The Haggard Herald

Madeleine and I played dress up the other day.  We were talking about what its like to not wear four layers whenever we venture out into our snowy winter wonderland.  She was ready for sunny weather and snow cones!

Many a project I have started... and some I have actually finished!  Now that Christmas has come and gone I can post pictures of the completed sewing projects that consumed so much of my time and creative energy during the fall. The long-awaited quilt for my parents.  I think I've brainstormed a half a dozen quilts or more for my mom over the past ten years.  I get started with what I think is a brilliant idea and only to second-guess if it will be good enough or if she will even like it.  I'm not really sure why these thoughts creep in because I can't think of a single art project I've ever made that my mom hasn't praised me for.  Anyways, I had the same doubts when I was about half way through making this king-size quilt.  Fortunately Matt prodded me to keep going, not give up, and finally finish it.  I'm glad he did.  This was a quick and easy diaper changer project.  It's a towel on one side and water-proof fabric on the bac...

They both love playing piano.  Matt started playing piano while holding Madeleine a few weeks ago.  She used to just watch and occasionally try to press the keys.  Now she'll look at the keyboard longingly during the day and make noise or do scooting action in the direction of it.  When I accommodate her wishes she lunges for the seat as we get close.  She loves to touch all the buttons, turn the volume knob, and bang on the keys while I either play myself or turn on the songs Matt recorded himself playing on the piano awhile back.

Madeleine's nighttime routine starts by laying or sitting on my bed for 10 or 15 minutes while I start her bath.  She plays on the bed with whatever is around, her toes, if nothing else.  Then its bath time with farm animals, ducks, and several fish toys.  She plays while I keep her warm by pouring the water on her chest and shoulders.  Soap.  Shampoo.  Rinse.  Lay on the bed again while getting dried off.  Clean clothes and pajamas. Family prayer, and then she nurses.  If she's already had a lot to eat or nursed recently she sometimes doesn't want to nurse again.  In that case, she takes her pacifier and we recline on my bed together, with her head on my chest and legs propped up on mine while I sing or talk to her, or show her the fan (which she still LOVES).  I try to do things that make her happy and help her relax while she sucks on her pacifier.  After a little while (5-15 minutes) she's laid down in her crib an...

Alicia, we did it.  We finally made Indian butter chicken!  Matt's asked for it several times but I didn't know where to buy the spice packets or naan.  So last week I found a listing for "Bollywood market" in Orem.  At first I was a bit overwhelmed by all of the smells (they also sell authentic Chinese and Mexican ingredients too).  I perused the aisles until I found the spice packet for butter chicken, but I couldn't find the other packet you listed, tandori, or something like that.  I asked the lady for it and she didn't understand what I was asking for.  Likewise, I wasn't sure what she was saying.  I nodded politely and did my best to decipher her English.  Eventually she asked what it was I was trying to make.  I said "butter chicken that my sister makes, like this," pointing to the first spice packet.  "Okay, this is what you do," she said. My ears started getting used to her heavy accent--"first you prepare the c...

Matt took the day off for my birthday.  It was wonderful!  We woke up to Madeleine babbling in her crib, as usual.  She usually babbles by saying "da da da da" but that morning it was with the letter "b."  Matt and I were both excited for the new consonant.  I think "p" will be arriving here shortly as well--all the letters that she can possibly use to refer to Matt--da, ba, and pa.  :)  (We often call him "baba" because that's how you refer to men in Zimbabwe, where Matt was a missionary). For breakfast Matt made oatmeal and then he played with Madeleine while I showered.  I got Maddie down for her morning nap around 9:30 and then went to the temple.  I hadn't been since before Thanksgiving because of traveling, illnesses, and bad timing.  It was great to go again. Madeleine took a good long nap for Matt while I was gone, so when I got back the three of us went out to Molly's for lunch.  I had the potato corn chowder, carrots i...

"I'm going to eat healthier or start exercising." "I'm going to start going to bed earlier and getting up early." "I want to get organized and stay that way."  "I'm going to start managing my money better."  "That time I wrongly judged so-and-so was really embarrassing; I want to be less judgmental in the future."  "I'm going to stop procrastinating and do this thing that I ought to."  "Tomorrow I'm going to stop wasting so much time doing _________."  "I want to be more optimistic, or smart, or more talented in this area." We set all sorts of really great goals for ourselves, don't we?  We might even have a great plan for executing our initiatives to change and improve our circumstances.  Then why aren't we living healthier, or feeling perfectly organized, or keeping the dishes from piling up, etc.?  Have we lost our hope? One of Satan's greatest tools is discouragement....

Kimmy came over for dinner last night to celebrate her birthday--the big 2.3.  She ran around the house with Madeleine in her arms, the both of them bouncing all over the place; Madeleine loves when Kimmy is here to play with. Right before dinner Matt got down the red special plate for Kimmy.  Madeleine saw the plate and would not be content until she got to see it up close and touch it.  Thanks for sharing your special plate with M, Kim. For dinner we had chicken rolls, Gramma Meyers' green stuff, and butternut squash.  For dessert we had ice cream with caramel topping. Do you see how strong a grip Madeleine has of the special plate? Kimmy was lamenting how much homework she needed to do on her birthday.  She had quite a bit of chemistry in particular that was going to take up most of her evening.  To make matters worse, our internet was being really slow and so she couldn't even work on it at our house after dinner; I dropped her off at ...

Wendy's family sent Madeleine some role tide paraphernalia a few months ago so we took the opportunity to do a little photo shoot to show our love for Alabama (more-so for the state and our cousins there, but the school and it's football team is good too I guess).   She was really interested in Winnie the Pooh's nose and mouth.  Maybe she'll be an ENT someday? Mom, enough with the camera.  Can I get down now? Well, I guess I'll just play with this crocheted blanket until we're finished... I'm looking, I'm looking.  Can we go play NOW?

Since before Halloween up until Christmas I think I sewed all but only a few days.  I started two baby quilts, two twin size quilts, a king size quilt, a Christmas blanket, a purple blanket for Madeleine, crib bumpers (finally), and a diaper-changer-thing to take with us when we're out and about.  This is what my house often looked like before Matt and I instituted a nightly-pick-up ritual: Turns out sewing and quilting can become quite an expensive hobby, so I promised Matt I would tone it down this year.  There are still several projects on the docket but there are other meaningful or creative projects to do.  For example, have you heard of createfan.com?  If you have a familysearch.org account you can use that information to create a ancestry chart that looks like this: Cool, huh?  So I've been working on family history a lot lately to fill this out more. As far as creative projects go, I've been branching out in my culinary arts ...

Madeleine loves peaches, carrots, pears, apple sauce, bananas, and the fruit medleys.   She tolerates squash and peas and she hates green beans.  She also likes cream of wheat when there's fruit mixed in and she's getting good at eating soft bread and saltine crackers. Oh, she wants to eat whatever I'm eating.  She loved sharing my bowl of cheerios the other day.  Last week we got her a cup with handles because she's always wanting to drink from mine (and she does).  This way she can hold her own and try to drink water by herself. For those who do not live in Utah, it has been FREEZING here lately.  Sometimes it doesn't get about 10 degrees all day and it often gets below zero (although not too far below zero).  If it gets up near 30 or higher Madeleine and I go for walks.  This is what she looks like before we go. Happy girl! She still coughs occasionally.  I hope it just a remnant from our Christmas cold and...