Home Alone...

So... Madison & I woke up at 4:45 AM to bring Karl to the airport. (Ashville,NC)

Well I tried not to wake her, I got her out of bed put a sweater on her changed her pamper.. (yes, still pampers we took a break from the potty training!) put her in her car seat and she opened her eyes. I said close your eyes and go to bed. She says "Okay, ready mom!" and fell back asleep! She opened her eyes once Karl got out of the car at the airport and she knew he was leaving cuz she needed hugs & kisses! You ask her who Daddy is going see.. the answer always starts with "Chet!" While he was here she never got to close to him, but almost every night asks about him! Today shes been telling me.. "Maddi go buhbye with Daddy to see Papa?" She slept all the way home then, and I carried her and jumped in bed with her for the rest of the morning!

So even though he hasn't even got to WA yet, we are surviving! haha! I laughed when Lacey texted me this morning to see how I was doing! Though I pretty much decided never again! =p

"I go to school..."

Now daily Madison tells me shes going to school, we had to hug & kiss and she goes outside then comes back in giggling. She has even asked to go on the bus! Yesterday she asked for her "pack pack" to go to school. Just a few pictures of that, then she thought I should take pictures of her nose, eyes, finger..etc. what she didn't know is I was just trying to get her face! =)

And she woke yesterday to a cold. =( She only had a temp of 99.5, but just enough to make her miserable. I think its probably sinus because she keeps saying her eyes hurt.

Halloween Family Fun NIght...

Pictures from; (my camera was on the wrong setting 1/2 the night thats why most didn't come out right.)

East side had family fun night last night! We brought Madison tho she was scared of some of the costumes, esp. a mime! =) Some days she scared of EVERYTHING, people ask of what I say of her own shadow!!! We've been warned tho. that that happens at 2, and 3 they aren't scared of anything.. and you wish they were!! She loved going to down the big slide, and really wanted to go in the bounce house. The big kids were always in there and she'd get jumped on! The only other game she could "play" was the coloring book station! You just got to pick a book and prize! Of course thats her favorite thing of all time, so she loved getting to color! Then she wanted to go home, well once we went outside and she saw the playground she was like "I stay here"

Some Old things...

I just saw this picture and it still makes me laugh... one night Madison told me she was going to bed.. after about 5 min when I didn't hear her, I went to check if she really did. Well.. here she was, when I walked in she said "mom shhhh I sleep in my bed" then another random photo...

The end of a good weekend....

We had a good weekend, as I type Madison is going to bed for an early night! (no nap today!) That means she'll be up at 7, but that's ok! Friday night we went out to Red Robin, and had to go find decent fresh flowers and Lady apples from whole foods, for our Southern Belles dinner. It was nice go and get a break! That is one place that Madison is so good, and eats well! Saturday we of course had the dinner, which went real well... ( I thought) Few pictures preparing food and setting up table....

Today was my week to get to go to church! =) We also have taken Madison away from church for a couple of weeks, in hopes she doesn't get the flu bug going around! She was sick most of last winter so... I just don't care what people say I'm going to try to keep her from it! Anyways..Tim Wiles spoke, and it was a great sermon! (Tomas is on sabbatical) Then we went to the Ojala get together. Fun, fun! =) Then Madison & I went over to Delan & Mindy's to discuss plans for the Halloween bon fire at Lacey & Austins on Friday! Karl of course is going to miss out on all the fun! He'll be in WA for a long weekend, he's going to plumb his parents house. I of course am a little nervous of him leaving.. its not part of our norm, but I will survive! He is actually nervous too, I told him I was wondering what we were going to do without you, but the real question is what are you going to do without us?? He of course agreed! Which I thought he'd tell me no biggie its only a weekend! Derek & Shawna will be staying with us for a couple of weeks, and it will be part of that so at least I won't be home alone! Few pictures of the Ojala thingy.. all photos taken by my mother....

Pumpkin Night...

