Sweet Kids!

Jumping in the pantry



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Almost Crawling

Video

This is a video I took back in May of Madalyn feeding Connor for the first time. I don't think she has done it since because I never think of it until after I have already fed him. She really liked it and is a great big sister. The reason I am just now getting it on here is because we had to update our software to even get our videos on iphoto much less on here. Enjoy!

Still Here

Hi! Yes, we are still alive and kicking! :) I just have not been able to get back into the blogging groove at all. Kara this one is for you and hopefully it will get me back on track! I really do like having these to go back and read. So here we go!

Last Saturday, Connor turned 6 months old and I really can't believe it! It really has gone fast with him and it seems like we are just flying through the different stages. He had a doctor appointment a couple of weeks ago and is doing great! He weighs 18 pounds (75th percentile) and is 26.8 inches long (5oth percentile) and his head circumference is 16.9 inches (50th percentile). He really likes his bottles and a lot of that weight I would say is in his thighs! They are so squeezable and squishy. He is rolling around everywhere and gets up on his knees and rocks back and forth really wanting to go somewhere. I am not ready for him to go anywhere just yet! He is doing great and LOVES his sister. She still gets the best laughs and smiles out of him. The video below is not one where he is laughing that much (I will do that one later) but you can see him up on his knees trying to crawl.



We have been busy with some fun summer time activities with some wonderful warm, sunny weather! I love it! I will not complain about the heat because I was longing for it so much during the winter and especially when it was suppose to be Spring and there was snow everywhere! We are getting ready for Journey Day Camp next week so that will keep us really busy. Madalyn is going to be in with the big kids for the first time and I think she is going to love it! The thing she is most excited about is going on some of the field trips for the first time on a school bus. Not the field trips but the school bus ride! :) I will be going on the afternoon field trips too as the snack lady. My mom is coming and is going to stay with Connor and she said, "have dinner ready for us when we get home". How nice is that! It should be lots of fun and I am really looking forward to it! Lots to get done this week so I had better get to it while the boy is sleeping.

How was that Kakes? Am I out of the dog house? She may not read this till next week because she has her VBS this week but it will be a nice surprise. She might even have a couple to read. :)

Sweet Connor Boy

My sweet little boy will be five months old on Wednesday. He is growing up way too fast! We waited for him for a couple of years and then when I thought we were probably just going to have one sweet girl - he appears! We can't imagine life without him! :)

He is such a sweet and easy going baby. The only time he really cries is when he is hungry or we haven't gotten him out of his crib fast enough.

He loves his sister! He will follow her all around the room with his head and she gets the biggest laughs and smiles out of him. She is so sweet with him and it is just precious. I am glad that she has a sibling. I think it has been really good for her and I pray they always have a good relationship.

Connor just found his feet the other day. I think it is the cutest thing when they are on their back and grab their feet and play with them. I think it took him a while to find his because his thighs are so big! :) They are squishy cute though!

Connor loves his bottles! He does not like to stop in the middle for a burp and just lets out this pathetic, mad cry. When he is finished with the whole thing he will look at the empty bottle longingly while crying. He is so sad it is over. lol

He has always loved his swing. We now have him sitting up in it instead of laying back because he was always trying to sit up and look around. We have this butterfly toy attached to it that he really likes and when it falls over the side he looks over like , "where'd it go?".

I think he might be trying to get a tooth because he is always drooling and loves for you to massage his gums with your finger. He is also making this gargling noise whenever he is"talking".

We have a very sweet boy and we are SO thankful for him! His smile just lights up the room and our hearts. Cheesey but true! :)








We are leaving for our holiday so I will update when I get back!

Long Weekend Activities

We had a good and busy weekend that started off on Friday meeting Auntie B and Ronan at the mall for shopping and then to Chuck E. Cheese. I think the kids had a good time and I had a fun time shopping with a friend! :)



On Sunday we had all of the Calgary McMillans (plus the Baxters from The Hat) over for a bbq. I did not take one picture! We had a great time and I think we should do it more often. The kids entertained us with some great "shows" that were fabulously directed by Karlie. In one of the shows Malcolm was an evil fairy. I obviously did not get a picture but Rebecca got a great one! The picture below is of Uncle Todd playing with Madalyn and Ronan in the backyard before everyone arrived. That Uncle Todd is a great fella! He held and gave Connor his bottle why I got things ready for the bbq and then entertained R and M until everyone got here! Thanks Uncle T!
On Saturday we went to Heritage Park with our friends Mark and Ruth and their two little girls Emma and Sophia. Madalyn was not in to having her picture taken as you can see from the first picture! lol Emma has a cute smile going on.

