Small Town Fun

I love, love, love the small town that we moved to last year.

Tonight we met all of our neighbors (except the Larsens- what is up with that??) at the town square, where they showed The Wizard of Oz on a big screen outside. We spread out on a blanket, ate dinner and then munched on popcorn til Ian couldn't sit still any longer.

Good times.

*I'll try to post a pic of it later, but now I'm off to bed.

The Sweetest Thing

Sometimes we rush through life and never stop to really enjoy it. I had one of those moments tonight.

I'm home alone tonight- Bryan went to a Panthers game. So I did dinner with the boys, bathtime (where Ian insists on being the one to shower Chase with water every time), got them both in their jammies, and was ready to scoot Ian into bed, because, frankly, I was ready for some me time.

Then, Ian kept climbing into Chase's rocker, playing around with the baby books I keep on the nightstand. Just as I was about to say something like, "Stop playing around and get into your bedroom because it's late...", he told me that he was going to read Chase a bedtime story.

And he proceded to open "Kitten Games" (his absolute favorite when he was about 8 mos old). I almost, ALMOST said, "No- we don't have time for that." But then I thought about it. And I sat down on the ottoman with Chase. And we listened to Ian "read"- pretty accurately!- Kitten Games.

Beacuse, really, why don't we have time to sit and listen to a story? Especially one read so eloquently in such an adorable voice?

I keep thinking about that line (I think it's a Beetles song?)- Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans. How true, indeed.

So after Ian read the first book, the three of us settled into the rocker and we read 4 more stories. And I loved every minute of it :)

Buddy Walk Update!

Ok, since it will be September at the end of this week (OMG), that means October is just around the corner! October 6th is the Buddy Walk in Charlotte, and here is our update:

Team Maddex now consists of:
Us
Gaga and Papa
The Larsen Family
The Boyens Family (who are driving from Florida!!)

That's 19 people!!! Yay!

We're almost halfway to our goal of $1,000. We have donations from:
Skip and Konni :)
Nikki Konicki :)
The Gallers Family :)


We EVEN have our own personal fundraiser headed up by Grace with Home Interiors. Go here if you want to buy cool stuff for your house and donate money at the same time!

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who is supporting us :) If anyone else would like to walk with us, let me know. If nothing else, you get a free hot dog...:)

Cavities...Check!

It was time for my 6 month cleaning today at the dentist. Yay. Those of you who remember my last trip to the dentist know that I wasn't all that excited to go back.

Anyhoo. I brought Ian with me so that he could watch the "funny toothbrush" and see Mommy's teeth get "white and shiny". I dropped Chase off with Tiffany (thank you, Tiff!!) and we were off.

Isn't it funny that when you just had one child, going somewhere without any kids was a break, but when you have more than one, just taking a single child instead of the whole herd feels like a break? Did that make sense? I felt like Ian and I had a little vacation together- just Mommy and Me and the dentist.

He was super good. He sat in the chair in the corner and watched. Then he stood next to me and watched. Then he climbed on top of me and watched. He kept asking questions while the hygenist was elbow-deep in my mouth: "Are you done yet, Mommy? Do you like those sunglasses, Mommy? Are your teeth clean now, Mommy? Do you have cavities in there, Mommy?" The dentist had a stuffed alligator with ginormous dentures and a huge toothbrush in the corner. Ian spent about 10 minutes brushing his teeth. Then he put him in time-out because he lost his toothbrush...? Not sure what that was all about, but it made the dentist laugh.

Last but not least, Ian got a ride in the big dentist chair, and Dr. McLeod promised to clean his teeth when he turned 3. Actually, I asked when he should come in for his first official cleaning- and the Dr said, "Well, we usually try to wait until they can sit still for a period of time first." So...like, 12? 18? After college??

Oh, and I still have those 5 cavities from when I was pregnant and he refused to fill them. So now I have to go back next week. Gross.

Mondays...

And here I thought because I stay at home I wouldn't have to endure Mondays anymore.

This morning:

Ian had another gigantic "accident" in his bg boy underwear while I was in the shower. Yuck. That's all I'm going to say about that.

Went to Wal-Mart for general grocery shopping. Unloaded all of my stuff at the register. Noticed that I did NOT have my wallet with me.

