Mommy & Me

This morning Madi and I went to our first Mommy and Me function. It was such a blast- two full hours of jammed packed FUN! And the best part about it was that everything was absolutely FREE. This included not only parking, but also various arts and crafts, hand-outs, balloon animals, face painting, story time, and live entertainment! 

After hitting up some of the crafts, we headed over to the balloon station. We wanted to get there early while the lines were still pretty short. Madi had the balloon lady make her a flower and Lexi chose Elmo. Here's Madi "cheesing- it" when I asked for a simple smile. 

Of course she had to take a sniff to see if it smelled like a flower should smell. I think she was a little disappointed.

After leaving the balloons, we spotted ELMO! Of course Madi was very cautious about getting too close. When Elmo bent down to give her a hug she denied him. Madi has to do everything in her own time and at her own pace. I was surprised that later she actually walked up to him by herself.

Then notice how she reaches out and touches part of his leg.

I thought if I got close to Elmo, Madi might warm up a little quicker and reach out for a hug. No such luck! She did eventually shake his hand though. 

After leaving Elmo we got in line for face painting. I knew Madi would NOT be interested in anyone coloring on her face; so while Lexi waited in line, Madi sat and colored. Give Madi a book or something to color and she's set for a good LONG time!

What a great morning -well spent with my Madi girl. We'll definitely be coming back to ALL the other free monthly Mommy & Me activities!

Visit with the Gertschs

This past weekend, our good friends, the Gertschs, drove up from North Carolina to come and play! What a fabulous weekend it was! They moved away last year and we haven't seen them since Thanksgiving, so we had lots of catching up to do! While their visit was WAY too short, we worked hard to squeeze in lots of fun. We stayed up late playing games, talking, and eating lots of junk food! Then on Saturday morning Melissa hooked them up with a photo shoot. Of course Spencer, Madi and I wanted to come along too. 

While Melissa was off snapping pictures, Spencer decided to go off and have some fun of his own with our camera. This is the barn behind Melissa's house. Pretty sweet huh! Spencer came back with 250 pictures of all the "cool stuff" around the barn!

I stayed back and hung out with Madi and Lexi.

They had LOTS of fun exploring!

After pictures, second showers (for those who'd been crawling through the weeds to get pictures), and then good long naps, we packed up to go meet the Lundells and Brewers for a BBQ at the park. Unfortunately, by the time we were ready and out the door, sprinkles started to fall. But do you think we let the rain stop us from having fun- HECK NO!! We just busted out the umbrellas (well- I guess Madi and I were the only wimps who wanted to use one) and had a grand old time! 

It actually ended up working to our advantage. When the rain started to fall, the park emptied out. Then after about 20 minutes the sky cleared up again. So it basically gave us the entire park to ourselves! 

I have to say, one of the highlights of the weekend was watching our kids play together. It was so cute to see Hunter excited about hanging out with Madi and it was adorable to watch Madi loving being with Hunter. 

Luckily, I've taught my daughter well- instructing her that she won't be kissing boys for at least another 16 years!!

Despite the rejection, they still managed to have a great time together!

The Gertschs left on Sunday around 7pm. We were definitely sad to see them go, but we know there will be many more weekend trips in the years to come! 

 

Thanks Matt and Doreen for the awesome weekend! 

Back to Work!

Two years ago when I was pregnant with Madi and knowing that Spencer would be starting law school in the fall, I received lots of advice on how to survive. Anyone and everyone (especially those with husbands who'd gone through law school) warned me about the next three years that lay ahead. They warned me of the hours of studying, days and nights I'd be spending alone while Spencer read and crammed for tests. I was prepared for the WORST! I was prepared to be a new mom, alone in a new city, having to do it all by myself! Lucky for me, I knew my personality was one that could handle it. I enjoy my alone time, I was excited about moving to a new city, and I was thrilled about being a mom! So, no- I can't say I was worried. I definitely felt prepared for it. The funny thing about it all, was that everything everyone told me has NOT been my experience so far. I love law school! I get to see Spencer more than I ever have in our five years of marriage. He studies at home, is a fast learner, a great student, and best of all- LOVES spending time with Madi and I!

While these past two years of law school have been a dream, I knew it would have to end sometime. I got my first glimpse of reality last summer when Spencer went back to work for the firm in LA. It was hard having to say goodbye every morning at 8am and not seeing him again until 5 or 6pm! But I was glad for the Fall- to have him back in school and back to studying at home. 

Madi's definitely been spoiled, being able to spend lots of time with her dad. What other kid gets to have her dad take her for walks during the day, eat lunch with her, draw pictures at his desk, and play in his office while he studies?  Ya, it makes the thousands and thousands of dollars of loans we've incurred seem not so bad.

Spencer's first two years of law school have definitely been a great experience for us, but living on loans is not the ideal. So of course we were thrilled when he received a job offer at the beginning at April! He was offered a summer clerkship position at an antitrust firm downtown DC (just a few blocks from the White House), and his first day is TODAY! Good luck Spencer! 