Connor on his first train ride with Daddy
Sweet Boy! I got some cute close ups of him that I really like.
Taking a rest in front of the saloon

It was a fun weekend with gorgeous weather! I love the sun! We also got our back patio and garage cleaned up and a little more organized so that feels good. I have more pictures and some videos that I am going to try and figure out how to get on here in the next few days. Blessings to you on this cool, rainy day in Calgary. I love the rain too!

Creamy Chicken Salad

When I read other blogs I love it when they share a new recipe they have found and like so I made (a new to me) chicken salad the other day that is very yummy and thought I would share it with you.

Creamy Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked chicken breast
1 cup cooked ring pasta
1 cup halved seedless red grapes
1 can (11 ounce) mandarin oranges, drained
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
1 cup light whipped topping
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, combine the chicken, pasta, grapes, oranges, celery, almonds and onion.

In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise, whipped topping and salt. Add to chicken mixture; stir to coat. Serve in a lettuce-lined bowl if desired.

Yield: 6 servings
1 cup equals 261 calories

We bought a new camera so I have some soccer pictures to post when I figure out how to load them onto our computer. It should be the same I just have not taken the time to do it! :) Tonight Madalyn has another soccer game that Malcolm will coach before he has to rush off to worship team practice while Connor and I will be at a kindergarten meeting at the school. So it begins the busyness that comes with having school aged kids. It seems for us that all of our activities (the few we are in) seem to fall on the same night. I am excited to hear what they have to tell us about what kindergarten will be like for Madalyn next year. A part of me doesn't want her to go but I mostly am excited for her.

I better go! Crying baby!

This and That

So, yesterday was Malcolm's birthday and I think it is safe to say that he has had better ones! I forgot about it until around 11:00am and we had had a little tiff in the morning. Poor guy! Madalyn and I spent the rest of the day trying to make the evening special. We decorated with a birthday banner and streamers (she was quite sad we didn't have any balloons) and then I found the recipe for the Olive Garden's Chicken Scampi. Malcolm really likes it and always orders it when we go there for dinner (usually for my birthday). It was really easy to make and tasted pretty close to the real thing. Madalyn was the waitress and had a fun time serving her daddy. She made him a basketball card (well a drawing of Daddy with lots of basketballs around him) that turned out pretty cute. I think the evening of his birthday was better than the beginning at least I hope it was! I don't know what has been wrong with me lately. I have been kind of irritable and on edge. I could blame it on PMS but I don't know if that is really it! I think I need to get more sleep. Malcolm and I are going out tonight (just the two of us) and I am really looking forward to the evening. We are way overdue for a date! I think we need a whole weekend! I know that time together as a couple is so important (I can tell when we haven't) but I find it hard to actually do it. One reason is that I am horrible at asking others to babysit for us. Even if they have offered I feel like I am so imposing on them. I have issues! We don't really have a teenager out here that could just come to our house and be here while they are sleeping. Connor is still a little young for me to be comfortable with that anyways but in the future that is what we need! It is at these times (and others) that I wish we lived by grandparents. Any thinking-outside-of-the box ideas on how to have some couple time without it being a big production? We do have part of the evening when they are both asleep that we could use more productively but I need to get out of the house sometimes. I know this is not a new problem and many couples have the babysitting problem. I hope I will remember this when we are empty nesters or have teenagers and will call a mom with young kids and offer (and make her pick a date right then because she might have issues like me) to keep their kids while they go on a date. :) I think it is so important and they also wouldn't have to pay me because that can also be a deterrent to actually going too. I did not mean to ramble on so much about this but for me I need that time and investment into my marriage. All of that to say, I am really looking forward to going out tonight! :)

Madalyn has not played in a soccer game since I last posted about it last Monday. Monday of this week she was sick with a horrible cough and cold so I did not think it would be wise to let her play out in the cold. Then on Wednesday it was cancelled because it was raining and the fields were wet. Hopefully, we can get some nice weather and enjoy some soccer games next week!

