Three Years Old

How do I have a three year old? There are times when I feel like time stands still but really time passes by so quickly. I know all Moms say that, but it is so true. I hardly know where to begin when talking about our precious 3 year old, Madeline Grace.
Madeline Grace is 100% girly girl with her jewels, painted toenails, lip gloss, bows, doll babies, purses, opinions about her clothing & shoe options each morning, monthly haircut, and the list of all girl things goes on and on. I LOVE that about Madeline because I am a girly girl, and I understand her need to have everything just so. I also dislike this trait because it brings on the D-R-A-M-A especially in times of "temper tantrum prone" behavior. However, I get it ~ the need to have just the right shoes, the right bow, the right undies, the right outfit, the right jewels, the right everything! I get it 100%, but it still makes me crazy. My mom tells me all the time, "You always said you wanted a girly girl, and you got her 210%." Yes, I did, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Madeline has endured quite a "half year" ~ new baby sister; a new baby sister that has had many health issues taking up lots of Mommy's energy; potty training; new playroom (meaning no more toys in the den & having to spend more time on her own playing in another room); more strict rules regarding snacks, meals, table manners, and desserts; no more paci; and Daddy's crazy busy work/travel schedule. Looking back, it's no wonder we had (and still have) some serious "rough patches" and "growing pains", and I think there were moments that I forgot my sweet girl was only 2 1/2 dealing with a variety of major life changes. However, we manage to muscle through them, and Madeline came out of it all smelling like a rose. She is really turning into a lovely, well spoken, mannerly little girl when she's not touching the boundaries with her toes. We are so proud of her with regard to her social skills & manners.
Madeline loves school, books, coloring, painting, reading, and all things related to school activities. She thrives in a structured atmosphere, and she very much enjoys all things learning. Madeline questions, absorbs, and loves to "know stuff". Eric and I think she just might be our little bookworm, and we love that about her.
Madeline loves her little sister to pieces, and it's such a sweet relationship. Madeline dotes on Amelia while gently "enforcing" the rules. "No, Amelia, you are not allowed to touch the remote control." or "No, Amelia, no pulling hair!" While there have been sharing issues and a few invasions of personal space, for the most part, Madeline adores her little sister, watches out for her, and plays ever so sweetly with her. Heaven forbid, any other child come near Amelia in a group setting ~ Madeline's "mama bear" comes out quickly! She points her little finger at the offender, and usually says something along the lines of, "This is my baby, and you need to leave her alone!" I suppose I won't worry when Amelia is a kindergartner, and Madeline is a third grader on the school bus. However, I have seen some of Madeline's "big-sister-I-get-to-do-this-and-you-don't" behavior come out, and she's had to learn the hard lesson of not taunting the baby.
Speaking of things that Madeline loves, she LOVES the TV. Oh my goodness, it's ridiculous how much TV Madeline would watch if I allowed her to do so. She's really gotten into Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Little Einsteins on the Disney channel. I have to admit, it's a nice change. I was pretty much over Dora and Ni-hao, Kailan on Nick Jr. While on the topic of bad habits, Madeline also loves anything in the chip aisle and chocolate. We've had to lay down some pretty serious mealtime rules: "You can have some chips if you eat your sandwich first." & "You can have some chocolate if you eat your entire dinner." For the most part, Madeline accepts these rules and follows them. She knows we don't waiver on them, so she accepts the consequences of not eating her sandwich or dinner.
Madeline is a shopper! I am pretty sure that she's the only 3 year old I know that enthusiastically shouts, "YAY!" when I announce that we are going to Target or the grocery or even better, BOTH!, after the gym. It's really funny how much she enjoys these two places especially considering the fact that this Mama doesn't fall for the "I want that!" plea on just about every aisle. I guess she just enjoys window shopping!

Not only does Madeline never stop talking (NEVER!), her imagination also never stops. She is constantly strumming up all kinds of little scenarios and using random things to portray whatever "prop" she needs for her scenario. Madeline is really good at improvising with whatever she can find to make her imaginary play come alive. Of course, "going to the market", taking care of doll babies, and hosting tea parties are the top three scenarios. Most of the time, she's prancing around in some ridiculous get up while she's doing all this. I love to spy on her to catch a glimpse of her imagination at work. My favorite line I've overheard so far is, "Come on Stella (her bitty baby). We're going to the market to get salad for Mommy and brewskies for Daddy!" If that doesn't represent Eric and I to a tee, I don't know what does! :)
Of course, I'd be leaving out a major part of Madeline's personality if I failed to mention her anger and bullheadedness. When she snaps, it's on. This girl can throw a temper tantrum like nothing I've ever seen, and it's UGLY! She can flail, kick, screech, and holler with some serious stamina. These tantrums definitely infuriate me, and I've had to learn to walk away from her during these heated moments. It takes both of us many minutes and many deep breaths to calm down from these episodes, but the irrational, angry Madeline is not a pretty sight. Her strong will, her stubbornness, and her willingness to stand up for herself will all serve her well in her future, but right now, we are having to work through when to be angry and stubborn and when to obey her Mommy & Daddy. I must say, she comes by these qualities 110% honestly. Both her Mommy and Daddy are pretty bullheaded. Our latest behavior issue with Madeline is talking back. It's making us crazy! When we ask Madeline to do something, she will answer with some sort of, "But I was just..." or "But I want..." Usually repeating ourselves with a much more stern tone does the trick, but we want her to respond the first time.
Madeline makes us so proud, and we love her more than she could ever know. She's silly, girly, sweet natured, smart, and adorable. We are so happy to call her ours, and we look forward to what this third year brings us!

