Consumer Testing

Gain fabric softener. We get ours at Sam's Club, and it promises you can do 150 loads of laundry before you run out.

We'll just see about that.

Seven down, 143 to go.

Are You SURE That's A Correct Measurement?

We have two sets of measuring cups... a white set that was really cheap that doesn't have any designated lines to tell you where the exact named measurement actually is; and a black set that has lines, giving you a precise measurement.

Tonight as we are waiting for our beans to cook for dinner...

Edith: Tonight I'm doing everything in serving sizes. I've measured out everything precisely and we're eating the recommended serving for each item of food we eat for dinner.

Paul: Great! We eat too much. This will be good.

Edith: I measured one cup of uncooked rice because one serving, according to the box, is 1/2 cup of uncooked rice. It's me and you... that's 1 cup of uncooked rice.

Paul: So, which measuring cup did you use?

Edith: The white one.

Paul: That one is way too big. It's more than a cup.

Edith: A cup is a cup. One cup is 8 ounces. It has always been that way.

Paul: Yes, but "they" have made the cup bigger to make America fat.

Edith: Oh "they" have not. A cup is a cup. Who are "they"?

Paul: Where's the black one cup measuring cup?

Edith: In the oatmeal container. I always just leave it in there because we have oatmeal so often it's just easier.

Paul: I've had the black one a long time. It has designated lines that tell you exactly where one cup is.

Edith: Let's do a little test shall we? You do your cup, I'll do mine.

(We proceed to pour water into each measuring cup and pour the contents into three identical glasses. I do it twice - my cupper has a spout - so I measure up to the spout and also above the spout to the very top edge of the cupper because there are no designated lines.)

Paul: Hmmm.

Edith: So, if measured UP TO the spout, my measurement is equal to yours.

Paul: The difference is insignificant. But your cupper does not tell you, with lines, where the "one cup" measurement is. So if you wanted a precise cup it would not be a good cup to use.

Edith: Well, it's a good thing we did this.

Paul: Yes.

Madeline's First Art Show.

This is Madeline's latest piece entitled, "Aching To Move"

These next two pieces are her first work ever. This first one is called...

Pink Grasshopper Running On Water On A Sunny Day


And this last one is just magnificent. It's is entitled, "Be Weary Of The Watching Wolf."
If you look at it just right, you can see a wolf face looking at you. I have included some hints so you can try to see it. Can you see it??



You're welcome.

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse.

Thursday I made it a goal to clean and organize our closet. My side has been a little messy for a while now. I also wanted to go through all of my clothes because it was time to get rid of some stuff. It happens every once in a while... all of the sudden I have no room for any of my clothes. I have so many clothes that I am saving for when I finally lose that weight I've been talking about losing for 50 years now.

After going through the closet and through my drawers, I gathered quite a pile. I was going to donate them to the Goodwill, but then I remembered I have a sewing machine. And hey! I have been wanting to do more sewing projects lately like my very talented and inspiring friend Stacey always did. Why not keep them and use the fabric to make a quilt and a couple of cute pillows for Madeline??

So, I sorted through everything and picked out the clothes that had a good color scheme and began cutting my squares.

I'll post a picture of the finished product, I promise. Even if it is totally atrocious and ugly. Why? Because I will have MADE it. And that makes it pretty special.

We Love The Zoo

Wednesday Madeline and I went to the zoo with our great friends Misty and Brooke. I am proud to announce that Misty is now a MEMBER of the zoo, so we can go whenever we want at no cost to us! Nice.

We were able to get to the zoo by noon (quite an accomplishment for mommas with babies on a schedule) WITH both our strollers in the trunk, thanks to Misty's quick thinking and my cunning bungee cord skills.

We spent several hours seeing all the fun animals. The Memphis zoo really is one of the best zoos out there. Some highlights... we were able to see the polar bears swimming around and getting their fish Popsicles.

And another fun thing that I was not aware of was that in the new bird house they have you can purchase a stick with bird seed on it for $1 and the little birdies will sit on the stick and eat the seeds.

