Madster
Maddie Storms New York City Passport Office
The New York City Passport Office will never be the same after Maddie Danger dropped in on them this morning.
Maddie strolled into the office and announced her presence with authority. It didn’t take long for her to let out a few prolonged shrieks to let people know that Maddie was in the house.
Once Maddie made her mark on the first floor – It was time to move on to the nerve center of the Passport Center – the tenth floor!
We were running short on distractions while Maddie’s fuse was running short.
I tried to keep her corralled at one of the empty workspaces, but suddenly time was up. Maddie put on quite a show, but thankfully it was time to go.
But fear not, here’s a sneak peak of Maddie’s AH-Mazing Passport Photo!
Maddie Taking Dinner to New Heights
Maddie hasn’t been shy this week about showing her grandparents the full range of her talents. There have been moments of staggering cuteness and sweetness dappled with a few tantrums and truly bizarre behavior.
But Maddie chose tonight’s dinner to really let the good times roll.
Pasta was on the menu tonight and the little girl was ready for a party.
The first ten pieces of pasta went down quite easily, but then Maddie decided to take the experience to the next level. Rather than just enjoy the taste, Maddie decided to try out the sauce as a skin cleanser and hair product.
Maddie hasn’t taken this path in some time, so it was really worth the price of admission.
Once the pasta was all gone, it was time to move on to our nightly veggie packet. Dad handed Maddie the packet and she double pumped it with both hands successfully sealing her right eye shut with a nasty mixture of broccoli and spinach.
She took all of this in stride, but it made for an interesting farewell feast for the Mad Madster.
Maddie Turns the Corner on Her Thanksgiving Sickness
The Mad Madster finally came out swinging this morning after battling back from a skin infection and projectile vomiting. Trips were cancelled and plans were altered as Maddie pretty much slept through the Thanksgiving holiday so she could right the ship.
It was tough seeing the “Little Bean” so far off of her game, but she’s feeling more like her old self this morning.
We suspect that waiting in the pediatrician’s office for two hours on Wednesday afternoon might be where Maddie caught this nasty 24-hour bug. We had been home for about two hours and Maddie wasn’t interested in any dinner.
When we finally gave up and tried to put Maddie to bed, the sickness beating up her little body let loose. She threw up down the hall, took a few steps and then covered her mom with the holiday brew of sickness.
The next morning Maddie slept deep into the morning before we finally went in and woke her up around 9am. Maddie was wiped out and we decided that we couldn’t make the trip to her grandparent’s home.
Maddie was already back in bed by 11 while her dad went out to gather up some food for an impromptu Thanksgiving dinner. Maddie slept hard and slept often through out the day and we were happy to see that she was on the mend this morning.
Maddie Danger – Always Looking for Trouble
Maddie is doing her best to break out of her play area and make new and amazing discoveries. Unfortunately, many of her new tricks could lead to disaster. Maddie has made it a habit of trying to break free from my arms and launch herself into space.
This would be ok if she could fly or levitate or somehow defy gravity, but her super powers are rather limited. This means that Maddie’s dad is tasked with catching her several times a day before she hits the ground. So far this strategy is working, but it’s very risky and keeps things very interesting for the both of us.
Maddie has also developed an overwhelming need to try and head-butt the round glass tables in her grandmother’s living room. She hasn’t whapped her head yet, but that is not due to lack of effort on her part.
The baby also loves to practice her free falls. Every time we put her in the pack in play, she stands up and practices falling on her butt. At first glance, it may look she’s falling down by mistake, but after five minutes, it’s apparent that she’s practicing these moves on purpose.
Maddie’s newest mission is to break on through to the other side. She’s decided that the key to her eternal happiness lies beyond the double glass doors that separate the living room from the family room. She pushes herself into the upright position and hopes that one of these doors will magically open for her.
Maddie is a determined young lady and is poised for a major breakthrough – the only question remains is what kind of impact it will have on the rest of us.
Alaskan Cousins Spend Wild Day with the Madster
Despite all the trials and tribulations Monday had to offer, Maddie had a fantastic and magical day playing, wrestling and entertaining her cousins from Alaska. Never mind the fact that the weather gods have a mean streak about a mile long. Maddie’s cousins Porter and Catie just endured a a terrible winter season in Alaska only to come to New Jersey for some record cold weather and rain. Yet somehow, we were blissfully ignorant of this fact when we walked to breakfast this morning.
The four of us polished off our meals with great enthusiasm and were ready to catch a ferry into the city. As soon as we waltzed out of the diner, a heavy and cold rain set in. It pelted the area with a vengeance throughout the morning and our best-laid plans were torn asunder. We trudged home in the rain knowing that today’s travel plans were shot.
Maddie reasoned that her only recourse for the morning was to take a long nap and try to work things out while she was asleep. By the time her eyes popped open, it was just about time for lunch. Maddie reasoned that a bit of good company and delicious food was just the ticket to turn the day around.
Her dad packed her up in the stroller and set off in the rain while the grandparents drove the cousins to our lunch spot. Maddie feasted on fries and fruit, and made several loud crackling announcements to the lunchtime crowd. During lunch, the sun managed to peak out and Maddie thought she still might be able to treat her cousins to some pool time. However, as soon as we got to the pool about an hour later, the sun shriveled up into the clouds like a scared turtle. Maddie was more than happy to dip her feet in the water and kick around a bit, but without the sun, it was just too cold.
