Madsen Kiddos: Mark and Sara

Love...

Did I mention on Sunday a dentist moved into our ward? I totally wanted to volunteer as a dental assistant. Because I discovered late in life that I wish I was a dentist. I think after John is done maybe I will try to become a dentist.
If I don't become a professional nap taker, which is equally appealling.

Also, I have to say that some people can't comment on the blog- I guess if you go to "home" it is easier but it's touch and go. I'm so sorry. I love comments. Sometimes I tell myself a post is broken because I don't get comments. Also then I notice it's not very interesting, but let's focus on the commenting ability.

You know what I love? making crafts with my kiddos. Danielle and I made some shirts the other day. She told me to sell them in my etsy shop. So I made a new section with all the shirts in it that we made. My sister tells me if I'm not careful I will become the queen of tie dye. judging by how that spot on my floor looks I don't know if this would be the best plan for me. It's hilarious to see how seriously Danielle takes helping make the shirts. She wants to put pink in everything, which I can totally relate to.
So I'm loving that my etsy shop is doing pretty well right now. My sister Rachelle has been helping me with my listings and tags so they are easier to find on search. It makes me want to buy hair pins from her. I highly recommend them- my children are always trying to steal them from the bin where I store them. But also it gives me hope that I would be able to work at home so John can just study. Or actually do research since he is from a family of scientists and likes that. I think a lot of people with kiddos work while their husbands are in school, and I like all the colorful fabric. It makes me happy when I am about to have baby number three-I want security just like the next person. and I want to go to the gym with my kiddos...
I'm totally thankful for all my blog friends. I don't think I would get to hear as much from Carlie or Kathryn, and I like them. also thankful for my sisters. and that I know I can be jealous of Sara eating the williams sonoma croissants. We should totally go on a girl's trip out to visit Jill and her croissants. If only I knew her...I will have to save money I earn. If I start earning enough that is. Claire has told me to start carrying Ipod and Ipad covers and I think she is brilliant.
but I wonder if she wants pink tie dye ones...

Official Parent Here

I think today I officially became a parent. I also have to officially forgive my parents for ever throwing away any of my toys ever. I have to tell you I would be willing to bet throwing away those toys MADE THEIR DAY. Maybe even their week. I forgive them for ridding their home of my broken toys. I am confident that they bought me new toys. I was never toy-less.
My home is McDonalds toy free. Which is delightful especially considering it is Monopoly time. Also known as the crappiest toy time of the year because they don't have to try. CRAPPY. John and I just finished cleaning the zone known as the kid zone.
Sadly, our basement did not escape some of the rain and flood madness- it seems like some water got through the bilco doors and was happily soaked up by a sheepskin rug we used to use as Austin's dog bed. It was huge (we got it at Costco and it was quite nice originally but let's face it, nothing used as a dog bed on which "hooves" have been consumed remains in good condition) and smelled quite disgusting. I smelled this on Tuesday and went hunting. I'm glad it was so big or we could have had a serious basement disaster. Now I am thinking twice about the decision to get carpet down their- if we ever had a flood it could be a mess- and one that I paid a LOT of money for. What would we have done if the water had been worse? Those poor people who are still trying to pick up the pieces from the flood.

You might wonder why I was able to mysteriously go through toys with no interruption. Well besides the fact that it was done in the middle of the night my kiddos have been on Vacation with my Aunt Sara and Uncle Mark. I have never been so excited to have quiet- I've been pretty anxious about the idea that I am having another baby and I won't be alone for a LONG time after the baby is born. A lot of people say that having three kids is super hard but having two kids rocked my world in a bad way so I am a little nervous. Plus I've been getting really dizzy the past few weeks. I had to stop running at the gym because I would be too dizzy afterward, which was a little scary. Maybe it was just my bodies was of reminding me I'm pregnant. and probably a little anemic. Luckily I'm not throwing up as much anymore (except this weekend but John also got sick so it probably wasn't the baby.) Unfortunately I have acid reflux. Fortunately you can take Zantac when you are pregnant and that takes care of it (I took some when I visited Mark and Sara and I felt like a MIRACLE happened.) How did I not realize that was totally treatable?
Not treatable: being tired. I am always tired. My doctor told me it was normal to be tired when you had a parasite of this size. I slept a lot while my kiddos were on vacation with my awesome family. When they offered I was happy to come back and sleep and get ready for baby and sew a lot for my etsy shop (can I admit that without being a terrible parent? I hope so) Probably I could have survived with my kids and I know I would have had fun there, but I still glad I was able to sleep a lot and I didn't do much and I got to do all my blood work and diabetes test (pregnant- lots of tests for stuff) with no child in my lap or trying to figure out what all the buttons did or trying to empty the water machine in the waiting room. I was still tired, and I totally missed the kiddos. I think it's important to sometimes have a break and be alone. Possibly sleeping. OK I felt guilty and almost too tired to feel guilty but not quite. My mom seemed concerned. Should she have been concerned? I can't decide if she should be super worried or just happy for me. You get the picture, just another thing I owe Mark and Sara for. Maybe they would take a black hairy dog as a thank you gift...
Did I ever mention that Sara potty trained my child? We had been working on it but She did the whole "week of potty training." So pretty much eternally indebted.
Speaking of potty training some child peed on the play bed mattress. We threw it away on finding that delightful surprise today. There was no saving the mattress- it was one of those really uncomfortable thin ones from IKEA. So uncomfortable that we made it a play mattress, if you know what I mean. I don't know who the child is, but I have my suspicions- like every child that has ever played in the basement who doesn't wear a diaper all the time.
You can imagine that I feel much better now that the basement is clean. John vacuumed it.
Just wanted to celebrate my transition into adulthood. Maybe it's about time since I'm 30. Now that I'm official going to those parent orientations for Kindergarten next year will be no problem.

