking (and eating). This was our second run at strawberry pie and jam, and I must say, they both turned out awesome! Next year we will make enough for everyone!

Another session over

2007-07-04T11:07:00.000-04:00

Madeline completed her second run in dance class and had another recital of what they learned over the past 8 weeks. She chose a beautiful dress and was so pleased she could show off her steps to her Grammie & PopPop.

John Ball Zoo

2007-07-04T10:28:00.000-04:00

When your sister is only 2 hours away, you take advantage of it, if only for an evening. Aunt Theresa was in Grand Rapids and Madeline and I thought it would be nice to have a sleepover. So, we got in the truck and drove to Grand Rapids on Monday afternoon. Madeline is really getting into this travelling thing. She keeps the conversation going throughout the ride and is very curious about everything she sees. When we got to the hotel, we got to swim for a bit while we waited for Theresa's meetings to be over. Madeline's favorite thing is to watch someone dive into the pool. Well, the pool wasn't quite big enough for a dive, but at 8' it was certainly deep enough for a jump. So, there were repeated requests for Mommy to jump in. Unfortunately, I'm not so great at keeping water out of my nose when I jump feet first so I had to hold my nose. Now, Madeline thinks that's what she should do. I've been working against that ever since! She's putting her face in the water though!

After a good swim we met up with Theresa and we were off to dinner at Mongolian Barbeque. I had no idea Madeline could use chopsticks so well! It seemed like she'd always been using them. Madeline is always excited to see her Aunt Theresa so when she got to have ice cream with her too, well that just made it even better! We brought along Madeline's airbed so we could all sleep in the same room and she did a great job.

The next day, Aunt Theresa had to go back into meetings so Madeline and I said good-bye in the morning and headed out to breakfast at Denny's. Madeline got to talk to Daddy while she waited for her Alien Pancakes to arrive which made both their days I think. (We are so use to doing things as a family that she really misses him when he doesn't get to go with us. I think we have a very special family and are all very lucky to have each other and enjoy spending so much time together.) As usual, Madeline proved to be very good company while we ate our eggs and pancakes. We talked about all of the animals we might see at the zoo.

We had no idea the John Ball Zoo was in the middle of a park! They had swan paddleboats and a playstructure! On our way in, there was a beautiful rose garden that Madeline definitely had to walk through. She is truly a lover of flowers. We stopped and smelled many roses.

The zoo was on a hill so the setup was pretty neat and offered some really unique views of the animals. We had a really good time exploring, getting treats & drinks, and even petting the pygmy goats! There was a small enclosure full of new pygmies and Madeline had a ball petting each and every one of them. "They are much smaller than Sally & Dennis's goats." After spending some time with the goats, we moved on to see the camel. I thought it would be neat for Madeline to see a dromedary camel since there are only bactrain camels in Detroit. Well, I had no idea we would be riding the camel!!! (I have the picture of Madeline on it, the one with both of us is a polaroid that needs to be scanned.) Camels are very tall. Well, of course Madeline would like to go back to this zoo, so we'll have to find a day when Daddy can come too and maybe we'll get to enjoy the park as well.

A New House!

2007-07-04T10:17:00.000-04:00

Well, after Mother's Day weekend, we decided to hang around Michigan for a while. So, with that decision made, we began the house hunt. We saw nearly 20 homes, made offers on 4, closed on 1. We are scheduled to move in July 14th!!! Woohoo! To say "we can't wait" would be selling it short. We found a nice 3 bedroom home on the southwest side of Ann Arbor and are very excited to be settling down in Michigan.

Madeline is very concerned about all of her things just as she was when we moved from Louisville. The question of the day "is (fill in the blank) moving too?" We have tried to reassure her on every front, but I think it will take seeing her things in the new house to really convince her that everything is going with us.

Madeline will once again have her own yard to play in, complete with sandbox and a garden next year.

Great Wolf AND Cedar Point!!!

2007-05-17T20:04:00.000-04:00

Well, I told you there was a big weekend coming. After Iris's birthday party, we jumped in the car and headed over to Sandusky for a little (a lot) water play at Great Wolf Lodge. We got there around 3:30 and started playing as soon as we could get our suits on. Madeline was a little disappointed that they removed the "treehouse" from the toddler pool. This was her favorite thing last fall with the small slides into a foot of water. It was replaced with a waterfall and a big open space. So, she didn't spend too much time there. Madeline really likes playing in the deeper pool with a lifejacket on, so that's what we did for the first little while. Grandma & PopPop joined us while Aunt Sue hung out on the sidelines taking pictures.

Once Madeline was under grandparent supervision, Zak and I decided we would try out the big waterslides. So, we grabbed our double innertube and headed up the stairs. That was a blast. So much fun, that we did it numerous times throughout the day! Thank you Grandma & PopPop, we couldn't have done it without you.

After a lot of exploring and watching the giant bucket dump water on the grandparents too many times to count, we were able to convince Madeline to ride some of the smaller waterslides for just her size person. They were the size of normal park slides with water rushing down them and a big pool at the bottom. She did it only on the condition that Mommy would be at the bottom to catch her before she went under. So, that's what we did. She rode those slides over and over and over again. Some of the time Daddy would race down next to her or follow her, and other times Grandma, then she even got PopPop to go down once! Remember, the pool at the bottom is very shallow (like only 3.5' deep!) so an adult coming down that pool has a very difficult time gaining composure after being shot off the end. Lucky for Mommy, I only had to do it once.

We had so much fun, we stayed at the waterpark until well into the evening. Once we had enough there, we decided it was time for a real dinner so back to the room we go. We couldn't stay at Great Wolf Lodge and not go to the arcade, so after dinner, came much fun and games in the arcade. Madeline made out from all of the tickets Grandma & Sue won (basically gambling) and Madeline even won a few on a stomp & hit game (sort of like Whack a Mole). Bedtime came pretty easy and quickly after all of that, especially with so much to look forward to the next day.

Morning came early after such a full day of swimming, but we were ready for it. We were all excited about going to Cedar Point!! Uncle Jason even decided to make the trip again. On the way there, Madeline broke into chant "Great Wolf Lodge! Great Wolf Lodge! Great Wolf Lodge!" and Daddy started in with her. I'll post the video clip on the family site.

When we got to Cedar Point we were very surprised to see who all decided to join us! Let's see, there was Great Grandmother, Steve, Peter & Jenny, Greg, Caroline, Tommy, Jason, Sue, Grandma & PopPop, and Mommy, Daddy, and Madeline!!! What a crew! When we first planned this trip, only 8 of us were actually planning on being there. We ended up with 14! Very cool.

Madeline rode a lot of the Kiddietown rides, including The Whip which she really had fun with. She didn't really know what to do with the Bumper Cars until the very end when she found the gas pedal (poor thing). The treats kept coming with mini-doughnuts, cotton candy, and saltwater taffy and Madeline kept right on taking her share. So, a little time spent in the arcade and eating some fries and min-corndogs.