It was so awesome! AND with all those little birdies flying around we didn't get pooped on the entire time! Of course, when we were in the bird house Mads was asleep so she didn't get to do it, but we will go back and try again some time when she is awake.

Here are the girls when we left... Can believe the look on Madeline's face? I don't think I have ever seen her so irritated and angry in my life. hahahahahaha



This is a really cute one...

I love Brooke in this one. She was hamming it up the whole time I was snapping pictures... what a cutie!

This is Madeline at the end of our zoo trip right before we were going to leave. Bright-eyed and ready to see the animals!! Sorry toots.

Here's the whole gang... mommy hair properly poofed for the camera. *smile*

Here's one of the only pictures we got of me and Madeline... haha

Misty and Brooke feeding the birds! Tuppins!

Thanks for the fun day ladies!

We Had A Laugh.

Tonight after Paul and I put Madeline to crib we were laying down ourselves (yes the crib is in our room, so what.) and she immediately stood up. She does this a lot. She fights sleep as if staying awake meant she could play and frolic all through the night. We're all tired. Very, very tired (then why are you up writing a blog about it then Edith?) So Mads pulls this cheesy grin and it makes Paul start laughing. Then Madeline starts laughing, really cute. So I start laughing. We're all sitting there, laughing. The really fun, uncontrollable laughing. Madeline doesn't know what's going on, but Mom and Dad are laughing so she keeps laughing.

It was my favorite part of the day. I love my family.

New Moves

Madeline has some new moves she wants to show you. She LOVES to boogie. If there is any music of any kind, she usually starts to dance. It is SO much fun! Last night we were playing in her room before bed and she kept doing this...

Movie Review: Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

This past week Paul and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and The half Blood Prince. Being Muggles (non-book-read folk) we didn't have the perspective some of you may have had, and we thought it was a pretty good movie. It didn't seem like it was 2.5 hours long. It went by fast, which is usually a good sign that you like a movie.

We enjoyed the funny way Ron played quidditch and all the funny lovey stuff. We were slightly disappointed that a lot the main characters - Voldemort, Neville, the Dursleys, Lucius Malfoy, etc. - weren't in the movie. And it felt like a lot of stuff was left out. We're also quite irritated that here we are in the sixth movie and it appears that Harry and his friends have no real magical skills other than an Expelliarmus here or a Stupefy there. I mean, I guess they don't want the evil ones looking to ridiculously weak yet or something. Paul certainly wanted more duel/fight scenes. And for Dumbledore to give up so easily? Come on! I thought he was all powerful? Must be in the plans to die or something... Is that what he was telling Snape he had to do, that he promised and it was no longer up for discussion when he was up in the tower?? Is Snape really evil? If so, why didn't he kill Harry or rat him out when he saw Harry spying on the bad guys right before Dumbledore died? He just let him sit there and watch. I sure liked him as a grouchy good guy.

Of course, I am sure all of this is explained in the book, and we are working on getting those read before the next movie. Right now Paul and I are on book 2. We read each night after little Madeline has gone to crib. If you know the answers to these burning questions, please do not tell us.

Here's a funny... up until last night, Paul thought that when they were saying "polyjuice potion" in the movie they were actually saying "prodigies potion". HAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA That made me laugh pretty good for some reason. prodigies potion, pbbblllttt.

Anyway... We give it, 4 out of 5 stars.

Call Me The John Kerry Of Blogging

So I'm public, then private, then public, then private.... call me names if you want - flip flopper; weird-O; Mrs. Can't Make A Decision; It's whatever. I can take it.

Make Time... It Matters.

Yesterday was the funeral of one of my best friends, Stacey Lynn. I was absolutely heart broken that I couldn't make it to her funeral. I know she touched many people's lives. Her passing has been a life changing thing for me, and a reminder that every moment with our loved ones is meaningful and precious. It has also been a reminder to trust my own instincts and to listen to the promptings I receive.

Paul and I were recently in Utah for a week to visit friends and family, but Stacey was unable to attend the barbeque my friends were having because she had just recently had her newest baby boy, Greyson Lynn. I had the strongest urge while we were there to go and see her while we were in town, but time and other plans got in the way for some reason. So I didn't go. I figured, I would see her again soon. Then, when I got a phone call a couple weeks later from her husband saying she was in the hospital, my heart sank. I couldn't stop thinking, "Why didn't I go see her?! Why didn't I make that effort?"