Dog Sitting

Tess is visiting us right now. She is a yellow lab and my aunt owns her. The first day, Tess seemed to miss her family. Judging by her barking about 70 percent of the day. I texted Sara since I'm a grouchy pregnant lady. So when John got home he was like- what is wrong with Tess Mark asked if he should come get her...
John told them we were fine, which was true even though Tess didn't like being in a kennel during bed time or nap time and barked the whole time and any time we weren't playing with her or looking at her. I suspect it was partly because the Kennel wasn't with the humans- it was in the garage.
Where I wish I had left my dog. Yesterday we moved Tess inside and the children were thrilled- Tess was out until Mark put her back in the kennel-
Then he would let her out.
Then he would put her back in.
Then he would climb on top of the kennel and yell at Tess.
Then he would let her out and give her a hug.

The cycle continued for a few hours. I guess Tess is a lot more interesting and desirable than our dog.
The kids played outside with her in the sprinkler for a few hours.
Austin (my dog) sat by the door crying until I let him back in.

I don't know if Tess knows how to fetch but with the assistance of two squeaky toys we played it last night. She likes to play keep away the best but I wonder if she fetches like a champ at home.
Tess was terrible on her walk last night. I'm still trying to convince John to take her running because I don't want to. She kept going in circles around me and if I would yell at her she would hit the deck like I was going to hit her. She panicked when I brought the leash in close for a heel walk.
I guess she fears me a little- so I'll have to get my bike out and get her good and tired before we do that again. I used to go on bike rides with Austin all the time- but not the other dog because she was unreliable so she would pull me over.

Since we let Tess be inside I thought we should let Austin be out inside the house. He usually sleeps in the garage because I don't like waking up to a house full of dog fart and shedding dog hair. Austin loses SO MUCH HAIR! I think the food in to dog hair out ratio is mathematically impossible.
anyway I forgot about the ant poison traps we just put out.
Until this morning when I found a pile of poo on the black and white rug in the dining room. As I was cleaning it up I realized a few things.

I need to train my dog to have accidents in the kitchen so they are easier to clean up.
Tide Stain Release also helps clean up unsightly carpet stains.
The fudgesicle spots from Mark two days ago look a lot like dog accident, but they aren't. Austin helped clean those up actually. Except the ones I found all over the drapes today while I was opening the windows after dog Armageddon.
I am lucky that my dog is so big because if he wasn't he would totally kill himself from eating these stupid ant traps. If that is even why he is sick. I know that happened last time because we found the chewed up trap. we are missing one trap from between the doors to the outside but I don't find any remnants so maybe he is just sick. It's a lot easier to mad at a dog that didn't eat poison.
Anyone who lets their almost two year old eat Popsicles while they go to the bathroom deserves what they get. You might think they always eat them at the table, but given the opportunity they will walk all over the house with it and look out the windows and leave the remnants in a pile at the top of the stairs.

So my dog had his second ant trap poo accident in his life- also known as his second accident in the house. Tess was happily sleeping in the kennel- she isn't stupid enough to eat poison. Too bad John didn't find it before he left for school. Austin is back in the garage, and I don't feel guilty about it anymore...

Mark is currently feeding his favorite dog a popsicle outside.

No matter how much they like being outside with her I am still not going outside to weed the yard- end of story.
Maybe Tess will dig up all my weeds.

Quiet.

these are my kiddos. they are on vacation in New Jersey right now. Danielle will probably never want to go home again.

