Madelyn Ruth @ 3.5 Years

Next week our Mads will cross the 3.5 year mark. 

This picture pretty much sums up her personality for me. 

•  Maddie is kind, thoughtful, sticky sweet ("Mom, do you know who I love more than anyone else in the WHOLE WORLD?...YOU!..and Isaac and Davy and Papa..."), feisty, demanding, fiercely independent, determined, and unpredictable. 
• She loves to help out unless it involves cleaning up toys.
• She is as friendly as she was 3 years ago and makes new friends anytime we go out in public.
• She loves to eat just about any fruit, candy, carbs, carbs, carbs, and carrot sticks. She rarely eats anything I make for dinner without a lot of coercion. 
• Like most three-year-old girls she also loves princesses and Rapunzel is her favorite. She wears her Rapunzel dress just about everyday. 
• Her favorite colors are pink and purple and I overheard her tell Isaac that she would be happy if the whole world were pink.

She loves her brothers and loves to fight with them, too. You wouldn't believe how fast she can turn on the water works in an attempt to get her way.

• Maddie is my little sidekick. This past semester I was called to team teach an institute class downtown and she and Davis come with me while Ike is at school  Maddie insists on wearing a dress and tights, too, because I am required to dress up. 
•  She loves school and has recently shown a growing interest in learning how to read. I have been doing lessons with her in the same book I used with Isaac. We are about halfway done with the lessons and I am really proud of how far she has come--it's hard work learning to read (you'll have to turn the volume all the way up if you watch the video--it's a little muffled).

• She insists on picking out all of her own outfits and I usually let her have full reign in that department...even if it means snow boots in the summer or socks on top of her tights. I do, however, make her get dressed if we are going out. She loves loves loves her pjs so this is often a battle with us. Just yesterday, in fact, though I reminded her several times that she needed to get dressed, she wasn't ready when it was time to go. So I made her leave the house in her underpants. She was not happy but she was ready with clothes on in plenty of time this morning =)
• She is still small for her age. In fact, she and Davis currently wear the same size footsie pajamas (2T).

Making a paper countdown chain for Christmas.

Just this morning I had the following conversation with her:

Maddie: "When I am thirteen I am going to be a mama, too!"

Me: "Uhhh...or maybe when you're twenty-three...or even thirty?"

Maddie: "Yeah, or twenty-eighty!"

Me: "Sounds good to me."

She is constantly cracking me up and putting a smile on my face. I will continue to record the funny things that come out of her mouth for as long as she continues to say them!

From the Mouth of My Babe

Three Little Monkeys...

We decorated our Christmas tree last night. As you can imagine, the excitement level was pretty high. The following statements were uttered:

• "Santa will LOVE our tree!" (Maddie said this at least 2 dozen times)
• "This is the best Christmas tree EVER!" (Isaac)
• "It is so beautiful!" (Maddie)
• "I wish I could talk to Santa." (Isaac)

Thanksgiving Highlights 2011

 We were able to spend this Thanksgiving with both friends and family. I am so so lucky to have my sister and her family an hour away from ours, and our friends the Pluids are just a few hours south of us, so they came  up for a few days to celebrate the holiday.

Jackson and Davis. A mix between a hug and a choke hold. These two were fascinated with one another.

My brother-in-law Jeremy is a pilot, so of course he needs a blow-up Santa flying a helicopter. 

Here Brooke is getting lost in These are Special Times: Celine Dion Christmas with the PeeWee. She and Jer were very gracious hosts and the turkey was nothing short of perfection.

I decided it was high time I tackle my decade-long fear of homemade pie crusts. I finally had success and now I'll never go back to the store-bought variety. 

Anything goes on Thanksgiving day around here.

Kelly was a super-friend and tackled Black Friday with me. I never could have got all the screaming deals without her (or my TGI Black Friday app) . Finding a bargain on Black Friday is seriously like a drug. And I'm addicted. It was so fun to hang out just the two of us, even if it was in the late hours of the night!

