Singing Unlike Any Other

If you know Madigan, you know she's a pretty observant, quiet child when around others. As her parents, we get to see her more uninhibited side. This little video was captured at my parents house over the holidays. Brooklyne (her cousin) Kyle and I myself were the only ones in the room. I think she's singing a variation of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Because Mommy can't hold a tune or remember all the lyrics to songs, Rudolph is a nightly request at bedtime.

Eating my words

I ate my words the other night after I posted about Madigan sleeping in her own bed. I don't know what's up, but she reverted back to our bed. Dang it. I got a taste of sleep last week and really don't want to go back!
However she is basically potty trained- even holding it at night.
We're going to check out a Montessori School tomorrow. I hope we like it because it's the only one we can walk/bike to and I look forward to doing that with her.

Big Changes Taking Place

There's big changes taking place around here since we got home. We decided the very first night we were back to start Madigan in her own bed. She's had the bed Kyle build her since last winter and only slept in it off and on a dozen or so times. Our night time routine has always included Kyle or I staying with her until she fell asleep and then we would sneak out.
So the transition was a 2 part one- first to fall asleep in her bed all by herself, and to also stay in her bed all night.... And amazingly, she's doing awesome! Like she actually goes to sleep after we say good night!! And she actually stays in her bed until morning!! And she's only been in our bed once or twice!! The only CATCH is that she absolutely has to have Barnaby in her room with a dog gate at the door....all fine with us and until he decided to move into bed....now he just goes right to her bed every time even though he has a dog bed next to her. For now it works and she's doing really great. We sometimes need to remind her that her friends and cousins sleep in their own beds- and it totally works...Madigan is also potty training these days. She's doing an excellent job and is really into it. She decides which days and when, but it's okay for now. On days we're home, she almsot exclusively used the potty seat...She really is becoming a big girl.

Wisconsin for a 2nd time

Grandma and I promised we'd see monkeys at the Madigan zoo after visiting Great Grandpa George. Well, it turns out the buildings close at 4pm and the rest closes at 5pm- doesn't make too much sense since everything is indoors. Grandma bought Madigan a monkey since we didn't get to see any- and boy did she hang on to the monkey.

Here Madigan is still looking for the monkeys despite being told we wouldn't see any about 25 times. The entire adventure at the zoo lasted about 20 minutes (since we got there at 4:40pm) and it was FREEZING.

Grandma and Grandpa took us to the Discovery Center in Rockford. It was very fun and will continue to be a fun visit in the future since the exhibits will grow with Madigan.

More Pennsylvania Time

Nana and Pappy found a model train museum that had a Christmas Trains display. Madigan was pretty enthralled with the whole thing.
Harpers Ferry:


Pappy took us for a tractor ride!

Pennsylvania Leg

There is no easy way to put a month's worth of pictures on this blog. So, below are a few of our trip to see Kyle's side of the family in Pennsylvania (weeks 2 and 3 of our 4 week road trip). The weather was very mild while we were there. Madigan has 2 cousins under 2 and she enjoyed some "play" with them. She also loved to spend time with the goats and help feed them pretzels.
We went to Hershey. PA-the home of Chocolate World and also hit a small North American zoo too.






Our 1st day in town, there was a family get together. I thought Madigan would wake up when I carried her in, but she took a good sized little nap on top of the table instead.

Wisconsin for the holidays

We were home in Wisconsin for the holidays again this year. And again this year, a baby was born right before we got there. Last year, Ryan Jr. was born on Dec 20th, this year Daniel was born in mid December.Madigan got a horsey coat from Grandpa!
We made lots of Christmas cookies- the cutouts with frosting and candy-yum! Below, Aryanna has her shirt off so we didn't need to do laundry once again. And baby Daniel is in the ergo carrier on my chest. He took a good 4 hour nap in there and loved it. Madigan fell in love with her cousin Brooke the first day we were there. Instead of calling it Grandma's house, it's now called "Brooke's house".

While Dad sent all of Christma Eve in bed (since apparently he was "overserved" the night before), I took Madigan and Aryanna outside to build a snowman. There's about a foot of snow on the ground and very cold. It was the first snowman Madigan built and she was in love.
We got to spend any evening with Jessica and Diego.

Grandma found my Grandma's sour cream sugar cookie recipe.
Lots more pictures to come after I get them from my siblings!

First Legs of the Trip

Here's the first few photos of our trip towards WI and PA. Madigan was an awesome traveler. We made awesome time the first day and left Bozeman at 4am-in front of the storm. We made it all the way to Sioux Falls, South Dakota....and then we were stuck in the middle of a blizzard for 2 days. It wasn't so bad since we had a pool and wifi. But it was -40 degrees outside and we looked like we were in a scene from a National Geographic Antartica special.

Goofy Girl

Kyle actually left the house with Madigan in this outfit below. He said he couldn't take her in public like this, but I assured him Madigan needs to be encouraged to exercise her right to freedom and independence. (Again, this coat was passed down to us from a very unlikely source and Madigan found it herself in the garage...therefore it was meant to be hers, and worn as often as she likes.)

A Little 'Mock' Christmas

Here's a couple of pictures from the little Christmas we did at our house before leaving on our road trip. Madigan got wood food items for her kitchen- a cookie making set, and cut-able fruits and veggies. She also got a cabbage patch kid that she loves.