My house is quiet right now. It has been quiet all week. My aunt is watching my kiddos this week and it is fantastic. I am surprised how peaceful and energized I feel- like I can take it again.
Maybe that is the prescription pain killer and antibiotics speaking. I've had a sinus infection on and off pretty much since I've lived here. A while ago I started getting headaches so bad I would sit on the couch and just let the kids run around all over and do whatever they wanted. It hurt so much. I finally went to the doctor and they gave me drugs. I made a cocktail of over the counter and prescription drugs to try to dull the pain in my head. I just wanted to drill a hole in my face to stop the feeling.
So John made me go to the doctor. Actually I think he made the appointment. Did I ever mention that I have a phobia against doctors? I do. a huge one. It takes all my energy not to cry when a doctor walks in the room. There is nothing worse than going to the doctor. No matter what it's bad news. If you are sick the bad news is that you are sick. If you aren't then you just wasted the doctor's time. I hate finding doctors I like. Plus I'm bossy. The doctor here told me we could try antibiotics again before I get a scan of my face or go to a specialist.
I just want my headache to go away. and with allergy medicine, antibiotics and pain killer, it mostly does.

anyway in good news I have worked out three days this week. and I haven't eaten any candy.

Mark loves to yell. and scream.

Steps

We have been making great strides in our family home evening practices. Today Danielle and I planted some flowers. OK John was there too and we called it family home evening. whatev.
Did I mention Danielle had planted these flowers by herself? We tried for a while to have mandatory Sunday naps. This happened after we visited Mark and Sara. They do it and their lives seem wonderful so I wanted to copy them. Who doesn't want a Sunday nap? Well we kept falling asleep and waking up to a Danielle adventure. Like Danielle leaves the freezer open day or Danielle spreads all the cookie cutters around on the floor or Danielle eats an entire jar of nutella day. Now the nutella lives on the fridge and we don't have mandatory naps anymore. One day she opened the Disney Princess seed kit we bought her at home depot and put the entire thing together. I thought she had planted the seeds with John but she did it herself. Unlike all the seeds I plant the Disney seeds are flourishing. So today we put them in larger pots and planted some herbs for an herb garden.
if anyone needs seeds for their herb garden they should let me know because those seed packets have a lot of seeds in them. also looking around for seeds has helped me get more steps. I have been trying to get at least 10,000 steps a day with a secret goal of 15,000 steps a day that I usually don't get. I take Sunday's off which doesn't matter a ton because I get lots of steps at church since I am the copy girl- I mean secretary. It seems like I'm the only one who has never been a primary secretary before because everyone knows how to do it. I like making copies and walking around but it can be hard to work with some people. Children for instance.
Anyway I like getting my steps and I have a little system- every day I try to go somewhere since it is cold outside. I like walking down all the aisles in target. That is a lot of steps. I straighten the house for at least an hour. I also try to take the dog on walks- and when I say walks I mean one walk if I need the steps. seriously it's freezing outside. Also part of my step plan- I try not to take any naps. So I have more time to do fun projects with my little Danielle. She's getting so much bigger. I am a little nostalgic for her being a tiny baby. She was always in about the 10th percentile for height so it was adorable when she learned to walk at 10 months. a little fat midget baby running around. My little man skipped slow walking and loves to run. I guess that's what happens when you start walking around 14 months.
Both of my kids can walk, and one can plant flowers by herself and water them without even waking me up. adorable.

Home Again Home Again

well given extra time Danielle likes to ask to visit Eddy and Maya and Lucy and Aida. She loves playing with them. so we went to New Jersey so she could see her best friend ever- Eddy. Also it's a little weird when she calls my uncle dad but I'll get over it some day. And Mark and Sara have the coolest bathroom ever. That's all I'm saying.

On the way home we stopped at the dinosaur museum- the Museum of Natural History in Philadelphia. The kiddos loved it. While John was paying at the kiosk I tried to capture a picture of the kids on a bench. Mark was not pleased.

What he was pleased with was the Mark sized automatic faucet in the bathroom. Danielle loved the butterflies- at first she was quite frightened that she was going to step on one and kill it. So frightened she didn't want to move. Maybe we overstressed that lesson. We was also really good at practicing her crocodile walk.

Speaking of frightening Danielle was quite frightened of the tyrannosaurus rex. She told everyone that they walked on two foots. She told the girls that were preserving a new fossilized dinosaur that. And the security guard. and a random stranger she wanted to go home with. at the end of the day we got home and she got to watch dinosaur Dan. She wasn't quite sure why the dinosaurs at the museum weren't just like the one's in the show, but I think she loved it anyway.

Sunday Thoughts: Sunday Activities.