I wanted to take Madeline back to Frontiertown since we didn't get to do that last fall, so we headed on back to the rear of the park. We stopped and got a bag full of stones from the mining company, and even made a couple candles at the candle shop! I was very excited she got to do this and so was she I think. Mommy, Daddy, and Peter felt adventurous enough to head over to the Mean Streak for a bit of jarring and terror (I was the only one frightened really) and Madeline rode the antique cars with Aunt Sue. She had so much fun riding them with mommy and daddy at the beginning of the park, she saw no reason she should refuse a ride with Sue now.

Then on to Camp Snoopy! Madeline tried a new ride to her this year, the Frog Hopper and that was a big hit! She and Caroline and Tommy rode that ride over and over and over again. She was very disappointed when she had to get off to go wait in line for her turn again. See, when they started riding it, no one else was interested. After the second time, there were enough kids waiting that she had to wait in line again. Bummer! Madeline was a real trooper and tried the Woodstock Express again this year even though she didn't like it last year. Well, she didn't like it this year either. If we had purchased the pictures of her ride, you would think she was ready to lose her lunch around that first turn. I can't say I blame her. By that time in the day, I was pretty done with roller coasters as well.

The afternoon kept going with a ride on the schoolbus that goes up and around backwards! and a ride on the swings with Daddy!!! She loves those swings. We made our way to the Riverboat for a bit of gunslinging and bad jokes to round out the day. On our way back through the park, Zak and I decided to ride the Power Tower since there was no line and had a blast. The "giant frog hopper" was exactly what I needed to forget the uneasy feeling in my stomach from the Raptor and the Mean Streak. Madeline had a front row seat so she could see just what she has in store for her in the years to come. Really, she was busy eating popcorn.

After some dippin' dots while Daddy rode Cedar Downs, she was too pooped to pop. Madeline took a nap in my arms all the way back to the car! Once there, she woke up to say good-bye to everyone and head on home. We got a little bit lost on the way out of the area, but not for long and we were on our way. It was pretty uneventful except for the last 15 minutes when we just about had to poke Madeline to keep her awake. Poor thing was absolutely exhausted, but with 15 minutes of sleep she would have been up for another couple of hours! As it was, she was asleep in her bed at 10:30pm. Much later than normal.

Needless to say, we had an awesome couple of weeks and many moments to remember. Thanks to everyone who played a part and for all the great memories.

Big Weekend!

2007-05-16T22:10:00.000-04:00

Madeline was invited to Iris's birthday party (#3) so Friday night, we took her out to pick out a present for her. She found just the right fire engine with sirens and everything. Then, on the way out of the toy section, she picked up a stuffed horse for good measure. Saturday morning, we wrapped it up, packed our bags (more on that later), and headed out to the birthday party.

The party was fun. Iris had recently gotten a bubble blower so she and Madeline hung out on the balcony for a while blowing and chasing bubbles. Madeline was very glad when the cake came out and it had Diego on it! She really wanted to help Iris blow out her candles, but she settled for just rooting her on instead. Success!

Alright, more on this wonderful weekend tomorrow.

Another afternoon of fun

2007-05-16T21:55:00.000-04:00

After the Dentist's office, we called Steve to see if they were all home and interested in some company. Of course, so we headed over. Madeline was very glad to see Peter, Sue, and the Great Grandparents and told them all about her dentist visit over a chocolate muffin and some milk. She even showed them her treasures from the dentist treasure chest.

Once our snack did its job, it was outside with Sue to find whatever happened to be out there. She and Sue spent most of the day in the backyard exploring, some time playing hide and seek and a short game of tag I think. They found some bugs, but most importantly, they found a toad! It peed on Sue. It took 3 tries at finding an appropriate bucket to keep him in for a bit, but they found one and were able to bring it inside to show Great Grandfather. Madeline found a pill bug and a worm for it, but it didn't seem to be hungry. They decided to let him go back to what he was doing before capture, and set him free into the woodpile. I'm sure the toad was very happy about that. We had lunch, and an afternoon snack, and played inside and outside, and just had a great time. I got to spend some quality time with Great Grandmother which is always a good thing.

So, of course, when it was time to say good-bye for the day, it was met with great objection. See, over the course of this exciting day, Madeline had waken up early to go to the dentist which was a little unnerving, then played, played, played out in the sun and air, ate some great food, and not at all, not for a minute, taken a nap! She was a little tired. It took her all of about 15 minutes in the car on the way home to fall asleep which gave her just enough sleep to get her through until bedtime.

Wow! Those were awesome days. Now, only 3 more days until even more excitement!

Dentist Success!

2007-05-16T21:45:00.000-04:00

Madeline had her first real dentist visit on the 8th of May. I never knew Madeline was so chatty, until we got in the car at 7:45am to get to the dentist on the other side of town by 8:30. Well, she didn't stop talking the entire way! Not that this was a bad thing, she just had so many questions and observations to make about everything! I just kept thinking, "this is really odd!".

Anyway, we get to the dentist right on time and they are ready for us. So, Madeline was first. She didn't want to sit down in the chair by herself, but agreed to sit on my lap. So, I sat down, Madeline crawled on top. The hygienist offered the bib, Madeline didn't want it. The hygienist informed Madeline of everything she was going to do... the mask, the glasses, the gloves, the rotating brush, the flavors of toothpaste, the water, and of course, Mr. Thirsty. Madeline asked if she would have to spit in the sink, and was a little disappointed she wasn't going to get to do this. At first, she was a bit apprehensive to open her mouth, but after a little coaxing, she did. The hygienist counted her teeth, informed her of how many she had and moved on to the cleaning. Madeline chose strawberry flavored toothpaste and the cleaning commenced. Madeline opened her mouth wide, got rinsed, used Mr. Thirsty (even closed her mouth around it), and did this numerous times! She was awesome! Then came time for the dentist to see her. Again, she was a bit apprehensive, but she opened her mouth for him, he checked her teeth with the mirror, checked her bite and he was done. He informed us he wouldn't have to use the "counter" (the poker) since he didn't see any obvious dips or valleys in her teeth. He said, she looked great other than the crossbite. We'll have to get that worked on at some point, but for now she's good! Yeah Madeline!!! We got the report to take home, and the toothfairy left her a gold dollar under her pillow that night! (more on that story later) Madeline was very excited and proud of herself as she should be.

After Madeline's appointment, she waited very patiently for me to get my teeth cleaned and checked out then off to Uncle Steve's house!

Go Diego Go!

