Pallets, Pillows & Playing with Sisters Hair

Does it get any sweeter than this?! Madison LOVES to touch Mackenzie's hair! She likes playing with everyone's hair, but especially her big sisters! It is just so long and pretty! Mackenzie usually doesn't mind, as long as Madison doesn't pull it too hard. Lately, I have been making them pallets in the floor to watch movies together. Surprisingly, Madison does pretty well with this and sits still. The girl loves pillows and blankets and being comfortable!

I love my sweet girls!

Mackenzie was playing dress-up, and she wanted Madison to dress up too! Mackenzie was wearing only her Halloween wings and skirt...not sure what happened to her shirt! Fun times!

I was working on cookies in the kitchen while they watched tv for a little while. They are so good to play and be good when I am busy. Mackenzie just laid very still and let Madison play with her hair! I think she liked it, actually! Poor little Madi had croup...coughing, fever, runny nose...not fun at all! I hate it when my babies are sick.

A Double Trip to the Doctor

On Wednesday, we made a double trip to Dr. Raley with both girls. I was finally starting to feel a little better, but Madison was coughing terribly and Mackenzie had her 4 year old well visit. Believe it or not, this is a post with no pictures. I was way too busy, stressed, and still not feeling great so taking pictures was the last thing I was thinking about. This week was crazy getting ready to sell cookies at the Craft Fair. Come to find out, Madison has croup, which is caused from the virus I had...Dr. Raley said this coughing could last for 10-14 days. (AGGHHH!!!) He gave us some cough medicine, so at least she can sleep at night.

Mackenzie had her 4 year old well visit, and she wasn't looking forward to it. Several times, we talked about it and she asked me if she had to get shots. I would tell her yes, but not make a big deal of it. I think I was dreading it more than she was! Before we left, we talked about what kind of Band-Aids she would get, and she was actually excited about that. I was so proud of her, that I was near tears! She was so brave! She got 4 shots in her legs...two in each one. Then, I realized that none of those shots were a flu shot...so the nurse had to come back in and give her another shot in her arm. I wasn't happy about that at all. I couldn't help but think about the first time we had to take her to have her heels pricked when she was just 4 or 5 days old, to check her jaundice levels. I cried and cried while she cried and cried. Having to watch your children get shots is not fun at all...and it really doesn't get any easier as they get older. At 4, she knew what was coming. I am so thankful that this was her last set of immunizations until she is 12! Praise God that we made it through all of those. In some strange way, I am actually a little sad...this is truly a sign that she is growing up. Mackenzie is very much like me as a little girl...she isn't always "tough." For 3 days after she had her shots, her legs just didn't want to work. Especially on Thursday, the day after her shots...we had to carry from her bed to the couch, to the bathroom, etc. She even missed ELP because her legs hurt so bad. It was sad, and a little funny at the same time to watch her limp around. Poor little thing! A few times she would "forget" that her legs hurt, and then "remember" all of a sudden. She played the sympathy card pretty well!

Dr. Raley said Mackenzie is very healthy, and he was very impressed with her motor skills and her ability to draw and write words. At 4 years and 1 month old, she weighs 35lbs 11oz and is in the 53% in weight. She has consistently stayed right around 50% in weight from the time she was 2 years old. She is 38.5 inches tall,and in the 21% for height. That is so surprising since Brian and I are both so tall...one of these days, she will probably have a big growth spurt. She has always been in the low end on the height scale. Who knows, maybe she will take after Grandma Baldwin! I am so thankful to have healthy children. God has been so good to us. I continue to pray that He will bless our girls and keep them safe and healthy.

As I am sitting here blogging, I decided to ask Mackenzie some questions just for fun...here are her answers...

1. What is your favorite color? Pink

2. What is your favorite food? Uh, corn dogs. (Imagine!)

3. What is your favorite movie? Uh, Toy Story 3

4. What is your favorite toy in your room? My little puppy

5. What is your favorite thing to wear? My Hello Kitty skirt and shirt

6. What did you dream about last night? Uh, riding on unicorns.

7. If you had a unicorn, what would you name it? Wendy

8. Do you like peanuts? Uh, no. I bet I will when I'm 6, or 7, 8, 9, 10!

9. Do you like playing with Madison? Uh, yeah but she messes everything up.

10. If you could be a princess, which one would you be?

Sleeping Beauty, cause she's got a pink dress.

11. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Jessie or a butterfly (She usually says a mommy!)

12. What's your favorite song? Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

13. Would you rather have no hair or no toes? (This one is for daddy...he is always asking the teenagers questions like this!)

But I don't want to cut all of my hair off...I want hair that looks like Bella's. (This is her new thing...she has told me several times that she wants hair like Bella's!

She'll have to talk to her daddy about that! He loves her long hair.)

14. What do you love most about Daddy? He plays with me in my room.

15. What do you love most about Mommy?

You play in my room with me too. (I am glad to know this, because a few weeks ago Mackenzie said I wasn't a good mommy because I was mean to her and I never played in her room. I think she was just having a mood swing or something!)

Mackenzie says the funniest things! She talks so grown up sometimes. The other day she was dressing up her Build-A-Bears and she said, "Doesn't she look just DASHING?" I mean, where does she come up with things like that?! Then, we were at the store the other day buying eggs, and she said, "Mommy, we can't eat those eggs in the refridgerator...they have baby ducks in them." (The Smith's gave us the eggs that Mackenzie gathered when we visited their house...she just knew there were baby ducks in there!) Okay, that's all for now! I could go on and on about all of the funny things she says!