Last weekend we had a garage sale and it went amazingly well. We got rid of a lot of our junk and I am so happy. We definetly priced to sale because we only made about $60 but we got rid of a lot. We even shut down early to go to a wedding. Malcolm took the rest to Goodwill so we are getting closer and closer to getting more organized around here. Yeah! Now, to get the carpet laid in the basement and then we can really get some things done!

The wedding we went to was Bruno and Laurie's and it was just lovely. They invited kids to come to the wedding and reception which is so Laurie. All the kids at Journey love her so much. Madalyn had a great time! Before we went Madalyn said that she thought Laurie would probably wave to her when she went down the aisle. I told her that she would probably be looking at Bruno but Madalyn could give her a hug at the reception and talk to her. Madalyn followed her around at the reception and kept giving her hugs. Laurie told Malcolm that Madalyn had told her that when she (Madalyn) gets married she is going to where a beautiful dress like Laurie's but that her daddy is going to pick out her husband. Woo Hoo! Now, if we can get her to keep saying this until she is about 25 years old! :)

I must go and start getting everything ready for tonight! Have a great weekend!

A Few of Madalyn's Favorite Things

I thought it would be fun to ask Madalyn some questions of some of her favorite things as a five year old. I wish I would have done this when she was younger but unfortunately you can't go back and at least I will have some from now on until she starts rolling her eyes at me. Can't wait for that! ;)

Favorite Color? Pink (Shocker :)
Fav. Sport? Playing Simon Says
Fav. Food? Grilled Cheese
What do you want to be when you grow up? Ballerina Teacher
Fav Bible Story/Person? Baby Moses in the river because the princess finds him.
Fav place to go? Chuck E. Cheese because there are lots of rides
Fav T.V. Show? Toopy and Binoo and Dora
Fav thing in bedroom? My toys
Do you ever get in trouble? Sometimes Why? Not listening
Who loves you? Daddy and Mommy
Fav outfit? Skirts and pretty shirts
Who are your best friends? Kimmie and Bailey
Fav Song? Twinkle Twinkle Little Star; You Are My Sunshine; Jesus Loves Me
Fav thing to do with Mommy? Play Go Fish
Fav thing to do with Daddy? Play Hide and Seek and play doctor
Was this fun? Yes!
Anything else? Yes, I like spoons with little mouse holes in them. I like toenail polish and vans. Oh, one more thing! I like chalk and hula hoops!

Malcolm and I were asking her the questions and after she was finished she wanted her Daddy to answer them so here are Malcolm's favorite things at 33 (almost 34! We are only TWO months apart in age despite what he might say!).

Fav. Color? Blue
Fav Sport? To play: Golf To watch: Basketball
Fav Food? Pizza
What do you want to be when you grow up? Kind
Fav Bible story/person? Jesus Why? He saved my soul
Fav place to go? Kananaskis (sp?)
Fav T.V. show? The Office
Fav thing in bedroom? Bed
Do you ever get in trouble? Yes, for not listening (Ha Ha!)
Who loves you? My wife
Fav outfit? Jeans and T-shirt
Who are your best friends? Suzanne
Fav Song? Mighty to Save
Fav thing to do with Madalyn? Snuggle with a bedtime story
Fav thing to do with Connor? Make him laugh and smile
Fav thing to do with Mommy? Play cards
Was this fun? Scale of 1-10? 6

Now you know a little bit about Madalyn and her Daddy! I updated my play list! It is fun looking for songs to add to it. I love, love, love the first song! I even had a whole post written about it (in my head) a while back but I could not figure out how to get the song on here for you to listen to it. Maybe I will try to do another one some day! Tomorrow is Malcolm's birthday!

