Super-size me

Madeline and I ran some errands on Friday (Oct. 3). Normally I pack a little snack and her cup just in case. 99% of the time she isn't hungry and could care less about her water. But not on Friday. Friday she was totally parched. Her mouth was a virtual desert with no moisture in sight. She was so hungry she was in pain. (or at least you would think so based on her whines.)

I had forgotten her cup.

Her insistence that she was going to collapse with thirst unless she got water immediately was so bad that I thought about just buying her a new cup at Target, but that would mean an extra stop. So after almost 40 minutes of her asking for her "ah-ta" or water, I caved.

No, that is not a soda or a lemonade or any other one of the high fructose corn syrup laced drinks from the above fast food giant. It was before nap time, do you think I am totally crazy? There is nothing but water and ice in that cup. I felt really silly ordering a cup of ice and a bottle of water. But I really didn't want a Coney, or tater puffys, or deep fried anything. So why this resturant? Well, as crazy as this is going to sound... I love their ice.

I am a little obsessed with ice in my water. I can drink 64 oz. of water a day no problem as long as it is freezing cold with a ton of ice. (I dream of an automatic ice maker some day!) So what makes this particular establishment's ice so good? It is tiny. So there are like a million and a half little pea sized nuggets of frozen goodness in each cup. And because there are so many the water is freezing AND the ice doesn't melt very quickly. It just floats around and is wonderful hours later. It is ice water heaven. I am telling you, it is the little things in life.

This is the image that I got though. Isn't it hilarious. That cup is as big as her head! We sat in the parking lot, with that cup on her lap, just slurping away. I had a few mommies in their fancy mini-vans give me the look. You know, the "oh my goodness, she letting her baby drink that huge Coke?!?!?" look. I finally had to cut her off so we could drive home to avoid stares and the entire ride home, "ah-ta, ah-ta, ah-ta." So at home she drank to her hearts content.

That is until she desperately needed a new dipe.

mg

Its been a big day...*

Before I head to bed I have to post. I. HAVE. TO! If toilet talk bothers you, look away.

Two weeks ago we bought a child sized toilet seat that sits on top of the regular seat. We have been letting Madeline sit on it before or after bath time. I totally know she is only 17 months old and it is pretty early to start all this but my thought is that I have introduced it to her so she can be comfortable with it even before she starts really using it. We have been talking about the toilet and that is where pee and poop go. Just to start, to begin, to sort of, kind of, maybe, get her halfway ready.

But tonight, oh tonight, I sat her on the seat and started her bath. She said, as she has said many times when sitting on the seat, "pee" and pointed to the bowl. This time she said it two more times and kind of looked at me funny and then it happened. She went to the bathroom on the toilet!!!!

I won't bore you with any more nity grity, but there were high fives and fist pumps all around. I know we have years of work ahead of us, but this is just a tiny glimpse into what life could be. A life without diapers will be a wonderful thing.

* alternate post title: My First... pee on the toilet!!!

mg

"more help?"

Madeline and Kevin are playing with Legos in her bedroom. I am trying to complete my school work (see post below) but I am distracted by how awesome my family is and had to post.


Madeline just walked up to Kevin with some Legos (she can take them apart but doesn't have the fine motor skills to put them back together just yet) and asked him very sweetly, "more help?" Oh, my heart just melts. Kevin smiled at her, said "of course I will give you more help", and then gave her a hug. That was her first two words strung together and it couldn't have been sweeter. I just love these moments in our family. I just love my family.

mg

Moving Day

My brother in law moved today. We are all exhausted. Maybe I'll post more tomorrow... that is if I can squeeze it between my school work. I only have two exams to write, about 75 assignments to grade and two lesson plans to complete. Argh.

Now I feel really tired. How about a comment to make my day brighter?

mg

A day at the Zoo

On Wednesday we took advantage of the glorious weather and spent the entire morning at the St. Louis Zoo with Anna and Maddie. Everyday the zoo is open the children's zoo is free the first hour. So from 9-10am you can get into the children's zoo for free. We had never been in that part of the zoo so we checked it out and it was pretty cool. It will be better when Madeline is a little older I think. The play equipment is really ment for larger kids and there were too many big kids for us to let the girls play on it without worry, but we did get some good photos.

Madeline is as tall as a Koala bear!

Maddy joined in the fun.

The girls giving loves to each other. Although it kinda looks like my Madeline is attacking the other Madeline doesn't it. (Anna, do you have a better photo where it doesn't look like my daughter is mauling yours?)

The Children's zoo has goats that you can go pet. Because they don't let visitors feed them they are non-agressive.

My conversation with the docent went something like this*:
Docent: Because we don't feed the goats in the pen they are non-aggressive.
Me: Like the goats at...
she cuts me off
Docent: We just say they are non aggressive.
Me: Right, unlike the goats at...
she cuts me off again
Docent: YOU might say that.