As we were rushing out of the store, Ian decides that NOW is the time that he would like to pee-pee in the big potty. The restroom has no hooks in it, and I'm wearing Chase. So there we are, Chase in the sling, diaper bag slung onto my back, Ian with his pants around his ankles, and I'm holding him up so that he can reach the potty with his stream. Good news: he made it :)

Drove madly back home, ran inside- grabbed my wallet that was sitting on the counter and a cookie (energy) and trucked back to Wal-Mart. Paid for lonely groceries wilting in the cart by #17 register.

After I paid, I realized that Chase had spit up all down the front of my shirt.

Now Chase is hungry, so he cries all the way home, Ian is trying to calm him down by singing the first quarter of the ABC's over and over again. I stuff all the bags into the fridge to sort through later, dump Spaghettios in a bowl for Ian, and sit down to nurse Chase.

Thank God everyone went down for a nap easy today. I'm wiped.

Promise Check-In

Thought I'd update you on the promises I made last week: (I feel a little like Bridget Jones...)

1- I walked with the CDS Crew 3 mornings, by myself 1 morning, with the fam 2 times, and went to pilates once. Need to work on getting to pilates at least 2 times per week.

2- I counted WW points and stayed basically on track. It's actually really easy to do, since I get 10 extra points everyday for breastfeeding. Yay, baby!

3- I have NOT eaten any fudge this week. HOWEVER, Dad and Mary sent Bryan a HUGE tin of Mrs. Field's cookies for his birthday, and they are very tempting. 3 for 4 points. I've spent a lot of points on those things. (Thanks, Mary! :)

4- Grand total poundage lost this week: 3!!! Woo-hoo!

OK- I'm off to load up for our walk.

T21 T-Shirts

I'm planning on making cute T-shirts for our Buddy Walk Team to wear in October, so I was searching around online to get some ideas. Who knew Ds message t-shirts were so popular?

I know a couple of these are a little, well, crude. But, hey, we have to laugh once in a while, right?!

Blog Slacker

I apoligize for being a blog slacker this week.

I feel like I've been super busy, but when I sat down just now to reflect on what has been happening this week, I'm at a loss. It wasn't all that exciting.

It's still crazy hot here, so we didn't really venture out of the house that much. Especially since the AC in my car went out (grr.) I'm trying to pretend that this God-awful heat is going to stop soon and make way for beautiful Fall weather, and I keep telling myself that I can save on a big repair bill by just sweating it out, but I think I'm going to cave and bring the car into the dealership on Tuesday. THe worst was when it was 102 outside and the boys and I were driving 35 minutes to dinner in traffic. I kept reaching back at stoplights to put an ice pack on their faces. Ugh.

Went to Mommies' Night Out Wednesday night at Miro Spanish Grill. Good food, good crowd- better Sangria :) It was nice to get out.

Thursday we met my parents for dinner at Carrabbas. It was a spur of the moment kin dof thing, then we realized it was Chase's 4 month birthday. So, I guess we celebrated there. Then we lost his pacifier somewhere under the table...

We also went to the waterpark Thursday with Christine and Alex. Since most of the kids are in school now, it was pretty empty and we didn't have to worry about Marco Polo players running into us.

Friday was PT day- Chase is doing great :) His head control is getting better and better. Now his favorite thing to do is lift both feet in the air and kick toys on the way down instead of batting at them with his hands.

Saturday was a picnic for the DSAC...and it was hot, hot HOT. We met Dan, April, Alex, and Lindsay there, but everyone melted pretty quickly and we didn't stay too long. We did, however, stay long enough to discover Ian's love for stomp rockets. I totally have to buy this for him now.

We got home from the picnic and everyone was wiped out. Even Chase. He slept from 4:30pm til almost 9pm...I enjoyed that big long nap and took some time to scrapbook. Then he decided to stay up until midnight...

Then Mike and Angelle came over for a game of Loaded Questions- lots of fun :) I like any game that I can play from my LazyBoy with a baby on my boob.

I promise to keep up on my blogging this week, so as to avoid another huge long recap entry like this again!

Increasing Cognitive Development

An interesting article about Down syndrome research

I wonder if any of this will come to actualization in Chase's lifetime?

Potty Training Whine

Just a quickie:

Ian did really good in his big boy underwear today. Until Chase's OT came. And the caseworker was observing today, too.

Then he had a rather large accident. Not the kind you can just mop up, if you get my drift.

Tell me why things like that happen when there is an audience?

Pilates

Ian had a meltdown at the gym today. He all of a sudden decided that the playplace was not a fun place to be, and there was NO WAY he was going to stay there.

I left him there screaming for me, with the teachers telling me that he would be fine.