Soccer

Madalyn had her first soccer game tonight. It was so cute to watch although I feel like I missed half of it because I was trying to get organized and find all of the other parents. Malcolm is the coach and I am his administrative assistant. We are rookies and it kind of shows but it has been fun and we are meeting/getting to know people in our community which is a good thing. :) Madalyn did really well for her first game. On the way to the game I was trying to tell her some of the basics of the game ( I realized she knew nothing) telling her that she wanted to try and kick the ball into the other teams net and that if the other team had the ball she wanted to try and take the ball away from them to which she replied, "that's not very nice"! :) So, tonight Malcolm tells me that when the other coach was asking the team some of the rules of the game some of the other kids said things like don't touch the ball, don't kick the ball out of bounds, kick the ball in the net, etc. Madalyn raises her hand, pauses for a few seconds (I guess trying to think of something) and says, "take the ball away from the other team"! I think I will leave the coaching/advice giving to her Daddy! lol I don't have any pictures because our camera is broken! Hopefully, we can use some of our tax return to get a new one! Next soccer game on Monday and I can't wait!

AI, DWTS & Connor's Shots

I finally figured out how to load my playlist to my blog! Can you tell that I watched AI last night by some of my selections? :) I was reminded of Neil Diamond songs that I like! I really like Brooke and David Cook on American Idol but I am not all that into like I have been some previous seasons. I am really into Dancing with the Stars! I really like Kristi, Marissa and Jason. I am glad that Shannon was eliminated last night. She was hard for me to watch because she just looked really awkward at times and the whole shomance thing was weird! I thought she was in her early twenties by the way she acted sometimes but I heard that she is 34! Anyways, I really like watching this show and try not to miss it. Malcolm's basketball games always seemed to end up on one of the nights that it is on but they lost last night and are out of the playoffs so I don't have to share anymore. ;) No, really it is sad for him and I wish they(I am talking about the Phoenix Suns) could have gone all the way! We could of had a party to celebrate!

I took Connor to get his shots yesterday. They were a little overdue because I don't know what to think about all of this controversey over shots. I talked to our family doctor about it and she was very helpful and then the nurse who gave him the shots gave me more info and I feel it was the right decision for us. Connor did of course cry but it wasn't too bad! He gave the nurse the funniest look afterwards. Like "what did I ever do to you" mad furrowed brow look. It was really funny. He is average (50%ile) in height, weight, and head. He looks like he would be in the upper %ile for weight but he's not! She called him a little pork chop because he gets a full dropper full of Tylenol based on his weight. Nothing else to really report. He is growing and doing great!

We are in our community garage sale on Saturday so I really should be getting ready for that but it seems I am addicted to blogging these days. :) I will leave you with a little something from my Beth Moore book "Praying God's Word - Day by Day".

Every day can bring trouble, but we have a blessed troubleshooter. We must daily set our face on the face of Christ.

You, O God, do see trouble and grief; You consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless ( Ps. 10:14).

Happy Wednesday!

Madalyn turns 5

Update - I wrote this last weekend but wanted to go ahead and post it with the pictures. The weather here has improved greatly! The sun is shining and it is a little cool. Just how Spring should be!

My sweet baby girl turned five on Friday. I can't believe that she will go to Kindergarten in the Fall. I don't think I am ready! :) We had her party yesterday and everyone seemed to have a good time. I don't think this one was as good as some of her other parties that I have planned. I just did not feel as prepared and we had like twenty minutes at the end to fill up with something because I did not have everything I needed for the craft. I was planning to pick it up on Friday or Saturday morning BUT who knew the weather was going to be so horrible. It feels and looks like winter in the middle of April! Where are we living? I was tired of winter and snow in January so this is WAY beyond what I can take! We got up super early to go in to church with Malcolm so I would not have to drive on the roads but Malcolm turned around not too far out of Langdon to take us back home. He of course still had to go but I was (and Madalyn after a little crying) happy to put my PJs back on and watch Bee Movie snuggled up on the couch. :)

Here are some pictures from the party. In some of the pictures you can see all of the snow outside!


We played some dance freeze
Madalyn came up with a game - Toss the bracelet in the bucket.
Opening presents

Look at all of the snow we have in the middle of April!
I painted all of their fingernails a light pink
Showing off their nails
Time for cake!
I could not find my tips to help me write with the icing. I don't really like that part of the cake but the rest turned out pretty cute. Thanks to my mom for her ideas! I found my tips after I did this! I think everyone had a good time and Madalyn said she did and that is all that really matters in the end I guess.