*If this didn't make sense to you I explained it at the bottom of the post.

She was totally right. They were the most laid back group of goats ever.

Maddie being adventurous! Although I think maybe her mommy wanted her to keep her hands to herself. Goats are kinda icky.

Madeline wanted to sit on the bench as soon as she saw the goat

"So, how is your day going?"

Maddy and Maddie hanging with the Daddy Giraffe. This was near the end of our visit and the girls were a bit restless.

Can you see that Giraffe's tongue? Click on the photo, really. It is quite impressive.

Madeline, being watched by the chimps. Don't tell Granny.

*If you aren't from StL or have never been to Grant's Farm here in StL then this conversation makes no sense to you. They have goats at Grant's Farm that you can pay to feed and because of that, when you walk into the pen they swarm you like a group of bees. They also chew on your clothes and eat your shoe laces. Unless you like that kind of thing, I don't suggest it.

mg

Thank you Sarah Palin

and Joe Biden too, of course. Because of you all classes at FU were canceled for the next two days. The VP debate is happening tonight at our neighbor WashU's campus and streets will be closed in a ridiculous ratios around the campus.

So Madeline's day care is paid for and I still had my morning class so what does that mean? I got a massive amount of stuff done!!


That is just the front side of my list. If you click on it you can see how many things I have crossed off.

I have

• cleaned the sheets on our bed and all of the towels in the house
• put away all the clean dishes and reloaded the dishwasher
• taken out the recycling and the trash
• cleaned the kitchen counters
• cleaned off the dining room table (no small feet)
• put away all of the laundry (like three weeks worth of clean laundry for me...argh)
• dusted the entire house
  
• reorganized all of Madeline's toys, including moving them around and putting some in the basement
• cleaned the bathroom
• swiffered all the hardwood/tile floors (so the whole house)
• then I got on my hands and knees and cleaned the living/dining room floor!!!!!!!! Oh, my grandmother would be so proud. (according to her it isn't clean unless you are on your hands and knees.)
• then I mopped the kitchen floor

Now all that is left for today is to make the bed (which I will wait for Kevin to do, b/c it is easier with two people) and hang our fall wreath on the door. Tomorrow I want to tackle the basement or maybe the office. Both are horrifying. Truly. At any moment I might get lost in a paperwork avalanche in the office. Totally not kidding.

I havn't been this productive since before Madeline was born. I am exausted.

mg

play-dough, a toilet and a tower

I said that my posts were going to be a bit random. This one is no exception. Actually, I think this is the exemplar. Anywho, enjoy the randomness.

Play-dough

On Monday I made some no cook salt dough (play dough) for Madeline. It is super easy and keeps in the fridge for at least a few weeks.

2c. all purpose flour
1c. salt
2T. veg. oil
2/3 c water
food coloring if desired

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately then mix the two together. This makes a TON of dough so I generally halve (or quarter) the dry ingredients and then add a dash of oil and water. I don't measure the water I just start out with a very small amount and mix in tablespoons at a time until I have the dough to the right consistency. Tip: If you put the food coloring in the water first, you end up with a more consistent color in the dough and much less mess.

September 29- Madeline playing with her dough. I didn't color it this time. (Honestly, the food coloring is down stairs in the basement pantry and I was too lazy to go get it.) I gave her a spoon, a spatula and some cookie cutters. She didn't quite get the cookie cutters, but enjoyed making marks with the spoon.

Although the dough is totally non-toxic and is made of edible products I kept reminding her that we don't eat it. She still didn't listen.

What is funny about this photo is that it looks like she is totally losing it. She was in fact NOT crying. She had ignored my urging her not to eat the dough and she wasn't thrilled with how salty the dough was. She wouldn't take a drink either. She just sat there with this look on her face drooling like a rabid dog. It was totally hilarious. (for me, not so much for her of course...) She didn't eat any more of it after that.

A Toilet

Madeline loves her swiffer. She has taken to carrying it around the house with her. She swiffers evreything; the floor, the cat, her highchair... and on this day she was helping mommy clean the bathroom. So she swiffered the toilet.

September 27
Do you see the beautiful new bathroom floors?!!? Someday I will post the 'finished' bathroom photos. It is almost there!

Madeline got this shirt from her cousins, Mia and Mazlin. It could not be more accurate for the phase Madeline has entered lately. It really is her way or the highway.

A Tower

Kevin was building towers out of blocks last Wednesday and Madeline would wait until he was almost finished before knocking them over, and giggling with glee. For Madeline it was a game. For Kevin it was an exercise in frustration. Eventually Madeline lost interest and Kevin built the most magnificent tower ever.

September 27- It stood for at least two hours, while Madeline napped, then she promptly knocked it down.

I think I am caught up. I hope you enjoyed some randomness!

mg