15 minutes later, in the middle of my pilates class, I saw the teacher peeking in the window, motioning for me to come out...Ian apparently never calmed down.

I got up to go and get him, and Cici (the instructor) tells me to bring him back and finish class! I don't think she knew what she was in for. Sure, he LOOKS harmless...!

So, I got the hysterical Ian and brought him with me to class. He got his very own yoga ball and mat, and he spent the next 40 minutes chasing the ball around the room, occasionally knocking into the really uber-understanding participants.

Even though all the ladies told Ian that he should come back again sometime, I don't think it's going to be something we make a habit of doing. It's really hard to balance on that dang ball in the first place, and much more difficult when you are dodging a two year old as well.

Gah!

Ian was supposed to be sleeping (isn't this how I started my last post?), but I heard this:

"GAH! ..... GAH! .... GAH! ...." and so on.

I finally went up and poked my head in the doorway.

Me: Ian- what are you doing up here?
Ian: I'm laying in my bed and saying, "Gah!"

Duh.

Monkey Tongs

Ian was hollering up in his bedroom while he was supposed to be going to sleep. Bryan went up to see what the matter was. I heard some mumbling, and then Bryan called downstairs:

Baby- what are Monkey Tongs? Do you know what Ian is talking about?

??

Then it dawned on me... I promised Ian he could have Lucky Charms for breakfast tomorrow morning.

Lucky Charms. Monkey Tongs.

Who knew?

I promise...

1. To walk or go to the gym every day.

2. To eat within my Weight Watcher points every day. (But not to join the actual WW because I think that I can do this without facing my weight on a scale in front of 20 people each week) (Um, and I already spent my first month's WW fee on a buying spree at Target. Oops.)

3. To not eat obscene amounts of the fudge that we bought in Michigan.

4. To lose 1-2 pounds every week.


If I write these down, maybe I'll be better at keeping them...?

GOAL: November 1st, 20 pounds.

Bathrobe Baby

I'm not really sure why they make bathrobes for babies. I don't know why they make 'em, but I know I like 'em!

There is something silly about a baby in a robe that just makes me smile. Chase likes them, too. :)


And not to leave Ian out- I call this, "Squished Toddler Face in the Bathtub"

Birthday Men

Happy birthday to my dad and my hubby.

I know. It's bizarre that they share a birthday.

We had a great time at Dave and Busters with the CDS Crew...lots of food, lots of bowling, and lots of laughs. Thanks for joining us, everyone! :)

You Know You're a Suburban Mom When...

Your big Friday night on the town is a Pampered Chef party at your girlfriend's sister's house.

Woo-hoo!

No really, I had fun, ladies :)

A Good Laugh!

This morning, I was nuzzling Chase's big fat baby cheeks and doing this "mch mch mch mch mch mch mch!" thing (that is really hard to relate in blog-speak, but I hope that you can kind of get my meaning...

And he LAUGHED! Then I did it again, and he LAUGHED SOME MORE!

Yay, Chase! Another milestone acheived.

16 weeks and laughing. Check.

**On a side note, he's getting really good with his head control. You can hold him is a sitting position, and he holds his head up all by himself with minimal backward wangs.**

Boy Appetite

So, I was wondering, when was it that your growing boy started eating like a man?

Ian begged, begged, begged, for macaroni and cheese (the really nutritional kind in the blue box). I was out of the little Easy Mac packets that I usually make for him, so I made an entire box instead.

He's on his third bowl now...!?

Projects

I'm going to publically admit my problem.

Hi, my name is Laurie, and I am a project-starter, but not a project-finisher.

Today I ignored the laundry, the unpacking from vacation (which was over 5 days ago...), the dishes, the half-finished thank you notes, the birth announcements without addresses (yes, Chase is almost 4 months old now...), the scrapbooking (3 years worth of pictures), the pile of dishes by the sink, and the general housecleaning needs...

...and I took the boys to Lowes to buy paint for my bathroom.

Because I need something to do.

I can't explain it, either.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Time for some brainless entertainment.

Which Disney Princess Are You?
	You are Cinderella. You are hard-working and never complain, however, your trust is sometimes misplaced and people sometimes take advantage of you. Still, you are beautiful inside and out, and one day you will realize it and find true love.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

All Hail, the First Lady.

Bryan had his first open forum HOA meeting tonight as president. Apparently some people were pretty vocal. I didn't go to the actual meeting, but I walked up and waited outside as the people came spilling out of the building after it adjourned. It's funny to listen in on other peoples' rants. Maybe that's why I like reading blogs...

