madison visits madison (again)

A couple of weekends ago we took a trip to Wisconsin. Kevin wanted to kick off his summer break right, by taking a little trip to "get away from it all." We were hoping for some nice, warm weather but it ended up being a bit chilly. The sun peeked out for a while on Monday, though, so we enjoyed it while it made its appearance. Here's a few photos of us on the Terrace at UW. Gotta love the giant orange chair!

twinkle twinkle

Nothing's cuter than kids captured on video, right? Here's the latest from our budding musician-child (and no, we're not pushing her!):

http://s69.photobucket.com/albums/i67/cahart/?action=view&current=2008-04-14_twinkle_drum_384.flv

with a spring in your step...

I know, enough with the spring comments already. But I can't help it...it feels so good to get outside! When it's not raining that's where we spend the bulk of our time. Here are a few pictures of our outdoor activities lately.

At the park:





Having a snack at her new picnic table:

Posing for our annual picture with the tulips:

We also belong to a new playgroup! Well, it's not exactly new...a group of us who attended Storytime each week at the library decided that since the program is on hiatus during the sumer, there's no reason why we had to stop meeting. So the plan is to continue to get together on Thursday mornings (when Storytime has been held) and visit a different park in town each week. The kids are around the same age (2-3) so it's nice for Madison to get some social time. Well, I get social time too...that's part of my motivation, I have to admit!

oh, go fly a kite!

Spring is in the air! And with the warm weather and fresh breezes, so are kites. I picked one up for Madison the other day (a $1 bargain kite) and she's been enjoying flying it. She's pretty good about holding onto the string spool--she only let go a couple of times.












We've been spending a lot of time outside. The backyard is starting to look like a playground with the sandbox, swing, slide, kiddie picnic table, and assortment of balls. We've been walking a lot and going for bike rides. It feels soooo good to get out again. And I think everyone's mood is improved by doing so!

the party!

The big birthday party was this Sunday. We hosted 17 people--all family--and brought the house down. This little 2 year-old sure knows how to enjoy a party!

The train cake (I spent 3 hours decorating it the night before):

Trying to show everyone how old she is using her fingers:

Riding her new trike:

And just for fun, comparison pics from last year's birthday and this year's:

birthday girl!

It's been pretty exciting around here lately. Last Friday was Madison's birthday. My big-little girl turned 2. We kicked off the big day with a visit to her pediatrician, who announced Miss M is perfectly healthy. The doctor asked the usual questions: is she eating well? YES...some days the girl is like a garbage disposal. Is she running and jumping? YES...she has more energy than *I* know what to do with. How many words does she know? I have NO IDEA...but it's A LOT. Does she speak in 3-4 word sentences? NO. She's been using LONG sentences (for a 2-year-old anyway)...like her favorite this past week: "We go to museum on the birthday. Maddi's birthday!"

Which brings us up to later in the day. She had been talking about going to the Children's Museum all week. I promised her we'd go on her birthday, and we talked about how her birthday was only three, two, and finally one day away. So when she woke up from her nap Friday afternoon and was told we'd go the museum after dinner she was so excited. My parents came with us and got the biggest kick out of seeing her run around the place. Miss M's favorite part is the food area, where there's a grocery/diner section stocked with plastic food. She loves filling up the shopping carts and looks like she's on one of those 15-minute shopping sprees. Here are some pics from the museum:

Since Easter was this weekend we won't have her party until next Sunday, so that's something else to plan and look forward to.

I've got Easter pics to post too, but will do that when I have more time. Hope everyone had a great Easter weekend!

mud pies

We, in the Midwest, were treated to a dose of spring this past Sunday. The temperature hit 60-something and the rest of the snow melted. I cheered this change on wholeheartedly and urged my little family to get ready to hit the outdoors, we were gonna celebrate! So we took a nice long walk and later, after Madison's nap, I took her outside to hang out in the front yard. And I got a glimpse of what this spring and summer is going to be like: within seconds, she was grabbing fistfulls of mud from one of my side flower beds. Now I wouldn't have minded so much, but the tips of my tulip bulbs are actually beginning to break through the soil and I REALLY want to see some color in my garden areas as soon as possible so I was at a crossroads: do I freak out and pamper my plants but dissuade my child from exploring? Or do I say buh-bye to tulip town? I chose an alternative solution, to redirect Miss M towards another special mud spot. I let her dig in the raised bed at the side of the house. There's nothing growing there yet so she was free and clear to muck around in the mud to her little heart's content. She had a blast. I guess I need to make sure she's in really old clothes whenever we're outside this season!