So I thought it would be a good idea to make some more memories with the most important people in my life. Yesterday the weather was finally tolerable enough to be outside, so we took Madeline on a walk around the neighborhood and to the local park nearby. Then we came home and made homemade pineapple-strawberry-blueberry-blackberry-raspberry-orange juice-milk-ice-banana-spinach smoothies. They were delicious! I didn't tell Madeline and Paul about the spinach part.

Here's my angel doing one of her favorite things... walkin'.

Make time for your family and friends. Listen to your instincts. It really matters.

Yesterday I put Madeline down in her crib for a nap. It's our usual routine. She fusses a little and then a few minutes later it gets quiet. Then I check on her about 10 minutes later and she's usually asleep. But this time, when I checked on her, she was standing up holding onto the side of the crib. She was hitting the top of the rail with her little hands, making a slapping noise, and talking to herself. She had a proud look on her face. A look of accomplishment. So when I helped her lay back down, she was pretty P. O'ed. This was the first time she has successfully done that. So I had to get Paul to put the crib on it's lowest setting.

She is all over the place! It's nuts!

I didn't have the camera right there, unfortunately, but here's a cute one...

The Little Things

My maw recently gave me a pepper grinder. It has a thin clear lid that goes over the top that you can grind pepper into if you want a controlled amount of pepper to come out. Or you can just be footloose and fancy free and grind all over your food without the lid on.

I have had such a good time using this pepper grinder. I love it. And the fresh peppa? Perfect.

This is a picture of pepper corns, not rat poop.

These Keds Were Made For Walkin', And that's Just What They'll Do...

Since Madeline is wanting to walk all the time, and since our tile is so hard and a little uneven, I thought it was time to get her some good walking shoes. So I splurged, $10 at Walmart, and got her some velcro keds. They're easy to put on (yay for me!) and they protect her little (almost) size three feet. They're pretty stylin' to - if I do say so myself.

A Fun Way To Get Spiffy

Mads really loves these Gerber teething biscuits. But usually after she's done, she is a terrible mess. And that stuff dries like hard glue. A fun way to clean the baby up... just pour a bit of water on the high chair tray and let the baby at it!

A Couple Things That Make Me Happy

Madeline. She reminds me that no matter what, we have to keep trying. When we fall, we need to give ourselves a round of applause for trying, and then wipe of the dust and get back up again.

She also dances...

My husband. We've been married for over seven years now and I am still madly in love with him. I get that spark when he touches me and I can't wait to see him when he gets home every day.

He's smart, funny, a great Dad, and he takes care of us.

Other things...
My mom. She always knows what to say. Always. Not just some of the time. And her hugs are like a recharge. She is wise beyond her years. She has many gifts and talents that help a lot of people. I'm proud to be her daughter.

My Family - every single one of them. They're all unique and special in their own way and I miss them all so much.

My Friends - The true ones are always there for you. And I have a lot of good friends who are there for me.

Just one more of Mads. This is her watching herself on video. She is pretty fun to watch so I can totally understand her excitement.

Every Moment Matters

Last night I heard from one of my best friend's husbands, that she was in the ICU after complications from preeclampsia that caused her to have a bleed in her brain. This morning she passed away.

Stacey is a beautiful person and spirit and I will miss her terribly in this life. I mourn for her family. Her kind, loving husband, Mitch, and their four beautiful children, Kayley, Emma, Bridger, and Greyson. I'm having a hard time finding words to express how I am feeling so I just want to post some wise and comforting words from my mom.

It is hard and painful to lose someone you love. The solution is don't lose them. Know where they are and send them peace, joy and love. You are connected to the Universal Energy Source (God) and Stacey is connected to the Universal Energy Source. Therefore you are still connected to Stacey. If anything she is closer to you now that she was before. This is a concept that I have felt and believe in since my Mother died in November.

