The Haggard Herald

It goes up around her knee but not any higher.  Aunt Mimi mentioned today that we need to gather signatures on it.  Maybe we'll go for a walk tomorrow when all the neighborhood kids are walking home from school.  I can think of about a dozen kids who would love to sign her cast. I tried taking pictures the other morning before Matt went to work.  Although I took a bunch they didn't turn out very well because Madeleine was either very focused on window/blinds or on getting my attention to pick her up (she moves her arms up and down to let me know she wants to be picked up, although it can mean other things too).  These next three pictures were the best I could do:  Hmm, those blinds look like they'd be really fun to pull.  How can I get over there? I know!  Hey mom, MOM!  Yes, you, pick me up! "Pick me up!  Pick me up!  Pick me up!"  (I picked her up.)

Matt and I took pictures of our little Valentine several weeks ago.  I took the pictures off my camera this afternoon and thought you'd like to see a few.

I graduated from college two years ago.  After my commencement ceremony Matt took our niece on a little walk along a nearby path that winds around the south part of campus.  As he was climbing a rather steep hill he started breathing hard.  Meleah, who was three at the time, started huffing and puffing too even though she wasn't exerting any energy; she was sitting in Matt's arms... after huffing and puffing a few times she looked up at him and asked, "Are you gonna make it?" ------------------------- Great story, huh?  It's become a tag line for Matt and me and I found myself answering that question in the affirmative to myself today as I was sewing a quilt for Madeleine.  Yes, I think we are all going to make it. It started with the new year--we all had a terrible cold, particularly Madeleine.  We got over it eventually, although it took several weeks.  Then one day I sewed my finger with the sewing machine.  It bled; I panicked; and ...