Curly or Straight??

(5-29-2012)

Ever since Maddie's hair started getting longer, I've been curious as to whether it will be curly or straight when she gets older. Matt and I both have wavy/curly hair and mine is crazy thick. So far, Maddie's is thin and straight...but she's only 2 so we'll see!

Today we went to the park and before leaving, I put her hair in double french braids to keep it out of her eyes. She left it that way all day. Just before bed, I took her hair down and the picture above was the end result.

Whether she has curly or straight hair doesn't matter to me, though, because I think she'll be cute either way!

Matt's Mini Me

(5-28-2012)

Maddie loves to help out however she can, whether it's making dinner, putting our new table together, or helping fold laundry. Her favorite thing, however, is to help Matt water the plants. She has her own little blue watering can that Matt always fills up for her and inevitably, she always dumps the entire can's contents into the smallest pot we have, thus flooding it. She loves it though!

The Lactose Substitute

(5-27-2012)

Matt loves ice cream, but can't eat it too often due to his lactose intolerance. However, sherbet is a WONDERFUL substitute! We haven't had it in a while, but I picked some up at the store this weekend and Matt was so happy when I gave him a bowl after dinner.

Maddie's Digging Buddy

(5-26-2012)

Mama and Papa drove three hours one way just to see Maddie and take her to the park. Of course, we did a few other things, but most of the fun was had at Wil-O-Way Park and the Riverwalk in downtown Naperville. I think Maddie and Papa's favorite thing was playing in the sand!

Cheap Entertainment

(5-25-2012)

As most people are probably well aware, there are LOTS of ways for Americans to waste their money on entertainment alone (among other things.) However, Matt and I try not to fall into this trap. Now, I'm not saying that it's not OK or that we don't do ANYTHING fun, but most of the time, we just don't see the point. 

Take movies for example. We could choose spend $20+ dollars to watch a movie in a crowded, dark room with uncomfortable chairs, OR we can wait a few months for the movie to come to Redbox, spend $1, and enjoy watching it in the comfort of our own home, bathroom breaks included. Not to mention, the snacks are much cheaper too! 

(Steps down from soapbox)

Anyway, since Matt had to work the evening shift tonight, I picked up a Redbox while at Meijer today. Tonight's feature?- "The Vow" 

Although I was hoping for more from the ending, overall I enjoyed the movie AND I only had to spend $1 to do so.

Does Anyone Have the Time?

(5-24-2012)

Recently Maddie began showing interest in time by saying things such as, "it's 50-o'clock." Since she is only 2, I hadn't intended to begin teaching her to tell time yet, but since she has shown the interest, we pulled out her wooden clock and began with some basics...the first being her bedtime! As you can see in the picture above, she goes to bed at 7pm. If we ask her to make the clock say 7 o'clock, she knows that the little hand goes on the 7 and the big hand goes on the 12. She also has learned that Mommy and Daddy go to bed at 10pm (well...sometimes anyway.) We have tried teaching her some others like 2,3,4, etc. but so far, she has only really learned 7pm and 10pm, but that's OK! She's only 2! I'm just proud of her for trying!

Where is Daddy?!

(5-23-2012)

Lately Maddie has been getting up from her afternoon nap between 3:30-4pm. We then have a small snack and then head outside to wait for Daddy. Today as we were playing out front, we got to watch a marching band practicing at the middle school at the end of our street. She loved imitating the drummers. After they left, she enjoyed playing in the dirt and rocks, all the while checking to see if Daddy was coming yet. Finally he arrived and once he was parked, she raced down the drive to great him. I love seeing the joy on her face every time Daddy gets home from work!

The Switch-Up

(5-22-2012)

Usually, Daddy gets home from work around 4:45, we have dinner, play with Maddie, and then put her to bed around 7pm. Today I decided to switch things up a bit. We picked Daddy up from work (because he rode with Mr. Al this morning) and went downtown Naperville in search of a cupcake...per Maddie's request...kind of. We had dinner at Potbelly's, made a stop by the bank (long story), and then went to a hole in the wall bakery called Sugar Monkey Cupcakes. We let Maddie pick the cupcake and she chose the red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting and red sprinkles (no, she didn't know what flavor she was choosing, she just liked how it looked.) We then took it home and split it, three-way! While I wouldn't say it was anything fantastic, it was good and it was fun discovering a new place and having a fun evening out! Oh, and yay for no cooking for Mommy!

