Names Adjusted

We're watching another family this week while the parents are helping out at a girls' camp. They have four kids: Lucy is 11, Cole is 9, Aly is 5, and Jenny is 4. We've been watching them since Monday and Madie has been pretty clingy since Tuesday. I figured it was mostly due to suddenly having to share mum with four other kids. I think I was wrong.

This morning before Aly and Jenny were up, Lucy, Cole, Madie and I were all eating breakfast. Madie was goofing around with Lucy like they were best friends, and Cole was cracking up from the counter. The older kids finished eating and went off to their respective activities. Madie finished and I got her down. She was toddling around the kitchen while I read.

Enter Aly. Before she left, Aly's mom told me that Aly loved little kids but that love was often a little too much for them. And Jenny does whatever her sister does; the combination is intense. She wasn't lying.

I didn't want to do it, but I did. After the first half-hour I told the girls the reason Madie's breath speeds up and she searches for the nearest exit whenever they enter a room she's in is because of situations similar to what I found when I came in from outside this morning: Madie pinned into a corner with two little blondies hovering over her either threatening to hug her or demanding she tickle their armpits. 

Madish

Word of the day in the broad language of Madish?

1. bup |ˈbəp |
verb
a word used to command being picked up, opening something, or pretty much any action she doesn't have a word for (which equals many).

2. bup |ˈbəp |
noun
a book

Oakland Zoo

What was originally a daddy-daughter date turned out to be a Dad = chaperon situation. We went with a family in our ward, whose son Rion, is notorious for flirting with Madie (feelings appear to be mutual). We recently got an annual zoo pass, so this will be the first of many trips!

I really don't know why I took pictures of the animals, it's kind of lame to take pictures of captive animals. Mostly because everyone can take those pictures! I guess this is more 'evidence' that we were actually at the zoo.

Madie was in a roller-coaster mood. One minute she would be completely entertained by watching animals, the next she couldn't really decide what would make her happy.

She finally calmed a bit when we got to the petting zoo and got to comb some goats. She even found one her size.

Ryan was nice enough to share some raisins with Madie at the end.

Random Sequence of Events

Summertime is here! Madie is enrolled into some swim classes, where she has learned to kick her legs (and say 'kick'), blow bubbles, and hold onto the edge of the pool.

Modeling the new bathing suit. She loves swimming in the pool.

Easily her favorite park. Every time we approach the vicinity via car, she absolutely knows we are close and yells out "Da-doh! Da-doh!" (Madie for 'water'). Needless to say, she was pretty happy to be here this day.

She always belts out a good scream while touching the fountain spray.

It's actually a good sized splash park.

She is still obsessed with shoes, particularly Mals. She loves high heels to be exact. She added the sweatband on her own.

I would love to hear some of your input of what the conversation sounds like between Madie and these stuffed animals at the library.

Lately, she has really taken to laying on her tummy to read or watch something with one of us.

For Father's Day...

...I had plans to write out a sweet note to the father of my daughter, but even though I thought about it all week, Saturday came and went with no note being written. Then I woke up this morning and thought, "Dang it." So, I'm writing it on here, Mike. 

Women often say things to me like, "Hey, when my baby was born, I got a sling that fit my husband. I carried her for nine months, now it's his turn!" This is just one example, but I often get the feeling that women think they have to force their husbands into being fathers. I don't know if that's true or not--though I have my suspicions--but I am lucky enough to have a husband who loves to be a dad. If it weren't for him, not only would I be forced to work outside the home, but Madie wouldn't have gotten a trip to the zoo yesterday. She wouldn't have gone swimming in the pool in the evening. She probably would have had something wicked easy, like oatmeal, instead of German pancakes for breakfast this morning. But because Dada was there to take care of her, she got all those things. She loves her dad so much. She lights up when he knocks on the door after work. If she wakes up late and he's gone already in the morning, the first thing she asks is, "Dada? Where'd he go?" 

Madie and Dada at the Rodeo Parade.

My dad is equally active in the lives of all his children--whether we like it or not. ;) He has always shown interest in the sports I play, and given advice in my studies, activities, and social life when I've sought it. As a little kid, if I started on my chores, he would sometimes come in and help me finish up. Many of my best memories of living at home involve sitting up late with my older brother and sister chatting with our parents. Mum, Alexa and I would finally get so silly acting that Levi would roll his eyes and my dad would stand and say, "Okay. I'm going to bed. Goodnight," and he would walk away with his hand in the air. I can picture it now, and it makes me laugh!

Madie enjoying a ride on Grampy's shoulders.

