I'm in the mood to talk...

I'm just wondering why it is so difficult to go use the bathroom if you feel the urge? I thought we might have lucked out this time but nope, we have 3 children who refuse to take the 30 seconds to use the bathroom. Instead of this difficult chore, they choose to dance, run, jump, anything that will keep them moving. When I remind them to go, they deny the urge altogether. The other night, Madlyn was moving and grooving and I told her to use the bathroom. "But I don't neeeeeed to!" Literally 5 seconds later, she beelines it to the bathroom, calling behind her, "Now I need to go!"

Lane is so funny. He has started to make these funny faces and he is hilarious. His most-used expression is one where he raises his eyebrows and puts his mouth into an "o" shape, almost like he's surprised or something. But he does it all the time:) And he has started running away from me when it is time to change his diaper. If I ask him to go get the diaper (he used to quickly oblige), he vigorously shakes his head no! He still doesn't say much that you can understand but his vocabulary is slowly growing. He says "thank you", "dad", "pizza", "mama", and that's about it. When I go to get him out of his carseat, he turns his head to the side and pretends he's sleeping...so funny! Oh, and when he goes to bed or down for a nap, he likes me to turn music on. He listens to the music from my old music class that I used to teach or my favorite, "Beethoven's Wig" - a collection of classical music that has had lyrics added to each song.

I pretty much have the best husband ever. The past few weeks have been a little rough for me and Jeff has really taken over many of the mundane household tasks and I am so appreciative. I do feel just a little bit guilty every time he makes a meal, or picks up the family room, or washes the dishes, or sorts the laundry, but I am thankful that he is so helpful. I especially like it when he cooks because his meals almost always include red meat (what? did I just say that?)! On top of being Mr. Mom these days, he is still the best dad to our kids and the best husband for me. Man, I love him.

When we told Cade that I have "two babies in my tummy" he got a real worried look on his face and tearfully said, "I don't want to get babies in my tummy." Don't worry honey, you won't:) Maddie & Cole have been very excited and say almost daily, "I can't wait for the babies to be born." Maddie refers to me as "you three" and when she is home will hardly let me do anything without her help. It's too bad she isn't here all day:) Maddie & Cole have been pretending to be twins lately, naming themselves "Twin Max" and "Twin Ruby" after Cole's favorite TV show "Max & Ruby" (which, by the way, is the most annoying show EVER!).

I love the weather here. I love the rain, I love the light breezes, I love the sunshine, I even love the smell of moisture in the air (didn't think I'd ever say that). And the green - I love it!

I made chocolate chip cookies the other day (for the first time in a couple of months) and I still have not eaten one. I have leftover dough in the fridge and have no desires to bake it up. It's weird. They must have been good though because Jeff had a few young men over the other night for a planning meeting and they ate 4 dozen of them!! 4 dozen!! It made me feel good though:)

I guess that's it for now. Life is good and we are happy....

So I think I devised a way to get more company out our way:

HAVE A BABY!

Yep - we are expecting! I am about 9 weeks along and due November 24th.

Are you a bit skeptical that I'll get many visitors with that news? Well, I've got a foolproof plan that will be hard to resist:








HAVE TWO BABIES!

That's right, folks - we are expecting not only #5, but #6 as well:) Here's the proof:

A little shocked? That's all right - so was Jeff, hehe.

Stay tuned for more of my thoughts and rundowns of all my symptoms!



*I'm just kidding, I really won't give you a rundown of all my symptoms:)

Look Who's 7!!!

Our sweet Madlyn turned 7 on Saturday, April 10. Of course Jeff & I have mentioned several times in the past few days that "we can't believe it's already been 7 years" and that "she is growing up so quickly". Just a few facts about Madlyn's birth:

• her due date was April 4, I was induced 5 days later on April 9
• she was born at 4:34 am on Thursday, April 10
• she is our lightest baby so far at 8 lbs. 8 oz.
• she had a little bit of brownish/reddish hair in the back
• she looked like her Grandpa Jim (she was even called a "Jimlet" by one family friend)
• since I had been awake for a couple of days straight and Madlyn wasn't sleeping, I asked the nurse to take her to the nursery for a few hours our first night. They were begging me to take her back because she pretty much didn't sleep all night for them and hated the swing. I'm grateful I got the sleep I did though because our first year together lacked greatly in the sleep department:)

Mads got her ears pierced on Saturday - whoo hoo! She was very excited but got quite nervous when it was time. She was glad to have her cousin Taylor there with her for moral support:)

Funny thing, Madlyn keeps asking me if she looks like she's 8. I tell her that "no, you look like you're 7". She likes Cole's answer better than mine because he told her that she looks like she's 11. It's so funny to me how badly she wants to grow up...reminds me of someone else!

Oh, can you see her two missing front teeth? She was very happy to lose her 2nd front tooth and hopes she can sing "All I Want for Christmas is my 2 Front Teeth" when it's Christmas-time! At the rate her teeth grow in, she just might be able to:)

Mads and the birthday cake

Silly girl!

Always the poser:)

So Maddie's cousin Taylor surprised her by coming down from Dallas on Friday afternoon and was here when she got home from school. She was actually hiding in a big box on our front porch and I told Madlyn to go open it...out popped Taylor! It scared Madlyn but then she was ecstatic! It was so thoughtful of them to come down and we had a great time!

Friday night, we pulled out the camp stove and roasted marshmallows and ate S'mores, played the Wii (Madlyn got a cooking game - I don't think she loves it too much), and stayed up late - much, much too late for the kids:(

Saturday we ate oatmeal for breakfast (Madlyn's request) and then the girls went to Claire's to get ears pierced! In the early afternoon, we went to Subway and then to the park for a picnic and to play. Jeff took Mads & Cole to see the movie "Tooth Fairy" at the dollar theater and then we ate pizza and had birthday cake before rushing off to bed!

At dinner we talked about what we love about Madlyn- Jeff & I said that she is a great big sister, smart, loving, thoughtful, athletic, etc. The boys said that she is nice and lets them sleep in her bed sometimes. I truly think she is about the best big sister that ever was.

Madlyn loved the weekend and all the attention and it was so fun to spoil her! We are so blessed to have her as a daughter and love her dearly. How grateful we are that Heavenly Father decided to send us a girl first, even when we (I) weren't sure what to do with girls:)

Happy Birthday, Madlyn!

aka Mads
Maddie
Madazoa
Hadley Design Group


Oh, so Madlyn had originally requested my "famous peanut butter sandwiches" for her lunch on Saturday and homemade fried rice and orange chicken for dinner. She then changed her mind and wanted chicken pot pie but since we didn't have time on Saturday, I made the pies on Sunday. She is so funny about food and is such a great eater and will eat almost anything! I think I will have to make her some orange chicken soon though - that sounds yummy!