2007-05-16T21:30:00.000-04:00

I almost forgot about Diego! May 2nd, we went to see Go Diego Go Live in Toledo with the grandparents Boose. Madeline, of course, had a great time. I didn't think it was as good as Dora was a year ago, but still, it was fun. They handed out Jaguar masks at the beginning of the show, and the kids were suppose to help Baby Jaguar growl sometime during the show. See, Baby Jaguar's growl was stolen by the BoBo monkeys and Diego had to get it back for her so she could be the Chief of Carnival and open the ceremonies with her growl. Well, they got Baby Jaguar's growl back from the BoBo's and Carnival went on as planned. Madeline even got up and danced with me at the end of the show.

Immediately following Diego, we headed over to the zoo where we had a tailgate picnic to start the afternoon. We started the exploration off with a ride on the carousel in the African exhibit. Every time we would pass Daddy and PopPop, Madeline would say "hello Daddy, hello PopPop" and then when we passed the lion on the wall, and the flamingo, she would say "hello lion, hello flamingo". She did this every time around and it really became funny. She said "hello" to everything we passed, every time we passed it. It's always a great time at the zoo, and 4 hours later, Madeline had seen just about every inch of it. She really likes the reptile house and the aquarium.

Dinner at Schlotzky's with a Diego cake for dessert ended our day in Toledo. Madeline was a little upset to leave, until we reminded her that we would all be together again for Peter's graduation in just a few days.

Party, party, party

2007-05-16T20:43:00.000-04:00

Wow! The graduation season has come and gone for us and we did have fun. Peter graduated from OU a couple weeks ago and family members from far and wide attended. Since the ceremony was at Meadowbrook, it allowed Madeline & parents to sit on the hill cuddled under blankets and read books, have a snack, and watch the ceremony in comfort. The rest of the family were in seats close enough for Peter to hear the hoots & hollers! Madeline was very glad to see Uncle Jason, Aunt Sue & Sally and the Great Grandparents made the trip. It didn't take long for her to cozy up and start chattering about all of the festivities planned.

The graduation party at Steve's was a lot of fun. Madeline played Indian Ball for the first time, ran around with just about everyone most of the day. There were games, food, and drinks as long as there was daylight. Madeline even had on her Derby hat for the race. The end of the day came quite late, with lights out almost as soon as we got home.

The next day held a party at our house. Since we hadn't hosted before, we were very excited so many were coming. Madeline was very excited to show everyone her room, and her toys, etc. Then, when Caroline & Tommy showed up, she was very happy. Someone to play with, and boy did they play. All day in fact. The end of the day brought many tired tears, and once she started, Caroline & Tommy started as well. With everyone leaving at once, including the grandparents & aunts, it was just to much to take. Once she got settled down, washed up, and ready for bed, she fell asleep almost instantly.

Monday brought no less excitement. Madeline and I met Great Grandmother, Sally, Sue, Steve, and Peter for breakfast at Nello's and headed out to the zoo after that. Zak was only a little jealous we were heading through the Aviary with Sue and he wasn't there. Sue and Sally had never been through the Butterfly garden nor the Aviary so this was a real adventure for all of us. We had a great time visiting the camels, capybaras, and most of all, the prairie dogs. Sue, Sally, and Madeline were all part of the prairie dog village. They all down into the tunnels to get the prairie dog's view of the world. When Sue and Sally turned around and saw Madeline in the hole next to them, they were very surprised. We didn't get to see the giraffes due to poor signage, but we did see the hippo and many bears out and about, and even rhinos playing hide and seek! We ended our zoo day with a train ride back to the front of the zoo where we said our good-byes. Or so we thought. Madeline and I found Peter, Sue, and Sally waiting for us at the car! Apparently, Sally had left her purse in the truck and obviously couldn't go off to Seattle without it. So, we unlocked the truck, got the purse out, and said our good-byes once again. This time a bit less hurriedly.

Well, Tuesday brought the first dentist appointment for Madeline...

Last Day of Gymnastics (again)

2007-04-24T15:43:00.000-04:00

Well, today was the final day of Gymnastics for this session and therefore Ribbon Day. This is a very exciting day for the kids since they get to go in the bounce house and only have one set of real "work" to do. I've attached the pictures from today. I hope you enjoy.

I Know

2007-03-23T20:32:00.000-04:00

Madeline: If a monster comes, I'm gonna just squish it.
Mommy: Madeline, there are no monsters.
Madeline: Yeah, but if one comes, I'm gonna squish it.
Mommy: Ok.

Madeline: Maybe daddy is washing the dishes.
Mommy: I already did the dishes.
Madeline: Yeah, but maybe daddy is washing the dishes for you.
Mommy: Yes, but I already did the dishes, so there aren't any dishes to wash.
Madeline: I know.

This was the conversation right before Madeline fell asleep tonight. The "I know"s are said with the "know" going up in pitch at the end. Very all knowingly like. The problem? This isn't only typical of NIGHT conversations. A lot of our conversations follow this very routine, which can make for some frustrating (albeit, cute) moments.

Gymnastics finale

2007-02-27T16:17:00.000-05:00

Today was the last day of Gymnastics for this session. So, here are a few photos.

Madeline loves the sponge pit at Splitz. She's on her way out to go work on the Bars.
Madeline is so strong. She does very well on the rings & bars. I didn't do so well capturing her strength, but this was right before she picked her feet up off the floor and held the rings to her ears!

The ribbon ceremony! Madeline's "TaDa" with completion certificate in hand, and Mickey Mouse stamps on her feet! (she went back later for one more on her hand).

Congratulations Madeline on finishing your first session of Splitz gymnastics. (next week begins another session of gymnastics, and a new session of dance (ballet, jazz, tap).

Where did that come from?

2007-02-12T21:14:00.000-05:00

One day in late 2006, Madeline and I were on our way to the local mall to play (indoor play centers) when we hit Starbucks on the way. As I was unbuckling her seatbelt, I said "You can go to the bathroom and I'll get a coffee." Madeline said, "that wouldn't be a good idea to leave me alone!" I laughed out loud! I certainly had no intentions of leaving Madeline to go to the bathroom alone while I got my coffee, but apparently, she thought so. I quickly restated our purpose and she was ok with that.