On Friday we took our kids to the submarine museum in Groton. It was totally worth the hour drive. We were able to tour the very first nuclear powered submarine. I learned that I don't want to live in the claustrophobic atmosphere of an underwater ship. I never knew bunk beds could be so close to each other. 

It was hard to capture in a phone photo just how small and confined everything was.

The biggest hit of the museum (aside from all the control panel buttons that they were allowed to play with to their hearts' content) was this hand-held audio tour guide. Each person was given one so we could listen at our own pace. The kids were in heaven. 

Thanks so much to Brooke and Jeremy for having us over for Thanksgiving--the kids always love to spend time at your house. And thanks to the Pluids for making the trek north to visit us! The kids had a ball getting reacquainted with their friends. Last night Isaac commented to me, "Saying goodbye to Chase was just sad for the whole family." Don't worry, Ike, I'm sure it won't be long before you can say hello again.

Thankful for:

Ryan is thankful for:

• Cinnabon cereal
• my beautiful wife and the time she spends on our family blog
• my kids
• ESPN 3
• Diet Dr. Pepper

Sara is thankful for:

• making pies with my sister and mama. Tears were shed when she left today but thanks to my baby sister's engagement (whoot-whoot!) we will all be together in Utah early next year. February in Utah never sounded so sweet.
• Modern Family and Up all Night. Two most hilarious sitcoms on TV.
• my super-awesome better half and the fact that he'll participate in blogs like this even though he'd rather just watch ESPN 3 on the one night he came home early this week.
• my 3 fun kids and all they teach me about life.
• Picnik.com. My sister recently introduced me to this gem of a photo-editing website. It's photo editing for people who don't know how to edit photos. Helps me make my mediocre photos look a little less mediocre. I am loving experimenting with all the cool effects. My only problem is that now I have the uncontrollable urge to edit every photo I've ever posted on this blog.

 Isaac is thankful for:

• Maddie
• popsicles
• race cars
• Lightning McQueen

Maddie is thankful for:

• princesses
• lollipops
• treats
• all my family

I

If Davis knew what gratitude meant, I think he would say he's thankful for:

• Yo Gabba Gabba (Finally! TV will entertain him!)
• shoes
• books ("po favo, weed a book, mom?")
• yogurt and applesauce
• high fives and hugs ("a hug, a hug" he will say multiple times a day with his arms outstretched)
• cars, tractors, airplanes, and trains.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Grandma Maddie in CT

Blowing bubbles in the backyard with Grandma.

Mom and I in front of the Revolutionary War Memorial at Yale. The kids are having a hard time grasping the fact that she headed north to Springfield to stay with Brookie tonight. Luckily we get to spend Wednesday with her before she heads home to Utah.

Maddie and Gram Maddie at Yale. "I love my Grandma because we are twins" she said tonight.

Pretty sure Ike was fulfilling a dream in this moment as he drove the monster truck.

He thinks he's the bomb dizzle right about now.

"You've got the kids, right?" she said  "I'll be back after I play a couple of games." 

Giddy-Up!

Recent Random Videos (Mostly of Davis)

At the end of this video you will see just how far Davis is willing to go to be like his sister.


What happens when Davis and too much bath water combine.


D's rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"

Even More

Grandma Maddie got into town tonight and we are all so excited to spend a few days with her. Maddie's comment at dinner pretty much sums up her feelings. She leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Mama, I love you, but I love Grandma even more." Can't say I blame you, little one. What's not to love?

From the Mouth of My Babe

Maddie riding her trike on the trail near our home. "Look Ma, no hands!"

Maddie has been cracking me up lately. Sometimes I am shocked by the big things that come out of her little mouth. Just the other day a friend dropped off some cupcakes at our house after they celebrated their son's birthday. The kids were stoked with the unexpected treat. As my friend walked down our driveway to her car, Maddie watched her thoughtfully and replied, "She is so special."
Then just this afternoon she followed me upstairs when I was putting Davis down for a nap. "Isn't our baby wonderful?" she gushed.

A Current Favorite Photo

Daredevil Davis. My current motto is: If you can't tame them, at least snap pictures of them.

