Cookies......

Robin and Maddie had a fun afternoon of making chocolate chip cookies!

 

 

TRAINS - the Next Generation in "Training".....

Grandpa Lockman is a TRAIN MAN...all the way and has been one ever since he was a little boy.  I grew up with at least one Lionel Train around the Christmas Tree every year.  He has little trains and big trains and everything in between.  I though you all might enjoy seeing a few pictures of Maddison and Grandpa playing trains and yes, I got in on the fun too.  


P.S.  The blue Rock Island train is my very own train which dad bought me when I was a little gal.  Trains run in the family.  It seems to be in our blood.

~ Robin

Maddison opperating her little trains.

Mommy gets involved in the action.

Maddison running the controls

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trains do come off their tracks sometimes and rails don't always stay together.  

We have a problem......

......things still aren't right.....

now we are back up and running.

A train for each age.

Maddie had to stop and put money in the doodle bug. 

The joy and excitement of training.........

Here it comes....

There it goes.......

"Thank you!  A good hug for playing trains with me, Grandpa."

"Can I help Grandpa?"

Maddie LOVES books and yes Grandpa even has a train book......yippy!!!!

Maddison's ear infection

Today it is VERY COLD in Idaho with a wind chill this morning of -32F.  Needless to say Maddison and I did not get out to go to church.  Maddie started acting funny in church last week.  She was rolling her neck around in the collar of her turtleneck and I thought the tag must have been bugging her.  Then later she was walking around with her right shoulder all scrunched up next to her ear.  She did not want us to touch the  right side of her head so we knew something was wrong. (This is the ear that did not get a tube in it during her surgery in Portland.)  We decided that if she was showing any signs of discomfort we needed to act.  After Maddison took a nap (We knew she would corporate with the dr. if a little sleep was included in the afternoon activities.), we headed to the neighborhood emergency doctor's office also known to me as the "Doc in the Box."  When looking at Maddison's right ear his response was "WOW."  He gave us a prescription for antibiotics and away we went to the pharmacy.

We finally got a prescription after a forty+ minute wait at the pharmacy, being told they were out of that medicine, another trip back to the Doc in the Box for a different prescription, the second trip to the pharmacy and being told it would be a while, a drive through McD's for a sandwich for Dave and something for me to drink, a cracker/teddy gram picnic in the back seat of the car, being told it would be a little longer wait for the prescription, Dave taking Maddie and I home because she had had enough car seat time, and a final trip to the pharmacy for Dave with another 30+ minute wait we got meds.  YEA.  All this was happening during the time when the other pharmacies who were open on Sundays were closing for the day. What a circus!!!! 

Maddison is half way through her antibiotics and feeling better.  We have another appt. with her pediatrician about the time she finished this medecine.  I think we will be pushing for tubes in the right ear as well.  We had hoped that Shriners would put tubes in both ears, but her right ear looked OK while they were doing the surgery so they chose not to do anything with that ear.  

We have been working on the sign language sign for hurt over the last few weeks.  Unfortunately, Maddie did not tell us her ear hurt.  We were told not to expect her to share with us in the beginning that something hurts.  They say that children who have been in orphanages need to be taught to cry and to express when they are in some kind of pain.  For so long there was no one to respond to her physical needs... for whatever reason.....to many children, not enough helpers, etc... and she just learned it was not beneficial to cry.  We have been making great strides in the crying department.  For example, if she falls down, now Maddison will make a face like she is just about ready to cry and then use the sign for hurt.  This is great progress.   She has even cried twice now.  Baby steps.....

Maddison's little immune system is just learning about and adjusting to American germs.  Please pray she builds up her immune system soon.  Thank you.

~ Robin

December

Starting to catch up on our blogging!  December started off with Maddie getting back to eating solid foods.  This has been so, so nice since we don't have to help feed her and worry about the roof of her mouth being damaged by the spoon!  She is able to feed herself again although it is very messy experience.  Maddison really is enjoying food.  It is good to see her feeling so much better.  She, also, is no longer wearing her mittens for sleeping.

