Blue...

Today Madi played with markers... Madi LOVES to play peek-a-boo lately and will find anything to do it with. Here she is using her curtains.

I want a cow or a turtle or a zebra...

It's a pillow... It's a pet (dumb computer keeps flipping the orientation, oh well)...

It's a pillow pet!!!

At the fair they had Pillow Pet booths all over. Madi loved them. She would pick up one and kiss and then move to the next and kiss it and so on. So, grandma and grandpa gave her a little money for us to get her one before her surgery. Of course at the fair we had talked getting her one and what one would it be but decided we didn't have the money for it but we had a few we liked, the cow, turtle and zebra. So, with the gift from grandma and grandpa, we were on a mission to find just that.

For all you that are starting early on your Christmas shopping I'm gonna help you out...

• Toys'R'Us has the bee and the ladybug. (The one in Layton only had one of each left.)
• Target is carrying the bee and the ladybug. They are on an end cap near the childrens bedroom decor.
• Bed, Bath & Beyond has the bee, ladybug, dog and unicorn. They are in a bin in the middle aisle by the drapes and towels.
• Kohl's isn't carrying them as of yet.
• Heard rumor that JC Penny's had them but the one in Layton doesn't and isn't sure if they will.
• Hallmark's are carrying them. The Layton one has the panda, ladybug, bee, cat and unicorn. They are about $5 more than everywhere else. Asked about the cow and they said it is on back order until AFTER Christmas. They also had matching Blanket Pets that were $30.
• Smith's Marketplace has the bee, ladybug, dog and unicorn.
• Clinton WalMart has penguins, dolphins, unicorns, monkeys and pandas.
• Syracuse WalMart has bees, ladybugs, pandas and unicorns.
• Barnes & Noble doesn't carry them as of yet.

Okay, I so I am freak. Madi doesn't even care what one she gets but yes, I ran all over looking for one of the three we wanted with Madi, Kyah and Jaxon over the last two days. All the stores have them for around $20 except Hallmark. Oh, and there is NO kiosk in the Layton Hills Mall as of yet.

Madi got the bee and she loves it. She lays on it and hugs it and kisses it. It was nap time so she wouldn't even crack a smile. I need to stop taking pictures at nap time! :D Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!!!

Zoo life...

Tuesday we went to the zoo, just Madi, Kyah and me. We got there early before it was too hot or too crowded and all the animals were out playing. Here is Zuri hanging out with her mom. It is so fun when there are baby animals at the zoo. Zuri turned two in August. Elephants aren't fully grown until they are 25! Miss Madi...

This is Madi's new cheeser. If I tell her to smile when I am taking a picture this is what I get. :D

Nap time...

Miss Kyah...

No pictures of them but we stayed and watched the tigers for probably half an hour. We have five at our zoo. The mom and her three cubs in one cage and their dad in another. All three cubs are boys. They turned one in July and will stay with their mom until they are two and then they will go to other zoos. Two of the cubs were playing and wrestling with each other right at the fencing so they were only about five feet away. They were so fun to watch. The other was up a little higher and watching them and eventually joined. Every so often one of the cubs would go to their mom and love on her and then go play again. It was awesome to watch them interact. Tigers are generally solitary animals and only come together for about a week for mating. The cubs all weigh about 300 pounds and they still have a full year to grow. They can get up to 700 lbs. Their mom if 250 and their dad is 480. It was crazy to think they will still get much bigger because they looked really big.

We had a great time and Kyah already wants to go back. I can't wait until 2012 when they open the new Rocky Shores exhibit. It will almost double our zoo! I love to see all the animals and Madi enjoys it too.

A little showing off for Grandma...

Our little book worm...

I was snapping a few pictures of Madi a week of so ago and took this one. Then I told her to smile... ...and this is what I got! Silly girl!!!

Madi is a little book worm. She is happy with any story but she totally has her favorites and she will get them and bring them to you to read. We have her books all over the house. If we pick them up it is only minutes before they are out again. I love that she loves to read. It gives us cuddle time! :D

A silver lining...