From the Mouth of My Babe

Maddie and her friend, Lillie, pulling their wagons at the local apple orchard a couple of months ago. Photo credit to Kami Brown.

At least once a day Maddie tells me that I'm "a super-duper chef!" (she rarely eats anything I make willingly), and yesterday she exclaimed, "This is the most beautiful place I ever did see!" (we were walking through a parking garage). I guess a little optimism never hurt anybody.

Siblings Without Rivalry

A few weeks ago my sister, Allie, told me about a book she was reading, Siblings Without Rivalry, by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. It sounded interesting, but my initial reaction was, "Oh, my kids get along fine. I don't need to read a book like that. Clearly I'm doing something right since they play together fairly well." But one thing that she said stuck out in my mind and ultimately led me to put the book on hold at the local library, "It gives you ideas of how to help your kids get along and resolve conflict, and it's not what you think." She was right. Most of the ideas and suggestions presented in the book make complete sense, but it's not how I've been parenting my children. Overall, I have a lot of changing to do. Here are some notes that I wanted to make more for myself (and Ryan, since, as I mentioned to him, I can't wait to sit down and school him on everything he's doing wrong with our children {wink, wink}) than for anyone else, so I can look back and be reminded of the things I read. I would recommend this book to anyone who has more than one child. Heck, I would even recommend this book to my sister, Brooke (who is expecting her first baby---yippeee!). It might give her some ideas on how to help her pup get along with the new addition, just in case he has trouble adjusting. ;)

Notes

• Instead of dismissing negative feelings about their sibling, acknowledge them ("You sound really angry that your brother took your favorite toy...").
• Stop hurtful behavior and show how to discharge angry feelings safely ("Hands are not for hitting! Tell your sister how you feel with words, not fists.")
• Resist the urge to compare!! Avoid unfavorable comparisons ("Why can't you be more thoughtful like your brother?") and favorable comparisons ("I wish your brother had your study habits, he can't concentrate nearly as well as you can..."). 
• Instead describe what you see, feel, and what needs to be done  ("I see a messy toy room. That bothers me. The toys need to be picked up before we can play outside."). The same can be done instead of favorable comparisons ("I see you picked up your toys! Good job! I like having an orderly home.")
• Children DO NOT need to be treated equally. They are individual people with individual needs. Equal is actually less. Instead of claiming equal love, show each child that they are loved uniquely. Do the same in terms of time--give it according to each child's needs at that given moment.
• Don't label children (Instead of "Did you take your brother's toy again? Why are you always so mean?" say "Your brother wants his toy back."). Don't pigeon hole siblings in roles either ("She is our musician and he is our athlete.") Each child can play multiple roles, regardless of their siblings' abilities or talents.
• Attend to the hurt child without attacking the attacker ("Are you ok? Davis needs to learn to use his words and not hit to get what he wants.")
• When children are fighting (and not in danger of hurting one another), 1) Acknowledge anger, 2) listen to each side, 3) Show respect for difficulty of the problem, 4) Express confidence in their ability to resolve problem together, and 5) Leave them alone to resolve it. 
• When intervention is needed, give support without taking sides ("I see you are both frustrated because you want to play with the same toy."); State each child's case to make sure you understand their conflict ("Isaac, you would like to use the house so you can put your cars in the garage, and Maddie, you want to use the house to have a place for your dolls to live, right?"); state the value or rule ("Grandma gave Maddie that house for her birthday so it belongs to her"); leave the doorway open for negotiation ("But Maddie, if  you want, you can work something out with Isaac, it's up to you."); and leave the room, allowing them to work the problem out themselves.
• Avoid talking about their siblings when you have alone time with a child.

Faber and Mazlish have also written another book together, How to Talk so Kids will Listen and Listen so Kids will Talk. It's on my list of books-to-read, so hopefully I get to it soon.

From the Mouth of My Babe

Neil and Allie with the kids on Yale's campus the day they headed back west (sniffle, sniffle). 
Aren't the leaves gorgeous behind them?

Whenever Davis says his own name, instead of coming out "Davis" it sounds just like "Beavis." Juvenile as it is, it cracks me up every time.

