How?

Have you ever seen a kid so terribly cute you could just eat 'em up? You probably even have one...come on, you know you do. I know I do....This is Grant...


This is a curly haired, brown-eyed, angel-faced, little devil.....yes, you read that right....devil....

He delights in torturing his brother....this could be in the form of singing loudly while Garrett is watching tv....standing outside the door of the bathroom while Garrett is needing his privacy and singing or yelling....taking every opportunity to say the opposite of what Garrett says and therefore provoking an argument that sounds like this..."yes I can....no you can't....yes I can....no you can't....yes I can....no you can't..." this can go on indefinitely until I have a meltdown and put an end to it....

He also delights in the game of chase me to put my clothes on....EVERY SINGLE TIME!!! He doesn't seem to understand that Mama is ALWAYS running late and every single second counts....giggling the whole time he is running from me.....then when I do catch him he thinks it is double funny to kick his legs around so that it makes it nearly impossible to put his socks, pants, and shoes on....and roll his head around so that I can't get his shirt on...

This sweet faced child also tortures the poor dog...he thinks it is funny to chase her around the house kicking at her and making her growl and bark at him...

When I tell him to do something that doesn't appeal to him...he doesn't hesitate to yell at me or talk back to me....telling me what I am going to do.....and he is not above throwing a fit or having a melt down if he doesn't get his way...

What's that you are thinking? Discipline him....yes....I know....I do try.....but look at this face....


How?


How do I discipline this little cherub who crosses his eyes on purpose when I am fussing at him....thereby making me laugh....how can you discipline when you are laughing?

How do I discipline this little toot who tries his best to explain his way out of any given situation complete with hand motions and very animated facial expressions?

How do I discipline this little man when seeing that adorable little bottom lip droop and tears fall from his eyes breaks my heart?

But....I know I must....for his own good....for his future....for my sanity....I must....


But it's NOT gonna be easy.

Inked?

The other day I caught a glimpse of what my future with my oldest son may hold....We went out to eat with my in-laws and my MIL gave Garrett 50 cents after our meal and I assumed he was going to use it to get gum out of one of those machines they have at the exits of restaurants.....well he came back literally beaming and holding up his prize for all to see.....a tattoo.....yes, a tattoo.....you know those fake kind they put in those machines? Well, this was a Monday night and I made him wait until Thursday morning to put it on since he was leaving that afternoon to go on a Father/Son Canoe trip....I put the thing on his arm and you would have thought it was Christmas morning he was so excited.....


You could tell by the way he was acting that he thought he was the coolest thing ever and I tried my best to be a cool mom and "ooh" and "aah" over his cool tattoo....by the time he left for school his "coolness" level was at an all time high....


When I picked him up that afternoon....he was bursting to tell me what his friends thought of his tattoo....."Mom, my friends loved it!!! Graham said it was "tight.".......Do what? What does that mean? Good? Oh man, I have so much to learn don't I?

My first baby

I don't think that I have ever introduced you to my first baby. We got her in August or September of 1998. She was such a tiny little thing. She is a registered miniature schnauzer and her name is Ally.

We spoiled her....took her everywhere, played with her all the time...my mom even called her the granddog.
We had her for three years before we had Garrett. Unfortunately she didn't take kindly to being upstaged by a human baby....
She tolerates our boys but that is about it. She is getting old too....and her attitude seems to be getting worse as she gets older. She is a great dog and I hope that she is with us for a long time to come.

My Goofball

Just when I realize that my boys are no longer babies and how fast they are growing up....and yes, I'm very sad and on the verge of tears....one of them does something to make me see that the best is yet to come...We had Garrett's sixth birthday party several weeks ago and in the goody bags that we handed out Garrett decided to put in what we call "Bubba" teeth. Well, we had a few extras and Garrett found a pair the other day and walked up to me with this face...