We all wanted to come to Earth and have a physical body. We have known each other from the beginning of time. I believe some of us agreed to stick together in family units, if for no other reason than to offer each other the challenges we needed to grow and pass our tests.

Each one of us has the gift of free agency and the things that happen to us are the result of our choices. We are each responsible for our own reality. No one else has the power to make you say, do or feel anything if you don't want to. Sometimes that is a hard concept to accept but it is true.

I know that the sparkling, glowing spirit that is you, me or Stacey will never die. Our Spirit is eternal and powerful. We are children of our Heavenly Father. You are what you come from therefore we are divine and a piece of God. As I see it, Stacey can accomplish more and benefit her children more by doing what she has chosen to do. You could say Stacey has a heavenly perspective on her family now. Stacey's family was blessed to know her even if it was just for a short time. We know that the children being born at this time are the strongest, most valiant and intelligent spirits. They were saved for the latter days for that reason. There is no question that they are capable of over coming their obstacles and challenges. They are God's most elite.

One of the most interesting concepts that I have come to understand is that when we (the Earth bound) cry and feel like our hearts are breaking at the death of a loved one we are, in fact, crying for our own loss. Instead of understanding what has happened and where they have gone we are seeing it as a huge, emptiness in our own lives. Crossing over is a developmental step. It falls in the same category as being born, cutting teeth and eventually growing into an adult. It's just a step in our eternal progression.

Know that you are a child of God...Know where you've been...Know where you are....Know where you're going... I love you totally..... Momma

How can one help marveling at the voyage we are making on this planet? One has to lift one's self up and use one's imagination to see that it is a voyage, and that our course lies through the star-paved abysses of infinite space. Few of us ever see it or realize it in all its awful grandeur. But sometimes, as we look up at the night sky, we are surprised out of our habitual stolidity and blindness; the mind opens for a moment, and we see the Infinite face to face; the veil is withdrawn, and the rays from myriads of orbs penetrate to the soul.
— John Burroughs

Madeline's Monthly Message: Month 10

Dear Madeline, Baby, you made it to the double digits! Woo Hoo!! You are now a 10-month-old. Life with a 9-month-old has been an adventure to say the very least. In the past month you have grown physically and mentally in such a rapid way I feel like Captain Jean Luke Picard in warp speed. Only what I'd like to do, as Captain, is tell Jordy Laforge and Commander Data to please take a little longer fixing the hyperdrive next time it breaks.

You also have this perfect little personality with your own ideas, your own likes, and your very loud and obvious dislikes.

I think your schedule changes every month now. You were taking a nap every day at 11:30 am and then again later around 3:00 pm, but now to go to bed later and sleep in a little bit so your nap is later. This means lunch is later, so you aren't always hungry when your Dad and I eat dinner, which is okay. I have to admit, I love nap time. I love the fact that you are so extremely tired yet you don't want to stop playing so you fight it. I set you in your crib each day around the same time, and you cry and look at me like I am the most thoughtless person in existence, and then like 2 minutes later you roll over and are out for at least an hour. I am so entertained by this.

You crawl. I mean REALLY crawl now. No two scoot and then plop on the bum, you go long distances and you can get at whatever you want to get at now. You also love to walk, with assistance - but not for long I bet (the assistance part). In fact, all you really ever want to do is walk. You love it.

Your Dada (and anyone else you can get to do it) takes you walking all the time... all over the house, all over the airport, all over your grandma's house... he has some pretty bad back pain because of it and no matter how many times I tell him it's okay to sit down or do something else with you, he keeps on walking. I think he feels like he is obligated to do it. He's a really good Dad.

You can also pull yourself up on anything. I find you standing in some strange places all of the sudden and wonder how in the world you got that way. You are a speed demon in that walker of yours and poor kitty is learning that she can no longer wait to move like she used to be able to.

The other day I left you in your room in your super playard XT and Kitty decided to jump in with you to sit and just be. All the sudden I hear this big boom and kitty comes running out of the room. I freaked, went running into your room and you were sitting there in the crawl position with this big grin on your face, all la-dee-da like, and kitty was limping toward me... past me.... and ploppled onto the tile. I think you got her. I checked her out and she was fine, but MAN I think she learned a lesson.

