Memorable Moments with Miss Madderdoon

18 months has far and away been my favorite stage with Miss Madi.  Everything is so exciting and new to her and she is learning at lightening speed.  The hilarious things she says and new words she learns everyday make me smile.  Her enthusiasm for sparkly Christmas lights ("EEEWWW, AAAAH!") and decorations is contagious.  She can transform a new box of diapers into her choo-choo train and be wildly entertained for days.  When she cheerfully hollers, "OUT, MOM," in the morning from her cribby, I can smile and face the day no matter how little sleep we snatched that night.  She smiles and hugs me, busily gathering up all her treasures from her crib so that she can carry them downstairs.  We bounce down the stairs, giggling all the way, then begin our daily ritual by turning on the Christmas tree..."TA-DA," (Madi sings, raising her arms in delight..."SURPRISE") and kisses each of her Little People Nativity characters (THANK YOU, GRANDMA and GRANDPA).  Madi stomps around all day like she owns the joint.  She has big ideas and enjoys life to the fullest.  She and Hannah are my "little bosses" and I truly love them so much that slaving away to meet their every need is a pleasure.

Recent Madi Happenings:
Church with two tiny tots is a real bear (to put it very mildly).  Sacrament meeting is most often a proper disaster.  No matter how prepared we come (the diaper bag of wonders stocked with snacks, toys, crayons, books and treasures galore), "reverant" just doesn't seem to be within Madi's power.  A few Sundays ago, Sacrament meeting was underway and I was feeling hopeful that this might be one of those extremely rare and coveted weeks when we didn't have to excuse our rowdy selves and go walk the halls when, to my dismay, Madi AND Hannah tag-teamed Ma and Pa filling their diapers with a frightening and potent brew within 5 minutes of each other.  The whole family snuck out during a transition in speakers.  Matt waited outside the woman's restroom and handed me in the poopy baby then went to find a dumpster in the parking lot with the newly cleaned girly as I changed the next one.  I'll never forget the sad Sunday when Matt looked at me with literal tears of desparation forming in his eyes and whispered, "We're doing everything we can!  Why can't Heavenly Father help us?  Why are we even here?"  I felt heartbroken, frustrated and overwhelmed myself as I reminded him that we were demonstrating our obedience and showing Heavenly Father that we were on His side although it was impossible at the time to feel the spirit or even concentrate on the messages.

But on a lighter note--we are strategic about where we sit.  We try to trap Madi in a pew in the very back (the back row is nice because you aren't interrupting everyone to continually come in and out of the chapel but it offers way too much free running space).  One week, an ancient elderly couple quietly observed my in-and-out struggles with Monster Madi.  I was out in the foyer when Sacrament meeting got over and they slowly shuffled out.  The aged gentlemen came over to us, pointed his crooked finger at Madi and croaked, "That one there is a WILD little Indian!"  I contained my chuckle but loved his frank assessment (and blatant racism--only the very old generations can get away with that...but I could sooo see his point...Madi whooping and hollering like an Apache with her feather headress and stallion)..  His wife, who must have been 110 years old, scolded my precocious papoose and wheezed, "You be nice to your mother.  You're wearing her out!"  :)

But to Madi's surprising credit, we had a huge victory this past Sunday when we conquered the entire 3 hour block, a true Christmas miracle!  Madi shocked the heck out of me by LOVING nursery...stayed the entire 2 hours with no tears and no parental supervision (although I spent many minutes spying at her through the window in the door).  She loved the puzzles, watched the other children, played with toys, sat on her little chair, listened to the lesson, ate a snack, and made her mother soooo very proud!