I immediately burst into laughter and of course the scrapbooker in me had to snap a photo or two....My oldest child who doesn't often turn into the class clown, made me realize that as they get older and mature....they are going to show me all the facets of their incredible personalities and who they ultimately will be....you know what? I LOVE what I see and can't wait to see what they will show me next!!

Roller Derby.....

I have failed to tell you about Garrett's roller skating birthday party. I hate to admit I was kind of dreading it....I mean all those kids on roller skates....kind of freaks a person out right?....and most of these kids had never skated before. Well, all my worrying was for naught...it was a great day and Garrett had such a good time....all of his "guy" pals were there as well as a couple of his "girl" friends. Here is a pic of Garrett and his buddy Graham....these two get into LOTS of trouble together....


Skatetown is a GREAT place to have a party....they play games with the kids and really help them out alot....here is Garrett doing the limbo on skates....quite funny....


And as we all know...Boys will be Boys and this group that Garrett is with is no exception and I think they take "rough-housing" to a whole new level.....here are Graham and Collin giving Garrett his birthday spanking.....


Garrett chose a Monster Truck themed party and Granny made him an awesome cake complete with his own Monster Trucks on top...


Everyone had a GREAT time...Garrett got WAY too many gifts and enjoyed his party immensely which is what it is all about right? Here is the final pic of him blowing out his candles....


I can't believe that my baby is six years old....what will this exciting year hold for us? I can hardly wait to find out!!!

Brrrr.......

Well, our family took and survived a trip to Breckenridge, Colorado. Now remember, we are from the deep South and we really don't do COLD very well. I was expecting to freeze the whole time and believe me....I don't like to be cold. Give me a hot, sweltering, steamy day here in Louisiana anytime over freezing temps. We arrived on the morning of February 14 in Denver. It was snowing and the wind was blowing some. We got our rental car and headed towards Breckenridge....here is what the driving conditions looked like.....

We made it to our house and got settled in. We bought groceries and rented ski equipment and prepared for our first day on the slopes. My dad is like a little kid when it comes to snow...you know we don't see it very often here in Louisiana and so he couldn't wait to get out in it...here he is outside a bedroom window throwing snowballs at the boys who were inside....



Thursday was great. It was snowing a good bit and the wind was blowing around 30 mph but you know what? I soon discovered that cold in Colorado and cold in Louisiana are VERY different. I did not get cold at all....my face got a little chilly but that is it....as a matter of fact, I got a little warm at times. Garrett and I both enjoyed ski school that day and were looking forward to the next day. Of course, Garrett was a natural at skiing and didn't want to leave the slopes...
During the night I heard the wind really howling and when Grant woke me up around 5:30 it was snowing...HARD. Friday was not a good ski day. It snowed around 15 inches and the wind was gusting up to 80 and 90 mph. Here is a pic my dad took during a lull when he and I ventured outside and yes, I am standing....


My boys got to experience a real blizzard!!!! We staying inside that day...colored, played games, and of course ate and drank lots of coffee and hot chocolate. That afternoon when the weather settled down a good bit, some of us decided to go snowmobiling up to the continental divide....it was a fun and amazing experience but I will tell you this was the ONLY time on the trip that I FROZE MY BUNS OFF....LITERALLY.....I rode with my Dad, Garrett rode with Ryan and Chad Geis drove by himself. We were the only five dummies who braved the cold temps and wind. We got to see real igloos and actually climb inside them, got to see the continental divide and some incredibly beautiful scenery...but it was COLD!!!! Here is a pic of Garrett about two minutes before he started crying because he was so cold...

His comment when we got back to the Snowmobile lodge was...."Next time you go snowmobiling, COUNT ME OUT!!"
Saturday was the perfect ski day....sunny, and about 20-25 degrees...I did get really warm that day. All in all it was a fun trip and I can't wait to go skiing again...
Oh, what about Grant? Well, let's just say God placed this baby in the South for a reason....GRANT DOES NOT LIKE SNOW!!!!

