Time out... time.

Ray and I both feel that Maddy is at an appropriate age for "time outs." She receives one minute of alone time, facing the corner, in her purple chair. This allotment of time to self-reflect (lol) is usually the outcome from Madelyn throwing food, hitting, or slamming things into the wall and causing marks. (She is really a pleasant little girl- but she has mommy's *ahem* grace and patience.)
How things usually unfold:
Scene set: Living room of scenic New Hampshire, time 7:00 pm.
Maddy- *throws rocking chair into a back and forth rock, causing it to slam into any wall in a 6' radius*
Daddy- Maddy, sweetie love, sugar-pie please don't do that. That makes daddy sad.
Maddy- *archs back and laughs sadistically as she continues to ram chair into the wall.*
Daddy- MADELYN Eileen.......... the FIRST! Stop!
Mommy- ENOUGH!
Maddy- *giggles little adorable baby giggles, making Mommy laugh.*
Daddy- Time out then!
He then will put her into the corner and count to 60. She is usually p'od by this and then does listen to him. Great, discipline accomplished... easy stuff.

Well, let us fast forward to yesterday...

Maddy shows off what she thinks is the world's funniest trick.... Again, slamming the wooden rocking chair into the beautiful white walls. I tell Maddy that if she continues then it is time for.... you guessed it... time out. Well, the banging continued. I picked up my little 25-pound bulldozer and put her in the corner, counted to 60, explained what she did wrong, and asked if she would be a good girl. I then told her time-out was finished and that she could get up.

BUT...SHE STAYED IN TIME OUT. SHE PLAYED. SHE WAS COMFORTABLE. She sang little baby songs and mocked me for 20-minutes. Mission of discipline. FAIL.

I moved the rocking chair into the middle of the room.

Attitash

A vacation was needed. All this wedding stuff makes me want to take a nap in the Mountains. Dada gave me the mission of find low-cost lodging.... hehehe, big mistake. Here is our lovely diggs as we arrived for our overnight stay.

Ray has informed me that he will now be making all of our accommodations by tent, on the ground, in our backyard. :)
We were there anyways let's enjoy the sites!
Cathedral Ledge

Lunch at a train stop. Thomas the tank had come for a visit, we really wished Brandon could come visit for the day to check'm out!

And swimming in the pool!

No more vacation until the Vineyard in September!

Jim as in Carey

With ferocious 90-degree days upon us Maddy has taken well to the heat. Her mother has not.
I doing my mommy do-diligence assumed she must be hot too. I would pick her up from preschool and find her hair smacked against her forehead, all hardened and grimey... obviously from sweat, not her classmates lunch of the day. Last night I decided she needed a bang trim. Since I specialize in children's hair, (not) I took the kitchen scissors and went to work on her soft baby ringlets. She pushed, I pulled, she squirmed, I cut...

I swore I would not do this to my young. Yet, here we are.
A before picture, just for reference.

And a bonus of Daddy looking very adorable!

I promise I will try to never cut her hair again.

The Fourth...errr... The Eighth :)

What kind of mommy makes you take a picture when you are sad?
This kind!

I had make-up on... the picture needed to be taken NOW. :)
Maddy walking with her dada.

Guess what kind of dad draws pretend mustaches on their little girl's face?
This kind!

And lastly, a quick look at Papa's garden! It produces VERY yummy salad.

Dad's Ticker

Last Wednesday Papa went in for some testing on his heart. Needless to say he now has a brand new stent... and *hopefully* a new lease on life! After they found 2 blockages (one at 95% and the other at 50%) they are going to monitor him closely, but he is feeling good. Up until last Wednesday I thought Papa was invincible, I think he still might be, but he'll need to take it a little easier! While he was recovering I quickly mentioned my phone was broken, hoping that in his heart surgery haze he wouldn't remember that it was not too long ago that I dropped it repeatedly last time. So off to AT&T we went, stent in tow to make sure I had a phone that would answer, turn on, tell me when I had a voicemail, etc. I told the nice AT&T man that I was not sure what happened? Who me? I didn't do anything. Although this little AT&T spy saw right past my facade and opened the back latch on the phone... a PINK DOT! (A pink dot means that there has been water damage.) As I quickly tried to explain that I have NO idea how that could occur, that I leave my phone on a pedestal made of marble when it is not in use- I looked down... Maddy was eating one of the display phones. I still held to my guns and explained that I never hand my daughter my cell phone while at dinner in order to keep her quiet. No, not me, not once. Neither AT&T or my father bought that story.

We did walk out with a new phone, gratis to Nana Pam and Papa.

So in honor of my fallen LG, here are some photos that will not be lost forever.

Dada's Day

I made a cake. Not a Father's Day cake, but a birthday cake! This was taken about a month ago, but check it out!

Our Father's Day weekend began with a delicious lunch on Saturday at The Black Cow along the Newburyport coast. Delicious food and sights!

This was the view from our table... very cozy.

Sunday morning we woke up gave dad all his presents and off for the day we went! (I am leaving on the part where the refrigerator broke and nothing but hot air was getting to ALL of our food. That is for another day, another post.)

We first stopped at Papa's to wish him good thoughts, then we went to Smolak Farms in North Andover.

I can not even begin to show my appreciation for Ray. I am in awe of him.

Happy Father's Day also to Papa and Grandpa John! :)

Momma's Pinching Pennies

I have come a looong way since I met Ray, he has showed me the light. Long gone are the days where I would frivolously pick up an outfit, maybe even one I didn't really love. This I am grateful for. I appreciate every penny we have and when I see fit I save. Although I might have gone too far this time, check out this email I received from Ray:

I opened up the butt ends and got a wiff of nastiness because they combine different types of turkey, grodie!!!

No idea what that means? Madelyn, Papa, and I were on our weekly excursion to Market store of doom Basket when we approached the deli. Ugh.

I. do. not. like. the deli.

Ray knows my hatred of the store meat factory and usually does not ask for anything "deli meat created." Sometimes though I like to surprise him, bring him home beautifully sliced ham so he can artfully craft his 12:00 meal. As Papa, Maddy, and I have the deli in our sights I spy a prepacked section... Hmmm.... no need to wait in line? No need to scream honey ham across a large section of wonderful New Englanders? I was intrigued. Papa picked up the "prepackaged turkey" and located the price... one US dollar. ONE US DOLLAR? Sold! I quickly put it in my cart, paid, and scurried home to show Ray my discovery.

Later that day...

Ray: Honey? Where you able to get me anything for lunch this week?
ME: Yes, butt-ends they are in the fridge.
Ray: Okay (Such an easy going loving man.)

This now brings us to the present and my email chat with Ray.

I opened up the butt ends and got a wiff of nastiness because they combine different types of turkey, grodie!!!

Can you believe it? Poor thing got butt-ends, nothing but butt-ends.
He's getting tuna from now on.