The Lily Pad

In the deep down pit of my stomach I feel like something is off. I am so unprepared for my trip tomorrow, unable to make basic decisions, unable to formulate a plan of action, unable to pack with any direction. I usually think about and plan trips for weeks before they happen, this one has kind of snuck up on me. I am second guessing every decision I have made, stressing about making my connection and then I really don't want to be away from Chris. I have everything I need ready to go...kind of so I guess I'll just go with what I've got and make it work. I'm usually so easy going about travel because I think it's silly to stress about it when you can buy what you forget at your destination...but for some reason I just can't wrap my head around the basics this time. I have a house to clean before I leave, a car to fill with gas and I still have to make sure everything is packed as it should be. I'm so excited to go and see our family and for them all to ...

Here is a glimpse into our lives. No, these pictures weren't all taken today and I do usually dress my daughter, but sometimes I fear for my sanity if there are clothes involved. This is one of 5 hats that she has to wear 75% of the time. Sometimes we have to take 2 or 3 hats with us in the car in case her tastes change mid-ride She loves to grab the camera and say "Cheese!" I love this picture because you can see how much her hair loved our little bit of humidity today...there were curls everywhere! Then she had to set up baby "melmo" for his morning feeding from big "melmo". There is just something so wrong about this. If I move baby "melmo" I get told "no" and she fusses at me in her Madelyn jabber and corrects the situation. Yay for markers! Did you know that after a point washable markers aren't so washable? Oh, and that biting the tips off of them results in blue teeth? This is how naptime starts every day. She was...

Madelyn has an Elmo Live, the big one that tells stories and laughs and asks you pick him up if he falls down, she also has a small chattery Elmo that says something everytime you move him. Lately "baby melmo" has needed to be nursed by "big melmo" as she props the baby against the other Elmos chest and says "num num num" and then she covers "baby" up with a dishcloth. I can't decide if this is incredibly cute or disturbing. But I do know that when I walk into the kitchen after she's in bed and the only thing in the floor is a couple of Elmo dolls it is very very creepy and I might have to throw a towel over them so that Elmo doesn't start walking around and follow me back to bed.

Today has been a fairly good day, for a Monday. I beat Bonnie in our weigh in today. Actually, I kicked Bonnies butt in our weigh in today. So that feels really good, hopefully I don't undo it all with my cockiness and the cookies and cream candy bar I ate tonight. Tonight I went to L.I.N.K.S mentor training and I had the most amazing time. I felt like I was in my element. I reconnected with a board member I worked with at the ASYMCA when we were here previously and in the small group I really felt like my personality came out. I can't tell you how long it's been since I have felt like myself in a group setting. I have been shying away recently and then I kick myself for being such a freaking weirdo. I don't know what it is, but I feel it peeling away and I'm pretty sure I'm going to love being a mentor. Thursday we have to give mini-presentations and then I'll see if I'm really cut out to help educate wives about different aspects of the Marine...

At least once a day Madelyn has to play DJ and forces me to have a danceparty. I have had to dance with a chattering Elmo, a couple baby dolls, curious george and of course Madelyn. These danceparties are created by the lovely music of her keyboard that has preprogrammed "demos". Here's a video of her playing DJ. Please enjoy the music, my favorite part is that she moves her fingers over the keys like she's playing the music.

Today Madelyn was "painting" my face with colors out of her favorite book. OK, actually she just really likes the page that looks like finger paints and we talk about colors but cannot look at the other 50 or so pages in the book because they aren't the paint page. Anyway, she had just finished applying what I can only assume was a thick layer of white clown paint and I was distracted and did not thank her. She stopped mid reload, looked at me and said "Ma! Thay?" and did the sign for Thank you. Only after I said Thank you did she resume my application. Guess if I'm going to make her say "Thay" after she recieves something or somebody does something for her then I better do it too!

