You know it's gonna be a fun day when the furnace guy leaves you a rather terse voicemail about having to reschedule our appointment because I wasn't at home when he got there. (I was dropping Cole off at preschool.) The voicemail was left at 9:20. Our appointment was for 9:30.
Needless to say I had a rather terse phone call with the furnace company shortly after.
Needless to say I had a rather terse phone call with the furnace company shortly after.
Hearing the sounds of "Don't touch the floor - it's lava" coming from the basement makes me happy.
What was supposed to be a light cleaning of the kitchen turned into a very deep cleaning that included all of the cupboards, drawers, and floor, plus cleaning out the fridge and fixing a broken fridge drawer with Gorilla Glue, a clamp, and a curious four year old.
I'm pretty sure no one should be allowed in the kitchen for at least 48 hours.
I'm pretty sure no one should be allowed in the kitchen for at least 48 hours.
RIP Blockbuster Video: you were my first "real" job. If you taught me anything, it was the importance of getting a college education so I wouldn't have to work with the general public for the rest of my life! (An internship in Wal-Mart management sealed the deal on that idea. Oy.)
I totally forgot that there's a chapter in SuperFudge that talks about how Fudge learns about who Santa really is. I'm reading this to Josh and (kinda) Cole, my two most staunch Santa supporters. I would have skipped the chapter, but Josh had already seen the title and was excited to read it. So I faked my way through the more revelatory parts, changing sentences here, leaving out paragraphs there, all on the fly and *ta-da!* childhood Christmas innocence saved!
Being a mom is sometimes very tricky.
Being a mom is sometimes very tricky.
Maren Roper Madsen
Beautiful fall day at the temple!
Beautiful fall day at the temple!
Every once in a while that crazy-go-nuts tantruming toddler that was Josh comes for a visit. This afternoon is one of those times.
There's this commercial that keeps coming on tv that has an announcer that says "What's better than pie?" and every time it says that I think "Brownies!" or "Cookies!" or "Ice cream!" (According to the commercial the answer is "free pie". I beg to differ.)
Funny is hearing your 7 year old son singing "This Girl is on Fire" when he thinks no one is listening. How does he even know that song?!
Sing it, Josh.
Sing it, Josh.
***FAVORITE***
Just learned that on Halloween night, when Lance couldn't answer the door in time Cole would open it up and yell "Hey!! What are you doing at my house?!" And then slam the door in their faces.
Guess the trick was on them.
Guess the trick was on them.
Spent the morning patching the holes in little boy jeans, only to come upstairs and discover Cole teaching Tess how to slide on the kitchen floor on her knees.
Very happy birthday wishes to my lovely grandmother, Reva Roper! Grandma has many wonderful talents, but my favorite is her amazing ability to make everyone feel like her favorite child/grandchild/friend/
Happy happy birthday, Grandma!!
Happy happy birthday, Grandma!!
***FAVORITE***
The Madsen children always seem to make a big impression during the Primary Sacrament Meeting program. This year it was Cole yelling "Get me out of here!!!" at several quiet moments from the front of the stand as well as scowling 90% of the time (but he did say his part!), and Tess freaking out 30 seconds after she got up there to sing with her nursery class (the bottom pouting lip was in full force as she ran back to me).
Good times.
Good times.
Tess and I got to ride a tractor, pick a pumpkin, and roll around in the mud this morning. Thanks for the great field trip, Deidra Hartwell!
Exactly once a year I eat one candy corn. And then exactly once a year I say "bleeechhchhhch!" and try to find something to get rid of the taste in my mouth.
***FAVORITE***
Why would anyone willingly fill their shoe with juice? Answers to questions like this can only be given by a two-year-old, and mine won't tell me.
When it comes to folding laundry, Cole the 4-year-old is much, much better than Lance the 35-year-old at remembering whose clothes are whose.
Spent three hours cleaning out the garden this morning with the help of two small children. (Read: it took twice as long as needed.) And I'm still not done. As a bonus, I have a lovely rash up and down my legs even though I wore long pants.