I'm SO GLAD he's on the board and I'm not.

It's good to be the First Lady.

I forgot...

...another Ian-ism.

Bryan took him for a ride in the rowboat at the Lake.

Or as Ian tells it, the Robot Boat. Funny :)

Boo-Yah!

Both kids sleeping!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Bryan and I celebrated our 7th anniversary tonight (it was really August 5th, but we were trapped in the car that day). My parents gave us a gift certificate to Bonefish Grill along with a baby-sitting offer. Needless to say, after a 9 day "vacation" with the children, we jumped at the chance for some alone time.

We had an awesome meal- and I had 2 sangrias. It was strange to actually sit in a restaurant booth and not have to shovel my food down for fear of not being able to finish it due to some kid ememrgency. Bryan and I had to consciously SLOW DOWN and listen to each other...it was nice :)

Now I too tired to stay up and finish the laundry. Oh, well.

Things to think about.

You have two choices: you can be happy about what is, or you can be miserable about what isn't.

Jeremiah 29:11. "For I know the plans I have for you... plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Chase's horoscope on his birthday: An apparent conflict that pops up this year can be rectified. It only requires more practice, until what you're learning becomes second nature. You'll be able to do it all.

Down and Out.

It's been a rough day.

Angelle had her baby. I'm happy for her. I really am.

I went to go see her in the hospital. Baby Erin is so little and pink and healthy. It just makes me sad. I held her, and all I could think about was that I couldn't remember Chase being that small in my arms because I wasn't able to hold him when he was that new.

And maternity rooms make me remember how totally crappy my stay was. Sick with worry, aprehensive about the future. The neonatologist coming in the room 2 days after he was born and saying, "Chase is a sweet boy, but he looks a little different."

Maternity wards are supposed to be happy places with tired moms, little bundled babies, and all sorts of congratulatory cards, balloons, and relatives. It makes me angry that I have such a negative association with them now.

It makes me angry that I can't just accept that Chase's diagnosis is what it is and will be what it is forever and ever and that's that. It drives me nuts that I can't stop myself from comparing my experiences to every one elses. I try, I really do. Does this ever get better...?

Erin is here!

My friend Angelle (Crabby Mama) had her second girl in the wee hours of this morning. Congrats, Gallers family :)

27

The number of hours we spent in the car or the hotel room getting home from Michigan. We got in last night at 10:30ish. So. Tired. Of. The. Car.

But, we're home.

More to come later.

Michigan Cactus

Today we ventured out to "town"- Elk Rapids is the closest civilization to the cottage. It has a bunch of cutesy stores and antique shops. That means that I love meandering downtown, and Bryan hates it.

Luckily, I let Bryan have a guys night at the casino earlier this week, so he was forced to endure window shopping with Ian and Chase in tow. :)

Ian was quite the village cutie- saying hello and goodbye to everyone we met, and endearing himself to the shopowners so much that one of them gave him a sticker and a sucker "just like the doctor!"

We had to take this picture while we were out...Ian saw this fire hydrant and exclaimed, "Look! A red cactus!"

Water Babies

Grandma's cottage is about 50 feet from the lake, and we've been taking full advantage of it for the past 4 days.

It's going to be REALLY hard to go home tomorrow.

**I forgot- before Ian sat down on this rock, he said, "Maybe I need to sit down on this rock now..." He makes me laugh SO HARD!

Evening Activities

I just peeked in on Ian before going to bed.

He had been playing around in the room before falling asleep...I thought he had been "reading" his Cat in the Hat book the whole time.

Not so.

When I walked in, something funky stuck to my feet. It was kind of crunchy.

Then I noticed my supply of nursing pads were scattered on the floor.

That monkey found my stash of individually wrapped breast pads in my suitcase, and spent his evening quietly unwrapping them one by one!

I guess I should be thankful that he didn't peel the adhesive off the backs and stick them all over the walls...

You made your bed...

While we were at Skip and Konni's cottage, Ian had a difficult time falling asleep one night. He was restless, rolling around the double bed we all shared. I left him after reading two stories and patting him for a few minutes. I figured he would just talk himself to sleep.

So, I sat in the living room, listening to his little chatter for 15-20 minutes. I couldn't really hear what he was saying, but he was at least happy.

Finally, silence. I peeked inside the room and found Ian fast asleep, cuddling Blue Dog.

In Chase's co-sleeper.

How he got in, I don't know. How he fell asleep all wedged in there, I have no idea!