On a day in 2007, we were sitting at the dinner table and talking about stuff when Madeline, out of the blue, mentioned one of Gretchen's friends, Kathy. Kathy happens to work at the local JoAnn fabrics in Defiance, OH and Madeline recalls meeting her. Well, Madeline said "I wonder why Kathy wasn't there that day." (she does this often, so I had to really think about what she was talking about and then what day she could be referring to) Once I figured out she was talking about Gretchen's friend and the timeframe, I answered her. But then, Zak mentioned that maybe we could find the duckcloth we need for a hunting vest from Kathy's store. Madeline said "Kathy's store doesn't sell ducks! (with furrowed brow)" We then informed Madeline what duckcloth was and then she agreed that yes, Kathy would probably have that for us on our next visit. (the need has since been met)

The storytelling has begun. Now, as new parents, you are told not to interfere too much with this imagination stage. They are telling stories for a reason, and you just need to figure out why. If the child is telling an outright lie to avoid punishment, then that needs to be addressed. But, if she is just telling a story, then you should encourage it and gently slip in reminders like "this is such a good story you're telling" so she is fully aware everyone knows it's a story and not the truth. Well, one day she was telling her Grandma & PopPop (Boose) about her day at Gymnastics. There was talk about the bars and from nowhere she says "Sometimes the kids bap me." And when questioned, she confirmed that they did in fact "bap" her. Now, I attend her classes with her, at her side the whole time in fact, and no one has ever "bapped" her. But, this was just the first story she tried out and it apparently got the attention she wanted, because more have followed. I'm not sure what the message was in that story, but it was never mentioned again.

At night, she's always liked hearing Mommy or Daddy stories. So, one night, she offers up a story to Daddy. She told the story of some tricks she learned in elephant school, and told him all about them. Every now and then, she'll tell a story from elephant school, or guinea pig school and she tries very hard to elaborate. It's exciting to imagine her brain working so hard to come up with this really great story. I'm going to keep encouraging it.

Madeline loves playing with her baby doll every so often and she says the sweetest things to her. i.e. "You love this apple, don't ya baby?" (high pitch loving words). She'll do this to her stuffed animals too (thank you Sue for the latest installment! much appreciated and adored!) The best part is the "don't ya?". Sometimes the "ya" is up, and sometimes it's down, but either way it's so cute to watch her. When it's up, her face is expecting and hopeful. When it's down, she has a more "googoo gaga" face (like someone trying to talk to a new baby). She does this with her friend, Iris too. Iris will be 3 in May, so Madeline must know she's a bit older or something, because she really tries to show/teach Iris everything. Iris doesn't really seem to mind too much, she's very glad they get to play together.

The other day, I was doing something in the oven and said "oh God" and from behind me, I hear "oh God, oh God" in exactly the same tone. It's funny, but at the same time, not so much. As some of you may know, I have quite the mouth at times. Well, every now and then, something slips out and once it does, you just hope that no one repeats it EVER! It's nice that she picks the relatively harmless ones to remind me that someone is listening.

There are about a thousand things I meant to write, but can't bring back from the depths right now. So, that's it for now.

Valentines Day is coming

2007-01-21T09:45:00.000-05:00

After the Christmas & New Year festivities were over, Madeline was very excited to take the Christmas decorations down and begin making Valentines Day decorations. I think the tree was down by the 9th of January. Probably the earliest in history! We kept the small tree up in the master bedroom for the heart garland to be made.

So, one day Madeline and I sat down and got busy cutting out and decorating hearts for the heart garland. There was glue and glitter, foamy stickers of cupids, hearts, and arrows, and the occasional marker stamp to decorate the hearts. She saved a few special ones out for daddy, aunt theresa, poppop and grandma to make necklaces. We have yet to string some of those. But, the remaining hearts were strung onto red yarn and then placed on the upstairs tree. We hung every Valentines window cling imaginable all over the front windows, and now, thanks to Grandma Boose, we have even more on the back window! Madeline LOVES window clings!!! We are considering a Valentines party with her friends which should be a great time of crafting and tea parties with heart cookies of course!

Madeline started the next session of gymnastics and swim class. Gymnastics is now at a different facility (Splitz) which is a bonafide gymnastics company complete with trampolenes, bars, and balance beam, and all the tumbling room necessary for growing children. She has really excelled in all facets. It is a bit more exhausting than the classes at The Summit, but I think she really enjoys them. They stretch her abilities a bit, and I believe this is right up her alley. She's awesome on the balance beam, and her tumbling is unparalleled in her class! (toot, toot) Last week she got a taste of the bar, which proved to be quite a challenge. Flipping over the bar is a tough concept at first, but she got it and I think she'll be an old pro before long. Can't wait to see what this week will bring.

Swim class is also proving to be a bit more challenging this session, even though it's suppose to be a repeat of the same session she had at the close of the year. (see, she can't advance until she turns 4 which is fine) Her instructor this time has requested she put her face in the water a bit more often, which she's done! and float on her back with only the assistance of a lifejacket, which she's done! She is answering the requests really well. Her class is very small, only 3 kids, so she gets full attention from the instructor and not a lot of distraction. Madeline is always a bit apprehensive to go to class the next week because she has been informed of what to expect (floating on back next week), but once there, she's like a fish and has to be pulled out of the pool at the end of class. She tries so hard to impress her instructors both in gymnastics and swim. She just loves it when they watch and commend her on her performance. Who doesn't!

Kipper is still the show of choice on most occasions. Although, Zoboomofoo has taken a close second. Its main character is a lemur and two brothers (Kratt brothers) who teach Zabu (the lemur) all about different areas of the animal world from cats to jumpers; from the different faces to the green creatures (trees and plants). At the very end of the show, they tell a couple jokes and Madeline has remembered a few of them and shared them with the family. Some day we'll have to get that on tape and share.

Our weekend started with a trip to the International Auto Show with Grandparents Boose, and lunch in Greektown at Pegasus ending with a trip to Astoria for a special treat (Madeline chose a heart cookie). Madeline really loved sitting in the cars, but that was a lot of walking for a tired girl. She perked up when we got back on the PeopleMover to go to lunch. The extremely brisk air didn't hurt either.

Now, our Sunday is beginning with some Zabu and Kipper, and will most likely involve a trip to the fruit & vegie market, and of course, a bath. Have a great week everyone!

Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, etc...

2007-01-20T18:40:00.000-05:00

Wow, a lot of time has passed! Madeline celebrated her 4th Christmas in Defiance, OH with Grandma & PopPop Boose, Uncle Jason and of course, Mommy and Daddy. She received really great gifts from all over the country on Christmas Eve then from Santa on Christmas Day. She loved this concept. The presents seemed to keep on coming! The other day, she said that the Genevieve doll she got from Grandma & Papa Brown was the sweetest doll she got on Christmas Eve. She said it with such sugar in her tone that I just had to smile.

The Christmas holiday was filled with tea parties and petit fours. Everyone was invited, including the Woodsies, Genevieve, Babydoll, Bear, and of course the occasional human grandparents, parents, and uncle. Madeline put on many performances with her new microphone and guitar. She often performed Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, but the request that sticks out in everyone's mind was one made by Jason. He requested a pig song, so Madeline did a rendition of "Oink, Oink, Jason's In the House" and brought the house down! I wish I could play it for you, but I'll have to have it posted to the family website for your enjoyment. I'll let you know when it's posted.

