Ode to the Hover Mother

I used to refer to myself as "The Hover Mother". I used to be on top of Madi's every move. In fact, I always wondered how other mothers managed to socialize at the park. It was a foreign concept to me.

Today, at a birthday party at the park, Madi ran over to me and said, "I climbed the rock wall all by myself!" I was so busy socializing that I missed it! I looked around for Daddy, but he had missed it too. Madi took us over to show us she could do it.

It is so clear to me now how the feeling of security grows as the familiarity and confidence in your child's abilities improves. Goodbye Hover Mother...at least for the moment;)

No more pull-ups?

Madi decided that she wants to start wearing underwear to bed like her good friend, Ana. Last night, we had a 'rehearsal' of sorts before bedtime. We stopped drinks at an early hour. We made sure to go potty before bed. I set up night lights all over the place, and I explained that she could call for Mommy over the monitor if necessary. But no--she wanted to do it all by herself.

I think I was half-awake most of the night listening for that moment. At 6:00am, Jimmy poked me and said, "I think Madi just went to the bathroom. I heard the toilet flush!" We listened carefully to those amazing sounds of independence. And then the most amazing sound. Madi had gone back in her bedroom, settled in, and started to giggle. She giggled for about five minutes. She was obviously very proud of this big accomplishment. Sweet music to our ears...

"FRUIT PUNCH!!!"

I know I can be a sappy Mom, but geez--when that first customer walked down the street and Madi started jumping up and down with excitement waving her arms and yelling "Fruit Punch" in a fairly discernible tone, tears couldn't help but flood my eyes!

It was so precious. She had a ball. Her little friend Gabby came over right after we started and they were able to share this "first" experience together. People were overly kind and generous. It was all good until they started drinking the profits:)

Madi's Special Day

Something happened this morning that hasn't happened in a long time. Madi and I started our day without any plans!! I asked her if she wanted to go to the YMCA, and she replied, "No...it's a special day." So I went with it. Madi declared it 'her special day'. We strolled to the park without any friends (by choice). We went to Wakodahatchee Wetlands for a quick outing, only because Mommy wasn't prepared with a drink and a snack (shame on Mommy). I think the best is yet to come. Madi came out of her room at about 1:30 and said, "When can I do a lemonade stand?" I thought about it, knowing we don't have any lemonade in the house. She settled for a fruit punch and dried fruit stand! We are waiting for Bubba and Grandpa to make it over with some cups and the punch is cooling in the fridge. Madi and I worked on a sign. She has even been practicing how she will jump up and down and wave to attract customers. She promptly designated a bowl for the money. I think we're good to go! Pictures will definitely follow...

The Wedding is Off!

This morning Madi declared that she was getting married today. "To whom?", I asked. "To Leo", she replied. When I explained to her that she couldn't marry Leo because he is her cousin, it clearly burst her bubble. She moped around a bit, and then marched off to her room. A few minutes later, I was taking something in there. With a very pouty demeanor, she said, "I wanted to get married today." She was disappointed...

Something prompted me to dig out my veil and gloves from our wedding day. When I went to Madi's room with this surprise, she was glowing with excitement. She modeled everything so carefully. She refuses to take the gloves off. Someday, she'll make a beautiful bride, no doubt. Cousin Leo arrives from Atlanta later today. I can't wait to see what's in store for him!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Irish princesses Madi Murphy and Emily Maloney were 'tearing it up' downtown at the parade on Saturday. They had a great time together and managed to hold out from 11:00 to 4:00! That didn't end the fun though. We went back to our house where they played in the hot tub and had more backyard fun. They finally made it to bed at about 9:00! They were crazy little leprechauns, and so were their parents:)

Just zoning out

Tonight while Madi was in the bathtub floating on her back, I said, "Madi, what are you doing in there?" She replied, "I'm just zonin' out Mom." Where on Earth do they hear these things???

Madi's backpack

This morning Madi packed her ladybug backpack to go visit Grandma. I didn't know what she had filled it with, but I noticed that she looked like she was struggling a little bit once she put it on. She followed me into my bathroom and stepped up onto her step stool to look in the mirror. I walked out of the room for a moment and heard a loud thud. When I ran into the bathroom, it was evident that Madi had become 'top heavy' and toppled over onto the floor. Half of her body was in our shower stall, and she looked like a turtle stuck on it's back. I couldn't help but giggle at the sight. When I picked her up and took off the backpack, I couldn't believe it! It weighed at least ten pounds! And this was her list of important staples for Grandma:

1 can of Bush's beans
1 can of Chicken broth
1 can of Rotel tomatoes
1 jar of peanut butter
1 12-oz. can of tuna
1 bottle of Italian salad dressing
1 jar of chocolate frosting

No wonder she fell over!!!

Sleepover!

I dropped Madi off at Biba ("Bubba") and Grandpa's house about half an hour ago. She was so excited for her sleepover that she ran up their sidewalk and began pounding on the door. She couldn't wait to dump her duffel bag to show Biba everything she brought. She promptly shoved me out the door.

Should I be sad? Oh no. I am thrilled! I am thrilled for her that she will have so much fun and is so comfortable with her Grandparents (all of them I might add). I am thrilled that Mommy and Daddy will enjoy a nice dinner out with Uncle Matt and Aunt Sherril to celebrate our recent birthdays. I can't remember the last time we slept without the monitor on...

Cheers!

SVF Festival 2009

This year the festival was all about Madi and her 'girlfriends'. It cracked us up to see her marching around with authority in the presence of her little posse of three-year olds. I swear she thought she owned the place! In fact, they all did! They were so cute--most of them accompanied by their daddies, while their mommies volunteered at the festival.

Thankfully, we purchased a wristband for Madi and Daddy. She loved her wristband and would stare at it with pride. It turned out to be a worthy investment, since her little pack would run from one ride to another nonstop. We were there all weekend enjoying the festivities. Madi and her friends also enjoyed the games. There was one incident where her friend Mary won a prize flipping frogs onto lilypads. Madi wasn't as successful and left prize-less. She was devastated, and amongst the tears, we saw her competitive spirit flare up. She was determined to win a game, so she threw some darts and popped a bunch of balloons--enough to win a homely little bear of her choice!

Slushy drinks, pizza, and cotton candy were the staples of the weekend. It sure was fun, but it's nice to get back on track!