Maybe he will be a contortionist someday.

Mich Again

After 2 days in the car, and an unfortunate incident involving an open window and the directions...we've made it to Michigan. Or Mich again, as Ian says. On the way up, he kept asking, "Hey Mom- are we in Mich again yet? I want to go to Mich!"

We stopped at Bryan's Aunt Konni and Uncle Skip's house in Hemlock (which has a HUGE park in the backyard), then went to their cottage for a couple nights. Ian played with his second cousin Ashlee J, who is 2 months younger than him, the whole time. Although they butt heads quite a few times (2 year olds, apparently, don't share with ANYONE) they kept each other busy and even shared a few hugs and kisses. Their favorite activities included playing pool, catching minnows, and eating junk (thanks, Grandma Konni!).

Yesterday we left Skip and Konni's and traveled onto Birch Lake, where we met up with Bryan's Uncle Jeff, cousin Michelle, her friend Chelsea, and Grandma Maddex. It took 5 hours in the car rather than 2 1/2...next time we will be using a map instead of relying on word of mouth for directions. Nevertheless, we arrived safely. Ian and Chase are both great travelers- thanks to a borrowed DVD player (thanks, Gallers family!) and a laid-back disposition- I'l let you figure out which attribute belongs to which child.

I'm pretty sure that as soon as we got out of the car, Ian walked directly into the lake. He's already an expert in Lake Activities. I went swimming with him today and he showed me how he liked to walk around looking for warm spots. When he found one, I stood with him in it, and he looked up at me and told me, "It's warm because I pee-peed in the sand!" *sigh*

Aside from the pee-peeing in the lake, all is quiet here. The sky is beautiful- blue and sunny, the wind is blowing just enough to make it comfy in shorts and a sweatshirt, and everyone is either reading outside or taking a nap. A perfect vacation!

I'm leaving a few pics, but will try to post more later.

Buddy Walk 2007

I just got the literature in the mail for this year's Buddy Walk. It's a yearly event hosted nationally by the National Down Syndrome Society in order to raise awareness and funds for Down syndrome. There are more than 260 walks across the country that will take place on Saturday, October 6th.

So, here is your mission:
1- I need 10 people to form a team to walk. CDS Crew? Any volunteers? All team members will get a fabulous custom t-shirt with Chase's famous winking picture on it!

2- Our goal is to raise $1,000 in Chase's name. Every little bit helps! Dig deep, people!

Also, I hear that the Buddy Walk in Charlotte (held in Freedom Park) will have a carnival-y type set up- rides, food, etc. Fun for the whole family!

Let me know if you are interested in helping in any way. Thanks!

The Chase is ON!

Miscellaneous..

1- Had a great Girls Night In with the CDS Crew. Thanks, ladies!

We watched Anne of Green Gables and ate an astounding amount of food.

2- Ian had a GREAT day today:) He is no longer a porkchop. As he ate his dinner politely and without my having to bargain with him for each bite, he paused to look at me and say, "I'm eating a good dinner. And I'm not playing around."

3- I'm almost packed for our Michigan trip. We're leaving sometime tomorrow. Bryan is a wonderful, wonderful husband, and is taking tomorrow off so he can help pack the car up and we can get an earlier start.

I'm not sure if I'll have any kind of internet access, so if you don't hear from me, I'm still probably okay. Stuck in a car for 17 hours with the boys, but at least alive. :)

It should be loads of fun!

No, really, I'm looking forward to our trip. And Ian is WAY excited that we're going on a "feshal" (special) car trip so he can watch movies.

6 AM and All is Well...

Well, sort of. At least Ian slept through the night. And Chase is still asleep.

Ian woke up with a wail this morning, and I raced into his room, thinking he must have fallen out of bed or had a nightmare or something.

I open the door and ask, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

He answers, "I'm crying because I miss my juice."

Okay...?

Tired...

I'm really, really tired. And it's only Wednesday.

I have a feeling that Ian has just realized that Chase is here to stay, and that he is no longer the center of the universe. He's been acting out, making himself heard...refusing to go to bed without a fight the past three nights. Ugh.

It was so bad today that I refused to take him out into the world. No movie. No park. No library. No gym. All errands can wait. I'm afraid of what he will do in public.

And, I think that he's overtired because of his going-to-bed (or not) issues. So tonight I laid with him until he fell asleep at 7:45. I'm crossing my fingers that he will wake up refreshed and un-twerpy...sometime after 7am.

I'm going to bed now.