And by the way, our dose of spring was gone the next day. Yesterday was rainy and cold, and today we're supposed to get 2-4 inches of snow. It's snowing right now. This is the longest winter EVER, I swear.

Here's a neat picture my dad took over the weekend:

screwy society

Madison hasn't breastfed in 9 months, but I remain a supporter and advocate of feeding babies the way nature intended. So when I came across this cartoon I had to laugh and roll my eyes at the same time.



This is the first in a 5-day series on the topic. To see the rest of the storyline go here:
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/uclickcomics/20080211/cx_ss_uc/ss20080211;_ylt=Aj9HJv136A7kNvLQX927sLmcocwF

everybody jump now

The end of winter can't come soon enough! We've had the most incredibly crappy weather this week, everything from snow to sleet to slush to rain & thunderstorms. Ugh.

I'm doing pretty well with my resolution to get out with Maddi on a regular basis. We've been hitting the story hour at Bloomington Library, which has been fun. There are several moms who are there most every week so I'm able to work some adult chatting time in. And Miss M is able to be around other kids her age which is cool, too. We also hit an open gym last week which she loved! They've got in-floor trampolines, a foam pit, giant balls to chase, jump ropes, and a big area to run around in. We'll definitely go back there...what a great place to visit when you can't get outside and your little one needs to burn off some energy! I got to burn off some energy as well since she didn't want to do the trampoline by herself...I had to go too. Together we bounced "Just like Tigger!" (Her words, not mine.) Eeek...now I know why my OB told me to continue doing kegals AFTER giving birth (and here we are 2 years later, sheesh)!





I have some cute stories to share later, but now I have to head to pick up the car from getting an oil change/tire rotation. We put a ton of miles on that thing and it's getting some well-deserved maintainance in hopes of convincing it to run for another 100,000 miles.

deal or no deal?

Finally Kevin and I have equipped ourselves with boots. He has a pair of old snowmobile boots that are falling apart, and I only have a pair of low-topped sh*% kickers. Since we've had a little bit of snow and will hopefully get more before the winter is over, we ventured out to track down a couple of pairs. We hit the jackpot at Target, finding boots for $12 (for him) and $10 (for me). They were marked down from $60 and $50 respectively. Score!


Since it's warming up a little and we're supposed to get rain tomorrow, plus our restless toddler was tired of being cooped up all morning, we hit the backyard to make use of the little snow that's out there. Here are some pictures of our morning fun:

I've had a few ideas running through my head for posts on this blog, but of course when I actually have time to sit down to write I can't remember any of them. And this from the queen of list-making. Guess I forgot to make a list specifically for blog topics.



Ah well.

I am finally getting my behind in gear to put together a scrapbook of Madison's first year. I selected 9 months of pictures about 6 months ago but never got around to printing them. So I just spent the last hour uploading photos to Shutterfly so I can send them to Target and pick them up tomorrow. Usually I just take a flash drive or CD and upload them at the store, but the last several times I've made a trip there the equipment has been broken. This online process took forever, but at least I didn't have to stand in line with an antsy toddler only to discover the trip was futile. We'll see how long it takes me to actually get these photos into the album once I have them in hand!

I was reading, today, on a website that talked about development and babies/toddlers, that a 22 month old should have about 50 words in her vocabulary. I think Miss M is doing pretty darn well...I have no idea exactly how many words she's capable of saying, but she's been speaking in simple sentences for about a month now so I'd say she's doing ok. It's amazing how quickly language develoment works its magic! And it really makes you think about what you say before you say it...just because the kid doesn't repeat what she hears right away doesn't mean it won't eek out of her mouth a few days or even a week later!

My realm of child-laden friends is growing! Our good friends Erin and Andy welcomed their son Noah into the world at the tail end of January. They were happy for the timing as it means they get their tax write-off for 2007. I went to visit last Tuesday and Madison did pretty good around the baby...mostly because she didn't want to go near him. She calls him Baby No-No. :-)

I also want to give a happy birthday shout out to my friend Kim's boy, Sean, on his FIRST birthday!