I made a mistake and let you walk in your walker on the tile with no shoes on. The tile is a little uneven in some places... I've tripped many times, I don't know what I was thinking. I suddenly noticed a few streaks of blood all over the tile... it was like horror film - maybe not that bad, but that's how I felt. When I realized it was your little big toe and that it had been skinned on the top a little bit, I wanted to hurl myself against the wall for being such an idiot. First aid on the little big toe was rough... you do NOT like to be restrained in any way so it was hard. Your dad had to hold you down while I cleaned it and held pressure to stop the bleeding and then apply baby neosporin and a bandaid.

Pain. There is pain all over the place. You, kitty, Daddy, me - just cause I am a klutz and can't seem to avoid running into things - Lots of bruises and bumps from learning to move. I try so hard to prevent these things from happening but it seems like no matter what I do it STILL happens. I hate it!!

You clap your hands now a lot. It's the cutest thing ever. Everything about you is cute. And it's not just me who thinks so. Everyone thinks it. Me, your Dad, your Grandma's, your cousins, Aunts, Uncles, friends, even strangers. You also wave your hands in the air like a rapper who "puts his hands in the air, and waves 'em like he just don't care". You do it when I play rap or hip hop on the radio. We listen to the radio sometimes in the morning when we are eating breakfast.

I try to keep you entertained and busy. Sometimes, when all hope is lost for you to sit quietly for a minute, we pop in your favorite movie - Elmo's sing-a-long songs Top Ten Countdown. You are mezmerized by this movie. You love the songs they sing and the puppet Sesame Street characters, and it buys us a minute or two to accomplish something. It's not like I let you watch TV all day. That's like the only show you watch.

Yesterday me and Brooke's momma thought it would be fun if you and Brooke tried out fingerpainting. I laid out a sheet on the carpet in your room and an old surgical gown I had upstairs (they're waterproof and sometimes if things are opened but not used we can take them home and use them because they would have just been thrown away anyway - they're good for painting) and then I filled a couple bowls with water and we laid out some fingerpainting paper. You and Brooke were dressed in painting attire - you just a diaper, Brooke and old onsie - and you went at it. You both had absolutely NO interest in painting. You wanted to splash in the water, dump it out, crinkle and eat the paper... it was a disaster really and probably only lasted about 5 minutes before you were in the tub and we were cleaning up. Maybe we'll try that again when you are a little bit older.

You are eating well. You finally like chicken, sometimes. You get a lovely array of fruits, veggies, yogurt, cheese, cheerioes, oatmeal, rice, bread... you love to feed yourself finger foods. You still have no interest in using utensils or dishes. They usually end up on the floor. You still nurse. You've stopped biting me -Yay for the nips!

Speaking of biting, you have TWO new teeth. They appeared to be pressing on the gums for a couple weeks and then on July 1st, 2009 we woke up to two HUGE teeth in the center of your top gums. They are SO unbelievably adorable I can hardly see straight. What makes them even more adorable, if it were even possible, is this cheezy grin you do. It is the cutest most... wait... I can't breathe, you are just too cute Madeline. You grind your teeth sometimes though, which is something we are trying to get over. I know they're new and different and exciting. I can only imagine what you must be thinking when you feel your bottom tooth clicking against your top teeth, "What in the world is that? It makes such a fun noise grind grind grind".

You like to share your food with me sometimes. I think you like the fact that sometimes we are eating the same food now. Unfortunately, I caved a couple times this month and gave you... JUNK food. You had two fries, part of a cookie, a tiny bite of icecream... the cookie was not anyone's fault. Your Dad was holding you while he was eating a cookie your Aunt Kristine made, and your little hand grabbed that cookie and shoved it in your mouth so fast... we were all really surprised and had to laugh. When you see something you want there is nothing that can get in your way, nothing I tell you!