Madeline had her first visit to the Detroit Institute of Art on Friday, Dec. 29th. She loved looking at all of the paintings, sculptures, armor, and she visited the medieval chapel a couple times. She really liked the stained glass and the holy water bowl (anyone with the appropriate terminology, feel free to tell me). This year will be the year of introducing Madeline to the different forms of world faiths. There was one painting in particular, she noted as being her favorite (to be named later, once I find it again). We made a marionette spider together and had our photo taken for a museum project. We lunched in the cafe and had a really great morning at the museum. I think Madeline would really enjoy going again.

Well, it's just about bedtime so I'll close for tonight. More to come later.

A Visit with Santa

2006-12-11T21:39:00.000-05:00

Madeline went to visit Santa Claus today at The Henry Ford museum. We got there around 10:30 and she was instantly amazed by the cars. Well, let me back up... on the way there, we passed a power substation and Madeline asked what it was. So, I told her. She wanted to know what it did. I told her it was what brought power or electricity to our house. When she turns on a lightswitch, that's power or electricity at work. Well, that turned into, the engine gives the car power, and onto pistons, etc. She was then very interested in engines and cars and seeing them. I said, "well, you're in luck, because we are going to a museum with cars and engines!" She was excited.

So, when we got inside The Henry Ford, she saw the cars and was torn for a second between getting a closer look at the cars first or making a card and reindeer at the craft station. We made the card and reindeer, completed a drawing form, then headed over to the cars. Unfortunately, I don't really know too much about them (just enough to say the wrong thing to an innocent little girl), but I was then saved by the gian locomotive standing at the end of the cars. Again, I was humbled, but a very nice lady came by and helped me out. Madeline was amazed by the size of the train, how they worked, the different cars, etc. She absolutely loved this museum! When Daddy got there, just a few minutes later, we ventured over to see Santa. While we waited for Santa, Daddy and Madeline became familiar with all of the planes and how they work. They even made a paper airplane that Madeline got to throw at a target, and she hit the second ring of the bullseye (from about 2' away on Daddy's shoulders).

We made it to Santa. Madeline was a little hesitant when we got close to the front of the line, but once it was her turn, she went right up and sat on his lap.
She was eager to let him know that she wants a camera for Christmas. He was very surprised by this request. Madeline couldn't leave Rudolph (the stuffed reindeer) at home when she was going to be visiting Santa, so of course, she had it with her while she sat on his lap. Well, he asked her what her reindeer's name was. Of course, she said "Rudolph" a bit perplexed. Santa realized his mistake, but unfortunately, couldn't take it back. He changed the subject by reminding Madeline to brush her teeth. Then, I interrupted by wanting a smile and that was that. Santa gave her a penguin to go with Rudolph and sent her on her way to the Tea Party Luncheon.

We made our way to the "courtyard" near the Round House and were seated for our luncheon. Madeline ordered Yummyberry tea, while Zak and I had Earl Grey and English Breakfast, respectively. Our tea came and Madeline was excited. She was even more excited when the two tier servers came with the finger sandwiches and desserts. Madeline was served a peanut butter & jelly on rainbow bread, cheese on raisin bread, and a strawberry cream puff, and a giant strawberry. We all had a scone with strawberry preserves and devonshire cream, a mini chocolate cream pie with a shortbread cookie crust and a chocolate stick on top. Zak and I were not given rainbow bread, rather cucumber sandwich and honey-walnut creamcheese on whole grain bread. A wonderful lunch.

After lunch, we went to see the model train exhibit. The museum had about 5 model trains running around a very elaborate track setup. Madeline was mesmerized. I had a flashforward to what my basement will look like in the years to come. Madeline even got to "run" a train on a much smaller track. If you're familiar with Thomas the Train, you will know how happy she was to be controlling Clarabelle & Annie. Thomas was in the round house for repairs, so they had a different engine, but Madeline was fine with that. If you ask her, she'll tell you that she even saw Annie flip off the track from going too fast around one bend. "Her wheels fell right off!" She was fixed in no time and back in commission.

We left the museum after a trip to the gift shop and one more stop at the model train exhibit at 2:00pm! We could have stayed longer, but Madeline had gymnastics at 4:15 and hadn't had any downtime yet. So, we will definitely be going back. I thought her Papa Brown and PopPop Boose would love to show her around this museum. They could fill her in on everything her Mommy and Daddy didn't know and then some! Madeline chose a train engine for her gift shop purchase, one that resembles the Polar Express (unbeknownst to her). I think she'll be talking about this day for a while!

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

2006-12-07T19:18:00.000-05:00

Madeline has discovered Rudolph! One day we were listening to Christmas songs and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer came on. Well, she listened to the song and began asking questions about it. She wanted to know the story of Rudolph. So, I explained to her that Rudolph was born with a very bright nose, you could even say it glows. The other reindeer made fun of his nose, called him names (what kind of names? I couldn't think of any.), and wouldn't let him play any of their games (what kind of games did they play? Like chase, hide and seek.). Then, on Christmas Eve a super big winter snow storm hit and Santa needed some help seeing through the thick snow. So, he asked Reindeer if his bright glowing nose would guide his sleigh so he could deliver all of the toys to all the boys and girls of the world. Well, the other reindeer heard this and decided that if Santa likes Rudolph, then they can too; he must not be so bad after all. Then, all of the reindeer let him play their games and they never called him names again.

We've discussed that story many, many times since that day. The people in Kroger got a lesson on Rudolph yesterday. She knows some of the song now, "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer has a very shiney nose, won't you guide my sleigh tonight!" There are a couple different versions depending on what she remembers when. So, yesterday I was able to find the CBS version of Rudolph and the Misfit toys on the internet. Well, she's watched it twice since yesterday afternoon and loves the Abominable Snow Monster (Bumble). This morning, however, she very groggily woke up saying the other mice wouldn't let her play with them. She was very distraught. I told her she was just dreaming, and I'm sure her friends would never do that to her. She shouldn't play with those mice again since they weren't very nice to her. She said ok, and went back to sleep.

Needless to say, Madeline is very excited about Christmas. The ornaments on the tree get rearranged every so often and the Days Before Christmas calendar is updated diligently, as well as the Advent calendar. I finally got her to leave the tree lights on all day (except when we go out) instead of turning them on and off whenever the mood struck. This is truly a different Christmas than any before.

Oh! The Rudolph stuffed animal Sue sent a couple years ago has become the toy to play with these days. Rudolph will say hi to Madeline and she'll say "I know a song about you!" and she'll start singing. Then, we take off for all of the houses of the world. Rudolph (and a Panda stuffed animal she found in the bottom of her tent) have been added to the necessary friends to be cuddled in bed at nap and night.

I guess that's all for now. In case you're wondering what she is doing as I write this... she is playing Library with her Daddy. She is the librarian and Daddy is the customer. She loves this game, and plays it often.