Picture Day

This past Tuesday was picture day at ELP. Mackenzie looked so cute her in jean jacket & jeans! I scheduled Madison to have her pictures done on Thursday morning, but she ended up sick so we didn't get to do it. I am hoping to take her in on the day they do retakes. I came down sick, and then Madison got croup...all this on top of getting ready for the Craft Fair at our church. The past couple weeks have been kinda crazy. I have to say, it has been kind of nice to take a little break from taking so many pictures. I have been too busy, and too sick to even think about it.

Mackenzie just looked so cute and so grown up that I had to take a few pictures before daddy took her to school. She knows how to strike a pose! I haven't seen her pictures yet, but I will add them on here as soon as we get them! I was a little bit early picking up Mackenzie at ELP so I pulled up in the parking lot and watched her playing on the playground. I noticed right off the bat that a few boys were chasing her...then, when they would stop she would run up to them again and off they would go. She was teasing them! When I picked her up, she said, "Mommy, the boys kept chasing me!" and I said, "Well, maybe they thought you were cute!" and she said, "No, they were growling at me!" I love that she loves ELP and enjoys playing with her friends so much. Nearly every day that I pick her up and ask her who she plays with, she names off a different classmate. I love it that she plays with different kids and not the same ones every single time. I have the greatest job in the entire world...getting to be Mackenzie & Madison's Momma! I love them more and more every day, if that is even possible! I asked Mackenzie the other day if she was going to be a fasion designer when she grows up and she said, "No, I'm going to be a Mommy!" Oh, melt my heart! What a wonderful mommy she will be!Sometimes I take pictures that are almost identical, but the expressions are just a tiny bit different, and I can't bring myself to delete either of them. That was the case with these...so why not put them both on here?!

Breakin' It Down In the Tub

The video's below show why Daddy wins the award for the most fun at bathtime! I love to listen while he gives baths! On this night, I just couldn't help but check out the fun. I was hesitant to put these videos on our blog, because obviously the girls don't have clothes on since they are in the bathtub...oh, the sweet innocence of little children. Hopefully no one is bothered by it. If you are, just don't watch them! Mackenzie knows how to bust a move, and now she is teaching Madison to do the same. So glad these girls have a daddy who spends time with them, and treats them like the special little princesses that they are. I recently read something from the book "Bringing Up Girls" by James Dobson that really jumped out at me...

"Fathers inevitably change the course of their daughters' lives....Without their fathers to protect and defend them, girls are often on their own against formidable forces. In short, the influence that dads wield for good or harm in their daughters' lives touches every dimension of life. Especially, it shapes and stabilizes girls' senses of worth and keeps alive their tender spirits. I urge all parents, but especially fathers, to work at building your daughter's self-concept throughout her childhood. Tell her she is pretty every chance you get. Hug her. Compliment her admirable traits. Build her confidence by giving her your time and attention. Defend her when she is struggling. And let her know that she has a place in your heart that is reserved only for her. She will never forget it."

As I read that, I was so thankful that God has given Mackenzie and Madison a Daddy who will strive to act out these things in their lives. Without a doubt, they have a wonderful father who loves them unconditionally, and who will encourage them to be all God has created them to be. Our goal as parents is to 1. To raise our children to know, love, and follow God with all their hearts, and 2. To pour love into them and give them a happy, healthy environment to grow up in. I think these videos exhibit that very well! I didn't intend for this blog post to be so long...that's all for now!

Just Like Pa!

I looked down the other day and Madison's big toe was sticking right out of her sock! It was so cute! It instantly made me think of my dad...he was always getting holes in his socks when we were growing up, and he would stick his whole toe out just to make us laugh. (or annoy us!) He would sit that way all evening, which drove us all crazy! I'm sure he will like these pictures. Madison's toe looks a lot cuter sticking out than his toe did, but we will most definitely be buying some new socks soon! I must say, it wasn't bothering her a bit though.

Keep Out

Mackenzie has officially decided that she doesn't want Madison in her room. In her defense, Madison does want to be in there ALL of the time, and makes big messes, which Mackenzie usually has to clean up. I have caught Mackenzie shutting Madison out of her room several times. I'm not really sure how to handle this...I want Mackenzie to have her own space, but at the same time I want her to learn to play with her sister. Madison has no interest at all in the 50 toys in her own room...she just wants to be in her big sister's stuff!

What is it with kids and suckers anyway? Couldn't they love some kind of candy that isn't so sticky? Love this picture below! I know these girls are going to grow up loving each other, but I am foreseeing lots and lots of fighting in our future!

Playing With Daddy

I just love to watch Brian play with the girls...you just never know what kind of crazy things he might come up with for them to do! Most of the time it is teetering on dangerous, but they love it and think he is the best daddy ever! We love it when daddy gets home from work...the girls are always so excited to see him, and I am so glad to get a break! On this night, I looked outside and he had set up a "ramp" for the girls to ride over in the Barbie Jeep. Well, the "ramp" was our card table and chairs all piled up...no doubt, that didn't last long once I saw what was happening! (He really needs a boy around here!)

It's a lot easier to hit the ball with a tennis racket than it is with a bat! Maybe Mackenzie will be a tennis player one of these days!Yeah, Madison's helmet lasted about 3 seconds!