I really hate it in church when people have extensive debates about what is appropriate on the Sabbath. I don't want my daughter to watch any TV on Sunday but in the end that just makes the day less restful for me. And the people who are the most militant about not cleaning on Sunday have dirty homes all week. I think if someone came over and cleaned my house and then made me dinner they are doing service and then I wouldn't be breaking the sabbath and neither would they.
So hopefully someone else will come over and paint my kitchen next Sunday.

Sunday is also a wonderful time for reflection.
Let's reflect on this week.

This week was a little bit melodramatic I think. But I really did think I was dying/friendless/never going to get our house fixed. Maybe on Sunday we can do a little activity: get a sheet of paper and make three columns: normal, melodramatic, and ignored. You can write down when you overreacted and when you let yourself get walked all over. Like when that "friend" told you she knew you were a large when you are actually a small.
Of course I am not a small so that would never make my list. But that is a Sunday activity- thinking about what I maybe overreacted to. Like setting a list of goals- Goal: don't yell at my mom for asking if I need something to eat but do yell at the girl who criticizes my cooking even though she's never cooked for me.
I find myself either ignoring things or being completely unreasonable. I also find myself wanting to landscape and clean my house on Sunday. If I find it calming to have it done than doing it is resting, right?
The other solution is to do lots of baking on Sunday, and writing letters. I used to write letters in church, which would also help me not get bothered by crazy things that some people say. Since now I primarily entertain myself with caring for children in church I don't leave quite as rested. Last week I thought for a long time about how we could build a kid pen in the chapel- just a section of chairs where people could sit and they could still hear but the children couldn't run up to the stand. I think the biting and hitting children shouldn't be allowed in the box, with a one strike and week and you are out. Or I could use some of those good kids that just sit and color rather than trying to climb on top of my head and color on their friends.

Good thing I'm still getting in that spiritual help to get me through the week, right? I didn't actually go to church today because I pulled my skirt out of my bag and it turned out to be pants and then Mark fell asleep so I stayed home. Then he screamed at me a lot while John was gone. On the plus side I also didn't clean anything because we are staying with Mark and Sara and their house is quite clean.

My week Goals:
Finish the Downstairs Bathroom Tile
Put up two shelves in the basement and organize a bit down there
Put all my laundry away. Not that I have a big pile I haven't put away yet because that would never happen...
Work out three times.
Take Danielle to her Dance class.
Sign Danielle up for gymnastics.
Do my visiting teaching.

Sunday Thoughts.

John cleaned the whole house while I was gone. Also I feel like the second Mark and Sara arrived their house was clean.
the second they arrived.
and it wasn't me doing the cleaning. Every time I visit them a few things have happened.
1. They have completed another repair project. This time they had a chicken coop and a shed. an AWESOME shed you can't see from the street. How the heck did they build it? Also they had a little stepping stone area and landscaped area in their yard. Judging by the speed with which they dispatched the mess I left their house in (I tried but those last four hours before the kids went to bed undid all the work and I just lost my motivation) I think their home projects took them about two hours.
2. Eddie speaks you know. I was wondering if he just mumbled and then as soon as his parents came home he came in and talked to me. What. The. Heck. I literally thought he was just really behind in speaking but no- Eddie missed his parents and was giving me the silent treatment all weekend. I didn't feel as bad Sunday because he was talking to me again. A three year old who never speaks to you because he is mad at you is a terrifying thing. Eddie is pretty funny you know.
3. Six kids is too many for me. I felt like I was a zombie running around all day and Aida just explained everything to me. I swear all the kids went to bed without feeling bad when they didn't have Aida as a sympathetic listener. Maybe I am just paranoid though. Baby Mark wanted to stay up all night and Maya and Eddie woke up around 6:00. Mark and Sara somehow keep them in their rooms until 7:00 but I am not the young child whisperer so I didn't. They made it to their appointments on time (except soccer in the rain, which I skipped- still feel guilty) and I think all of them like their parents more at the end of this.
4. I would totally do it again. Sara said she wants to have a vacation where her kids go on vacation and she gets to stay home with Mark and I told her that I would come get the kiddos. I really would but Sara will never take me up on it.

Maybe because I blog about babysitting and I do such a shoddy job. Maybe her kiddos boycotted me, which I could understand. I was so excited about our house I wanted to play a game. and our friends came and we did. It was really nice. But some rodent ate ALL OUR STRAWBERRIES while I was gone. I was so sad. Danielle cried.
JOHN CLEANED THE ENTIRE HOUSE. I died a little of happiness. Now I get to go into the basement and work. the nice, not too hot basement.
and to top it all off I got a gift card to Home depot for my birthday. I'll be off spending that this morning. I do love the home projects. Maybe I'll buy some new plants- squirrels chipmunks and rabbits seem to keep eating ours.
rude.