There are few things that are good about having surgery, however I have benefited multiple ways from mine. I have had three extra days with the most wonderful man ever! Derrick has been caring for me, Madi and our house and hasn't stopped going the whole time. I had to be readmitted because I got a UTI and the pain killers had dropped my oxygen levels too low. Because of this though I got a free one hour facial from one of the cosmo students at DATC. It was heavenly! My sister came up and she straightened my hair for me. Derrick got me a beautiful bouquet of flowers in two of my favorite colors, pink and lime green. They are beautiful and make me smile each time I look at it them. I am so lucky!

Utah State Fair...

On the 18th we went to the state fair. Madi LOVES animals so we thought she might enjoy it. We could have parked her anywhere and she would have been thrilled! She thoroughly enjoyed watching all the people and seeing all the colors and rides. There were some goats out so we let Madi pet them. She thought this was totally cool!
Until he turned his head toward her! :D

There was a calf that was a week old they were letting people pet. His name is Dark Chocolate, or DC for short.

Of course she got to ride a pony. You can't really tell from the pictures but she actually really enjoyed them and cried when she had to get off.

Daddy walking with his girl...

They have a farm thing for the kids to do. You start at the barn and then go to a silo. At the silo you get grain. You go to the barn and feed the grain to the cows and then you milk the cow.

You head to the orchard and pick an apple and then get a seed. Madi's "seed" is onions. She is showing me her seed. You plant it and then go another garden and harvest your crop.

Here she is eating her harvest... an onion. (don't worry, it's plastic)You fill your tractor with gas and somehay that you bring to the sheep. While you are there you shear your sheep.

After that you head to the farmer's market to sale the goods. I thought it was a cute way for the kids to learn the process of where some of the daily items come from.

Of course we couldn't miss the BIG YELLOW SLIDE! I skipped it but Derrick took Madi. Can you see the look of fear on her face???

Almost to the bottom...

What a great ride!!!

We had planned to stay until dark and take her on the ferris wheel and show her all the lights but she was exhausted and it was only five so we went to see Grandma and Grandpa instead. :D We had a great day!

A favorite...

Madi LOVES to take baths. She will go in by the tub and try to reach her little leg over to step in but she is just too short. When you change her clothes or her diaper she thinks it is bath time and has a hard time when she realizes that it isn't. Poor kid.

Lack of pictures....

Sorry folks, I haven't had the camera out much this week. I had a wonderful birthday on Sunday. Derrick spoiled me from morning until we went to bed and on Saturday too. He made breakfast and we had cheese and chocolate fondue for dinner. He got me a few things from the Wood Connection and was attentive all day.

We have had a busy week getting errands run and stuff mostly boring, but there are a few things going on.

First, we took Madi to the ENT. She will be getting tubes in her ears on Oct. 1st. The test that checks for fluid in your middle ear is a line that is supposed to spike in the middle of it if everything is good. Madi's was completely flat in both ears. She has mild hearing loss because of it but once it's drained and the tubes are in things should be good. I am hoping that it will help her balance too, because the poor kid bonks her head on EVERYTHING!

She also is cutting teeth which will bring her grand total to 12! She has the eight front ones and here fourth molar is just barely poking through. She does so well with it all. I am grateful for that.

Starting next week I will be taking two more kids to tend. I will watch them five days a week, every other week. Hopefully they still nap 'cause I have a feeling that on the days I have all five I am going to need an hour or two to regroup. Anyone have any good ideas for crafts or fun things with toddler age kids? I have done lots but am starting to run out of ideas and will only be able to go places when it is just Kyah, Madi and I.

We are looking forward to the weekend and going to the Utah State Fair. Derrick's work gives us tickets every year. We love the time when Derrick is home so we all look forward to Friday nights and the beginning of our weekend. If only they didn't end so soon! :D

Oh, I almost forgot! Madi has been climbing up the stairs for a long time. She knew how to climb down them but fell down a few after she started learning and has had no interest since. She would just sit at the top of the stairs and wait for you. Last week at my friends she watched Guire do it over and over and decided to give it a try. She did fine and that was that. Then nothing once we got home. Today though I went down to start laundry and she followed me down. She did great! Then she decided to just go up and down for about a half hour! Guess I better make sure doors are shut and things up downstairs too! :D

I love Saturdays!!!