We have turned some major corners in regards to Maddie adapting to us.  We no longer have to stay in her room until she is asleep!  Robin started giving her a few books to read during her nap time in the afternoon.  She then leaves the room and does a few things checking back every now and then on Maddie.  She is perfectly happy with this arrangement!  She eventually falls asleep and Robin is able to do other things while this is going on.  We have now implemented this in the evenings for bed time.  We give her a few books to read for about 15 minutes and then come in and say its time for bed.  She gives us her books and goes right to sleep!  It is amazing how well she is adapting to being part of our family.

We were also able to have our first evening out by ourselves!  I had a Christmas party for work and we were able to leave Maddie with Grandpa and Grammie Lockman for a couple of hours.  It was so nice to be able to have a date with my wife!!!!  It was so great that Robin's folks were able to come over and watch Maddie.  They actually took her to view Christmas lights.  All three of them had a great time!

Christmas was really fun this year!  Maddie did very well, but she did seem to have sensory overload!!!  We celebrated Christmas with Robin's folks in the morning/early afternoon and then had my side of the family over in the evening.  We were able to fit in a couple of naps between family visits and she did great with this arrangement.  Maddie was VERY entertaining during the gift unwrapping.  She had to help everyone open their packages!  She was more interested in the wrapping and throwing the paper away than the actual gifts, but she sure had fun!  Sometimes she did not even bother to open the boxes.  It was really all about the paper this year.  She ran in "high" speed during the gift opening and then went into sensory overload toward the end.  By the time we were done with each part of the family, she was ready for a nap or bed!  After opening presents with Robin's folks, she slept for 2.5 hours!!!!  The day after Christmas, Maddie slept to 9:30 AM!  It was sure nice to be able to sleep in!

Here are a few pictures:

Maddison is trying not to touch the piano keys.

"Oh Mama, Grammie needs some help though."

Maddison could not resist.

Gideon Christmas Party

What a great smile!

Grandpa and Maddie playing trains!

Do I have to put up these PUMPKINS!!!  Oh, MOM......

What a cutie!!

Maddison really has enjoyed all the nativities is our house.  She is into having tea parties lately and Baby Jesus has never has so much tea in all these 2000+ years combined. 

No person or animal stayed in the same place two days in a row.

Maddison with her "Mary" look.

"Where did the star go?"

A day of building.

Maddison's favorite place to take a picture is by the Christmas tree.

Thanks Anu!!

Have puppy and picture book, will travel.  Thanks Margie Sue.

Maddison seems to always get the Bow Tie magazine before Robin does.

Helping Mama decorate.

A beautiful handmade gift from our friend Lynne in California.  Thank you for the wonderful Christmas dress!!!

 

"You are our sunshine, our only sunshine, you make us happy......." - Thanks Aunt Dora.

Christmas Eve gift

The wagon was the first toy she discovered on Christmas morning.

A puppy and a pocket book all in one.  Oh wow!!!

The bear is feeling a little cramped at the moment.

Maddison was sleeping when we took these two pictures.  

Kona Coffee.  Need I say more.

Every home needs letters for their fridge.

If you could only see how small the piece of wrapping was that she was throwing away.  

A new piano.  This makes number 4.  Maybe one day I just might get a big one!!!!

Minnie Mouse in her Christmas best.

"Grandpa's glasses again.  How do I look?"

Noah's Ark

The Maddie book Mama made for Grammie and Grandpa.

Jack Monkey in the Box........pretty cool.  "How does this thing work?"

The "M" necklace.

Thanks cousins Dylan, Morgan, & Ryan.

Grandma Laug looking at her Maddie book.

Uncle Jeff, you pull the paper this way......little pieces.

"Little pieces, yea, you got it Dylan."

The shortest and tallest in the whole family.  What a cute pair.

What you can't see is the dog playing with the wrapping paper.  It was amazing Maddie.

Wave Morgan and Grandpa Laug.

Maddie "reading" to Grandpa Laug.

We think this was the biggest piece of wrapping she tore off all day.

                            

"Oh Canada" .....Thanks to my Canadian cousins.

We could not leave out the four legged family members from our Christmas pictures. 
Mandy and Cookie at the beginning of Christmas Morning!

Mandy and Cookie Christmas Evening after a day of chasing Maddie.......

Need we say more................

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!

Farewell 2012...Welcome 2013.