Kiddos in Jersey

People warned me that six kids is a lot to handle. I gently reminded them that I can't really handle two children.
I found the school.
Aida helped me find piano lessons.
I called Sara to find dance lessons.
I found McDonalds. Actually several of them but we've eaten there once.
We have made it on time to things so far. Only one more soccer game and birthday party to go.
and two more bedtimes.
Maya cried when she was going to bed. So did Danielle- but she only wanted goldfish crackers.
There are no more brownie bars. Or bananas.
I forgot to pack any underwear for me. and I had to go buy diapers for baby boy since we are using cloth.
baby boy.
oh baby boy- why aren't you sleeping? Last night was straight out of my nightmares. I was totally ready for bed at nine when all the girls went to sleep- but baby boy wanted to stay up all night.
in the words of Harley- he is a bad baby.

My thoughts:
1. How the (*^!@$*&^ do people with six kids keep their homes clean?
2. Potty trained boys- yeah. Do I have to clean up the bathroom before they get home? No wonder Jana ripped her whole bathroom apart after it was done.
3. Does anyone else have a baby that is immune to the cry it out method? How long can he possibly cry before being ready for sleep?
4. I am glad I don't have to do anything for those chickens. No one with six kids should have chickens. Unless they also have a Lucy to care for them.
5. I love my nook. More than anything.
6. Aida informed me that I could load the dishes last night. Thanks Aida for reminding me not to put it off until the middle of the night. I think she will be a more responsible mother someday.
7. I love my baby but he is the fussiest when we travel. No I don't want to hold you all day. The second thing I forgot was the baby carrier.
One day down, two to go.
oh dear, Sara reads my blog...

Cloth Diapers

So I've been using cloth diapers for a while. Actually G diapers with the disposable insert.
Disposable. Flush-able. right. The first time I saw the disposable insert I thought to myself- that is going to clog my toilet.
Correct.
Which brings me to a new idea- what about a food disposal in the bottom of the toilet? They would never be clogged again. That could take the flushable inserts any day.
John told me that was sort of gross. Turns out that a little company named Shanghai Gerpman industrial company thought it was a good idea too. You can find one here. I don't think I will buy one, but it could be good for my little disposable diaper inserts- then I would never have to use the disgusting swisher stick again.
I finally went to cloth diapers since the doctors told me to- why didn't I do this with Danielle? She had persistent diaper rash all the time and was a free range baby for a while. Then my sister in law decided to cloth diaper. She told me how she does it. and Claire decided she will do it when she has babies. Sara did it in New Zealand. Buying diapers for two children pretty much broke my heart in half so I thought- if I am going to have any more children I might as well get on board. Well Danielle is potty trained (thanks Mark and Sara) and Mark is finally out of diapers- so we are continuing the transition. I still haven't purchased safe laundry detergent and thought about air drying them in my backyard (please let the fence magically be put in) so I am using the disposables I bought. Oh wait, Mark also only has six covers so far. Not quite the two dozen or so people recommend.
Thanks for the support girls- wish me the best with the washing.

Family

babies don't like to cooperate for pictures at the same time.
mark has discovered that his tongue is very fun to stick out.
classic Mark and Elijah- except they aren't trying to eat each other's hands.
Carlie got them matching shirts- next month we get to see Christina and her baby with the matching shirt.

This morning Carlie left after a week long visit. I think it was pretty brave of her to come because we don't know each other super well. She called me when Mark wasn't sleeping at all and volunteered to come help. I cried.
I didn't realize how overwhelming it can be to have children with no family around. Some people say that two children is much easier than three. My kids seemed to be determined to never be awake at the same time. Two children is Much harder than two. It seems so easy to take care of Danielle if Mark is taking a nap- until he is completely nocturnal and I don't know how to fix it. That child needs one of the most rigid schedules I have ever seen. Who knew that some babies loved schedules and needed things to be quiet. He is pretty sensitive- going out too much or playing too much is way to stressful. So pretty much the opposite of my last baby.
I like how my dad told me that one more is always harder, if it be two or five. We moved here and I have been dealing with postpartum depression and the adjustment to medical school and two children. I finally got insurance approval to cover my medicine this last week. And Mark turned five months old.
Carlie's visit was different- we did projects and she did all the dishes and cooked. That woman can plan a menu. We stayed up and talked about babies. I got to take a nap every day and go to the gym. It felt like family.
The feeling of family is so important. These are people who will always be there. My sisters and I used to talk all the time and go to the bathroom together. We would talk with a towel in our laps. I like them to come over and talk to me while I do chores. Sisters can help you mop your floor. My sisters know the checklists my mom used to use to see if we were done with our chores. they clean a bathroom the right way. We can sit on the couch most of the day and not feel bad.
My sisters work. I haven't seen them since I moved here. My mom has never seen my baby. I always imagined she would come and help clean my house- I always assumed that was the plan. Life hasn't really cooperated though. I never really thought about my husband's family in all my dreams about family. I didn't' imagine my mother in law helping me with my new baby. I thought my siblings would be having babies the same time I was. In my dreams I didn't know the people who would somehow always be pregnant the same time I was. At first I resented how they seemed to take away from my special moments- I'm not the first to have a child and everyone else is having a baby the same week. They didn't do things like my family did-like gossiping about each other constantly and talking on the phone for hours a week. They don't really care about presents. They aren't the people who were there for my first heartache.
My reality about family is different than what I imagined. I may not have parents that I can visit for Thanksgiving. Maybe someday I will though. Carlie's visit and Brooke's experiences recently have made me think a lot about the power of women. Women are family. Family helps you when you need help. Family talks to you about life.
I am grateful that Carlie is in my family too.