And there are other b days approaching...Miss M will be 2 in March...unbelieveable. And her twice-yearly playdate buddy, Logan, has his 2nd approaching in Feburary. Where oh where has the time gone?



The feature picture in this post showcases my Play-Doh talents. Madison is always requesting that I craft dogs, cats, bunnies, teacups, snakes, and other miscellaneous items out of this malleable substance and so of course I oblige. My latest creation features a few characters from Thomas and Friends. Can you name these trains?

back to our regularly scheduled program...

Well the holiday is now officially over. Kevin goes back to all his schools this week, and Miss M and I go back to our weekly routine as a duo. So here I am, making a list of possible things to do. The weather's not so nice now, so I'm searching for indoor activities.

I think we'll be checking out the reading program for toddlers at one of the libraries as it's every Thursday and you don't need to register to take part. Libraries for kids today are so different from what I remember. We didn't have play areas...both libraries here each have two different sections for kids to read, play, and socialize. We didn't have reading programs for babies and toddlers...both libraries here have ongoing activities year-round for kids. It's really nice to see the children's departments really making an effort to reach out to children...tearing them away from the computer and video games. There's nothing like a good book, and I hope Miss M realizes that for a long, long time.

With Kevin going back to work, that also means my own working hours will shift once again to naptimes and after bed. Unless I decide to hire someone to come over for a few hours during the week to play with Madison, which isn't really practical since my workload is unpredictable. One week there's a lot to do, the next there's practically nothing. I haven't bothered to drum up clients for quite some time as I can't balance more than 2 or 3 projects at once while caring for a toddler all day. Fortunately, I've made some very good contacts who still send work my way without me having to solicit at all. Nice, and I appreciate that greatly!

2008, ain't it great?

Happy New Year everyone! Hope your holidays were wonderful. We enjoyed all of it and spent much of the time with our families. Here are a few pics of Madison with some of her Christmas gifts...she loved everything, especially the magna-doodle thingie that I had to take back as the handle was broken. Of course I can't exchange it because the store hasn't gotten any new ones in. Grrr....

New chalkboard/easel:




Santa brought a sled! Now if it would just warm up enough so we don't have to worry about frostbite.


Grandma Smith made this neat apron for my chef-in-training:




These blocks are also a favorite of Daddy's:



Oh, and I should mention that I got to go out on a DATE! For my birthday Kevin arranged a night out, sitter included. We had dinner, saw Enchanted, and enjoyed coffee and some leisure reading at Border's.

let it snow!

And it did just that on Saturday. I think we got about 4 inches, maybe 5. Our gracious neighbor came over to tackle our driveway with his snow-blower. It rocks to have neighbors like that. As soon as I finish baking some holiday cookies (which is what I will be doing in just a sec) I need to take some over to say thanks.

I am a bit late in getting our Christmas cards out this year, but tomorrow they will be in the mail. Started doing photo cards last year and we're continuing the tradition this season. Here's the one we're using for our cards:

It turned out ok. Madison didn't want to hold still so she's a little blurry, but I don't know if you can tell on a computer screen. We also had our annual family photo taken last week, and as soon as I have time to scan the pic I'll post that, too.

There's a ton of stuff to do over the next few days so I may not get a chance to update again until after Christmas. So...happy holidays to all!

22 more shopping days

Does it bother you when you hear this sentence that I used as the title for this post? It kind of gets on my nerves as it's just a reminder of how commercialized the holiday season has become. Don't get me wrong...I enjoy shopping for gifts for family and friends as much as the next person...but I also wish the season was more about togetherness and less about dollars.

One part of the holidays I really love is decorating! Nothing cheers up a room more than lights, and our living room is looking pretty good right now. We put up the tree last night, and had lots of help from Miss M. Here she is, thinking how nice her blanket would look as an ornament:

potty mouth

Looking for a unique Christmas gift for your toddler-in-training?


http://www.uncommongoods.com/item/item.jsp?source=rss&utm_medium=rss&itemId=16430

Isn't that hilarious??

reality check

Afternoon at Starved Rock State Park


I discovered something about myself the other day: at this point in time, I have very limited interests. I am thinking now that I am a very boring person.