The baby opted for one more nap and try to pick up where she left off earlier. By the time she woke up, it was time to drive the cousins back to their grandparent’s house. About 30 miles into the trip, Maddie was treated to her very first flat tire experience. This led to an unscheduled stop at the Goodyear Tire Store off the highway. Between the rain, car trouble and unseasonably cold weather, Maddie is worried that it may be some time before her cousins dare to make their next trip back East.
Baby Suspends Sleep & Eating for New Teeth
Even after two major trips in a row, Maddie’s schedule at home was really coming together nicely. Full nights of sleep and a fairly regimented eating schedule had the entire household living the dream.
But things swerved a bit off kilter yesterday and today all that consistency went up in smoke. Maddie spent the day boycotting any feeding or nap attempts. This caused me great concern because my parents were coming in to babysit Maddie.
Once they arrived, I was nervous about leaving them alone with the Mad Madster who was smack dab in the middle of her simultaneous hunger and sleep strike. However, the baby was full of smiles and squeaks and showing no signs of criminal mischief. After some urging from the grandparents, I decided to let Maddie be free of me for a couple of hours.
I gave my mom the scoop on Maddie’s odd behavior and finally left with a heavy cloud of guilt over my head. At this point, I still did not know the origin of the baby’s stranger-than-normal behavior.
Finally I broke down and called my parents for the scoop. They said that Maddie had taken a decent nap and was playing on the floor with my mom. Maddie’s grandfather told me to take my time, but I know that the baby’s mood can turn on a dime. I hurried home and when I walked in, I asked my dad how things were going.
When Maddie heard my voice, she let out a powerful screech. According to my parents, she had slowly started to come undone about 15 minutes before I got home. The baby didn’t need anything in particular, she just wondered why I wasn’t waiting on her hand and foot.
My wife had arrived home about the same time I did and informed me that Maddie has a pair of top teeth that have begun to break through the gums. That’s why the happy baby has been suddenly out of sorts. Maddie is fighting the good fight against this most recent invasion of the teeth, but we will have to see how tonight goes for all us.
Pink Power Stuns Danica Patrick
Danica Patrick was not hurt after crashing her number ten car during today’s Daytona qualifier run. As the newest member of Tony Stewart’s team, Danica has a great deal to think about as she makes her transition to the NASCAR circuit. Well today she got one more item to add to her list of headaches.
Patrick will now have to deal with another rough and tumble female at this week’s Daytona 500. The Mad Madster threw her hat into the ring and will be ripping around the track in her 300 horsepower pink fire-eater pictured above. Maddie says the team has her car ready to go. She says the newly installed spinning pinwheels have added a level a stability no one thought possible.
For now, NASCAR is satisfied that Maddie’s pink monster meets all the specs. Inspectors were concerned about the low cut windscreen, but at 24 inches high, any debris will likely fly right over her car
Maddie is a fearless competitor who’s never been afraid to trade a little paint. Her warrior-like headband is sure to put the fear of God into anybody behind the wheel at this weekend’s race classic.
Maddie even took a test run around the bedroom this morning. No official speed has been recorded due to the fact that we couldn’t stop the baby from practicing her victory donuts in the hallway.
Despite her racing prowess, she comes into this weekend’s race as the underdog. Recent teething issues have taken a bite out of her normal practice schedule, but she insists that she is chomping at the bit to the win the whole dang thing.
Tony Stewart, who has Danica on his team, did a little trash talking before today’s practice run calling Maddie a “little pink princess.” Maddie responded by saying that if she and little Anthony have a run in on the track, he’s gonna need all the spare parts that Home Depot can deliver because he’s going into the wall.
As for Danica, she had nothing but praise for the youngest driver ever to hit the circuit. She says that expanding racing to children under 7-months-old is a bold step and good for the sport. She looks forward to what she calls the Maddie challenge despite the fact that Danica will be in a backup car after today’s unfortunate wreck.
Baby Embraces Noise Pollution Lullaby
The day began with a 6am airport run and a full morning of shopping for Maddie and Stay Home PaPa. Aunt Rachel had an early morning flight and kissed the baby goodbye before departing for the frozen tundra of Homer, Alaska.
Maddie was very restless when we got home, but it was still too early to eat and there was not enough time to take Maddie for a walk. Not exactly a situation fraught with upside.
As I looked for a solution – I realized that there was a great deal of noise and commotion going on across the street and that gave me a very unconventional idea. Perhaps this symphony of noise pollution was just what the doctor ordered. (Whoops – we don’t like doctors right now) Was it even possible that the ruckus across the street might actually be the magic elixir needed to put my little girl at ease and send her off to dreamland? What harm could there be in trying?
With Maddie already in her car seat, I threw the window wide open and let the noise from the street flow in with the cool crisp air. Maddie looked momentarily stunned by all the action coming in from the window. First it was constant beeping of a cement truck backing across the street blocking all lanes of traffic. Then came the blaring car horns emanating from all of those courteous and sensitive Jersey City drivers. Then the erratic rhythm created by two men hammering away at the steel poles being driven into place to support a concrete reservoir.
One look at Maddie told me all I needed to know – this chaos was actually sweet music to her ears. She sighed, smiled and began to drift off to sleep.
Suddenly the deafening drone of a generator kicked on at the same time a traffic policeman began yelling at a defiant driver. Surely this would be too much for the Madster. Wrong again, the little girl was sound asleep; literally hypnotized by the bizarre concert that was beseeching our once peaceful neighborhood. It seems that Maddie is bound and determined to teach me new lessons each and every day. Well played my friend!
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Stay Home PaPa 