Yesterday we were riding over to Nana and Pop’s after having been to a birthday party for a friend’s 1-year-old. The party was wild – in a good way. Kids were running all over an indoor gym and Madeline had had a lot of fun once she got over her initial shyness. But I beganRead the whole post >>

We had a playdate with one of my closest friends who has a daughter the same age as Madeline as well as a 6-month-old little boy. Out of the blue, Madeline proudly lifted her dress and showed Ava, her playmate, her big-girl underpants. “I’m potty trained,” she announced. (No need to mention the fact thatRead the whole post >>

Thank goodness for new beginnings. Today was a fresh start for me. Earlier I called my mom and she heard crying in the background. It was Rachel Marie, who was hungry, but she thought it was Madeline. “Is Maddy okay?” she asked. I burst into tears. “Probably not. Not after the way I treated herRead the whole post >>

Sometimes Madeline seems wise beyond her years like when she recently saw pictures of starving people in a Food for the Poor brochure and asked me what was wrong with them. “Well, some people don’t have nearly as much as we do. That’s why we need to try to share our blessing with others. DaddyRead the whole post >>