I love Saturday's for several reasons but the biggest one is that Derrick is home from work and gets to spend time with us. We started our day with lunch at the Cheesecake Factory with Mom and Dad Hawkins to celebrate my birthday. After a great meal we walked around the mall. We let Madi take a spin in the corvette. She loved it and wanted to go again!Checking before she reverses... :D
One of the things that I remember about the mall I grew up around is that when I would go I would get a sample at See's Candy and sometimes their chocolate sucker. We each got one today and I remember why I love them. They are so good!!!! Yumm!!! Madi thought so too.
I like this picture. The look reminds me a little of my nephew Miles for some reason.

She LOVED the sucker!

I love this face! Can't get enough of this kid!!!

"All done Mom!" Whoever made the straps to keep kids in needs to rethink them because it doesn't matter what, where or how tight, this girl can figure out a way out or at least how to stand up! We were at a new potato place tonight called Brixton's. It was good food. Anyway, Madi was buckled in to a booster seat and next thing I know she is standing on the bench, walking over to me with the booster still stuck to her tush! Gotta love it!

Obsessed???

This is the hoodie I made Madi. Isn't she the cutest?!?!?!?
Madi has become obsessed with Baby Einstein's, particularly any about animals. She will point to the TV and want to watch them over and over. I have to limit her to once a day, twice if she's really lucky or it is all she would do. She normally will stand right up to the TV. We got this armoire off KSL because we had the TV on a coffee table but Madi would shove anything she could in the VCR. (There is still a Dum Dum sucker in that I couldn't get out:D) That makes it harder for her to get REAL close.
We were cooking dinner tonight and looked over at Madi and she was laying on her tummy watching. We had never seen her watch TV like that. She looked so cute.
CHEESE!

She was glued to the TV until Derrick busted out the camera.

I can't get enough of this kid! I just love her to pieces!!!

A special evening...

Last night we were able to meet Madi's biological half brother and his family. His name is Ander. He was adopted as well. Ander is seventeen months older than Madi. He is full of energy and so cute!!! We met at Thanksgiving Point's Farm Country, had a great picnic, talked and saw the animals. Ander's older sister was adopted as well so we were able to hear that story too. It is such a blessing and I love to hear the stories and experiences of others about their adoptions. Each one is so unique and so precious to the family that experiences it. Something cool... his adorable sister, Audrey, and I share our birthdays. Happy Birthday Audrey!!! Madi is sick and her allergies seemed to show as we looked at all the animals but she loved to see them and we can't wait to take her back!
She went on her first pony ride. At first she wasn't sure but she seemed to like it more and more as the ride went on. She was smiling but we didn't get a picture of that. :(

Ander on his pony. He couldn't wait to get on for a ride!!!

Giddy up pony...

Madi and daddy...

We tried to get a great picture of Ander and Madi together. This is the best I got. Maybe Ander's mom got better ones. If not we will have to try some other time. They are still so cute.

We had a wonderful night and it was so fun to meet Ander and his family. We enjoyed a shake at Iceberg after and then the kids were done. We are grateful they were willing to meet us and have contact and hope to do it again!

Another...

Madi has another double ear infection so we are off to the ENT!

Labor Day Weekend...

We had a great weekend and were thrilled to have an extra day with Derrick. Saturday we went bowling at Fat Cats in Ogden and let Madi ride the merry-go-round. She wasn't to sure about it and would reach for us as she would pass but then when it stopped she would start bouncing like she wanted it to go again. It was pretty cute. She refused to look at me for a picture so this is the best you get! :D Madi loving her daddy! She has had a rough time adjusting to him having classes at night and clings to him when he's home.My happy girl!!!