Ongoing "Thankful" list

There are obviously more items to add to this list, but here are a few so far

Steve:

1. I am thankful that I have a loving and caring wife.
2. Supportive family
3. Healthy and happy (most of the time) beautiful daughter.
4. Being happy
5. Having what I want in life
6. Being healthy
7. Having a fairly nice apartment here
8. Being successful in school
9. Having grandparents for Madi that are alive and well
10. Having great-grandparents 4 madi
11. having my bmw
12. Getting the MAC
13. Having a wife that can build desks! Haha
14. My bobbleheads...lol!
15. Learning from you about how better to deal with madi
16. Being able to eat 3x a day
17. Watching madi on the swings
18. Responsibility
19. Good food20. Good tv shows
21. I'm thankful for joe mauer winning MVP
22. I would be thankful if the vikes make it to the super bowl and I am there!
23. I'm thankful for the money we have responsibly saved, especially the account for Madi.
24. I'm happy that u are happy at your job25. I'm happy that madi is excited about going to school and likes her teachers26. Thankful that we are going to Florida for the winter27. Happy joanne and I get along


Alissa:

In no order, just as it came to me.

I am thankful for Steve standing by me no matter what

that Madi likes to read and sing and is happy and well adjusted

I am thankful I can move my body and workout

food

laughter

thankful for Madi and all she has given us

Thankful for family

That Madi met all but one of her great-grandparents and all of her grandparents

That we have family that love us no matter the distance

for fun times

thankful for Florida and being able to take trips/breaks

thankful I have gone out of the country to travel

A great job with great benefits

thankful we have extra money to buy things I want/like

Thankful we found a great place for Madi to go to school with teachers who care about her and tell us about her.

thankful for my jewelry and that I am lucky enough to have it

thankful for being literate

thankful for my education and going to Grad school

thankful for being somewhat tech savvy

Thankful for not needing anything

having what I need

being able to see beautiful things

being able to talk

having some close friends

having fun places to go

having a family of my own

being married

cooking

yoga

music

being able to type

dancing

having a car in the city

being able to walk to madi's school- more fresh air and close by home

What are you thankful for? Tell us in the comment section,

Alissa, Steve and Madi

With each passing day...

We have tried so hard to hold on to each moment as much as possible, each laugh, each milestone reached, each connection made. We cannot believe that there is a way to love anyone as much, or that love can grow any more than it has.

Latest words...

Alissa: layed on Madi's pillow Madi: "own pillow"
Madi wakes up : "mommy come"
Ready to play in the morning: she tells us what she wants to play

She can count to 10 and sings the ABCs, old mcdonald and other songs while strumming her ukelele.

"I want...." Now she tells us what she wants or "I don't want...."
For example "Light on please" We turn it on and close the door so it isn't so bright. Madi "I want door open"

Madi is also much more easy to reason with. If we stop, get on her level and explain in a quiet voice what the plan is or why we are doing something she will listen. Not sure if it is the words that she is responding to, the tone, or the fact that we slowed down so we aren't all so frantic and trying to fight for voice time, but it works!

More later,
The Abelsons

Counting...

11/17/2009 we passed by 2 bikes, and Madi said "2 bikes"

She asked for a cookie so I gave her one Nilla wafer. She said "one more" and then put the two up to eachother and said "2 cookies". We asked her to show us one hand, one leg, one ear and she did and when we asked her to show two of everything she pointed to two. she also loves to point to thinhs and count them. She always skips 2 when counting "one, three, four, five, ....", but when naming 2 things she says 2. Very funny!

When we leave school she often says goodbye to a few by name and when at home she names kids as well.

When a mom walked in to class this morning she said "Jahdiel mom" and when our teachers son came into class at the end of the day one day she said "Maribel's son". She is aware of who is who.

Abelsons

Funny things...

On the way to park "AAAAHHHH" then she looks at me, puts finger to mouth and says "No scream, aaahhh" (much more quietly)

She names what she is drawing "line" "grandma" "grandma's house" "circle" etc

When drawing she asked me to color/draw with her and hands me a crayon and says "mommy play". I ask "what should I make" yesterday she answered me and said "Madi makes eyebrows"

Madilyn is growing and changing so fast. She has gotten taller and much more capable of explaining what she needs. She is also much more physically in tune with her body; climbing and running have all become more fluid and she loses her balance much less often. On a shaky bridge at the playground, she can keep her balance without holding on. She can remember the order in which we do things and anticipates what happens next and iniates the action- handing daddy a towel when she see she is done shaving because she knows that he would need to dry off, putting coat in cubby or on her stroller when we get home. It is so amazing to be with her, watch her, and interact with her.

The Abelsons

Karma Kids Yoga

Madi had the day off from school 11/12/2009, so I took the day off too. Steve and I took Madi to Karma Kids Yoga where she had a blast. The place was so kid friendly, and adorable. It is a yoga studio in NY solely for kids. She loved it; giggling, running, doing yoga poses, watching me do yoga poses, and daddy taped it all!!!!

Madilyn was exhausted after the class.

Here is a picture of the studio from their website...looked much better in person...(and this photo doesn't show the fun bathroom or painted brick wall!)

Play date 11/7/2009

Madi met up with her friend Sofia from her new school. We went to a new playground which was so much fun. They had a wheel that kids could straddle while parents spin the wheel. The wheel is at a slant, so as kids move round and round they feel like they are going up and down. Madi was on it for about an hour. It was nice to hang out with new people!

Also this past weekend we went swimming, went to the par because we had great weather!

More later,
The Abelsons

Doggy

One day last week Madilyn was playing with a plush doggy that I realized was not so clean so I said I was taking it away because it is dirty. She then asked for Tiger and I said she could have the tiger. She then said "tiger clean". Just shows she is making connections that if I took away a dirty toy but let her have a different one it must mean it is clean.

She also will randomly ask for a toy that isn't near her and we will say "Do you want it?" or "DO you want to go find it" then she will say "mommy get it". Funny coming from such a small person.

More later,
Alissa

Mother-daughter date...

On Sunday 11-1-2009 morning Madi and I went to Broadway Au Lait for breakfast together. We had OJ, bagel and cream cheese, and coffee. It was such a nice time. She sat in her own chair, said Hi to people. Then she walked home while I pushed the stroller. She is getting to be such a big girl!

Alissa