Treehouses

Last weekend, we headed to the Museum of the Rockies for the members only preview of a Treehouses and Toys exhibit. They had cookies and milk! It was a fun exhibit and we got to see a few friends too. (No pictures of the treehouses, but they were pretty cool. Lots of talk of who lives in trees, etc.)

Wild West Winterfest

Valentine's weekend we headed over to the Fairgrounds for "Winterfest". It was farm animals and dog tricks and a quilt show...the usual stuff. We try to make it to anything with farm animals since Madigan is a total farm girl. We're thinking she'll be in 4H for sure. This trip she really took a liking to the cows-they were tied up so we could see and pet their heads. She really liked their wet pink noses. We also loved the sow and her 10 piglets! They were so entertaining running aorund the pen in circles and over each other. Below, you'll see Madigan with the alpacas.....poor things are always in the petting zoo, but don't really like to be pet. You'll see Madigan gently standing next to them.

Random February Pictures

I love this one because the mountains are so clear and visible from the park in town.
Thanks again Aunt Erika and Uncle Rob for the building blocks- hours of fun around here.
I colored some different types of pasta for Madigan earlier in the month. It's for her to practice sorting. The 1st time I gave it to her and showed her what to do, she got it. All future times it's been more fun to feed it to the dogs (which I totally freak out about because you dye it using rubbing alcohol).
Baking cookies.
The endless card making she does these days. I need to get some of them mailed out (oops).

A Quick Hello

Just a quick note to say I will post photos soon.
Madigan has been completely potty trained for about a month now- only one accident during nap time, but I think it's because she coughed too much/too hard. We guess she was just ready- we didn't really have to do anything (except buy her Dora and Winnie the Pooh underwear and jump up and down and shout hooray each time she went).
She's also totally back in our bed. We realize she won't fit into our bed forever so we're embracing it and hoping one day she'll move into her own bed.

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.