Mike always jokes that he grew up in a house of women. There are actually more men in his family, but his two older brothers were both out of high school by the time he entered seventh grade, and his father was in a leadership position in the church and very busy with work. So Mike spent a lot of time with his mom and older sister. Still, Mike displays many of the same qualities Bryan has, like his work ethic--which is a good thing. And he often thinks on the time he spent with his dad redoing the family cabin. He says he learned so much during that project. I get a kick out of my father-in-law. He is always so enthusiastic about whatever he is discussing with you. At the same time though, he's really quite laid back, sometimes to the chagrin of his wife. For example, when their ward was discussing a major time change in when they met, my mother-in-law was profoundly against meeting at 3 o'clock and getting out at 6. (For the record, I totally agree.) When she looked to her husband for backup, Bryan shrugged his shoulders. I laugh every time I think of it. (I too would find it frustrating, Karen, if it were me. But it's so funny how he takes it all in stride!) My favorite aspect of my father-in-law though, is when he's walking he's walking to get somewhere. It used to drive me nuts when my friends would lag way behind, especially in the winters in Idaho. I am not walking out in the wind and snow for fun, people! I'm walking to get into the warm building for lunch! Bryan gets that.

I have surprisingly few pictures of my father-in-law, so I'm resorting to one of my favorites. It's from our wedding. I call it, "The Forbes Cover: Watkins Men." It's never been on Forbes, just to be clear.

Here's to all of you, and the other fathers in our lives!

Maybe Too Much Info At First

It was 96 degrees today.

The girls I babysit were telling me today about a woman who was on Oprah a while ago who did housework in the nude. I thought that was really weird. I mean, why would something like that make the show of a person who is seen as a guru for all American women? Frankly, if I weren't hosting two tweens and a seven-year old in my home, I would have been doing the same thing today.

At the end of a very long day--very, very long--I got home with aching feet and inexplicably tired thighs. Honestly, I really can't think of what it was that caused my thighs to hurt so much. Did I do so many squats this morning I blacked out and now I can't recall any of it? I find that hard to believe. I hate squats, so why would I do any much less many?

Sorry, most of that last paragraph was an aside. The point is, though I desperately wanted to strip down and lay on the floor in front of the fan, what I did instead was start folding laundry. I never stop doing laundry. Ever. While I was folding and subsequently hanging more laundry I started thinking about laundry pre-washer. I've hand-washed some articles of clothing before, but only because you can't machine wash them. I can probably list the times on both hands. And sure, I hang dry, so maybe that adds another ten minutes than simply machine drying would. But I still can't fathom hand-laundering everything for an entire family.

But jumping into laundry like I did was a blessing in disguise: those wet whites were so refreshing! They smelled delightful, they were lightweight, and oh-so cool! I held one shirt up to my face and felt the cool all over.

Is anyone else ever pleasantly surprised by a task that never seems to get done?

Oh Won't You Save Me, San Francisco!

I know it's been a while since I've posted, but I didn't realize how many pictures were sitting on my camera until today when I went to upload them all to my computer. So I guess to start with, I will post about our latest visitor.

You need to be more careful of the poses you make, Maiko. I post the best ones I have.

A very good friend of ours from school just took a job as a flight attendant, and she's stationed in a city in NorCal! So when she had an over-nighter in San Fran, she gave us a call. We took her to our farmer's market, stayed up talking late, then the next morning was Mike's day off, so we showed her around the city!

Mike and Madie posing in front of one of the new hearts on the four corners of Union Square. I think they were to raise money to rebuild a children's hospital, but I can't quite remember.

Then we headed over to Japan Town. This was my first time in Japan Town and honestly, I wouldn't mind living there. If I were going to live in the city, anyway. It's clean, the houses are pretty nice, and it's quiet.

That is the cutest samurai I've ever seen. And the geisha! WOW! **Wolf whistles**

 Finally we headed over to the bridge. I mean, after all, it was a beautiful day in San Francisco and this is one landmark that is always worth the trip!

Look, Levi! They stack rocks here too! Of course, I've never seen a rock-stacking artist quite like you.

Speaking of places to live in San Francisco, just for the record, I wouldn't mind at all if we lived in one of the houses up the street from the bridge. Just throwing that out there.

 Madie loves the ocean. She stared at the waves from the wall for a while, then when we went to meet up with Dad and Maiko (they went on ahead while Madie finished a nap the car) we ran into some wildlife. Madie was particularly interested in this guy--he, however, was interested in the person with the lunch sitting just outside the picture.

This was a beautiful seagull. That's right, I said it. He had perfect coloring and was actually pretty clean looking. Do you KNOW how rare that is?! 

Tromping along the wall just up from the beach.