If it were even possible, your relationship with your Dad has grown even more powerful. You LOVE him so much. When your Dada get's home from work, when you hear the beep of the door as he enters and I say, "Oh! Who is that? Is it Dada? Dada's home Madeline, Dada's home!!!", your entire little body stiffens. You frantically flap and wave ONLY your hands up and down and all around and you get this look on your face... your eyes get huge, you smile, you squeak, you look like your little tiny body cannot contain the immense excitement within and you are about to begin convulsing and then may explode if your Dad doesn't pick you up immediately.

This past week, June 29th - July 6th, you and me and your dad flew to Utah, where I grew up, to spend some time with my side of the family for the Fourth of July holiday.

They haven't seen you since you were 2 months old and you and me flew home for my Grandma Vivi's funeral, so they were in for a real treat. We had so much fun seeing everyone. You had a bit of stranger anxiety and it hurt me a little to see that you didn't know the people I have known and loved my whole life. I want you to know and love my family... especially my mother. She is such an amazing angel of a woman with so much knowledge and love to share. I know that when you are older you will understand and know her as best you can, but it reminded me of the one reason being so far from home ISN'T the best thing. I hope and pray and beg you don't move away from me when you are older. I know that's too much to ask, and that you will live your life and go where your path takes you... but a momma can hope.

It was a great trip. You had a great time with all your cousins. You were very busy every day. You got a ton of attention and loved every minute of it. Travelling has it's ups and downs and we had our ups and downs... you were teething, airports suck, your schedule was WAY off, your diet was WAY off, the stupid airport security lady took your Cetaphil lotion because it, being 4 ounces, exceeded the 3.4 ounces limit on liquid items... but you were surrounded by people who wanted to hold you and kiss you and hug you and make you laugh and smile constantly, you got to see fireworks and taste barebeque chicken, stay up late, and play, play, play with new toys and cousins and walk, walk, walk. I think you had fun.

It was on the first flight toward Utah that we discovered something new that makes you laugh. You were being fussy on the plane and your dad coughed. You laughed. So, he coughed again. You laughed again... this amazingly cute chortle. He did a fake sneeze, a fake cough... for the last 20 minutes of the flight you laughed your heart out as your dad fake coughed and sneezed. People from all over the plane were turning and leaning toward us and laughing and smiling along with you... I couldn't stop laughing myself, it was hilarious!! You can fake cough too! So now, if you are sad, we fake cough. It always cheers you up. And if Dada or Momma cough or sneeze for real? That's pretty funny too.

You still love to be read to. Your favorites books are "A Fly Went By" By Mike McClintock (a Dr. Suess), "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish", "Love You Forever", and this nursery rhyme book we got you a while ago. Me and your Dad could probably quote those first two books word for word. In fact, there are times we do quote them. I could say something like, "Babe, will you get me a dish out of the cupboard?" And your Dad would come back with something like, "If you wish to wish a wish, then make a wish on my ish wish dish."

You are such a happy baby Madeline. Your main goal each day is to be happy. Eat when you are hungry, sleep when you are tired, cuddle, play, walk, talk... these things make you happy. You have made our lives so much happier.

In two months you will be one. In two months, I, Edith Ann, will have a one-year-old. It has gone by so fast. You are growing up so fast. Please know, I will try my best to make sure that as you grow, you are as happy as possible. I want you to look back on your childhood with memories of nothing but real, joyful, genuine times with your family and friends that you will always cherrish. You deserve that. Every child deserves that, but especially you.

Love,
Momma

Whoa. Private and A New URL.

I have my reasons. If you are reading this, thanks for sticking with us. I love that you have an interest in our lives. It means a lot.

Tasks, Tasks, Tasks

There are several posts coming! Paul and Madeline and me just got back from our week long vacation home to Utah - thank you everyone who made our trip great, we miss and love you! There was a lot of preparation for it before the week so I haven't posted for a while! We got home pretty late last night after a VERY LOOOOOOOONG day of travelling - that is a blog in and of itself. There is much to do to get back into the regular swing of things.

Task one: Give baby bath
Task two: unpack
Task three: replenish refridgerator and cupboards with food - we are empty.
Task four: GRRR go to work and resume task completion on Wednesday.
Task five: do some blogs so people know what's going on!