So I guess today also marks the beginning of me having to be a "real"mom- spending my days alone; saying goodbye to my husband every morning, and not seeing him again until almost bedtime (well for Madi that is). I'll no longer be able to run errands during nap time. I'll no longer have someone to send Madi to when I'm loosing my patience.  In a way, I guess I'm going back to work too! :) 

Very Hungry Caterpillars!!

While Spring time is one of my favorite seasons, it also brings lots of dreaded things-including BUGS! It was a few weeks ago when I first started noticing big white egg sacks hanging from the trees. They were everywhere (I found one tree with a total of 12 sacks attached)! Truthfully it grossed me out- I figured they were full of bugs. 

But then one afternoon, I saw this:

Tiny caterpillars were pouring out of the egg sacks!

And then starting to crawl down the trees!

It was super fascinating to watch! Then just last week I noticed caterpillars everywhere- all over the sidewalks, climbing the trees, crawling up railings, in the streets, and anywhere else you could think. 

While I'm not one to like bugs, caterpillars are a different story. I think they're sweet little furry guys, just trying to get by until they're big enough to make a cocoon and become a beautiful butterfly! Who couldn't love that?!

Madi's loved studying them. Now every time we see one she gets all excited and says, "Oooo, Cat-pillars!"

Not only are they fun to look at, they're fun to play with!

Spencer and I have contemplated taking a few home with us, accepting them into our family, making a little habitat for them, and then watching them grow! How fun would that be to see the whole process! But...we would probably just kill them and I couldn't deal with that hanging over my head-being responsible for the death of an innocent little furry caterpillar just trying to get by in life-so I think we will strike that idea!

UPDATE: Spencer decided to do some research on our fuzzy little caterpillar friends and discovered some unfortunate news. According to wikipedia.org and other reputable sources, these caterpillars are known as "Eastern Tent Caterpillars" (Malacosoma Americanum)-and they turn into ugly moths, not beautiful butterflies! Yuck!!!! Not only that, these caterpillars devour tree's leaves until they are bare and are a huge problem if not abated. Now when Madi's not looking, maybe I won't mind squashing a few, or running them over with the stroller! HaHaHa!! -but I'm so conflicted, they are still cute little fuzzy caterpillars!

It's Good to be a Mom!

Spencer and Madi gave me the BEST mother's day presents this weekend. They gave me the gift of "Anie-time"! Starting on Friday afternoon Spencer wisked Madi away for a daddy-daughter date to the pet store. I throughly enjoyed the hour to get things organized and have some time to myself.  Then on Saturday morning, they headed out again-this time to the bookstore, the duck pond, and the grocery store! The time to myself was very much needed, as I had to speak in church today and I only had a very rough draft of my talk completed. Leaving a little after 10am, and not getting back until nap time, gave me 2 glorious hours to revise, edit, and finalize my talk. Thanks Spencer!! Madi's lucky to have such an awesome daddy! 

Then today Madi gave me the gift of a drama-free Sunday! She happily sat through sacrament meeting with her dad (well, except for the beginning 5 minutes when she freaked out realizing I wasn't sitting with the family). Frequently throughout the meeting while I was up on the stand, Madi would give me cute little waves and shout out, "Hi Mommy!" Oh how loved I felt. Then Spencer dropped her off at nursery 2nd hour. She only screamed and cried for maybe 10 minutes and then was fine the rest of church (I'm crossing my fingers that this will become the norm)!

Today was definitely the most enjoyable Sunday I've had in a very long time! It was actually fun to give a talk and then be able to listen to the other speakers without dealing with a wiggly girl and trying to keep her reverent! It was great to be able to join Spencer for Sunday School, and actually participate! And it was nice to be early to YW's, feeling stress free, having no teaching assignments, or responsibilities. 

After church we all enjoyed naps. Spencer made dinner- BBQ brisket and corn on the cob and then strawberry shortcake for dessert (couldn't have been a more favorite meal)! After dinner we headed out on a walk (enjoying the perfect 70 degree weather)! It really was a fabulous Mother's Day!

This post wouldn't be complete without giving a shout-out to the two women who helped Spencer and I become who we are today- Our Mothers!! Happy Mother's Day MOMS!! We love you both so much and can't thank you enough for the thousands of hours of love and sacrifice you've given to us. You guys are the best! 

Over the River and through the Woods

This is the forest behind our townhouse. 

This is the stream that flows through our forest, behind our townhouse.

This is the bridge we use to cross over the stream to go through the forest behind our townhouse. 

This is the water that's accumulated from all the rain that's fallen in the forest behind our townhouse.

This is my daughter, checking out the rain, that fell into the stream, that's under the bridge we have to cross over to get through the forest behind our townhouse.