Faster Than A Speeding Bullet

Friday night was a special night for us. We celebrated Grant's 3rd Birthday. He requested a Superman Birthday theme since he loved his Superman Halloween Costume. I can't believe that it has been three years. We have been through sooo much with this little toot...the wonder of his birth, a week later a near death experience for him, no sleep for months and months and months(who am I kidding? We still don't sleep.), three surgeries, Dr. visits, reflux....It saddens me that I was so very sleep deprived for most of his first 18 months of life that I don't remember very much. I did take lots of photos and video so that will help and I'm trying to record those memories as quickly as I can before they become lost forever. Despite his early problems, developmentally he was WAY ahead of the curve and I feel that he grew up too quickly....sat ALONE at 4 1/2 months, crawled at 5 1/2 months, pulled up at 61/2 months, cruised at 71/2 months, and took off running at 9 months...talked early too...now, he is a full fledged boy....he potty trained himself in October...just decided to do it and never had an accident...A baby no more....tries desperately to copy and do everything big brother Garrett does and that is VERY scary....jumps off of anything...no matter how tall....ah, but I digress....easy to do when you talk about your kids, don't you think? The party was wonderful....both sets of grandparents, Aunt Leah and cousins Parker and Hannah, and of course Mom, Dad, and Garrett were all in attendance. His favorite part was blowing out the candles...


And of course, opening presents is ALWAYS a big hit around here....

Of course mom, with her ever present camera, was capturing it all...Here is one of my favorite photos of him enjoying a piece of his cake....


I still can't believe that he is three years old...in a way in seems like three hundred years...lol...but I realize that he is growing up sooo very fast....Before I know it he will be thirty instead of three....I love you my little Grant....I hope you enjoyed your Birthday Party. I hope you have a fun year full of playing, loving, and learning. Hugs, and kisses.....Momma.....

Now, to plan for Garrett's party which will be on the 24th.....he will be six years old....and guess what? He wants a skating party....ten six year olds on roller skates?......AAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

Longing For Spring

Ahhhh....today was a glorious day here in North Louisiana.....Sunny skies, 68 degrees, and very low humidity....in other words...a perfect spring day. Only problem is this is early February....way too early for Spring....but oH, today gave us a taste and now we want it soooo bad.

We couldn't help but get out this afternoon and soak up the sun and play outside and of course, mom had the ever present camera.

Grant had me push him in the swing for about 40 minutes and my arms were so tired!!!


Garrett had a GREAT time playing fetch with our schnauzer, Ally....


Then of course, Garrett, who has seen mom take so many pictures in his short six years knows his way around a camera and asked to take a photo....I think it is awesome!!!



We had such a great time playing in our lovely back yard....PLEASE, Spring....hurry....we need you!!!!

Facing Your Fears

I came face to face with a big one recently. As many of you may know from reading my posts or just from knowing me, I am NOT a good flyer...never have been and probably never will be. I just don't get the whole big metal tube staying up in the air thing....Anyway, a good friend of ours recently acquired his very own plane. COOL...most people might say....well, his wife and I weren't exactly thrilled. You see, I don't do well on big jets, or little jets, or jets of any size...I do not like them here or there...I do not like them anywhere.
So you can imagine my chagrin when Chad and Ryan expected us to actually get in this little bitty PROP plane...yep....not even any jet engines....just a tiny little fly of a thing that could be swatted out of the sky by even the slightest puff of wind...or so it appeared to me.
Karissa and I steadfastly refused to get in the thing for a LONG, LONG time...don't remember exactly when he got the plane but it may have been close to a year ago as he has had time to get his pilots license etc...
I had never even laid eyes on the plane but Ryan had been up with Chad many times and even took Garrett up a couple of times in it and declared it safe....hmmmm....yeah.....right.
Well, one beautiful Sunday afternoon I was trying to be a good and pleasant wife and mom and said lets do something fun...anything you wanna do we'll go do....TOTALLY WRONG THING TO SAY....because the next thing out of Ryan's mouth was....Karissa is in Houston visiting her parents and Chad's invited us to come flying...ummmm....is that laundry or dishes I hear calling my name?