Stupid garden! Good riddance.
Until next Spring, when I fall in love with you again.
Stupid garden! Good riddance.
Until next Spring, when I fall in love with you again.
25 years later and 4th grade math word problems are still giving me issues.
Even though it's not quite October this big guy somehow snuck into my cart and demanded a ride home.
Got a flat on the way to cleaning the church. (The blessings of service...?) A big THANK YOU to Christopher James Hartwell for helping Lance change the tire in the rain!
Reason #539 why Cole is awesome: He has taken to yelling "I'm a-firin' the lasooors!!" when he pees. #4yearoldsarefun
Spencer just got mad at me because I can't multiply three digit numbers by three digit numbers in my head so I can check his homework. I told him when he (finally) memorizes his basic multiplication tables I'll get to work on the three digit ones. Scowls all around. #fourthgradeishardforeveryone
Just had an argument with Cole over who the president is. I pointed to the TV and said something like "That's president Obama. He's the president of the United States. He's in charge of our country." To which Cole replied "No, I'm in charge. I'M the president. ME!"
I spent five minutes trying to change his mind.
Five minutes wasted.
I spent five minutes trying to change his mind.
Five minutes wasted.
Telling my non-FB-loving husband "happy anniversary" seems a little pointless here, so I'll tell myself.
Good job on being married for 13 years, Maren! You rock!
Good job on being married for 13 years, Maren! You rock!
Cole: Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! What are those sounds?!
Me: Cicadas.
Cole: What is that?
Me: Bugs. Big bugs in the trees.
Cole: Oh. Inside! Inside! INSIDE!!!
Me: Cicadas.
Cole: What is that?
Me: Bugs. Big bugs in the trees.
Cole: Oh. Inside! Inside! INSIDE!!!
Discovered a new incentive to keep up my pace during the end of my morning runs: middle and high schoolers waiting at bus stops. #someinsecuritiestakeawhiletod
***FAVORITE***
Josh: Mommy, why are people with glasses so much more attractive?
(I promise, he said attractive. I think the lady at the optometrist office must have said something like this.)
Me: Because they make you look smarter. And everyone knows that people who are smarter are much more attractive.
Josh: Yeah, that makes sense. I thought so.
Spencer (who had been listening in and suddenly realizing what this means for his glasses-less self): HEY!
Man alive, first graders are a hoot!
(I promise, he said attractive. I think the lady at the optometrist office must have said something like this.)
Me: Because they make you look smarter. And everyone knows that people who are smarter are much more attractive.
Josh: Yeah, that makes sense. I thought so.
Spencer (who had been listening in and suddenly realizing what this means for his glasses-less self): HEY!
Man alive, first graders are a hoot!
Two and a half hours at Chuck E Cheese: four happily worn out kids, one exhausted mother, one significantly richer rodent.
Tess just blamed Cooke Monster as the reason for why she was still awake and hour past her bedtime.
Two year olds be crazy.
Two year olds be crazy.
Grandpa and Grandma have only been gone for a couple of hours and my kids are already going crazy because they aren't getting CONSTANT ATTENTION AND ENTERTAINMENT.
Grandparent spoilage complete.
Grandparent spoilage complete.
***FAVORITE***
Me: Cole, do you want to go crazy?
Cole: Yes... No. I already went to there.
Truth.
Cole: Yes... No. I already went to there.
Truth.
Celebrated Pioneer Day with a lovely evening at Pizza Hut and Columbian Park with our Hoosier Fam. I'm pretty sure my ancestors would approve. — with Gigi Andriese Ream and Craig Ream.
Oh Indiana sweet corn - how I love you!
*nom*nom*nom*
*nom*nom*nom*
I dont care how good it tastes, I'm never making blueberry syrup again.
***FAVORITE***
"Time for another day in nursery, where the only people who escape are the kids." - Lance Madsen, 2+ year nursery veteran
My husband cracks me up.
My husband cracks me up.