It's Puzzle Time!

(5-21-2012)

We had a busy morning, but before running our errands (all six of them!) we took the time to do a puzzle. Maddie loves this puzzle and she's getting much better at it. She still can't do it all by herself, but she is beginning to find the pieces on her own and she doesn't have as hard of a time putting the pieces together anymore. Yet another sign that she is growing up!

Creation

(5-20-2012)

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good..." ~ Genesis 1:31

I agree! I'm glad He allows us to enjoy His creations!

Fun with Paint

(5-19-2012)

I picked up this cute little heart stool/table from Goodwill about a month ago. It was only $2! I decided to paint it and put Maddie's footprints on it as a gift for my mom for Mother's Day. Yes, I know Mother's Day is technically over already, but we haven't been back to Indiana yet this month, so we just got around to the project today. I can't wait to see what she thinks!

IKEA!

(5-18-2012)

We have needed a new dining room table for a while now. A few of our chairs were starting to fall apart and the table was cracking down the middle. So, what better place to get a new table than Ikea! I love Ikea!

What Will You Do with the Seed?

(5-17-2012)

"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” ~ Matthew 13:18-23 

I love planting things and watching them grow. It is so exciting when you first see the sprouts popping through the soil. It's even more exciting when you have a bunch of starters and they begin popping through and you have no idea what they are! (We use those indoor starter kits and even though we make a legend of what we planted, we usually end up losing it.)

Seeing our new sprouts this week makes me think about the seed that is planted in each and every one of us, the Word of God. Each of us has a choice as to what we will do with the Word. Some of us will hear the Word but not be changed. Others may joyfully jump into the Word with their head but never fully accept or understand it in their hearts. Still others may hear the Word, believe and obey it for a time, but then because of the busyness of life, forget about it. 

We each have a choice when it comes to the Word of God. What will you do with it?

Love and Discipline

(5-16-2012)

"If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us." ~ 1 John 4:15-19 

As Maddie's mom, sometimes I feel like a failure. Why is that you may ask? Let me tell you why.


As a mother of a toddler, most days are awesome. Full of fun, love, giggles, kisses, etc. But other days, well, those days I would like to forget. You know what I'm talking about. The days where every little thing is a battle from getting dressed to going potty to eating. Everything. And when days start off like this, you know it's going to be a LONG day.


Well, we had one of those "long" days on Monday. For the most part, I think I handled it well, but afterward, I'm always thinking back and asking myself questions like, "Was I too hard on her?" "Should I have cut her some slack?" "Did I show her enough love?" "Did she learn anything productive from the way I handled things?" "Does she hate me?"


Of course I realize that Satan uses this line of attack to get under our skin, BUT I do think some of these questions are legitimate. Based on what we read in 1 John 4:15-19, we know that if we believe in Jesus, then we know the love of God and are to rely on it. And since we have the love of God, then we are to have no fear because "perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment." In other words, our love and obedience in Him should not be based on the fear of judgement or punishment, but rather because His love has made us complete and has been perfected in us.


You see, God's love for us is an agape (unconditional) love, meaning that nothing we do can separate us from His love. And because He shows us this kind of love, we, in turn, are told to "love [our] neighbor[s] as [ourselves]" (Matthew 22:39). And if we are supposed to love our neighbor as ourselves, shouldn't we show the ones we're closest to this same kind of love, even in the hard times?


So, you can probably see where I am going with this. I am a sinner. I have been forgiven and I have the love of Christ, but I still fail...even at loving my own family. Sometimes I overreact. Sometimes I'm quick to judge. Sometimes I'm selfish. Sometimes I simply don't get it. But I can rest assured that because Christ loves me, He will continue to work in me to perfect my love, so I can in turn show others His love.

I have no idea if this makes sense to anyone else, or if it just seems like pointless ramblings, but for me it's a lesson I don't take lightly. And when I am faced with challenges like the "horrible no good very bad" Monday that we had, I am thankful that God uses them as teaching moments. Oh, and that my daughter doesn't really hate me...least not yet :)

Cookies and Peacocks

(5-15-2012)

This morning we went to Phillips Park Zoo in Aurora, IL with Mrs. Sandy. It's not a very big zoo, but it's free and has some neat animals. Some of the animals include wolves, a llama, a pygmy goat, a mountain lion, some peacocks, an otter, bald eagles, a Red Tail hawk, a Blue & Yellow Macaw, elk, and some swans. I think Maddie's favorite were the peacocks. 