1. Weight Watchers. I feel so in control with it and I totally just finished off a completely "un-diet" friendly meal because you add up points and not restrictions! 2. Eating mexican dip for dinner and not feeling guilty. 3. Madelyn kisses and hugs and snuggles. She is so freaking snuggly! 4. Dancing in the living room to swing music in a little family circle of Chris, babydoll, Madelyn, and I. In that order. 5. Blackberries. 6. Getting rid of "junk" toys, thereby making my family room 90% cleaner. 7. Madelyn's new storytelling. She's always jabbered but now she goes into long stories about her day...in her own language. You can pick out key words and actions to know what she's talking about but most of it is in her jabber. 8. So You Think You Can Dance Finale. Can't wait to watch it. Hoping for Kayla to take it!

Monday was quite an interesting day for Madelyn and I. The Good - I hit a 10lb weight loss mark! It took about 5 weeks of kinda trying. I cut out a lot stuff, but just small things. Now Im really committed and counting points for WW so that I can beat Bonnie in our weightloss race. Our race is whomever hits goal first gets a new pair of jeans from the loser. Every two weeks we have weigh-ins and the loser buys the winner lunch and then we let the kids play. The Bad - I lost my weigh in to Bonnie! She rocked out a 6lb+ weight loss to my measly 3. I had to buy her lunch, but then I forgot to pay her for Madelyn's McDonalds so I kinda didn't lose or win that part. Now I owe her and I bet she's accruing interest on that little chicken nugget happy meal so I'll owe her a couple Big Macs and several large orders of fries when I see her next. The Ugly - We were at the playground with Bonnie and her younguns playing and chatting after lunch and I notice Madelyn playing ...

So, as most of you know we spent 3 days at DisneyLand last week as part of Chris' block leave and you've probably seen the pictures, so here's the rest of the story. On Wednesday morning we woke up and drove up the road to Disney. Madelyn dozed on the way and that set us up for a perfect first day. When we arrived we went straight to FantasyLand to look around and Chris and Madelyn rode the carousel. Madelyn had a minor meltdown, but once the ride started she was great and had a fabulous time! Then we ventured into Toon Town to let Madelyn get out and roam a bit. There we checked out Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Chip and Dale's houses. Madelyn had fun wandering about and playing in Goofy's garden. It was pretty hot and we saw a ride that was an indoor wait and a short wait so we went for it. It was a Roger Rabbit crazy car ride and Madelyn LOVED it! She was looking at everything and loved being flung around as long as she was between Mommy and Daddy. We walked ...

Just a few pictures of Madelyn from Wednesday...an exciting day of playing and going to Target and the mall. We like to live on the edge. Chasing a raisin.... I needed to replace her beanbag chair because it was a casualty of the great stomach virus of 2009 and as soon as I put it in the cart she wanted to sit on it. So I obliged... It's such a hard life to be pushed around in a shopping cart on a cushy chair. Of course today she "baptised" her new bean bag chair by dumping 20 oz of water on it that her bear was "drinking". It's never boring around here!

We are taking steps to potty train Madelyn and this means that she is now obsessed with pee pee and poop. I go pee and it's "Mama pee pee?", Chris goes pee and it's "Da da pee?", Madelyn goes in her diaper and it's "PEE PEE!" or "POOP!". The other day I was trying to take care of a little business on the toilet and Madelyn was way too interested in what I was doing and the more I tried to distract her so that I could have some privacy the more interested she was. So much so that she eventually carried her stool into the bathroom and sat on it at my feet and rested her head on my knees saying "Mama pee?" I think I'll cancel the cable and we can have family potty night the next time we all eat Mexican.

Knock Knock... Who's there? Orange. Orange Who? Orange ya glad this isn't another downer post? There I told you a joke, you should be laughing. Love, your smartass daughter. :)

I've been doing a lot of thinking about this lately and have come to realize that I have a lot of fear. Fears that I think are irrational until I hear something on the news and then I want to puke. Recently a man left his two children in the car while he ran inside to grab dry cleaning. The car was running, the kids were OK and he could see the vehicle. Then he couldn't because it was stolen. With the kids inside. I wanted to beat the man about his head and face for this and as I saw the reunion of mom and kids 4 hours later (the car was left abandoned 7 miles from where it was stolen) I just couldn't imagine the horror they must have felt. They were 2 and 4 (or something like that) so old enough to be aware that they were in a car alone for 4 hours. Oh...and it was 90+degrees, those kids could have died! I live in fear of somebody breaking into our house and taking Madelyn and I wouldn't know it because I'm sleeping. I fear having to face somebody who breaks...