"Beavis! Beavis! Beavis!"

A Weekend in Boston

I am quite certain that I like food more than most people. A lot more. Whenever I go on vacation, the most pertinent question I continually ask myself (and all those who happen to be traveling with me) is "Where are we going to eat next?"

My sister and her husband have been in town for the past week and I had a last-minute opportunity to join them in Boston for a couple of days when a conference of Ryan's was canceled. He held down the fort and I headed north to Bean Town with Allie and Neil. We were able to see tons of historical sites, walk the freedom trail, and eat, eat, eat--Italian and seafood in Little Italy, clam chowder, pastries aplenty, and even Greek. My only regret was not enough stomach space for some gelato (though Ryan reminds me all the time that true gelato can only be found in Italy. In his words, "It's mind-blowing it's so delicious." Someday...someday...).

Since I'm all but certain that the D-Man threw my camera in the trash can, these camera-phone pics are as good as it's going to get on this blog for now.

My favorite fall tree in New England so far. The multi-colored ivy outside Paul Revere's home was gorgeous. 

"Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere..."
Neil and I in front of the Old North Church, where the lanterns were hung that historical night.

Allie and I with the father of our country behind us in the Boston Common.

We did a taste test to find out which of the two rival bakeries had the best pastries in Little Italy: Modern or Mike's. Mike's Pastries has better cannoli. 

Modern, though their window display needs a major makeover, had quite possibly the best dessert I have EVER eaten in my life. If you are ever in Little Italy, please do yourself a favor and order a lobster tail from Modern pastry. You will die of happiness.

Allie and I at the Granary burial ground, where both Samuel Adams and Mother Goose were laid to rest. 

Neil next to Paul Revere's grave. This history buff was on cloud nine in Boston.

"Norm!"

Allie warming up to the symbol of the Democratic Party.

These family benches in the Old North Church are a dream come true. What an awesome way to contain the children, huh? I could definitely use one of these to corral my kiddos during church.

The view from the top of the Bunker Hill Monument. It was 294 steps to the top and the view was awesome. The cramps in my legs once we got to the bottom...not so much.

Allie and Neil in front of the U.S.S. Constitution (a.k.a "Old Ironsides") at sunset. It was the first warship in the United States and the oldest still-functioning warship in the world.

Thanks so much for letting me tag along, Allie and Neil! And thank you Ry-Ry for encouraging me to go. I must say that my favorite part of the trip (aside from the lobster tail pastry) was laughing myself silly with my sister. It had been almost a year since we had seen each other and it was so much fun to have a couple of days together.
Most memorable moments were:

• Allie falling out of the shuttle
• When some fellow tourists thought we were locals and asked us for directions---the blind leading the blind.
• Me getting caught snarfing the rest of the pastries when I thought A and N were at the gym.
• Allie falling out of the shuttle. 
• Surviving driving in Boston---if I can drive there, I can drive ANYWHERE in the United States.
• Allie falling out of the shuttle.

Halloween

This year's costumes included:

A Superhero. At the last minute Isaac told me he wanted to be a super hero, not Lightning McQueen like last year (wha?) Luckily a friend had a spare Captain America costume that she graciously gave to Ike. He was overjoyed.

A Chicken who is currently so obsessed with winter boots that it is the first thing he asks about every morning ("Botas, mama!?! Botas!?!?!").

And a princess. Here is Rapunzel, laughing at the crazy chicken. 

Our trunk-or-treat was cancelled because of a crazy snow storm, so we did a Halloween candy search and ate chili at our house instead. 

On Halloween night we met up with some friends and tried most of the night to keep up with our kids while on their quest for candy. East coast trick-or-treating can't be beat---all the houses are extremely close together and no one has long driveways or walkways, so that equates to a lot of houses in a short amount of time. Ike and Maddie just kept go-go-going until their buckets were pretty close to overflowing, at which point Isaac exclaimed that he was "out of energy." We called for back-up and Ryan and Davis (who had headed back to our friends' home earlier with the younger crowd)  came and saved us from anymore walking. It was a great night and now we are all in desperate need of a chocolate detox.