As we were leaving the zoo, I had to keep prodding Maddie along because she was eating a giant goldfish cookie and looking at the peacocks. At one point, she said to the peacock, "Hi Mr. Peacock, do you want a bite?" as she offered him her cookie (thankfully the dual gates kept him from receiving her gift.) I quickly exclaimed, "Maddie, we're not supposed to feed the animals! Don't give him your cookie!" because I was afraid her next trick would be to chuck it through the fencing. Instead, her reaction was quite different. She knelt down and continued talking to the peacock while "hiding" her cookie behind her back (notice the cookie behind her back in the pic above.) Maybe she thought he would be sad that he couldn't have a bite. Who knows. Either way, it was cute and made me smile.

"Manic Monday"

(5-14-2012)

Maddie woke up feeling much better this morning, thankfully. Since she was sick the past few days, she didn't get outside much. Therefore, the first thing she wanted to do this morning was go outside! Go figure. We settled for coloring with sidewalk chalk on the front porch while we waited for our friend, Mrs. Sandy, to arrive. Once she got here, we went for a walk. 

The rest of the day didn't go so well. Daddy left for Seattle this morning (work-related) and I'm not sure if it was that or if she was just still tired from being sick, but Maddie seemed to get grumpier as the day went on. In addition, she didn't take a nap because she chose to play in her bed. Needless to say, bedtime couldn't come soon enough. Oh well. These days happen. Thankfully not every day is like today. Despite the rough times, I will always love my little girl and I am thankful for all the time that we get to spend together.

Happy Mother's Day!

(5-13-2012)

Last night Maddie came down with a 101.1 fever. Later in the evening, it was 102.2. This morning she woke up with 103.8. She didn't have any other symptoms other than her fever, but she was super cuddly and tired. As a result, she slept most of the day. Her fever began falling toward the end of the day and we are expecting (and hoping) that she will be all better by tomorrow morning.

Despite being concerned about Maddie not feeling well, I did have a good Mother's Day. Daddy and Maddie got me a Keurig coffee maker and I was super excited about that! Maddie also got me a card that she colored herself. In addition, since she slept most of the day, I was able to work on various projects around the house and even take a nap. Later in the afternoon, we took a quick trip to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things, including chocolate chip cookie dough (I didn't feel like making homemade ones today.) To wrap it all up, tonight is the "Survivor" finale!

All in all, it was a pretty good day. Although we hope and pray that He will bless us with more kids, today reminded me how thankful and blessed we are with the sweet little girl that we have.

Smiles

(5-12-2012)

One of my favorite things is my daughter's big smile. It's contagious...at least in our house it is. Today Daddy was taking some pictures of Maddie and she wanted to hold "Fred," her green stuffed dinosaur. This picture is the result of one happy girl. It makes my heart happy!

Tunnel Time

(5-11-2012)

A few months ago, Matt bought Maddie this Disney Princess tunnel from Goodwill. She loves it so much that the first time she played with it, she accidentally went potty in her pants! Even though the "new-ness" of it has worn off, she still lights up when we get her tunnel out for her. I am thankful for awesome Goodwill deals and the little things that make my child smile.

It's Bubble Time!

(5-10-2012)

After lots of practicing, Madelyn has finally figured out the art of blowing bubbles! She used to barely blow at all, then sometimes it was too hard, but now, she's got it down. I'm so proud of her!

Maddie-saurus

(5-9-2012)

As I have mentioned before, Maddie is a HUGE fan of dinosaurs. Recently, my parents got her a book about a dino named Tinysaurus. Also in this book are Mommysaurus, Daddysaurus, Bigsissysaurus...you get the picture. 

Anyway, this morning at breakfast, Maddie asked me if she could have some raisins. After getting the box of raisins out of the cupboard, she then asked me if I would move my chair so it would make a hole. Confused, yet curious about where this was going, I obliged. She then proceeded to place 5-6 raisins in the "hole" which, which was the imprint from the chair leg. After she had finished, she said, "Look Mommy, the babysauruses are in their nest!"

I was quite shocked and touched at her ingenuity and imagination. I smiled and got a good laugh out of it, but at the time, my heart is just a tad bit sad because this is yet another sign of how she much she is growing up. I am thankful for these little glimpses into her imagination and creativity.