This is the path we take that goes over the bridge, across the stream, and through the woods to get us back home to our townhouse! 

And this is the end of my terrible poem about the bridge in the forest that crosses over the stream that's all right behind our townhouse!

Today was a rough day for me (hence I had to liven it up with a cheesy poem:). I'm tried of dealing with my cranky, fussy, coughing toddler. All the coughing has obviously made her throat extremely sore, so she whined the entire day, cried through her nap, and required my undivided attention ALL day long! We haven't been out of the house (besides going to see the doctor yesterday) and haven't hung out with other friends (which I'm pretty sure is adding to Madi's crankiness)! While Spencer advised me to keep Madi inside this morning (because of the cloudy, chilly weather), I HAD to get out this afternoon- even if it was just for a short walk around the neighborhood. I think it did Madi and I both some good. Plus I got to practice on my camera a little!

When I let Madi out to walk around, this is the smile I got which just made everything all better.

I'm crossing my fingers for a healthier child tomorrow!

To Eat or Not to Eat!

When my sister was here visiting from NC, we got a good laugh about the different frustrations we face as moms. The biggest difference between her kids and mine, is their appetite. While Tisha was exhausted the entire week with Adley and Ani constantly telling her that they were "still hungry", I was celebrating anytime Madi ate more than 3 bites of something! I swear I have the most finicky eater ever! Not only will she not eat regular healthy meals, but she won't eat the fun, kid-friendly meals either. 

The past couple of days Madi's had a pretty persistent cough that just won't go away. It's seemed to affect her appetite as well. Now she's not just being picky, but she flat out won't eat anything! And I'm talking NOTHING- not cookies, crackers, ice cream, fruit, pretzels- I could go on and on. Well. . . I guess she did have a few bites of cheese today along with some raisins, a spoonful of yogurt, a small pouch of fruit snacks, and a couple forced bites of a PB&J. I am at a complete loss as to what to do. I know the doctors always say, "They'll eat what they need." But she's NOT eating!! What do I do then, HUH?? Luckily she still wants milk- so at least I know she's getting some type of nutrients. 

Since she will drink from her sippy cup, Spencer decided to be a little creative and whip up a shake- complete with ice cream, yogurt, milk, and various fruits.

Who wouldn't want some of this ?! Ok, this isn't really a picture of the shake Spencer made- even though it did look pretty similar! 

It was quite delicious if I do say so myself. Any kid would want a taste- right? WRONG! Madi wanted nothing to do with it! We tried letting her drink it from a cup, sipping it from a straw, eating it with a spoon and then we finally poured it into her sippy cup and just told her to drink her milk. Ya, that one didn't work either. Madi took one drink, made a gross face, and says, "What is it?"

So much for that idea. Tomorrow we'll have to come up with something new. Any ideas?

Better Late than Never!

I've had my camera for a whole week now and for some reason it's been a pretty stressful picture taking week for me. I never felt pressure to get good pictures with my old camera. The fact that it was held together by a rubber band was excuse enough if my pictures didn't turn out. But now, I'm totally eager to learn everything about my new camera as fast as I can. I also want to learn more about photography in general. While I don't have any professional aspirations in this area, I do have a much greater appreciation for the art of it now. I'm amazed by good photographers and how they get their pictures to look just so.

So basically I've spent the week reading about my camera, practicing, looking at TONS of pictures, and trying to figure out my own style. It doesn't help that I am one of the most indecisive people ever (a trait that not only drives my friends and family crazy, but it makes me crazy too)! Since my camera can take pictures a lot faster than I've ever been used to, I'm uploading hundreds of pictures with each practice photo shoot. Now, I'm overwhelmed! I have too many pictures for my own good and no reason to keep them. But I'm also a super sentimental person and hate deleting a "pretty good" picture. Ahhhh!! Spencer had to tell me to "chill out" the other night cause I was "stressing out about pictures!" I know- totally ridiculous!! I felt like a dork that I was wasting all of my "me" time vacillating over pictures! So since then I've decided to take it slower. I want to learn- but I can only learn so much at a time. Luckily I've got an awesome teacher who's willing, and even excited to teach me about my camera (thanks Melissa- you're the BEST)! I'm now caught up with my "to do" list and am finally sitting down to blog some of the fun Madi and I had at the beginning of the week! I'm totally one of those people that if I don't write about it within a day or two, I'll never write about it. I've been an avid journal writer my entire life, so it's just something I'm pretty obsessive about.

With all that said, here's Madi, sporting her new swim suit for the season while entertaining herself with our awesome new bubble blower- perfect for my newly independent child (thanks Roxy for all the great gifts)!



Monday and Tuesday we were hit with seriously HOT temps and since our pool doesn't open until the end of May we had to improvise! Whoever said a bucket couldn't work as a swimming pool?


We spent the hot days in swim suits with sunscreen, popsicles, snow cones, sidewalk chalk, and bubbles! Could life get any better!?