Phonecall

2006-12-01T16:25:00.000-05:00

Madeline has performed yet another first. Yesterday, she picked up her play kitchen phone and called Daddy at work. Usually, when she calls someone on her phone, she wants someone else to pretend to be on the other end. Well, this time, she carried on a conversation with her Daddy. She told him what we bought at the grocery store; she asked him if he could pick up some hotdogs on his way home since we had forgotten them; he apparently told her that he wanted to use a Snowman plate for his dinner; and then she said "are you leaving soon?", he apparently said yes, because she said "oh, good." She was really excited when he called today, she wanted to talk to him (until recently, she hasn't really wanted to talk to anyone on the phone). So, she told him what she had packed to go to Grandma & PopPop's, then a lot of yes's and no's, then alright, and bye. If you ask her questions in a format demanding of an explanation, she could hold a conversation for quite a while!

Hedgehog

2006-11-30T10:20:00.000-05:00

Madeline has a love for puppets and the latest is a hedgehog she rented from the library. She takes the hedgehog everywhere she goes in the house. Today, I was getting us ready to go to the library and she was carrying hedgehog along telling him he'll be late if he doesn't come along. She's very gentle in her explanation of how he needs to get ready to go, even though he isn't actually coming along. Hedgehog sleeps with Madeline, watches shows with Madeline, and really seems to enjoy his foster home in Madeline's care.

She says the darndest things!

2006-11-15T13:55:00.000-05:00

I think it's time to document the different phrases/words that Madeline now has as part of her everyday language. She'll be able to look back on this and realize just where that saying came from, or when she first started using this word or that.

Madeline will learn that the first time she started using "I've lost my patience" was right around age 3. Only to hear her say it, it sounds more like "I waste my patience!". She says it with a scowl on her face and quite loud. It usually comes out when she isn't getting what she wants, which is when I use it, or when she has been told more than once to do something. Of course, we all know kids pick these things up mostly from their parents and this is no exception. I have said it on more than one occasion. I'm glad she can express when she's frustrated and know that she isn't going to be punished. Right now, this is simply her way of letting you know, she's not having fun. I'm finding though, that we need to harness the outbursts a bit, since the "backtalk" is starting in earnest. Time outs? We'll see...

On a more pleasant note, Madeline has started using words like "absolutely" or putting together sentences with genuine concern. Yesterday I asked her if she could hand me a black marker from her drawer, and she said "absolutely" and brought it right to me. And, the other day, we were all at the dinner table, and Zak and Madeline had their food, but mine was still cooking. So, Madeline says "we're eating our food, but you don't have any food." Zak and I thought this was one of the sweetest things she's said in a long time. Actually, it's hard to decide what's the sweetest, or most adorable, or best thing you ever heard. They seem to be coming all the time lately.

Madeline has really begun to like dancing. After dinner one night, she decided to put on a show. She stands in the middle of the dining room and just starts floating with her arms in the air, pointing her toes, and spinning around with or without music. When she is finished, she bows a deep bow and loves to hear your applause. There are times when the whole family performs, but mostly Madeline is a solo artist who does not require any help or assistance with her routine. She has also been perfecting the Maracca dance where she shakes the maracca and her booty and dances around the room! We laughed so hard the first time we saw this!

We've really been having a great time with Madeline. She is talking so much and doing so much more. She has really become quite the person in the world. She is loving the Christmas season. We have brought out all of the decorations and she has helped decide where some go. She will be helping to decorate the tree as the week goes on (this is not a one night project). Over the past few years, we've collected the Hallmark singing things that you get when you buy 3 cards at Hallmark. Well, we have a snowman & dog that sing Jingle Bells and shakes, the Snowman playing the piano, and now the Trio of penguins and snowman singing and shaking their tails and hands. She likes to play them all at the same time so they can all sing together. I figure by Christmas, I ought to be ready for Valentines Day (the quiet holiday).

Ok, I guess I should post this now. I've been working on it long enough. That's what I get when I don't post every night like originally intended. I hope you had fun reading!!

Dentists, schmentists

2006-10-24T14:47:00.000-04:00

Today was Madeline's first trip to the dentist. She didn't like it. She watched me get my teeth cleaned, for a while she was very patient, then she got a little anxious. I don't think she liked all of the tools the woman was putting in my mouth, and Madeline started to cry wondering if we would be done soon. When we were finally done, it was Madeline's turn. Well, she wasn't going to have any of that. She thought she was going to be brave, but when it came time for the dentist to actually look at her teeth, she clenched up and started crying. We were able to check out her bite, and the dentist said there didn't seem to be any ill effects of the pacifier, so that worry is gone for now. We are scheduled to go back in 6 months, so hopefully by then we will have prepared her more adequately for the appointment and it will be a much more pleasant experience.

Whew! That was fun!

2006-10-24T14:27:00.000-04:00

We had a blast this past weekend ni Sandusky. First, we ventured to the Great Wolf Lodge for a little waterpark fun. Our "cabin" (hotel room) was decorated like a cabin and even had bunkbeds! Madeline got to sleep on the top bunk (it had a railing) and a really cool ladder. Once we were checked in, Madeline spent the afternoon in the toddler pool with the treehouse and water slide, then off to the deeper pool for a little jumping and swimming, and she even ventured to the kiddie waterslide twice! She is all about the swimming, and getting wet since her swim classes. She really had a great time playing with Grandma & PopPop and Mommy & Daddy in the different pools, and climbing up the rope ladders, and going through waterfalls, and sprayers to get to the tall waterslides. She didn't go down those, but she had just as much fun going back to down through the sprayers, and tunnels. Madeline even took a ride with Mommy & Grandma on the lazy river.

Our little JoJo got to go trick or treating at the lodge and then to the arcade for some great gaming fun. She won quite a few tickets for some great prizes, but then someone gave her a bunch more for some more great prizes! She loved it! What a great day!

That's not all... the next day we all piled into the truck for a day at Cedar Point!!! It was a blustery cold and drizzley day, but Madeline loved riding those rides. She started off with the cars in Kiddieland and went to the Hummers, the carousel (3 times), rockets, jeeps, etc. We were having quite a time until we decided to ride the giant ferris wheel! On such a cold and blustery day, this probably wasn't the best idea around. We were stopped at the top for quite a while while the guys on the ground decided what to do about shutting it down for a while due to weather! The wind was blowing, the drizzle was drizzling and it was quite unpleasant. We kept little Madeline wrapped up tight so she didn't notice too much other than that we were stopped for quite a long time. Once we got off, we headed to the arcade for some warmth. That turned things around again. Nothing better than an arcade for Madeline! She loves them! She played skiball, wack the mole, drove a few cars & motorcycles (hit many many walls, guardrails, etc.), watched everyone play the cranes, and just kept racking up the tickets! So, she ended that day with a ton of tickets and great prizes as well. If you notice from the family website, she made out like a bandit in the Care Bear department. Grandma & Daddy hit the jackpot and Madeline looked like a little thief carrying her loot when her arms were full of CareBears.