(Beautiful photos courtesy of Jennifer St. John)

Madeline's Day (Picture Overload!)

August 17, 2011 was Madeline's 3rd birthday, and for those of you who know me, well, you probably aren't surprised that I didn't do anything terribly out of the ordinary to celebrate my 3 year old's big day. But, be rest assured that Madeline had a SPECTACULAR day, and SHE felt really special.

Her day started off with a oh-so-yum breakfast of Honey Combs with a frosted mini-wheat mix in after dressing and sporting the gigantic birthday bow! We practiced our "3 fingers"!

We ran a few errands --- dry cleaners & the drugstore to pick up Amelia's meds. Madeline was allowed to pick out a treat to share with her friends at the gym. Out of all the delicious choices in the snack aisle, she chose CVS brand cheese puffs and frosted animal cookies! YUM!

When we arrived at the gym, she bolted through the door with her goodies in hand and announced as loudly as humanly possible, "HEY EVERYONE! TODAY IS MY BIRFDAY!" (as if people couldn't see the ginormous birthday bow on her head) We got there as a class was letting out, so the check-in area was really crowded, and Madeline's super cute entrance received many chuckles from the other Mamas. Ms. Kathy was especially excited to give Madeline a birthday hug! She ate her way through that 2 hour timeframe, but she still managed to wolf down her "chocolate sammich" (Nutella on wheat bread) at lunch time. Madeline was allowed to watch 3 shows before her nap!

After a nap, Madeline and Mommy iced and sprinkled her birthday cake. She loved picking our the icing, sprinkles, and candles at the grocery store! What fun for both of us! Madeline especially enjoyed dropping the sprinkles on the cake & licking her spatula when she was done.












Once Daddy got home, we bathed and put Amelia to bed, had dinner, sang "Happy Birthday!", did some candle blowing, and of course opened a few presents. Madeline enjoyed reading her cards just as much as she enjoyed her gifts.











A very simple birthday for a very special little girl! We love you, Madeline Grace! Your Daddy and I have no doubt that wonderful things are in store for you this year!

Out of the Mouths of Babes

This is probably TMI for the blog, but I am going to share anyway because kids say the funniest things, and I want to remember some of Madeline's funnies.

Madeline had to take care of #2 potty business the other day. When I went in to check on her and help with toilet paper duty, the following conversation took place:

Madeline: "Mommy! I stinkied on the potty like a big girl!"
Me: "Yep. That's awesome. Your Daddy and I expect you to do that."
Madeline: "My belly and my bum was crackling when I made my stinky."
Me, laughing: "Thank you for sharing that fine detail."

When it was time to flush, I decided two things:
1) Indeed, her belly was probably crackling.
2) Had this taken place in a diaper, I would've used an entire box of wipes to clean her, & I would've thrown up in my mouth a little.

Bathtime Fun

Over the weekend, we put the girls in the big bathtub for the first time. Amelia sits up very stable now, so we decided that bathing them at the same time is the way to go! Madeline likes having a playmate!

Big Sister is super funny!

Kisses for Little Sister.

Amelia is all about gnawing on the foam letters!

Little Sister is Proud to Announce...

Amelia

is all smiles these days!

She is happy to announce that her big sister, Madeline, has been accident free for SEVEN whole days! Not only has Madeline not had one accident over the last 7 days, she has used the potty in the back of our Armada in numerous parking lots, used a public restroom several times, stopped her play to tell Mommy, "I better sit on the potty!", asked mid-dinner with guests to use the potty, allowed a total stranger in the church nursery to take her to the potty, and consistently asks the ladies in the gym nursery to sit on the potty (again stopping her play)!

Eric and I are very proud of Madeline for breaking us into the potty training thing nicely. We know there will be accidents, but we KNOW that Madeline can "feel the urge", and we are so happy not only that she can tell us but also has shown us that she will stop what she is doing to go to the bathroom.

