We went swimming today...

Today Madeleine and I went to the pool.  We had a great time together playing ring-around-the-rosie, playing on the steps, me catching her as she jumped in the water next to the steps, and also catching her as she came down the slide.  We did the same things over and over and she never got bored of it.  Surprisingly, I didn't either.  I mean we didn't just do something five or six times.  We played ring-around-the-rosie several dozen times.  It was fun because she was having so much fun.  

She's getting really good at jumping (lots of practice) and also pretty good at putting her face in the water to blow bubbles.  She loves bobbing in the water although she still doesn't usually go underneath to do it; she just jumps up and down and likes the feeling of the water catching her as she comes down.

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Yesterday was Pioneer Day.  It's a state holiday in Utah.  Although Matt didn't get the day off of work he took a half vacation day for it because we participated in the temple to temple 5K here in Provo.  It started at the first Provo temple and went down to Alta apartments (where I used to live), by the stadium and past BYU, right at Brick Oven and then down 100 East to Center Street with it ending at the steps of the old courthouse across from the construction site of the new Provo City Center temple.  Melory came along with us and the other 7,000 participants.  Matt and Maddie were troopers for doing it while they had colds. (Maddie and her cousins--Jax and McKay--picked it up somewhere while we were together earlier this week.)  It was a very pleasant walk.  Matt pushed the stroller.  And Maddie hit about 75% of the red cones along the way.  She got out and ran the last 100 yards or so, noticeably swinging her arms as she did.

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Alicia and company were here for a week and flew home a couple days ago.  They got in a day late because of flight delays and they were headed straight to Ben's family reunion up past Strawberry reservoir.  Even though we knew we wouldn't have much time to see them Maddie and I drove up to the airport to greet them when they arrived last week.  Their flight into Salt Lake was delayed again so we were an hour and a half early.  We walked on the moving sidewalks.  A lot.  And we rode the escalators.  Many times.  We even rode on the long term parking shuttle and waved to Kimmy's car as it sat there waiting for Ben and Alicia to find it.

Matt and Madeleine and I went up to visit them in Heber on Sunday afternoon.  We played out back with the kids for a while and then Matt and Ben took McKay and Maddie back inside to play.  I got to visit with Auntie Nancy and Uncle Richard out back for a bit which was so nice.

On Monday we all went to the Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point.  Matt took the morning off and joined us there (he likes it as much as any of the kids).  Sadie came home with Maddie and me while Ben stayed a couple more hours with the boys (Alicia took off to visit an old roommate for a couple hours).  We met back up at my house and sat for a bit waiting for Maddie and Mo to wake up then went to the Bean Museum at BYU before heading up the canyon to cook dinner over a fire we weren't allowed to start.  There's a no-open-fire rule in effect right now but we didn't know it... so we came back down the canyon and made a fire in the fire pit across the street.  Not exactly an evening in the canyon but the kids had fun and we got to be together.  We roasted hot dogs and ate watermelon and mixed veges.  I don't know how many marshmellows Maddie ate but I'm sure it was way too many.

Tuesday was when Madeleine started feeling feverish to me and she refused to nap.  The stubborn part of me said I wasn't taking her swimming in Kamas without a nap and without Matt, so we stayed home.  I think if I could have done it over again I would have just gone.  I don't get enough time with Alicia and M and I would have survived the napless afternoon at a pool.  As it stands in history we stayed home and had dinner and a bath and bedtime slightly early.

Wednesday we had to say goodbye to Alicia and Ben and Sadie and Jax and McKay.  We got ice cream with RoseAnn Benson first.  But it was still sad.  Maddie's asked for them a few times the last couple of days.  This afternoon she was asking about Kimmy's car and "where's Ben?"

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Some days this month I've had lots of energy and so I've tried to take Madeleine out and do fun things and go on longer excursions that will be harder to do once the baby sister arrives.  I know I won't be able to do as much over the next couple of months just with her, but I love that it's just her and me.  I'm sure we will all love it being her and me and baby sister but I can also be realistic and I know we won't go as far or as long or even just go out nearly as much the first few months as we can now.  

And some days this month I just haven't had tons of energy.  There have been a few days when the sun and heat deter me from going out at all until later in the evening before her bedtime and when Matt is home to help carry her if she doesn't want to come home or gets tired.  We like making a pillow pile with all the sofa cushions and then using one long cushion as a jumping bored for her to take off from.  We've also played with Legos a ton (a purchase we made together with her spending money several weeks ago).  She and Matt are both very creative with Legos.  I'm learning a lot from them about all the possibilities Legos have (giraffes, people, fountains, parks, slides, etc.).  

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June came and went.  I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish at the beginning of June.  Some things were house projects like cleaning out closets and the freezer and organizing toys again.  Some were sewing projects: maternity shirts and skirts, Matt's and my quilt, my parents pillow shams to match last year's Christmas quilt for them... And some things were specific to getting ready for the baby like washing the newborn clothes and blankets, packing what I'll want and need for the hospital, buying special new pajamas for her and for Madeleine, stocking the freezer with things that we'll actually use, and other things like that.  Maddie and I also managed to get a housewarming box off to Alicia's new address and mail a handful of cards.  I didn't get everything done on my list but I was pleased with all that I did accomplish.  I also started a book about Madeleine that I am just remembering now as I type.  It's full of pictures from her birth up to the present and is just about her.  I got the idea from a parenting/sleep book I read last month about helping kids prepare and adjust to changes in their family.  I ought to finish that this weekend.  She loves it even without all of the script finished.

Matt and I wanted to put a fence up this summer and do some minor landscaping in the back and side.  It turns out our plans weren't as minor as we thought; and all the landscaping companies are jammed this time of year; and it just didn't happen.  We decided a few weeks ago that we would be okay with putting it off until we have a more complete plan of what needs to happen and the savings to do it without going into debt to ourselves.

So we've been busy.  There are pictures to accompany some of these thoughts and other fun activities we've done the past couple of months. Maybe they will find their way up here before our little bundle of sleep deprivation and joy arrives.  :)  If no pictures pop up you'll know why!