We ventured on up to Snoopy's Camp and she rode the swings, the balloons, and even the Junior Gemini! Grandma & I had gone back to the entrance to try to find cotton candy, so I wasn't aware of how big the junior gemini was until we got back. Madeline was a real trooper, she went on with Daddy, and hung in there really well until the end. She was a bit scared going down that hill, but she made it through. She then wanted to ride the swings with me, so we did. Then, the balloons. Well, I didn't hold the center wheel tight enough and the balloon started to spin. Well, that scared her and cut that ride short. At least she had a good time on that ride with Daddy.

We ended the day with another trip to the arcade and one last ride on the cars. She was plum tuckered out. So, it was a very successful day. The smile on her face when she was riding those rides was worth any cold or drizzle we had to go through. She stayed awake the whole ride home and slept solid the whole night! I think we may get her to go back again. She keeps talking about her cabin and the Goodnight Bear and Lollipop Bear are her new best friends.

The potty & the shower in one week!

2006-10-12T19:14:00.000-04:00

Well, Madeline has mastered two of life's major activities... the potty and the shower. On Sunday, the 1st, I told Madeline I was going to take a shower. She popped right up and gave that surprised expression that she gives, and I asked her if she would like to take a shower with me (fully expecting her to say no) and she said "yes!". She followed me upstairs into the bathroom. Well, we squeezed ourselves into the shower and she had a grand time. She got her hair washed, she washed her body, and then proceeded to play in the water and finger draw on the glass door while I finished up. She hangs out in the shower while I dry off, then it's her turn. She usually wants to stay in the shower longer and just play in the water, but I always remind her there is always tomorrow, and she gives in. Madeline has taken a shower with me every day since except one - Grammie & PopPop were here for pumpkin picking.

So, yesterday, I decided it was time for Madeline to be put to the test. To see just how much control she has over her bladder. After changing her morning diaper, I stripped her of pants and set her free. She didn't mind at all running around without any pants on. I told her to let me know when she had to pee so she wouldn't get messy. She agreed. Well, a short while later she told me she had to poop. So, I told her to go to her potty. She did, and SUCCESS! We have yet to actually poop in the potty, but we have had total success with peeing. She sits down on her potty and holds your hands in hers. It's like a bonding moment. Very precious. She wears her princess pull-ups at night, and changes into underpants (Strawberry Shortcake) in the day. I think we will be shopping for some more underpants tomorrow.

So, we have had a very eventful couple of weeks. She is doing very well in gymnastics and swim class too. She has mastered the balance beam, can hang from her legs on the bar, and her tumbling is admired by all at the playgroup! Last week, she went under the water in swim class, and today she insisted on trying to swim alone. She sank, of course, but she wasn't too bothered by it. She's gone under the water multiple times now without any issues. She's getting really good at paddling and kicking and, jumping off the side is getting easier too. Her instructors are impressed, and suggest more advanced classes, but we are still inclined to keep her on the straight and narrow. There is no need to rush her, especially if she is still having so much fun at this pace.

That's all for now.

The Birthday Girl right before festivities begin...

2006-09-17T21:40:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Madeline!

2006-09-17T20:41:00.000-04:00

Madeline's birthday was quickly approaching when preparations for Aunt Theresa and Grandma & PaPa Brown were underway. Madeline was so excited they were all coming to see her, she helped make beds and clean up her playroom for Aunt Theresa. The next day started early with Grandma & PaPa Brown arriving in Detroit and the preparations for the festivities began.

Madeline celebrated Year 3 on Saturday. I do believe she had a grand time. About 30 of her friends and family came to help her celebrate and even a few from Kentucky made the trip! There was a Halloween bookmark project and a Zingo game for the kids, and a lot of great food for all. The bees tried to put a damper on things, but they were not successful.

Madeline greeted all of her guests like the perfect little hostess. Then she created a beautiful bookmark, played on the playstructure, ate a great lunch with all of her friends, played a round of Zingo where everyone won! When the time came for the cake, she waited patiently as we lit the candles in the wind, and tried like ever to blow out those candles all by herself. She made the first cut with a wish and delighted in the frosting thereafter. When it was time for everyone to leave, she gave them a kiss and a hug, and "bye, thank you for coming to my party". Like I said, the perfect little hostess and all of a big girl 3. We were all very proud.

The festivities with friends was over, but the family fun was just beginning. We all went down to the pond where some fished, and some played. Madeline had a high time showing off her casting abilities, then made some great plays with Peter & Jason in football. Man, she's fast! Some fish were caught, a lot of bait was stolen, but boy a lot of fun was had. Daddy managed to catch the biggest fish in the pond the minute before we set to leave, everyone cheered! That line wasn't snagged on the bottom, that Bass didn't stand a chance. "Want to see the pictures? It was huge! Probably close to 5 pounds!" (not really) Way to go Daddy!

The only way to get Madeline away from the park was to entice her with present opening at home. This was quite the task. The first few went by pretty fast, then she started wanting to play with them. It was a little difficult to keep her on task, but she did and she was glad she did. In the end, she ended up with a beautiful jewelry box (complete with a twirling ballerina), Dora stickers books and games, even a life size Dora plush doll!, train set & Thomas train cars, Little People castle, and AntArctic Diego complete with sled, dog and penguin (which is not Pingu by the way). Madeline now has her own MP3 player which we're all figuring out, since none of us have one of our own. Madeline also has her very own very Large Mouth Bass (Trouty).

Madeline had her second birthday cake, where she participated in the birthday song to herself with many more wishes included this time. She is still not much of a cake eater, but she made good work of that ice cream!

I think Madeline really enjoyed her birthday. Having so many of her family here was truly a blessing for her. She was never at a loss for someone to share her new treasures with, or to share a laugh with, or just to show off the outfit she picked out for the day. Our little girl is growing up to be a very polite, very well mannered, brave and extremely energetic big girl. She is always willing to show off how happy she can be, and how happy she can make you just by smiling or singing you a song. Her laugh is enough to make you laugh, and she knows it, so that just makes it that much better.

Thank you to everyone who made it in person. Thank you to all of you who sent all of the best energy her way this weekend. It came in loud and clear! And, thank you to everyone for all of the wonderful gifts you offered to Madeline. She accepts them graciously and whole-heartedly. I believe she truly appreciates every last one of you.

When the birthday festivities concluded, the fun was still going on with Grandma & Papa Brown for a couple days. Madeline loves to climb and play so everyone was pretty excited when we went to Jungle Java (indoor playground basically). Madeline showed off her climbing skills and sat down just long enough to get in a few pictures. She got to show off again at her gymnastics class where she walked like a pro on the balance beam and did some awesome tumbling. Madeline was a little tired after her funfilled weekend, so she was a bit confused when we dropped Grandma & Papa Brown at the airport. She had a hard time understanding that they wouldn't be there for dinner that night.