Motivation

(5-8-2012)

Lately we have had a hard time getting Madelyn to eat her dinner. Even if it is something she likes, she takes forever to eat it. Sometimes, she ends up sitting in her highchair until bedtime, or close to it anyways. Tonight, however, she ate dinner with no problem (avocado mac & cheese, corn off the cob, Italian cucumbers and tomatoes, and some BBQ chicken.) Normally, she wouldn't like any of these things, well maybe the chicken, but tonight we promised her we would go for a walk if she finished all her dinner. I think that's the fastest I have seen her eat her dinner in a long time! Needless to say, we went for a walk and as you can see, she was so excited, she was practically pulling us along the whole way.

It's What's for Lunch!

(5-7-2012)

One pancake. Two pieces of bread. Two slices of Swiss Cheese. Two slices of bacon. 1 strawberry. 1 turnip. 1 cookie with pink frosting and sprinkles. 1 glass of orange juice. 

In case you're wondering...no, this is not what we typically eat at our house...in one sitting anyway. However, after having Daddy home for a week (he worked from home last week), Madelyn was really missing him this morning. So, we called him and she told him she was going to make him lunch. After hanging up, she proceeded to gather the above-mentioned items and "made Daddy lunch." She even included a drink. When I asked her what was in the cup, she said, "Orange juice, because Daddy drinks orange juice." 

Needless to say, I took a picture and "emailed" Daddy his lunch. That didn't satisfy Maddie though. She was very saddened by the fact that Daddy wasn't going to actually "eat" his lunch. So what was the solution? We left it at Daddy's place at the table so he could eat it when he got home!

I love my daughter's innocence, creativity, and humble heart!

Thank You, Pinterest

(5-6-2012)

I got this idea to make a terrarium from Pinterest. I love perusing that site, looking for new and creative ideas for crafts, gifts, recipes, etc. Anyway, a few months back I came across a "How to Build a Terrarium" post and knew it was something I wanted to try. It may have taken me a few months, but I finally did it and I am loving it!

B-Dubs

(5-5-2012)

I honestly can't remember the first time I ate at Buffalo Wild Wings, but I think it was probably sometime in college. Since then, it has become one of my (well, mostly Matt's) favorite place to eat. He love their traditional wings and I love their Grilled Chicken Wrap with Sweet BBQ sauce. Yummy! Tonight we had some friends over to just sit and chat and we ordered "B-Dubs" to go. Personally, I like it better this way! 

1) It's much quieter and you can actually hear what everyone is saying.

2) You don't have to worry about tips!

3) The kiddos can get down and play whenever they're done.

Seems like a win-win to me. Oh, and you can't beat homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Mmm...what a fun night!

My Messy Little Eater

(5-4-2012)

I couldn't help but laugh after Madelyn finished her lunch today. She always has been, and probably always will be, a messy eater. She seems to think that salad dressing is a type of leave-in conditioner and any type of sauce (spaghetti, BBQ, ketchup, etc.) is make-up. While it's not always fun to clean up, I can't help but laugh at the countless pictures we have of Maddie and her messy face.

Spring Planting and Cleaning

(5-3-2012)

Since the weather was nice today (a steamy 84 degrees) we decided to plant some things in the pots we had. Matt and Maddie planted some peppers, tomatoes, onions, etc. and I re-potted a fern I was given (the love fern!) Afterward I spent some time cleaning out the entryway closet. It sure felt good to work...I mean really work, not just doing the day to day chores. I love watching new things grow and, equally, I love organizing and getting rid of clutter! I can't wait until some of the things Matt and Maddie planted start sprouting!

Coffee and Friends

(5-2-2012)

This morning Matt, Madelyn, and I went to a Grounds for Hope Cafe, which is a coffee shop/play area inside a local church. We met our friends M, B, and E there. It was great to be able to watch the kiddos play, enjoy good conversation, and of course, drink coffee. I'm thankful God gives us opportunities like this to slow down, enjoy life, and fellowship with those close to us.

Good Reads

(5-1-2012)

While we were home over the weekend, a good friend of mine gave me two good books to read. The first one was called "This Side of Heaven" by Karen Kingsbury and the second is the one pictured above ("and the Shofar Blew" by Francine Rivers.) I read the first one over the weekend and started the second one yesterday. Both were good books and I loved both for various reasons. I am thankful for good friends who make good book recommendations!