My Project Collection: Kitchen

We are still wildly working on the kitchen- the painting is almost done. I really like this hardware from Anthropologie and we ordered drawer pulls from the hardware store- THRILLING! Knobs are a harder decision because John doesn't like the glass knobs that I like. Also some of them are really expensive. I love looking at them- I look online a lot. I am glad we went with a light paint color because our kitchen looks cleaner and brighter. It makes me realize that our non-functioning oven hood doesn't match our oven. Jen noticed it right away when she visited and now it bothers me. It already bothered me that the hood didn't work. I decided I wanted the freak out and call mom print somewhere in my kitchen. That happens to me so frequently in the kitchen after all...

The current countertop in all it's worn out glory. My least favorite part of the kitchen is the floor- it's original linoleum. Someone told me you used to have to refinish linoleum and that might be why the finish is so strange. I covered it up with a rug so I don't have to think of it until we get the time to put tile in. My uncle was going to come help us do the floor but my house was too messy so we backed out. As soon as that happened a little piece of my heart died. So I had to go and buy the stacking kit for the washer and dryer (in the kitchen) and three shelves. Our microwave is going to live in the closet with the washer and dryer. When I got the idea I emptied out the current shelf and took down the rod. Then I realized we had to repair the wall. Is it wrong to wait on putting things together because I want to paint the closet. Then I thought maybe I should wait until we do the floor tile. Sigh- luckily I found new homes for all of the cleaners.

Our Kitchen adventure continues. If you ever want your life to be torn up for a few days just decide to paint your kitchen. It's like being naked- everything in your cupboards is on display. Danielle kept stealing my nutella. Maybe I shouldn't have food that I hide my kids- if I have to hide it I shouldn't eat it. Of course this morning I hid in the bathroom and ate my nutella toast and banana, grateful that the cabinet door was on. I don't know exactly what we will do with the back splash- I want to do a Tiffany blue porcelain subway tile but I'm not sure if it will be universally appealing since we probably won't live here forever.
To paint the cabinets we
cleaned them-
filled the holes with wood putty (if you want to level the surface just use a wet rag rather than sanding it flat- it works great)
sanded them
cleaned them again
painted primer 3-4 coats
paint 3-4 coats (sand between coats)
I used really light coats with the detail roller which I liked- for the corners I used a paintbrush for thicker coverage.
I had touch ups after the doors were hung.

My advice if you are painting cabinets-
Get the little detail rollers- I really liked using them and felt like the painting went faster.
Primer is wonderful.
It took us like a billion coats and you need lots of space to paint that- if I could do it again I would follow the advice I read to just get a line in your garage and paint them all rather than putting them all over in the kitchen- so I would paint when it is warmer. That being said I have kids so I can't just disappear in the garage all the time.
It takes a lot longer than you think- I read some thing that said you could do it in a weekend. umm OK maybe if that is your job- I think at least a week is necessary.
Off white is not white. No white porcelain sink for me.
John doesn't like Chrome- who doesn't like Chrome. that's not related. I love projects.