TOO late....I really couldn't back out...besides....I want Ryan to think I'm a cool kind of wife right? I think? So....we all four load up in our jeep and head to the airport...the whole time I am shaking in my boots...When we arrive the sight of the plane does not comfort me at all....tiny, OLD, and in my opinion....rickety looking....

Can I really do this? Garrett is so excited...unfortunately I have discovered that he is an adrenaline junkie just like Ryan...NOTHING scares him....


so we get in and I close my eyes as Chad speeds down the runway....Karissa is REALLY gonna hate me for this...my stomach hits the floor as I feel us leave the ground....what was I thinking....open my eyes just a bit....hey, is that my house?....there's Louisiana Tech and I see WalMart....kind of cool....wait...what was that? Wind? A little turbulence....Are we going to die?....No...we're okay...I see more and more landmarks that I know...


this is so different than a jet...you can see stuff and I get to wear these super cool headphones to talk to everyone else in the plane....

Maybe this wasn't so bad...in fact, I'll admit...it was kind of fun...Grant got bored with it fairly soon but we were only up for about 45 mintues...


ok...I'll admit...I'd do it again....but ONLY if there was like NO wind anywhere on the planet....
This is one fear that I am glad I faced and put to rest.....NOW.....telling Karissa that I am a traitor is not gonna be so easy....Sorry, my friend, I caved....it really wasn't so bad!!!!

Where Did The Time Go?

This morning was a momentous occassion in the Madden house...Garrett started kindergarten today. He really was excited about going to school again. He wanted to see his friends from last year in pre-k and he wanted to go to recess and yes, for now, he is even excited about learning new things. I woke him up, fed him breakfast(yogurt and granola bar along with his coffee milk) and got him dressed. The whole time he was smiling and eager and raring to go. I did pretty well too...on the outside. I smiled and answered his questions and pumped him up about his new
teacher Mrs. Underwood (I've heard that she is a wonderful teacher...strict but loving) which I think will be WONDERFUL for Garrett as sometimes he needs to be reminded that he is NOT the one in charge all the time. But inside I was a
little bit sad. He looked so big and grown up in his
school uniform. Where has five and half years gone? It seems like yesterday Ryan was handing this tiny little bundle to me and I looked into these wide staring eyes and fell in love instantly. I remember being taken aback that he looked at me so intently and for so long. I didn't know that newborns could look so inquisitive or convey such emotions with their eyes. He stared and stared and we had a little conversation between the two of us. He seemed to be saying, "Well, here I am, Momma." and I said, "Yes, my beautiful boy, here you are. I don't know, my son, if I'm quite ready for this journey. I thought I was but now...looking at how tiny and helpless you are, I don't know if I can do this." His little eyes were steady and they measured me up and slowly, slowly, slowly they closed and I felt him say, "Oh yes, you can do it. I trust you to take care of me. I feel safe and warm and loved and I know you'll do fine, Momma. God brought you and me together and he knew we needed each other." Oh how it seems like that moment just happened yesterday and here he is waving goodbye to me so excitedly as he left for school with his Daddy. I know he went to pre-k last year and it shouldn't be such a big deal to me but it is. In Pre-K it wasn't real. I could keep him home with me anytime I wanted and no one would say a word. Kindergarten is for real and he has taken another step on this journey towards independence. Please, God, guard my boy today and everyday. Help him to always have a happy heart, a willingness and hunger to learn new things, and a friendly and outgoing spirit so as to comfort those who need it. Thank you, Lord, for the precious gift you gave us when Garrett was born. We will do our best to raise him into the young man you want him to be.
Garrett, I hope your first day has been wonderful....can't wait to hear all about it when I pick you up. Only two more hours for this anxious Momma to wait.