Red Delicious

Whoever was in charge of naming apples- I realized that this was a long time ago- was a MARKETING GENESIS. The 'Red Delicious' apple screams, "BUY ME, BUY ME." And we do because; 1. It shinny and red, and 2. we expect it to be delicious (as the name implies). One of these two things is correct. It is red and shiny. But I don't think it' delicious. It has a weird mushy, foamy texture about it. Apples should be crispy and crunchy not foamy.

The difference a day can make

About twice a month I get to spend a long weekend with Madelynn. I'm fortunate to work for an establishment that sees the value in flex scheduling. And I'm even more fortunate to have a boss that fully supports taking advantage of this policy. So, several times a month I condense my work week into four days so that I can spend an extra day with Madelynn. (And considering that I'm working more and more from home- I thoroughly enjoy these days). I call them "Mom and Madelynn Mondays". We don't necessarily do anything special- we just get to hang out. And this one extra day with her seems to make a big difference in our relationship... I feel less guilty about being a working mom; I feel more involved in her day to day car; and she clings to me more (and I don't mind one bit). So, until we win the lottery- I will continue to still every Monday I can for Madelynn.

Tis the season for a BIRTHDAY!

That's right... It's Birthday time for the Aligs. Ms. Madelynn officially turned 1 yesterday. We had a birthday party for her last Saturday. I had a great time, and lets face it- the first birthday is more of a celebration that the parents made it through the first year. And in birthday tradition, Madelynn got her own cake. She was very lady like and hardly made a mess, despite my attempts to "help."

During "birthday week" we learned that a balloon can be your best friend.

We continued with Birthday celebrations yesterday. Okay... we had pictures taken; got the booster for the H1N1 and then headed home. So, I guess we didn't exactly burn the house down celebrating. But we did have round two with the cake. This time we were old pros at it, and Mom learned how to get icing out of a nose (a skill that I'm sure will come in handy).

I can't believe how big she has gotten and what a little person she has become. She is so smart and funny. I never knew that a baby could have a sense of humor! I am utterly dazzled by her! Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate Madelynn's first birthday- we know that December is a busy time.

SANTA- the sequel

On Monday my office hosted a kids Christmas party. And not to be outdone by any other kids Christmas event, Santa was in attendance. As we stood in line Madelynn was preoccupied with the other children and the many adoring adults. She hardly noticed where she was headed until I plopped her down on Santa's lap. She was not happy! Maybe next year.

Santa Round One

Brian, Madelynn and I headed off to the Mall this weekend to meet Santa. And as expected, the introduction wasn't exactly joyful for Ms. Madelynn. She smiled and cooed at Santa until it was her turn to sit on his lap. And then the lip quivered, the eyes welled with tears and she reached for Mama and Daddy. (Meanwhile, mom and Dad are ear to ear smiling). With the help of Papa and Grammy we've been practicing what Santa says... "Ho, Ho, Ho." By Christmas she should have this down pretty good.

The Giggle

I started this blog with the hope of uploading video of "The toddle"- however, my IT skills are lacking and I can't figure out how to convert it to a useable format. So instead, I've uploaded my very favorite video of Madelynn. Her little giggle absolutely melts my heart. I am putty in her baby hands!

Finally!

Madelynn FINALLY has her first tooth! Without a runny nose and very little drooling or fussiness her first little tooth made it's debut three days ago. Lookout steak- here we come!