Maddie's Latest...

This has certainly been a summer that I never dreamed possible, and we're making the most of it. Aside from trips to the aquarium and concerts in the park (pictures to follow in later posts), we've been having lots of fun at home, too. Here's what we've been up to lately...

I set up a "restaurant" a few days ago and we've been playing non-stop. She likes to either bark orders at the waitress (as in, me) or be the waitress (and sit and dine with us). She always says that she'll "pay duh bill" but usually hands it to me and says, "Pay this, Mommy."

Mike bought a ton of these clear acrylic, magnetic frames and I recently put pictures inside them. I put in pictures of family and friends, as well as trimming down some of her artwork to fit.

She loves to stand there, with her magic pointer (aka: drink stirrer) and talk about the pictures. It's a great vocabulary activity and I love to hear what she remembers about each picture.

Mike found an old box and I put Maddie's fish inside. She uses her fishing pole to catch them, which makes it a little bit harder than just scattering them on the floor.

She has become obsessed with clips and buckles. Her car seat, highchair, stroller, shopping cart... They are all simply amazing. Our next goal is to show her how to undo the clip, instead of just clipping it.

This is an AWESOME project that I highly recommend you do (I got it from Chasing Cheerios). Seriously... So cute. Mike bought a bag of mortar mix and we poured it into round cake pans (they'd been greased down with cooking spray). Maddie left her handprints and footprints in them and then decorated them with glass rocks. They popped out of the cake pans seamlessly and are absolutely adorable. Grandma and Nana and Poppa are each getting one!

Little moments...

Me: Maddie, I missed you so much last night.

Maddie: Last night?

Me: Yeah, remember you were at Daddy's house.

Maddie: Ohhhh. Daddy's house. Yellow blankie there.

Me: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I missed you.

Maddie (kisses my nose): Missed you too Mama.

Raising a Thrifty Shopper

Funny Maddie story...

We were at Target this afternoon, in the toothpaste aisle. I was talking to her about prices (because really, it makes me look a little less crazy than if I was just talking to myself). I said, "Well, I should just get it now since it's cheaper."

Fast forward to us, checking out.

The checker asked Maddie if she wanted to hold the Tic-Tacs (and why did he ask her that, anyway? Those are, obviously, not for her).

She looks at him and says, "Yeah, they cheaper here."

Ha!

Animal Tracks and Vocabulary Development

Since Noah is over today, playing with Maddie, we decided to test out a new art project using animals. You dip the animal's feet into a shallow plate of paint and then "stamp" them to make animal tracks. Noah wasn't very interested but Maddie really liked it.

Since Noah wasn't that into making animal tracks, I got out our word cards and used them with him. He really liked gathering the cards and telling me what they were.But, Maddie never likes to be too excluded from the fun, so we had to include her.There's a picture on the front and the word on the back. And, since they were loving the cards so much, I taped their favorite animal ones up on the wall.Provide a magic pointer (also known as a random drink stirrer) and you're set for hours of fun. Maddie "instructed" us in all the names and sounds of each animal (by the way, apparently a turtle says, "I sloooooow." Ha!).

Easy and fun!

Maddie's thoughts on life

Maddie is being a goofball today (or, if you tell her that she's silly, she'll answer with, "silly goose!"). I thought I'd share some of her running commentary...

• She's convinced herself that the bunny is sick. She keeps saying, "Bunny sick," following it up with a sad face. She's also given him prescriptions, "Bunny wah-der. Bunny sleep."
• Her new thing is being scared. We're sitting in the middle of the family room, playing with Play-Doh and she says, "Doh scared!" Huh?
• There's a new interest in things kissing. She'll hold two of her figures and say, "Kissin'!" My favorite was when she picked up her boy and girl bunny statues this morning and said, "Daddy kissin' Mama!" Ha. Kids are so silly, eh?
• Tooting. It's hi-larious (well, when you're one and a half). This morning, it was clear that she wasn't just tooting, but looked me right in the eye and said, "I tootin.'"
• Right now, she's lining up her Disney figures and carrying on quite the conversation with them. "C'mon guys. Sit right dare. Right dare. Listen. Shhh." Could it be that she's as, uhh, passionate about order as her mama?!
• Today, she pushed her way past Noah, in hot pursuit of getting her milk sippy. I told her that that was rude and that pushing people is hurtful. She, in all her maturity, looks at me and says, "Okay Mama. I try. No pushin' me Mama." Sigh.

Maddie-isms

I took a one day bloggy break (that's big to me!). Actually, I went on a little computer break because I've been really busy (always a good thing, even if it leaves me exhausted) and because I can't kick this cold/sinus thing. I feel like either Maddie or I have been sick, off and on, for months now.

But, Maddie has been hilarious lately (well, hilarious and crabby; And no, I don't think it's her 2 year molars, but man, she's been fussy). I wanted to share some of the cuter things she's been saying...

I was trying to hand her the phone and accidentally bumped her head with my arm. She looks at me, sternly, and says, "Hey, no hittin' me." This can, alternately, be changed to, "Mason, no pushin' me." Or, if she's already been pushed, she shouts, "He pushin' me!"

Any time we talk about TT, she says, "He comin'?" In fact, any time the phone rings, she shrieks, "TT!!"

Overall, she's really into the phone. She loves to talk to her Daddy and is getting better about holding the phone upright (instead of upside down, which is what she previously insisted upon doing).

I asked her if she wanted to watch a show this morning. She matter-of-factly said, "Dora and ooh-cey peez." Apparently, Dora and juice just go hand in hand. When I told her that I only had one Dora show (thank the Lord for On Demand, by the way), she said, "I know. Eggs." I had to double check, but sure enough, it was the Dora Easter show. Who knew that Maddie had memorized our DVR selections?

If you ask Maddie what she wants to do, she will, nine times out of ten, say, "Paint!"

Someone who will remain unnamed (but she's little and has cute, flippy hair) smooshed a ball of Silly Putty into the remote control. The buttons are now entirely pink. All Silly Putty has been banned from this house. It has caused far too much damage.

Grandma bought her this adorable outfit. She loves it, calling it, "Muh dressy." She also keeps untying it, telling me that it's her "see-belt."

They're leaning in.... Getting ready for the hug... And...
Cute hug. It unfortunately ended with both of them screaming for different, but both unfounded, reasons. Sigh.

And, aside from my cold, I'm doing well. The weather has been really nice and the jacuzzi has been getting lots of attention (although, I'm totally dreading the water bill, seeing as how I pretty much flooded the backyard a few days ago, when I absentmindedly forgot to turn the hose off before leaving). I'm hoping to work in/on the Etsy store some time this weekend (new additions coming, I hope!). My cell phone is on the fritz and I'm not getting all my incoming calls or texts. If I haven't responded, it's for the sole reason that I didn't know you called. I'm planning a Verizon field trip in the near future (always a fun outing with a toddler).

I just looked over and Mason is sitting in Maddie's lap while she "reads" him a book. Awwww! Truly, they're like brother and sister. They fight, fight, fight but never want to be too far from each other. :)