Madison & Mama

Playin' & Cleanin' that was our day!

Today was spent getting my house back in order and LOTS of one on one time with Miss Madison.  My sister came in the morning and took Makenzie to play with cousin Joshua for the day.  Oh I am SOOO thankful!  My house has been in disarray and hasn't been cleaned like I like it to be in about a month!!!  It totally stresses me out, big time.  So during Madison's two naps today I cranked out some major cleaning and when she was up we played.

This girl LOVED the one on one time.  No toys being ripped away from her or attention being taken from her.  Today was the most I have seen her smile or heard her laugh and babble to me!  She was just full of it.

While I was emptying the dishwasher I sat her on the floor next to me.  I gave her a couple Easter eggs and cups that were on the counter waiting to be put away.  Gosh, did she LOVE that.  Funny how it seems the biggest hits for kids aren't the toys you buy from the store!  Madison sat sorting these eggs for about a half hour, multiple times today!  The eggs with a missing half would go in the cup first, followed by the dark colored eggs and then the lighter colored eggs.  I was amazed watching her fill the cups up and dump them back out once they were full.  If the order wasn't right she would let out a scream and fish out the wrong egg or dump the cup over!  While she was doing this, she would fling the cup from her left hand to right hand as she would look around for the next egg to pick.  Each time she picked up an egg it was with her right hand while her left hand held the cup.  Silly little girl :-) 

Today was also the first day SHE played Peek-A-Boo with me!  One of the bowls I gave her to play with I "hid" behind and popped out.  She just giggled and took the bowl away from me and covered her face.  "Where's Madison!?!?!?"  And pop!  Out she pops just a laughing!!  Stinkin' cute!!!

During her afternoon nap I mopped the house, twice!!  Almost our whole house is wood flooring, which means when I am mopping it's a LOT.  And having to do it over again... grrrrr.  (I like carpet, carpet every where but kitchen and dining... vacuuming is so much easier... and cozier! There's my two cents!)  We have had some much dust from all the work Matt has been doing the first time I pretty much just smeared the dust around where the second time picked most of it up. 

It's amazing how much better I feel when my house is clean!!  And who couldn't be in a good mood after spending time with this little girl!!

Our Easter Blooper!

After Makenzie was over the Easter eggs we played "baseball"!  Boy, this didn't go so well!  It was Mama's turn up to bat.  Makenzie was out in front of me waiting and ready to "catch" the ball.  I swing and hit the ball that was waiting on the tee and watch the ball fly a straight line and it totally creams her right in the gut!  Great....  Unlike most players (that would throw themselves to the ground, roll around, scrunch up their face, then limp off field) Makenzie shook it off!  Atta girl!  Unfortunately after that we decided to nix the tee.  I threw the ball at her and guess what!?!?  :-)

Yes, it hit her, square in the eye!  That made her cry (no worries it wasn't a real baseball or softball).  Matt starts yelling saying 'you hit her you hit her!!'  'Come to Daddy!!'  And I am on the ground laughing.  Laughing hard!!!  So not the greatest mom moment to go down, but totally funny.  And what made it funnier is that all I could think of was my cousin who after 5 mins of playing outside with her two boys had to bring them crying back into the house because she nailed both of them with snowballs... one after another!  LOL, nothing was intentional... but maybe we shouldn't play ball with our kids anymore!?!?

Happy Easter!

What a beautiful spring day we had for Easter.  Sunshine all day with really warm temps!  That was just the icing on the cake!

Our day started finding Easter baskets on the table that the Easter Bunny had left!  

"Are you really going to let me at these!?  You know I can smell what's in here. "
"Hmmm.... no Madison!"

Us girls got into our Easter dresses and headed to church for the first Easter egg hunt of the day.  Not much compares to the perfect weather and seeing kids happily running around trying to find the next egg.  Then turning around waving the egg to show Mom & Dad.  All the girls are in little dresses... just cute!!!

Not so dainty Miss Makenzie!!  :-D

 

After church we headed to my Aunt's house for an Easter brunch, where Makenzie got to do another Easter egg hunt!  We cut it a little short and headed home so Madison could take a decent nap.  Sunday's are tough for her as she misses her morning nap and typically a feeding.  Poor girl missed her lunch on Easter because we were so off schedule!

Yes, it was SO bright out!!!

Since the weather was SOOO nice while Madison slept we played outside.  The eggs that we got from our church had different items and Bible verses in them telling the Easter story!!  Brilliant!

