Happy Birthday Lydia! Love, Your Sister

Madeline was more excited about Lydia's birthday than she was.  She sang Lydia Happy Birthday 20 times today.

I wish I could say that is why her voice is horse, but that would be the cough/fever combo she's been fighting. :(

Pickles

When Madeline was 8 months old she had her first pickle. Since then every time there are pickles she tells me she likes pickles. At Bread Company she always wants to take a bite. She has to have one at parties were pickle trays are involved. She insists that she likes pickles.

So earlier this week when Madeline spotted a jar of pickles in our refrigerator she insisted upon having one for a snack.

She had the exact same reaction this time that she does each and every time she eats a pickle.


Not so bad right?


Yeah, I like pickles. They are delicious.


Wait, did I say delicious? I meant tolerable.


Ok, so maybe tolerable is going a little far.


Why did you feed me this anyway?!

During all of those faces (oh how I love those faces!) Madeline continued to tell me how much she loves pickles. So I got out the video to capture her {love} of pickles.

Of course she changed her tune.



Man is that girlie a hoot.

mg

Yum... 2 suckers...

Madeline is almost three years old. This means she is infuriating one moment and has us rolling on the floor the next. Tonight was no exception.



As you can see, she figured out how to cross her eyes and make "2 suckers" out of one. She did this all on her own and by the time I got a video of it she had realized she was funny and it wasn't quite as natural as it was the very first time she did it. (She threw in the two hands line for the camera...) No matter, we about died laughing.

Did you?

mg

Funny little things

Madeline applies the weirdest inflections on words. 90% of the time she says mother but just the other day she started saying 'mudder' instead. My mom has a bunch of examples, because she finds it totally adorable. Not that I don't, I just don't have the brain space for that right now. Maybe in a few months...

Today, on the way to our local grocery establishment,* however I captured Madeline as she found her inner Carol Channing.




__________

*I have been in no way sponsored by this grocery store chain. It is just that her inner Carol is "Channeled"** when shopping here!

** How punny I mean funny am I?

mg

A post my mother will hate

Granny hates monkeys. I think she was scarred by the flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz. This is the cutest monkey I've ever seen though.

Warning: Don't turn your sound up too loud and I wouldn't suggest watching it at work.



Life is always exciting around here. Monkeys and all.

mg

Dr. Madeline

On our recent trip to Florida I thought it would be smart to have some new toys to help keep Madeline's attention on the airplane and for down time at the hotel. You can't take the whole play room and you can't always be out in the sun so I thought this was smart.

Madeline had shown some interest in Dr. stuff at play dates at other people's houses and a few weeks before we left on vacation she announced she was going to be a doctor. So we got her the classic Fisher-Price doctor kit for the trip. The first day she had it she played with it for an hour straight. There have been a few, very few, days she hasn't played with it since we got home from vacation.

I don't know that there is anyone who has come to visit who hasn't been "checked" by Madeline Opal Doctor (as she calls herself).

This video was taken on Monday or Tuesday (I think). She takes blood pressure very seriously.



As you can hear this time she wants to put the cuff on my elbow to make it feel better. Normally she tells us to be brave, that it will only hurt for a minute and gives us a shot. Her shots are some of the best I've ever had. She follows them up with cuddles, a kiss and a band aid. She has the best bedside manner of any doctor I've ever had.

I also have video of her proclaiming that she will be a doctor when she grows up... and those may or may not be played as she is determining her future as a teen.

mg

When the red red robin goes bob bob bobbin' along

I have mentioned before that several of my childhood "lullaby" songs are pretty grizzly in nature. But one of my favorites that I have passed on to Madeline is The Red Red Robin.

See:



In the end she was really just more interested in grilled cheese than singing. (and she decided she needed her entire collection of bows on her head this morning. I just went with it.)

But that is a legitimate song... Dean Martin sings it!

I know the post with my other, less tame songs is coming. I just have to get my 82 year old grandmother to sing them for you. Songs about bloody cowboys always sound sweet when she sings them. (and no, I am not kidding... we were actually sung songs about bloody cowboys.)

mg

Pigs fly

Three posts in one day. It is a blogger's feast.

This morning's dance party. Enjoy!



mg

Because I don't have enough to do already

If you haven't read the comments for the last post I suggest you do. It will explain this post and make you laugh. Go here to read them.

Molly is my mom. Bridget is my aunt; Molly's sister. They crack me up.

Without further ado, and because I don't have anything BETTER to do today...



The music in the back ground is my cousin Ryan's band, Rum Drum Ramblers... I have a clip of Maddy dancin' to the beats but that will wait for later... (Ryan is Bridget's son.)

For now Madeline and I are just hangin' at home today. The car is in the shop for a major service and b/c of weird electronic issues. (What is with our cars and electronic issues?) Anywho, I have a long list of chores I would like to get done today including finishing laundry, ironing (argh), cleaning the kitchen, and of course finishing lesson plans for tomorrow. And that is just the must do's not my optional list... that is much longer!

Off I go.

mg

Clucky

Madeline has started "clucking" in the past few weeks. This morning she woke up clucking and hasn't stopped. It is really hard to do with waffle in your mouth!

Enjoy this video of our little bushman!



(Sorry it is so dark. Again, it is taken with the pos Kodak point and shoot and it isn't very good.)

mg

Toddler Lesson #2

Ear plugs might be a good investment during the toddler stage.

We have a couple of different babies in our house. Sometimes we get the sweet cuddly quite baby. Sometimes we get the laughing rambunctious silly baby. Sometimes we get the sleepy and sweet baby. This is the baby I have this morning.



Madeline is saying "ahla, ahla," because that is what she calls our cat Olive. At least I know she is progressing with language development right?

Off to start my day with three Ibuprofen and a cold compress.

Bust a Move

We stopped in to my mom and dad's for a visit this evening and Kev played the piano for Madeline. Let's just say, Madeline is a huge fan. Video courtesy of Granny.

Just when I thought she couldn't get any cuter.

Happy hump day everyone!


mg

Dance-a

Even when confined by her high chair Madeline is quite the dancer.



Did you see how proud of herself she is?!?! Something about DMB brings out her inner Bob Fossie. (Or is it Martha Graham?)

Back online, for now.

Although my laptop is charged now, I know that at some point my mother is going to need her charger back. So until then I will be back in business.

I could use this to my advantage though... "If you want to see photos and videos of your grandbaby while you are working during the day you are just going to have to let me keep your charger. I promise not to let my cat eat it."




Hope you enjoyed a momentary giggle break. Now back to work you!

mg

Get out the safety gates

I got an e-mail from a very dear friend who's son is beginning to be mobile. She wanted to know if I had any quick baby proofing ideas, or tips on what to look out for when your babies start exploring their world.



As you can see, I don't know that I am going to be much help to her. I let my darling daughter wander after the cat, towards the un-gated stairs. If it makes anyone feel better, it looks a lot worse on film. She was still about a foot and a half from the top stair.

And isn't it cute how she whispers a question after the cat has disappeared into the basement. Like, "where did you go and why did you go without me?"

Yet another example of how utterly adorable our little girl is.

mg

Our Smartan (it's like a Spartan, only smarter!)

I think every parent thinks they have the smartest baby ever born. We, on the other hand, know we have the smartest baby ever born (on May 4th, at 9:49pm, at MoBap, who is a girl, named Madeline Opal and has us for parents)!!




Isn't she amazing?!

*Video taken with my Kodak that is a million years old.

mg