Blog Schizophrenia

I have been trying to rename my blog for a couple of days and I think I finally have one I like. :) You have probably noticed because I have had a different title almost everyday! My witty and funny husband had mercy on me and helped me. All of the ones I kept coming up with were SO corny and he came up with this one just off the top of his head. He made a joke and added the nut on the end and it makes me laugh so I added it on here for you to laugh too. ;) He could probably do even better but this is just what I wanted so I am happy. Just thought I would let all five of you know and give credit where credit is due.

Vancouver Trip to See Sweet Lilly

Papa and his girls
Uncle Hersh helping Madalyn find Hannah Montana songs on the computer. Very Sweet!
My sweet friend Natalie with Connor
Madalyn playing with one of Camille and Chloe's dress up hats. She had a great time playing with them!
I think this is the sweetest picture!
Twin Cousins! They were born five days apart. Lilly is so petite that Connor look like such a bruiser! :) He likes his bottles! It was lots of fun having them together for a couple of days.
I forgot to turn this picture around. I hope they will have a fun relationship too!
Connor and Auntie KK getting to know each other. I did not get a picture of me and Lilly! This will have to be rectified at Christmas!!!
Nan and Papa with their grandkids! They don't look happy at all! ;) In all of the pictures we took here Connor is checking Lilly out! :)

Madalyn's Recital and Some Fun News

So, I post my blog and see that the Beauty and the Beast pictures have loaded on here twice! (Read Below) Weird! My Mom and Dad got Madalyn tickets to go to the theater to see Beauty and the Beast for her birthday and I got to go too. Just the girls went and the boys stayed home because Connor is not quite ready for the theater yet. :) It was a really well done show! Belle sounded like the Belle in the movie. I was worried on how Madalyn would do but she did great and towards the end when she got a little antsy I would tell her that Belle was about to come out in her beautiful princess dress which seemed to work. When asked what her favorite part was she said, "when chip became a little boy again". Who knew that would be her fav part? :)




I am really frustrated with blogger right now! It is not loading pictures on here for me. I have been trying since Sunday to get something on her and this is all I have so far. I even made one of those slide shows and lost it somehow after spending too much time on it AND then nothing to show for it! Anyway, these from Madalyn's recital will have to do for now. They performed their tap dance to the song Going to the Chapel. It was really cute!





I like this picture with Connor looking at her in the background. She might have on too much blush! I did not put on her half of the stuff that her teacher wanted me to. Just enough to not be washed out on stage.

Madalyn just said something that made me laugh so I thought I would go ahead and record it here. She was going on and on about everything she loves. She said, "I love Connor, I love Mommy, I love Daddy (even though he doesn't have any hair), I love my house, I love my friends, I love everything in the universe!" :) I am glad she loves her Daddy without hair! lol

My mom called me the other day and gave me some fun news that I thought I would share. When my sister and I were in Vancouver we went and had Lilly and Connor's picture taken together and they turned out really cute. While we were there I went ahead and got some taken of Madalyn and Connor together. They turned out really cute too and it was so hard to pick one to buy but I did and LOVE the one I got. When we bought our pictures they had us sign a release form in case they wanted to display them in the store. You always think that your kids pictures are worthy of this but for some reason beyond what any mother can understand they don't pick them. Well, my mom goes back to the store because she wants to buy some more and what does she see but my two sweet kids picture up in frames on display! So, for anyone who reads this blog and lives in Vancouver, Washington go to the Picture People in the mall and you will see Madalyn and Connor. The pictures did turn out really good with some unique poses of them together. My mom is so funny. She said that she is going to go back and have her friend take her picture in front of them. :)

I will hopefully have birthday pictures soon!

Madalyn Stories

I have pictures and updates that I will do in another post but I wanted to get some Madalyn stories written down somewhere so that I don't forget them.

- The other day she was in the car with Malcolm and they were playing a game Who AM I? and it's Madalyn's turn. She had just watched The Little Mermaid. :)

Mad: Who Am I?
Daddy: Give me a clue!
Mad: I have red hair and seashells on my boobies.
Daddy: Pardon Me?
Mad: You know above my tummy, on the top part, my chest.