Pumpkin night went well... even if my child was over tired from not having a nap!! =) Lacey made pumpkin bars, Katie made pumpkin roll, mom made pumpkin cheese cake, Mindy made ginger snap cookies with a pumpkin dip, and I made pumpkin CC muffins! We had a few guest Anne & Rockie Smith, Elaine Olson, Marcis even came (yay Trinda), Erica was there too! (Madison just loves her, but doesn't know that shes so rough!! Gets everyone a little nervous even just walking past her!! She wants the "buddy" to come play, but doesn't know she can't just pull her hand without her falling over and hitting her head!! Poor girl!) Then of course the guest of honor "Mone" (Simone) Course most of the fam was there.. Matt, Derek, Lexi, Delan, Karl, Austin, Marcus, Jay, Shania & Trent. I didn't get many pictures like I said I would.. didn't you hear my child was over tired!! Anyways.... Kate and me are preparing for out Southern Belles dinner party tomorrow night. We are planning a ham dinner. Going to get all that we can done today so that we aren't over worked tomorrow!

Madison making Erica watch TV with her.

Library Night...

Last night we did our library night. We usually do it on Thursday nights, but tonight is fall night at Kate & Jay's house. (Everything pumpkin) We just started out weekly trip to the Library this week was our 3rd week. Madison loves it, she either finds herself a book and sits at the little tables or uses the computer to hear a story, or plays with the many toys and puzzles! I finally got a picture of her at the computer.. first time I remembered my camera! Yesterday Madison & I carved our pumpkin.. we are sorta embarrassed of it, that we don't dare put it outside where people can see it! :) Okay, maybe its just me... When craving them she was so concerned she kept saying "its ok Baby.." and rubbing it. =) I'll get some pictures tonight of all the pumpkin! =)

A day in the Park..

We went to a play date at the Greenville Park. Madison had lots of fun, her social skills have like blossomed over night! I taught her to say "Hi, I'm Maddi! I'm 2. Wanna play?" before we went and she really did go up to random kids and say that! I was really proud of her!

A few pictures of her at the park....

I think it might be fall.. or winter...

We had 80's to the very next day 60! Brr.. it so chilly out there!! Saturday morning Madison & I went with Katie to the Aho Auction (well really Coponen, but at Aho). Now Katie wants to go to the next few, since we missed out one some really cheap things.. (Headboards for $5) We just weren't thinking I guess! How can you go wrong!

I almost burnt our house down this morning. I was boiling some chicken for the calzones I was making and sort of kind of forgot about my chicken boiling and went upstairs... over an hour later.. (I know, I know!!) I smell something burnt and can't figure it out till I get to the railing and the whole downstairs is filled with smoke, but it wasn't high enough yet to turn the smoke detectors.. as soon as I caught it it got the alarm system! So that goes off, thankfully since we switched our phone company to Vonage.. Vector hasn't yet been able to get a signal (yes we are getting that fixed this week!!) but it was a good thing because you can't cancel a fire truck and since it was a false alarm we would have had to pay for them to come out.

Every day Madison asks to go to Kaia's house (her cousin) she lives about 6 houses down from us. Kaia is her idol, she is in her glory every time she sees her and talks about her all day long! When I tell her Madison Kaia is in school, she even begs.. "Maddi go to Kaia's school" We walk down often most of the time its during school hours just so she can be sure no one is home! This if her walking to Kaia's house.

We were bored today since football is on Sunday! *rolling eyes* Katie, Shania, Madison & I found another pumpkin patch. They only do the corn maze at night, that's what we were wanting to do so we just looked at the pumpkins!

Let me tell you after I taught her this a few weeks back we called everyone so she could tell them! ha ha! =) She now sometimes tells Karl on her own out of the blue! Everyone asks Is Maddi cool? She says.. "No, Momma is!"

Ladies Lunch Date..

Madison,Lacey,Katie & I went out for lunch at the purple kitchen.

I got half&half with a turkey sandwich on sourdough and the potato soup. The sandwich was good, the soup was a different story! It tasted like oh i don't know yucky!