A week ago Kevin and I were both supposed to play a gig together, so we dropped Maddi off at my parents' house a little early so we could have an hour or so of "free" time beforehand. We had dinner (gourmet McDonalds, I'm ashamed to say) and then headed to Barnes & Noble for coffee and leisure reading. Except I couldn't come up with a topic that interested me. In that huge store, the only thing that appealed to me were parenting books and mothering magazines. And I refused to look at any of them, because I felt like since this was my one night out in, like, forever, I needed to focus on something other than being a mom.

Don't get me wrong. I love being a mom, and I love being the nurturing figure in our little family. But I'm more than that, too...or at least I used to be. So now I'm on the lookout for a new hobby or interest, or something. I don't want to be that person who has nothing to say, the conversation killer. I guess it's time to take a look at life and find something to kick my @$$ into gear, eh?

going...going...green!

Adventures with Play-Doh


I guess I've jumped on the green bandwagon. I don't mean to make it sound like a fad as I sincerely hope it's not. But I was just thinking about some of the changes we've made in the last few months and I'm pretty happy with what we're doing. We may not be able to afford a new hybrid car or a solar-paneled house but why not do what we can with what we've got? Here are a few of our green achievements:

- Kevin made a rain barrel this fall. Although it's a little late to use it this season, we're both excited about next spring, and how we'll use it to use rainwater to feed our veggies and flowers. We also intend to put up a clothesline in the spring so I can put out some of the laundry instead of using the dryer for everything.

- If you've read my previous posts, you'll know that we've begun cloth diapering. I have built up a pretty nice stash of dipes for Miss M and I am feeling good about not putting as many disposables in the garbage. We still use them for bedtime, naptime, and some longer outings, but at home we're cloth almost all the way.

- I've started saving plastic bags from the store to send to the recycling center. I would like to start using some of the reusable bags in the future. I've also stopped throwing away cardboard boxes from cereal and cracker packages and started putting them in with our recycling pile for newspapers.

- Compact flourescent light bulbs are slowly taking over our house.

I know there's probably a lot more we could be doing (like fixing the leaky faucet in the tub) but one day at a time, right?

boo! to you

I am a sucky mommy. Halloween is in two days and I still haven't gotten a costume for M yet.

I saw a really cute monkey outfit (how very fitting!) at Target 2 months ago, but I just wasn't prepared to think about Halloween in September, ya know? So I didn't buy it. Of course that's the one costume that sold out immediately and they haven't gotten any more in so...I guess our little monkey won't look the part. I also refuse to pay more than $15 for a costume she'll wear for a few hours, max, one night. I mean, we are only taking her to a couple of the neighbors houses, and maybe have her dressed up while kids come to our house.

I may go the home-made route and use this cute bunny hat my mom made for her...I can dress her in pink sweats and put together a cotton tail and she'll be a huggable, squeezable (cheap) little hopper for Halloween.

i should be working right now...

...but it's Sunday and I don't feel like it. Even though the house is quiet (naptime) and I should be productive, I'm wasting time online as usual. Happens to the best of us, doesn't it?

So, we're trying cloth! Got my trail package and it's been interesting. I for one LOVE the idea of cloth. I don't mind the laundry and I am looking forward to a less stinky diaper pail and not having to haul heavy diapers to the trash every other night. Madison...well, I'm not sure she loves it as much as me. It's a change, that's for sure. She tolerates two of the brands ok...BumGenius and FuzziBunz are winners, but she seems to hate Happy Heineys. I think they are too wide between the legs for her. I haven't tried the prefolds and don't plan to...I like the ease of pockets and all-in-ones (AIOs) and I don't want to have to worry about trying to fold them so they aren't bulky. M doesn't stay still for diaper changes very well, so she'd never stand for it.

So, I think I'll be keeping my BG and FB, and I'm in the process of ordering some more. Man, they make some cute diapers. I can totally see how this becomes an addiction for some mamas. I'm thinking for baby #2 (when we're at that point) I will do cloth all the way. We could save a ton of money!

Here are a couple pics of Maddi and her new diapers:

Not feelin' the love with her HH:



That's better! A snug BG on her little bum: