The Party

Macie had her party on Saturday.  We had a great time and hit the neighborhood pool.

                                                     {Angalee, Josalyn, Riley and Macie}

Macie's Day

May 24th, 2006

Logan, Utah

 {Birth Day}



 

{Year One}

{Year Two}

{Year Three}

 

 {Year Four}

{Year Five}

 

Thanks to the Madsen Family Blog, these pics of Macie each year on her birthday were super easy to find.

Macie is such a sweetie.  I love her and her silliness.  I really don't know what we would do without her. I love the pure excitement and energy she brings to our home.

Todd is in Chicago, so we are having Macie's party on Saturday.  Macie has never had a friend party because she was born on the same day as Grandpa Madsen .  We have always celebrated with him.  We sure missed him this year!

She was still spoiled today with a card from Aunt Janet, a package from Grandma Johnson, and calls from Amy, Keith, Lisa, Grandma and Grandpa Johnson, and Grandma and Grandpa Madsen.  Grandma Patty's package didn't come yet, so she is still looking forward to that.

(I am trying to remember all the details of Macie's birth.  I'll get to writing that tomorrow. Be excited.  It's always a good story.)

Thoughts

You haven't experienced thunder until you've lived in Kentucky.  I can't believe how loud it gets. We have thunder that literally shakes the windowpanes.  It's like you can feel it in your guts.  And it is always at night.  Like a bomb going off.  It's crazy. 
I don't mind it; I actually think it is kind of cool.  The girls, on the other hand, not so much.  Of course it is horrifying to them, and I totally understand that.  Maybe they will eventually sleep through it.  Hope so.

I have a stress fracture in my foot.  Well, in my fibula, which is rather rare, because it isn't a weight bearing bone.  Now, I haven't had this confirmed by a medical professional, but I am sure of it.  I Googled it.

"Stress fractures are among the most common sports injuries and are frequently managed by family physicians. A stress fracture should be suspected in any patient presenting with localized bone or periosteal pain, especially if he or she recently started an exercise program or increased the intensity of exercise."

I have all the symptoms and the injury came right when I got into exercising after having Carver.  Normally I start with a gradual exercise routine, but I put it off so long that I was eager to jump right in.  Instead of gradually increasing my running mileage and intensity, I started with some interval training because I was so pumped after reading this article.  I jumped on the treadmill and did one minute of walking followed by one minute of sprinting, continued for twenty minutes.  Apparently the sprinting was too much too fast.  Enter weird ankle pain.  It didn't seem serious, as it was just a dull, weird pain.  It didn't swell, and I couldn't really notice increased pain with any certain activity.  I stopped the sprinting and started doing Jillian Michael's shred and yoga videos (which I love), but then I also kept doing a 5 mile weekend run.  The weird pain persisted for months and then, because I was most likely compensating, I started to get knee and back pain on the same side.  Since I don't want to be in pain for the rest of my life, I figured I had better keep off it.  I stopped exercising, but how do you stay off an ankle when you have to continue life with holding kids, grocery shopping, vacuuming, mopping, etc.?
I don't know how effective it has been.  I haven't "exercised" in almost three weeks.  I think it is getting better, but not much.  It still aches a bit and is tender to the touch.  Now I have lost all my hard-earned flexibility and muscle tone.  And I've gained a good four pounds.  It is sad.  I can't decide if I should keep resting it.
Continue to get flabby and maybe it gets better? or Get back in the routine, feel better, and maybe it gets worse?
Ugh.

Skype

We Skyped with Amy yesterday.  Skyping is always a production at our house; the girls love it, but it takes about three seconds for fighting to ensue.  They argue about who gets to sit on the chair, who gets to talk, who gets to be in front of the computer, etc.  It's a lovely time. 
Amy read Mo Willems' "I Can Throw the Ball" and had the girls' complete attention. That is, until about half way through when Macie interrupted her and said, "Amy. This is a really long book."
It was all down hill after that.

It was a valiant effort.

First Grade

The count down has begun.  Only ten days of first grade left! 

It's been a great year for Riley.  Her first year at a new school, her first year riding the bus, and her first year taking AR tests and spelling tests.  (She is a smarty-pants at both, by the way :)

Dear Jaimee and Megan...

And Nancy and Elizabeth and Matthew and Paige and Reese and Paisley and Emory and Kayla and Daisy and Aspyn and Kaden and on and on and on...

 We miss you a lot.  Too much, in fact.  I got a sweet letter from Reese and Nancy last week and it made me cry.  I cried because I miss being surrounded by my friends, but I mostly cried for my girls.  I know they miss going out the front door and walking less than a block to play with any number of their friends.  That was such a blessing.  I knew it at the time and I knew it would be hard to leave; I just hoped we would move to a neighborhood full of new little friends.  We bought this house in this neighborhood with that in mind.  Unfortunately there isn't a kid to be seen in our neck of the woods. We are still told that there are lots of kids in our neighborhood, but it is hard to meet them when we don't go to church with them and they aren't in the same grade as Riley at school.  I have also been told that a lot of the kids in our neighborhood go to the Catholic school.  We are bound and determined to meet all of these kids at the pool this summer. It's either that or start knocking on doors!

I also talked with Jaimee last night, which I don't do enough, but it is hard.  I admitted to her that sometimes it is just easier to pretend my Idaho friends don't exist.  That way I don't miss them.  Selfish, yes,  but it works.  I always miss them more after I talk to them. Last night I dreamt about running with Jaimee, her leaving me in the dust, while I huffed and puffed behind her.  Then we ran by the river and I mistakingly ate a little frog and puked - because it wouldn't be one of my dreams without something completetly crazy happening.
After my conversation with Jaimee I told Todd I was a little bit nervous about this summer.  I worry that after playing with Elizabeth and her cousins for a full month, Riley will just miss them all the more when we return to Kentucky.
We got Kade's Baptism invitation in the mail last week.  Riley tried her hardest to convince me that we could make it.  "It is on June 4th.  I get out of school on June 2nd!  That gives us two days to drive there!  PLEEAASE!!"

It broke my heart as she cried and pleaded with me.  I tried to explain that Dad has to work and that we would see them three weeks later.  I know she misses him.  She has been really strong, which I am so grateful for.  She has made some good little friends, but it isn't the same.  You can't just run on over after school for a bike ride.  Since her friends both have working parents, arrangements have to be made a day in advance so they can ride the bus together.  It is really frustrating for her. 

There is a big house for sale on our street and I seriously pray that a family with kids will move in.  Never mind that it has been for sale for over a year...it is possible.  Feel free to pray with me. 

Do I sound horrible and whiney?  I hope not.  We have been blessed to meet amazing people and to make some excellent friends.  It is just hard not to miss the ones we left behind. 

You asked for it...

Well, Brad did.

This is one of my favorites. I asked her why she wasn't singing and she said that she is shy when I am there.  Little stinker.  I know she knows every word, as I always hear her singing them at home, but, of course, if I ask her to sing it for me she won't. 
They also sing a pretty cool one about making good choices and following Jesus, then the chorus says something like, "and if the Devil doesn't like it he can sit on a tack!"
Then they shout, "Ouch!" and raise their little bums off the floor. Wish I had some footage of that one.

Graduation

Macie graduated from the Church Of Christ Preschool Monday night.  Our neighbor teaches there, and seeing how she was the only person we had met when we moved here, it made sense.  It turned out to be such a good experience for Mace.  She made new friends, learned a lot, and absolutely adored her teachers. I worried about her because she is surprisingly timid and nervous in many situations.  She doesn't even like to be alone in rooms of our house.  In fact, she often coerces Charlotte to go upstairs, downstairs, or in the bathroom with her so she isn't alone.

-With her teachers, Ms. Misty and Ms. Paula-

I love this little girl.  She is the funniest kid. 
She always says that she doesn't want to be a grown-up and that she wants to be a kid forever.
(deliberate mothering goal: make adulthood and parenting more enticing.) 
Recently she told Todd that she doesn't want to get married.  Todd replied that when you grow up it is fun to get married.  Then, in all seriousness and with a hint of utter terror, Macie asked, "But what if I marry someone who only speaks Spanish?"

On Macie's Last day at school, Spangle and Daisy Mae the clowns visited the students.  Macie told me over and over how wonderful they were, so when we found out they would be at Chick Fillet last night, we headed on over.  The girls had fun getting face paint and balloon animals.  Todd had fun eating all of their Icedream while they waited in line. Carv was tired.  He didn't seem to have much fun at all.

I am a Mother.

I feel fortunate and blessed to have children.  I always assumed I would spend my years bearing and mothering children, and I am thankful that it was a fairly easy process for us.  Being a mom is everything I thought it would be, and a little bit of some things I didn't think it would be. 

I can say that I put a lot of effort into raising my kids, but lately I have wondered if I put enough thought into it.  My cousin, Rose, really got me thinking about this.

I go about my days mothering, but I rarely start my day with a goal  in mind that doesn't have to do with laundry or other household tasks.   Of course I want my kids to be honest and loving and hard working, but what am I doing to get them there?  I feel like I need a plan.

  My plan already includes things like having dinner together as a family, holding family home evening, attending church together, etc..   But I need to be more deliberate in daily mothering.  I need to listen more.  I need to focus on each child and make the one-on-one time I have with each child quality time.  I need to say yes more.   

I am going to start by making a"deliberate mothering" goal each day.  I will write it down - or maybe tell Todd each morning; that way I am accountable to more than a piece of paper.  

Most importantly, I need to be more sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit.   I know that this would solve the majority of my concerns.  If I am living righteously and listening to the Spirit, I know that Heavenly Father will guide me in what I do. He will tell me in my heart and mind when I need to drop what I am doing and listen, or what I need to do to comfort one of the kids.  He will guide me in all I do and say.

 Can't really go wrong there. 

So really, I probably need a daily "deliberate mothering" goal and a daily spiritual goal. 

(Ugh.  This is not how I had this planned out in my mind when I started typing.)

So, here goes...

Go Big or Go Home

Last weekend I bought my first pair of heels.  I figured if I was going to do it, I might as well go all out.

Visitors

Last week we found three ducks resting in the shade under our front tree.  Our neighborhood has three or four ponds throughout, but we aren't that close to any of them.  I suppose these ducks had to waddle down the block and around the corner to get to us.

We left them alone for as long as the girls could possibly handle, then we headed outside with bread in hand.  The girls fed the ducks all their bread and then tried to get close.  Since these aren't exactly Idaho Falls Snake River Ducks, they didn't like the idea of the kids getting too close. 

Despite our overzealousness, they have been back three times. 

We fed them again earlier this week. 

Yesterday afternoon we noticed them resting again.  The girls all gathered at the front door window to get a closer look.  After awhile, those ducks woke up and made their way right up to our front door.  They waddled around on our doorstep pecking and quacking.  At that point I would not have been surprised if they had pecked their little beaks on our front door!  It was pretty funny. 

I told the girls we needed to name our new visitors. 

Is it so sad that I immediately thought of Rob, Big and Drama?  Yes.  Yes, it is. 

More cultured people are thinking of names from politics, religion or Shakespeare.  Me?  Not so much. 

Unfortunately we can't go with my trio, as there are two male ducks and one female.  I am resisting the urge to go with Rob, Big and Chantel. I'm okay with this combo, as I don't really care for Drama, and Chantel totally won me over after repeatedly getting smacked in the face with the dodge ball.  Girl Power.

My Baby Sis

Morgan and Emily pictures are a dime a dozen these days, but this one was too good to pass up.

Friday Night

We tried to spice up our branch talent show.  I was most proud that Charlotte and Macie participated after being grumpy during all of our practices.  I found my jumpsuit at Goodwill a couple of months ago, and this was the perfect opportunity to put it to use. Todd's wig was supposed to be a mullet, but he just ended up looking like Howard Stern. My only regret is that we didn't get a little afro for Carver. 

 He rocked out pretty hard.

It was a fun activity.  While not very well attended, those there had a great time.  We had some singing, some dancing, some poetry and some tasty treats.  It was a good Friday night.