Too funny! I don't know what to think about this! :)

- We were in the car the other day with my Mom and Dad and Madalyn was talking about some of the songs she sang when she went to Children's worship at my Mom and Dad's church. She said let's sing the cherry song. We all said we didn't know that song. Madalyn says," you know, we will stop and pick them up". It was too cute! Roll that Gospel "Cherry"iot along! Made me laugh.

- While tucking her in:

Daddy: I don't think you better turn 5, Maybe you should just stay 4 forever.

Madalyn: But I have to turn 5.

Daddy: You do? Why?

Madalyn: Because my invitations are already sent out!

- Today as she was getting set to watch The Sound of Music, she says, "I love this movie. Except I don't like the part where the grandma lady (the mother superior) sings. It's boring."

Our girl is getting so big and I can't believe she is turning 5 tomorrow. She is a sweet, precious girl. Party pictures to come soon!

Check out my Slide Show!

Check out my Slide Show!

Happy Valentine's Day (A Day Late)

** I was writing this post off and on all day yesterday but just could not get it finished so here it is today! **

Sorry it has been so long since I have been on here to update! We are doing really well now. The first couple of weeks were kind of hairy and I was crying all the time but it is amazing how quickly things can change! Thank you Lord for bringing me through to the other side. He was (and is) my comfort and strength. PTL that we only had several weeks of crying throughout the night! I think I may have been beginning to understand when the Lord says, "A day is like a thousand years" but NOT in a good way. I have heard some stories of parents who endured from three to six months! I know with Him by my side I can make it through anything but I am very thankful to be through with that part of having a new baby.

Connor really is a good baby! My heart just melts when he smiles and he cuddles up close right under my chin. He really likes his swing and is not very fond of tummy time. His neck is really strong and when I am burping him on my shoulder he can hold his head up and try to head back down to my arms so he can eat again. When he cries he can really get mad and quick! I don't remember Madalyn crying quite like he does so our sleep training has been harder this time because he seems to have a stubborn streak. I don't know where he gets it from? Madalyn is really adjusting well. She is so helpful and loving towards him and is ready for him to play with her. She did need some extra attention in the beginning but for the major change she has had to her world she has done great!

Hope you like the pictures below. I need to be taking more pictures but I am happy to at least have these! Do you like the song I picked? I really like this song because it has that wave your hands in the air, like you just don't care beat to it. Malcolm finds my love for Pop music quite humorous but I really like some of it so sorry to subject you if you are not a fan. :) Hope everyone had a great day full of love for your family and friends. Malcolm and I are going to go out next weekend for both my birthday and Valentines day. Such is life when you have little ones but really our pocket book is a factor too! Gotta Run! I'll be back when the mood to make a slide show or write comes again! :)

Welcome Sweet Baby Boy!

It has taken me a few days to get this on here but I know you understand why! :)

Connor Michael McMillan was born on December 28 at 8:44 pm. He weighed 6 pounds and 11 oz and was 20 in long. He is doing just great and is such a good baby. He looks so much like Madalyn did when she was a baby except he has a full head of dark hair. My labor experience this time was totally different than with Madalyn (which I knew it would be) and let's just say I am glad this was my second child because we would only be having one after what I just went through! I will tell my story another time but right now I must go feed my sweet boy! I made a slide show of pictures for you to enjoy! Thanks for all of your love and prayers!

Waiting, Waiting and more Waiting

I know the waiting has been self inflicted because I have not even reached my due date yet but Madalyn was early so I thought baby boy might be too! Plus, I think I have been wanting to win the race with my sister and have mine first since my parents are here and it would be so much easier for us and Madalyn when the time comes for us to go to the hospital. I am hopeful it will be today!

We have been having a great time with Nan and Papa while they have been here. It has been so nice for me (and Madalyn) to be spoiled and to have so much help in these last days of pregnancy! What a blessing they have been fixing meals, playing with Madalyn, getting some activities done with her that would have been a lot harder for me had they not been here. I could have done them but I might have been grumpy and lost all of my Fruits! :) This has been a different and memorable Christmas and probably only the beginning of many more! Hope you had a wonderful holiday with friends and family. Next time I post it will be a slide show with pictures of Baby Bubba (as my family likes to call him)!