Running

Workout Plan
I have always liked to work out and suddenly find myself a little wobblier and floppier than before. I guess having a child does that to some of us. So I made a goal.
It involves something I am terrible at- running. Claire signed up for the Provo Half Marathon. Who does that? She blogged about it. I have always wanted to be a runner. I feel like if I even look at a treadmill my heart rate shoots up to 180 bpm. My throat closes- my feet go numb- my mind screams- how much longer. I proudly step on and after a warm up bump the speed to a whopping 5.5mph. I go as long as I think is humanly possible- almost an eternity.
It is twenty seconds. I almost never go more than twenty seconds without checking the time. Has anyone in the world ever made it through an entire ipod song without checking to see how far they have gone. In theory I know I can't run three miles during one Linkin Park song but that doesn't mean I'm not surprised when it doesn't happen.
I have always wanted to be a runner. My obvious lack of talent leaves me with girl crushes on runners. Once I had a friend who asked me if I wanted to go on a 50 mile run with him. I wasn't sure if I should just die in shame or question his intelligence. I want to be a runner- I want to fake it. One of my most vivid London memories is going running in Hyde Park with Nancy. After a few moments Nancy said- "boy, you really are slow," and ran without me. Not the first time it has happened.
But one of my life goals is to run a marathon. I made it in High School so I know it is important. I signed up for a run on May 1st here in PA. (It is only a half marathon) Claire pointed out that it doesn't matter if I am bad at it. She claims she is not a good runner. I know she is lying but it made me feel good. If I really want to do this I will have to practice. I am doing a training program. It is going horribly and I hate every minute of it. But I am confident that I will hate it no less in five years.
Maybe...

Once Their Was A Snowman

Danielle's snow spider ate some snow. She let me put all her snow gear on. I guess she doesn't really have snow boots but she does have really cute gloves that look like spiders.

So we pretty much live in a frozen wasteland and we get lots of snow. I think we currently have about six inches on our lawn. Saturday Danielle and I went out to make a snowman. The beautiful snow was too powdery to stick together. The next day it was coated with Ice. Despite our troubles Danielle loves the snow. We shoveled our walk and the neighbors walk. I used the car scraper and Danielle needed the shovel to make circles in the driveways. Mark learned to play with his ball and loves his fuzzy boots for inside. He is so funny and loves to sleep in his crib now. I haven't really had a baby that gets overwhelmed by too much excitement before. He likes things to be quiet and peaceful and yesterday he got overwhelmed when we had some friends over. As soon as we put him in his safe crib he stopped crying and fell asleep. Gone are the days when the best way to calm our baby is to take them to a movie or play loud R&B. Is it just me or was Danielle rather unusual?

Danielle loves snow- She plays outside until her hands are frozen then comes inside then wants to go back out again. When we visited NJ Sara blogged about Danielle in the snow and got some great pictures:
From her blog-

Building Snow Castles

This is when without uttering a word, Danielle and Ed just decided to randomly take off and head down the road.

Danielle was very attentive to "snow babies" as she called them right up to the point when she decided they needed to be hurled at me while I was trying to take a picture of her. A mother's rage I guess.

Stress

Sometimes I like to make things when I am stressed. One of the greatest ways to eliminate stress is to just clean and eliminate what you are stressed about. Or to finish projects. Last week was one of the worst days I've had in a long time- including no sleeping. I tried a few different designs and ruined a few snaps as I was making the dishcloths. I used interfacing to attach a happy circle of fabric to these cheesecloth towels. Sara gave me the idea to attach a snap so you could put the cloth on a drawer handle or the oven door handle.
I can't decide if I like having the snap on the side of the circle or the center.
the day didn't get any better- but useless questions are a good distraction.
As are about 6 cupcakes.

Danielle's Family

Sunday thoughts never happened on Sunday. Probably because on Saturday Danielle decided she would wear panties from then on. She loves panties and went on the potty all weekend. She went twice at church. I am thrilled about this but also sad because she doesn't like it when daddy takes her to the potty. Once she couldn't get her panties down in time and had an accident and it was so sad. The whole weekend really I was just obsessed with potty. This Sunday Mark peed on me at church. In my lap. Through his outfit and blanket and my skirt. and a trickle down my leg in to my new shoes. I had just fed him and checked his dry diaper. A generic diaper that we were trying to use up (I used them for a diaper cake before he was born and figured they shouldn't go to waste. It was my attempt to give up my brand snob ways. yet again those ways were reinforced.) and yet another week where I didn't make it through the three hours of church. Danielle also boycotted nursery. She has never done that. She wanted me to stay with her. Really it seems like her personality is drastically different. No more sleeping through the night and taking super long naps. At least she can't defeat our front screen so I don't have to worry constantly that she will run away while I'm going to the bathroom. Privacy is wonderful.

Danielle drew a picture the other day and I asked her what it was. She told me it was her family- mommy and daddy and baby Mark and Austin and Aida and Lucy and Tess. Lucy and Aida also have beds in her room and toys at our house that they share with Danielle. After I asked her she also pointed to where Ed, Maya, Sara and Mark were. They were also part of the mommy drawing. Good thing too, because I was thinking my stamp looked a little larger than the other stamps on the paper.