I have come to really appreciate those whom, at the store, church, library or wherever we may be, choose to completely ignore my desparate struggles with Madi and turn a blind eye.  When members of my church congregation smile and pretent they weren't horribly disturbed during the meeting by my tots, I am so grateful.  I love when they don't even mention, "You sure have your hands full," which is a comment that means it is all too obvious that I am majorly struggling.  But inevitably there are those who want to offer their unsoliciated advice.  There is a strange little kindhearted door greeter in our ward who always welcomes you with a hearty, "Top o' the mornin' to ya!" in a false Irish accent.  He opened the door for Madi and I to exit the chapel before the sacrament was delivered since she was throwing everything I handed her to keep her quiet, kicking, and screaming.  He assured us that he would send the sacrament out to us, then came to commiserate.  We were bonding and he shared that he had 5 kids and always wanted to "beat the hell out of em' during church."  Maybe this is the new strategy we take up with Madi. :)

 In other, non-church-related news, Madi recently got another haircut.  Her long crazy curls would get so matted and snarly that she looked more dread-locked and fluffy than curly and cute so we needed a change. We had taken to calling her "Mabel"--her fluffy old grandma name.  So Marvelous Aunt Lindy gave her a nice short cut and now she's our "Little Nick"--a new, rascally witto boy identity she wears so well.  We call her Little Nicky, Nicholas (our witto Christmas elf) or Mickey now and then, too.

Several times a week, the girls and I will go on an evening drive in the van to pass some time while Dad is at work.  The dark winter hours drag on and on without a little adventure so we love getting out to look at the lights, run errands, etc.  We always take a loop around the beautiful Logan temple.  All lit up, it looks like a castle on a hill.  I sing, "I love to see the temple" and Madi ooohs and aaahs as we slowly cruise past.  During our last temple drive-by, I was feeling very creative and was creating new verses to the temple song.  I was singing, "I love my little Madi, she is so very nice" to the tune of "I love to see the temple."  I was hoping that the positive affirmations were brainwashing her into being a sweet and gentle creature.  She was listening carefully and stopped me dead in my tracks.  From her carseat she bellowed, "NOT NICE...MEAN!!!"  Then to put an exclamation on her heartfelt statement she added, "KICK!" and air-kicked as hard as she could.  I tried again singing about how nice Miss Madison is and each time she'd contradict me with a defiant, "NO, MEAN!"  I laughed my guts out and had to appreciate her honesty--she sure knows herself!

Miss Madi is fun, fun, fun!  She loves horsies, all her babies, Mikey and Minnie, stacking her blocks and making trains with them--placing a little dinosaur on each block, teasing Lily, helping me take care of Hannah, watching Caillou and her fun shows, reading, reading, reading, rides in the van, coloring and drawing, playing in the tub, wrestling and tickling with Dad, the library and a million other fun things.  She'll streak across the room at lightening speed to give a huge, tight hug and has become so kissy and loving.  She loves to play "sneak" with Mom--a game where we tiptoe, whisper, giggle, and sneak to find and scare some person, dog, or item (paci, blanket, toy, etc.).  That kid continually cracks me up and I just can't imagine life without her!

Snuggly Sister Bugs

Being so close in age sure has it's benefits--these sisters share "blanketies," pacifiers, Bobby nursing pillows and can even wear the same size diaper if we are really in a pickle.  

The observant eye will catch many details in this clip that give important insight into a day in the life of Miss Madderdoon.  First and foremost, how great is Mabel's grandma wig-looking fluffy hair?  And her mismatched stripey outfit?  Did you spot the Christmas tree high on the tabletop away from mischevious hands?  How about the coveted Little People Nativity on the couch layed out on a cookie sheet so that Madi can cart the entire scene around all day?  :)

New hair cut!  LOVE THAT LITTLE NICK.  She's wondering where all her fluffy curls are which she loves to stroke when she is sleepy.

Getting ready for an evening adventure to the library including a van ride to look for Christmas lights and a loop past the temple.

Love how they have identical expressions, pacis, and floppy ears.  Hannah good naturedly (as if she had a choice) shares her infant exersaucer, bouncy chair, swing and various other toys with her toddler sis who technically outgrew them months ago (but they look so fun when they come back out of storage for little sis).  

Ward Christmas Party.  Madi watched the line of kids take their turn on Santa's lap and processed it all.  When it was her turn, she wrapped her legs tightly around mine and I didn't think I was gonna be able to make the hand-off, but when Santa snatched her, she didn't squeal or scream.  No tears!  In this picture Santa is contemplating deeply whether Miss Madi has been naughty or nice...tricky, tricky...depends on the second....to be determined!

AAAAA!  Where's my baby?  Such a big girl!!!