I guess I was a little harsh on the maker of the sign proclaiming the sexual activities of a married couple upon return from deployment. It just didn't sit well with me. The idea is cute but it just isn't executed as well as it should be. Women, you have 6+ months to plan your welcome home sign...I expect a little more. Of course mine just said Welcome Home! I love you! But whatever. Plus I have driven past this sign at least twice a week (usually much more) for over a month now and it's just on my nerves. Take it down already! Hey look! Here's a cute picture of Madelyn... taking care of some business and travelling with her most current entourage, a cup, hat, baby, glowbug and sunglasses. Every. Single. Trip.

This is a welcome home sign that somebody put up on base. I'm sure the Marine recognizes himself in the picture as do all the Marines that know him. There is just so much wrong that I don't know where to start. Is this sign from a jealous girlfriend and wifey's on the bed of a pick-up truck on her way to Mexico to be sold into slavery? Is this sign from his brother who took "care" of wifey while he was deployed? Is this just a sign from the wifey who likes to advertise that she is lazy and fat and probably has cracker crumbs and bugs in the bed because this sign has been up for several weeks. I won't even get started on "the ice", like there's only one ice? I bet it melted really quick. Maybe it's on the ice in Alaska? Or on the ice on the boat that she bought with deployment money and is sailing around on with the brother? OK, it's making my brain hurt because it doesn't rhyme or flow. It's just a bunch of statements on ...

Rushed home from shopping to attend an event in your neighborhood celebrating the retirement of one your neighbors, ran in the grocery store to grab a fruit tray, ran home and changed clothes (because you saw other neighbors outside more nicely dressed than you), changed your childs clothes, load your arms up with a folding chair, sippy cup, sun hat, baby doll, toddler, and fruit tray just to walk down the hill, knock on the hosts door and apologize for being 15 minutes late to then be told that you're a day early? Yeah, me neither.

Last week my friend Kristen took Madelyn to our Summer Fun class while I went to a class and while she definitely had her hands full (she has a 10 month old), Madelyn had a great time and I didn't want her to miss the activity that day. I really wish I could have been there because based on these pictures I know just how much Madelyn was LOVING milking a "cow" and it would have cracked me up. Here's Farmer Tassy and Bessie Cow... You want me to do what with what??! Um...OK, but I think I'll just touch this part up here. After squeezing out the milk (heavy whipping cream) they shook it up in baby food jars and made butter! I don't have pictures of this part, but I'm sure Madelyn was on board with it! Madelyn brought me a piece of bagle with some of her homemade butter on it...it was so special! Thank you Kristen for taking care of my little dumpling and allowing her to milk a cow.

1. Chris' dad visited for the past 9 days and left yesterday morning before Madelyn got out of bed. After our LINKS class we came home, took a nap and as soon as she woke up she walked around looking for "Papaw" and kept saying "Papaw, where?" 2. On Sunday night we decided to do an impromptu bowling trip. I was getting the camera ready to take a picture and Madelyn found a ball that she could pick up and took off! With as much as she loves balls I should have known she would have a blast. The orange ball is a 6 pounder. 3. Apparently it is slavery if I make my daughter hold the hose to fill up her own pool, so she found a better option. I never would have even thought the hose would stay that way! 4. Since I weaned Madelyn she is a whole different girl sleep wise. She requires a 2-3 hour nap at 12:30 every day and she sleeps for 11 hours at night. Before weaning she was an hour napper and it was flexible and she was sleeping 9-10 hours a day. WTC? 5. Potty tr...

We had a great Fourth of July, we stayed home and did some low key family fun. First I made Madelyn fill up her own pool Then I forced her to gnaw on a corn cob. Then we strapped daddy up to the wagon and made him pull her to the park above our house to look at fireworks. She was miserable Then the show started! There were jelly fish... and weird heart shaped monsters Some green mist... and Fraggle poms! It was way past bed time and all just a little too exciting for one little pumpkin... OK, so she wasn't actually asleep, but she did ride all the way home this way popping her head up randomly. All in all we had a great time!