Sunday Thoughts

Today we blessed Mark. It was really nice to see the people that visited us from Souderton. I can't believe how far people drove to see our baby. It made me feel special. Right before the blessing Mark was acting a little hungry and I realized I forgot his medicine. I decided to go home after sacrament and give it to him. He threw up on me right as I was going to feed him. His blessing outfit didn't even last two hours before it was soaking wet. I was glad I was at home because it's easier to change your entire outfit when you get thrown up on from home but I was sad to miss church. You don't meet people you don't see because you are at your nice house with your fantastic washer and dryer. At least I made it for some time.
Mark and Sara helped us rearrange our furniture. They clearly have skills because I love it. And they make awesome sandwiches. After everyone left Danielle said she was sad because Lucy went home. All her friends were gone- especially Lucy. Danielle has actually named her bed Lucy's bed because we set it up for Lucy and Aida and Maya before Danielle ever slept in it. After comforting her about her friends I sat in my newly organized room by the fire and talked to John. Sara took some pictures from the day of the blessing and here are some of them- I saved the best ones for Sara but included a rare Janae photo. I tend to hate all photos that I am in but here it is with the first outfit of three I wore today.

I am exhausted.

I have to say one of my favorite things is cute little babies who have eyes that go just a tiny bit cross eyed. Mark is a squishy little cuddle. He is so different from Danielle- he just wants us to hold him all day. Or to nurse all day. Hello slow baby- Danielle wasn't cuddly at all so it is still fun. I don't know what I will do in four months when he still wants to be carried everywhere- or in 14 months.

Lots of people have brought us food which is really nice since I am exhausted. I have done the dishes twice since the baby arrived and finally put up the photos in the nursery. Turns out newborns will sleep through you pounding nails into the walls.
Mark still doesn't have very much hair on the top of his head, except a tiny swirl that looks a bit like a comb over- luckily the sides are growing quite nicely so maybe he will look like a very old man soon. Mark went on a road trip this week to pick up Danielle. We really missed her on Tuesday so we packed everyone up and got Danielle early. Danielle hasn't been to a park since she has been back, but she has watched some yo gabba gabba and sang about happy thoughts a lot. She has learned a lot from yo gabba gabba- like whenever I get frustrated she knows to tell me to keep trying- don't give up. I tell her the same thing when she things it is too hard to throw away her trash in the floor.
If she knows hot to find my wipes and diapers and throw away the dirty diaper and wash her hands afterwards maybe she is ready to be potty trained.
If only I could stay awake long enough to do it.

That's my Name

Sara was nice enough to invite us to visit before the baby was born. So we got to go to the Jersey Shore for labor day. I wanted to go while I still could, whatever that means. Someone told me that and even though I don't think having a baby is a prison I was like- yes I have to go while I still can. Sara gave Danielle a really nice Melissa and Doug sign for her door and you can personalize them. As I added Danielle's name every five seconds she asked for a sticker for herself. It was for her so I gave Danielle a wonderful name of her own. It reminds me of her constant nagging when I am doing things.
Eddy also wanted some pink stickers so I got him a name too. I thought it was super funny and laughed and laughed and made Sara take pictures. We used it as a teaching moment- both of them can read their names and were happy to run around the house announcing their new names.

I wonder if Sara regretted that gift.

Baby Mark

Well we officially turned in the papers so the baby will be named Mark David Madsen. My uncle Mark came and visited with Sara and their kids- Danielle is visiting them this week. I am super excited that they are watching her- She is excited about her baby (a doll we bought from Target) but still wants to hold Mark all the time and tells him not to cry. I can't believe people came from New Jersey to visit me in the hospital- I wish I had more family in the area but I was also surprised how well rested I was today. It was nice to sit in the hospital and pretty much sleep most the day while John and Mark put together the office at home. Why didn't I just sleep last time I had a baby? Are second babies usually easier? That's what everyone tells me. The nursing staff seems way more laid back here and I wonder if it is Pennsylvania or that I already have a daugheter. Sadly I didn't get one of those massive water bottles with the bendy straws. I really wanted one of those. I cried when I realized I left it at the hospital with Danielle.
Little Mark loves John. He smiles for John. I liked this photo of John and the baby- John looks cute. Little Mark also seemed to like big Mark.
Today John brought me flowers. I guess the first shop he went to burned down. Then the second shop was closed. I watched a movie about shaken baby syndrome and then cried. I'm not sure if it was about the video or just a surge of hormones.
Jen asked about Danielle's haircut. I gave her that haircut- they kept messing it up at the salon and her bangs kept taking over more and more of her head so I thought I would prevent the wall of bangs from happening to her like it did to me. Little pieces from the side always end up in the front though. Maybe I will become one of those awesome ladies who cut their husband's hair. John's hair would probably look like a two year old cut it, but I have to try a few more times to make up the difference of buying the haircutting kit. Who knows, maybe I will find my true life calling. I have never really had one before.
Now you know I am tired and a little drugged up after baby- someone should make a rule about not blogging when you are so muddy headed.