Get the Shaving Cream! And the Eggs!

At first glance you wouldn't think that this post is about dying Easter eggs, eh!?  :-)  Well it is!

 Add a little shaving cream to a couple plates,

Add food coloring and swirl around with a tooth pick.

Put your egg in and roll it around.

If you don't want smurf fingers, you better wear gloves!

Let them dry for a 15 + mins, then wipe them off!

D is for Dinosaurs!!

Today was a day that Makenzie had been waiting for!!  As we are going through learning the alphabet we decided that we would take Makenzie to see a dinosaur exhibit for a "D Activity".  I knew they were going on and wasn't sure if it was something she would be interested in or think they were scary. I showed her some pictures and asked and she was ALL about it.  It took a few weeks for us to get a date where Daddy could join us out there, so she had LOTS of waiting to do.

We did have to make a quick trip to Meijers and she got to ride the pony!!

We started the day picnicking in our car, surrounded by ducks, at a park.  Makenzie, Madison and I nestled in the back seat!  The ducks totally knew we were eating and had food!!  I was really scared to get back out of the car to get to the front seat but also didn't want to get stuck trying to get back into the drivers seat :-)  We sat there about a half hour while I ate my lunch and fed Madison.  Makenzie was WAY too distracted and took just a few bites out of her sandwich.

Then we were off to the museum!!  I typically always look up directions before I go but figured I had a smart phone and would TRUST that.  M.I.S.T.A.K.E.  Big mistake.  I saw signs for the museum but figured that my phone had a better route.  Ya, no.  We took an annoying half hour detour through nasty traffic.  Thankfully the girls snoozed while my temper rose.

We headed in, wedged the double stroller in and out of the bathroom and we were ready to go!  As I was collecting myself I caught Makenzie covering her ears, then Madison covered her face with her blanket... I turned to see a growling dinosaur next to us!!  Haha!!!

Miss Madison learning to stand! 

Getting brave!  One hand off!

She looks so big!!  :-(

After about an hour Daddy showed up to join us!

Again, covering her ears while going by the Dinosaurs!

By 5 o'clock our feet were tired and tummy's were growling.  Time to go.  Matt told me to follow him out and that boy left me high and dry in the nasty traffic!!!!  Matthew Charles!!!!  I got on the 4 lane highway to see it was bumper to bumper and I needed all the way across.  I got across a little too late then had to go back across for the next exit.  Argh!!  Lesson #2 & #3 for the day.... Don't trust Matthew with directions & leave BEFORE rush hour!

On to dinner at the Outback, we got our Bloomin' Onion and I happily stuffed my face.  Dinner was a little wild.  Makenzie was never facing the right direction, our table was completely covered with everything and Madison is loud!  She happily screeched on and off through dinner.  High pitched, ear piercing screeches that I'm sure the old folks behind her had to crank their hearing aids down!  I remember being at this point when Makenzie was a baby... you can't take her out because she is too loud and too little to understand what "SHHH" means.

Now the girls are in bed and Matt and I are exhausted!!!  Nighty night!

Little Discoveries

This spring has started with a bit of nervousness over these "new" bugs that are awakening after their winter's nap.  Last summer Makenzie wasn't bothered by many bugs, she didn't necessarily want to hold them, but she was interested in watching them.  This year something flies by her or she sees a pile of ants and she gets all wound up.  

On our way up from the mailbox a few days ago, we saw a caterpillar crossing the driveway.  I picked it up and showed her how it tickled my hand as it walked across.  We found it's eyes, found it's feet, watched it curl into a ball and then unwind.  After lots of watching, she finally got brave and decided to let the caterpillar walk onto her hand.  

He got plopped into a bug box and stayed the night.

Then next day she pulled her "yittle dude" out and they danced!!

.......They went for a bike ride!!

...................They went for a cruise in the cozy coupe!!

.......................................They stretched out to see how long they were!!

They were best buds!

Then we found a worm.  This mama (who wants nothing to do with worms) saw a worm pop out of the ground next to me where I quickly (and believe me NOT THINKING) grabbed it to add to the bug box!  

Once they were both in Makenzie says "I thing I should put them around my neck to carry dem.  Dat would be a good idea!!"

She had to stop every once in awhile to take a peek to make sure all was well :-)  A good Mama, right!?

I had so much fun watching her with these little discoveries.  She ask so many questions and just soaks it ALL up.  

Thankfully, no bugs were seriously injured ;-)  They both crawled away... probably happily!!!