Maddi got a pumpkin chocolate cookie which she only took a bite of, so of course I ate it.(I have Ojala in my blood!) That tasted just like a cupcake so I loved it! =)

Then I was thinking yikes if this place with not so great food and only 10 things on the menu has a business and there were people in there.. tables were taken! Mindy could totally have one, she would have more variety and awesome food so win, win!

I did it!!

Yes, as Maddi would say.. "I did it, I did it!!" =) Yes, I am pretty proud! Hopefully I don't get bored with it to fast! Thank you Kaia for giving me those sites it was really easy then! Today so far we've had a lay low day! We went to my sister Katies house and Lacey came over to visit as well. So yeah as I have told people already I pretty much blog about nothing! lol. I was saying "pretty girl" trying to get Maddi interested in photos this morning. Well her saying more sounds like "petty cow" ;) But she does this little thing and twirls around and around and leans on the table and puts one foot in the air. She watched a little girl at the October fest being a ballerina and since then she tries to do the stuff! I can't wait to get her into classes!

Tonight with the family we are having dessert and watch the wedding we missed night! =) Raelene got most of it on video for us so we will enjoy that.

Summer time Fun.. Weddings & Birthdays!

The Happy Couple Mr. & Mrs. Aho (Josie & Gregg)





Sasha, me & Lacey



I figured since nothing exciting is going on right now well not exciting enough to "blog" about! ;) Even tho I am super excited about going to the library and getting Pippi Longstocking!! (Sadly, I'm serious!) This past August we made a trip up to NH, for my niece Josie's wedding. I was a bridesmaid, and Madison a flower girl.

Madison & Minni

It was really fun, even though it was stressful being in the wedding and having your soon to be to be shy 2 year old also in the wedding! We were there for one week, from July 26th- August 2nd. We flew into providence, RI drove up to Ridge, NH and we stayed in Rindge from the 26th-30th then we stayed in Boston from the 30th-2nd and drove from Boston to Providence. They got married in a little white chapel.

Since we were there close to Madison's birthday we figured we could have a party.. well what I didn't plan on was her falling asleep and having to wake her up for the party.. which if you have a 2 year old you know thats never a good idea. And even tho we see my family a couple times a year she doesn't "know" them real well, and got really shy! So she didn't really enjoy it that much and her mother was really disappointed since she put A LOT of work into it! Ohh well.. life goes on!

Well since Madison (2) and Trinda(17) share a birthday we had a little get together for the two of them.. this one went MUCH better! I've learned my lesson have them at night and at our own home!!

On Madison's actual birthday I took her to McDonald's (where a lady asked if she was my little sister, and was horrified that I was married and she was my daughter and 24 years of age since she would have never guessed I was over the age of 14) for a birthday breakfast (she LOVES the pancakes) Then we met up with Karl and went to the Zoo.. (My little tradition I started with her bringing her to a zoo every year on her birthday!) She actually liked it a lot! She went right up to the cages and did her famous introduction herself! She always says I'm Maddi (sounds like Mindy), this is mom and thats dad! If you let her at the same time will tell you everything in the room! (book,car,tv..etc..)

A month later we had a double birthday/fish fry for Karl & Austin. It was really good, I'm just learning to like fish!

We've gone to Sky Top Orchard got Carmel apples, bag of apples, cider & cider donuts! *Yum* We also went to Niven's Apple/pumpkin Farm. The kids got to play on the homemade playground thingy, and we went on a hayride! Where Madison learned Old mcdonald.. the only part she knows is.. "EIEIO" and she goes around all day singing that over and over again. She also makes me sing it in the car "Ok mom eieio.." I run out of animals and start doing.. moms and dads.. LOL!

Then that brings us to my other niece that just got married on October 12th, that I unfortunately had to miss. :( It looked like a beautiful wedding and i'm ever so thankful for cameras! =)

Mr. & Mrs. Siikila Sasha & Cale

The view the foliage in NH is gorgeous!

The maids.. Heather, Dawn, Josie & Amber