Grandparents Storytime

2006-09-12T20:25:00.000-04:00

Chuck and I had the "grand" pleasure of taking Madeline to storytime to celebrate grandparents day last week. We arrived at the Canton library in time to meet other grandparents including the storyteller's grandparents! We heard stories and a poem, sang a few songs and some kids and grandparents danced to the music! Madeline helped us decorate a picture frame to hold the polaroid photo that the storyteller took of the three of us. We made a door hanger for Madeline's playroom and frosted cookies to go with our punch.

After the storytime we played at the library finding books and DVDs to check out. Chuck played a computer game with Madeline. It was great to watch her little hand click the mouse to match the letters of the alphabet to the pictures on the screen. Seems like she was just learning that she had fingers!!! and now she is double clicking a mouse!!

We finished our visit with self check out...and then met Michelle for a lunch at the library cafe! I thought of my first trip to the library bookmobile in Carrolltown, and the many trips to the Carnegie library in Norwalk and how it scared me to take books up those steps to the bookdrop at that old library after hours. I remember all the movies we checked out in Silverdale library for movie night at the farm. Time flies! and technology changes the way we do some things. It was so great to go to a storytime as a grandparent and remember how good it feels to dive into books and adventure together in a library! Thanks, Madeline. You were a great tour guide!

2006-09-11T21:20:00.000-04:00

A Sunday Sleepy Baby finds comfy Daddy

What'd she say?

2006-09-11T21:09:00.000-04:00

Today, Madeline and I were in Lowes and approaching the checkouts when she asked for a hotdog. The Lowes in Kentucky always had a hotdog vendor just outside the exit door. Well, they don't have one of those here. So, we're going through the U-Scan that didn't work out so well, and the woman attending to the problem was only slightly indifferent to our problem. Madeline was asking "may I have a sticker?" to me as well as the woman. The woman paid no attention, so I told Madeline that they didn't have any stickers here like they do at Kroger. She huffs (big sigh basically) and we start walking away. Well, as we started walking away, Madeline says (no joke) "Geez! What kind of store is this anyway?! No hotdog guy, and no stickers?!" I laughed hard! and thought you would all appreciate that as well.

All Signed Up!

2006-09-10T22:36:00.000-04:00

Madeline is now signed up for her first swim class and gymnastics class. She will attend for a half-hour for swimming, and a half-hour for gymnastics. She is really excited about "going to school". Even though she's been attending "elephant school" for quite some time. :) I am excited too. These are parent/toddler classes, so we will get to do the activities together. I'm trying not to expect too much, but it's hard when she is just so good on the balance beam and her gross motor skills are so advanced!

Today, she got to show Daddy how well she crosses the monkey bars at the local park. They are short enough for her to have her feet on the ground, so she hangs on with both hands to the first bar, dangles, then stands up and crosses to the second bar, dangles, and so on. Madeline is so proud of herself. She actually bows at the end, which is absolutely adorable. She is getting pretty good at climbing the rope. She just needs a little support in the rear and reminding of "hand over hand". She'll be an awesome climber. She can do it just fine on a climbing wall, just the ones without the stones get hard for her.

We checked out a bunch of CDs from the library recently, and Madeline just loves singing the songs. She has learned (is that right?) the words to a couple, so it is very cute to hear her singing along in the backseat or around the house when they're playing. I play the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack once in a while, and she sings along with a song from there "that's the way I like it, that's the way I like it", only what you hear from Madeline is "I like it, I like it". I love it!!!!

Madeline is getting very excited about her birthday party and seeing all of her friends, and of course, her family. She keeps adding to the theme of her cake, which she originally decided on Dora, when she saw a Dora cake at a local ice cream parlor. Now, she has added a strawberry to it since Strawberry Shortcake is holding a cupcake with a strawberry on top. So, I'm doing all I can to keep up!

Strawberry Shortcake is the latest and greatest. She decided that Strawberry Shortcake would be the theme for her bedroom. So, between Gretchen & I, we have made it pretty amazing so far. Thanks to Gretchen for the pillows! So, I am pulling the look together with a canopy and other room accessories. She loves her bed now! yeah!

Well, that's all for now. I'll add photos next time, my camera is charging. Take care all!

First Detroit Tigers Game

2006-09-06T22:01:00.000-04:00

Hello family! Zachary and I have decided to start a blog to communicate everything happening in Madeline's life. We feel it will enable us to bring you into her life on a daily basis, rather than whenever we get around to it (which can sometimes take months and by then, we've forgotten a lot). So, I hope you enjoy it.

Madeline experienced her first Detroit Tigers game last night. Zachary and I introduced Madeline to the Tigers at the entrance, and from that moment, she was hooked! As soon as we walked in, there was a man wearing a foam claw that she instantly wanted. From there, she focused on Mickey Mouse in a Tigers uniform. Then came the Tiger carousel! Well, we had to ride that! What fun that was.

Batting practice was going on, so we investigated that. A couple came real close, so that kept it interesting; the hotdog was pretty good too. Then, onto the Baseball ferris wheel. Madeline even got to ride free since she was not yet 3. She really enjoyed looking out and seeing everything from such a high elevation. From the ferris wheel, we got some dinner. Zak and I shared some nachos while Madeline got her first taste of cotton candy! It was pink, of course, and a little sticky. So, she only ate about a 1/4 of it at the park. It wasn't until the ride home that she decided she could eat a little more. She shared most of it with us though, and saved one last bite for the next morning.

We sat down as the game was starting and Madeline just loved all the music. She clapped when the Tigers got a hit, and she danced like crazy when the music started. She absolutely loved it when the tigers roared from a homerun. "That was my favorite part," she said. We hung around for a couple innings, then the rain started. We hung around for one more, then decided we would hit the souvenire shop. Madeline chose a pink baseball and a pink baseball bat pen. It's a pen that looks like a baseball bat, imagine that! We headed back to the car in the rain, and she really liked seeing all the lights sparkling on the Fox, and reflecting off the windows. I think Madeline really liked the city.

This morning, however, she woke up having a bit of a bad dream. She dreamt that she was in the city, in the dark, and she had lost her flashlight, and there were shadows everywhere. So, she was a little scared. She's having a hard time with shadows right now.

Tonight, she had a playdate with our neighbor (2.5 year old Iris) and they will both be benefitting from the experience. Madeline will be learning a bit of Chinese while Iris learns some more English. Madeline was a very good and patient little girl tonight. She helped Iris onto the roller coaster and offered her a ride many times. They played in the sandbox together and just had a really good time. Another playdate is scheduled for Monday evening.

That's all for tonight. I hope you've all enjoyed the first post. Please feel free to add comments, etc. Talk to you all soon!