Oh, and we still need to work on our undies etiquette...let's see the entire hair salon where Madeline gets her haircut saw her new big girl undies, our dinner guests on Saturday night were privileged to see her big girl undies, and of course, both the gym & church nurseries were all privy to Madeline's proud exclamation, "Want to see my big girl undies?" as she lifts her dress for all to see! haha! :)

Potty Training, part II

Well, after being couped up all weekend and being very potty centered, I felt like Madeline grasped the concept, but needed a little boost. So, the incentive chart came to be:
Checks for using the potty and a Ring Pop as a reward! While we are not big into candy treats as a reward, Madeline really digs lollipops and jewels, so the Ring Pop is a perfect prize for her. We hung around on Monday earning checks left and right, but not quite enough for the ultimate treat! I also ditched the potty bell in order to promote some independence on her part. It seemed to work well for us. She'd ask me to sit on the potty, or I would have her sit if it had been awhile. On Tuesday, we ventured out for the first time in four days, and this Mama was a nervous wreck on the inside. However, I portrayed ultimate confidence in my trainee! But, I was prepared with our travel potty, numerous new undies, and an extra outfit for our morning out. Oh, and I even lined her car seat with an ultimate crib sheet. (I loathe taking apart a car seat to clean it of bodily fluids!) She spent a portion of the day with her babysitter, and this little turkey used the potty all day long! She even took care of BOTH items of business for Ms. Shannon, if you catch my drift.

Needless to say, today we headed out to the gym as normal, and Madeline did really well. NO accidents. She was very proud of herself for getting her final check mark!

I am by no means under the impression that we are accident free, but I am certainly hopeful that things are pretty well under control to go about our normal daily activities. I am loving it, and Madeline loves to pull her dress up and show everyone her undies. Now we must work on the finer points of wearing undies, like not showing them to everyone we encounter! :)

Potty Training 101, Part I

In true Anne fashion, I picked a date on the calendar and declared, "This will be the day the diapers for Madeline go away!" So, Friday, June 24, 2011, arrived, and we were prepared to start potty training. I read John Rosemond's "Naked & $75" plan carefully as if I were studying for my AP Calculus exam, purchased entirely too many undies, bought a potty, set said potty up in the den, picked a perfect ring tone for the timer on my new fancy phone to pose as the "potty bell", mentally prepared to be on house arrest for a few days, and mustered up as much as enthusiasm as I possibly could, and went for it!

Madeline's new stash of undies. Her only request was pink and purple ones.
Our new best friend, the red potty. It goes where we go for now!

Mama's attempt at finding "around the house" activities to do other than the normal books, dolls, puzzles, etc. to cure cabin fever. Yep, my toes are now that lovely shade of purple per Madeline's request for us to matching toes.

A few "official potty training" shots.

Even while potty training, a girl has got to wear her jewels --- notice she is wearing her necklace & bracelet! :)

Proud Madeline --- such a big girl!

Amelia is a supportive little sis.

We've watched more TV than normal, and Madeline discovered this "My Little Pony" show. She enjoyed dancing to the music.

Potty training does make for some pretty cute "from behind" shots, and this Mama has occupied her down time by playing Solitaire as evidenced above.

I chose to start off this entire process with the suggested potty bell two reasons: I know myself, & I would have a tendency to micromanage the situation, and I wanted Madeline to have ownership in this process. So, I set the timer for 20 minutes and each time it rang, she learned to go to the potty, pull her undies down, and (attempt to) pee. Madeline caught onto the procedure quickly. She loves to dump her product into the big potty & flush. She does everything and is very proud of herself. Our first day was a little rough as I was figuring out her timing, and she had no clue what she was doing, so right off the bat, Madeline had a couple of accidents. (Deep breaths even though I expected them!) Then she was too busy playing to drink and eat enough (as usual), so she was dry for the longest time and seemed to become annoyed that she wasn't making anything in her potty. After an extra salty popcorn snack requiring Madeline to drink LOTS of water, she finally had "Lellow pee in my red potty!!!" She took it to the bathroom, dumped it, and returned the bowl to red the potty. The whole process seemed to click at that point.

The following day, Saturday, was a success in my book having only one accident all day. The potty bell set at 20 or 25 minutes worked for us. Madeline was very proud of herself, and we plunged into Sunday pretty optimistic. Sunday gave a new twist in the game when Madeline decided to test the limits of the potty bell and my patience. She wouldn't immediately go to the potty, and a few accidents occurred which caused me to be more stern with her in explaining not to lolly-gag to the potty. A slight power struggle came into play on Sunday. At this point, I stepped away from the situation by putting Madeline in for a nap in her 'sleeping undies' (Pull- ups). Post nap, we started with fresh undies, a fresh attitude, and an incentive chart with a Ring Pop being the reward (a jewel AND a lollipop all in one!). We've been couped up for three days now which is not good for any of us even though I am sure Amelia is loving her morning nap in her crib! On Monday, we will venture out the gym which will be interesting...stayed tuned for Part II and hopefully PROGRESS!