George & Madge

Madeleine is named after my great aunt Madge.  Her full name was Madeline, but as far as I know it was pronounced the same as our Maddie's.  We didn't use that spelling b/c it would have driven me crazy to hear people say Mad-ah-LINE.  She is why I like to call Maddie "Madge".  I love how it sounds. Warm and sophisticated all at once.  My aunt died the year I was born, but I think she was a pretty cool lady.  In all the stories she seems so glamorous.  She was the sister of my Grandma Hurst and my Auntie Betty (who IS the coolest lady I know).   In my mind she was glamorous like a film star.  I feel like she wore high heels with feathers on the toes around the house.

The man with her is her brother, George.  He also looks like a movie star to me.  So handsome.  I'm pretty sure he was a lady's man.  He died in the war and is buried overseas.  These are two people that I wish I could have met.  I wish I could go back in time to this picture and meet them then.  Maybe have a martini with my aunt.  Smoke a cigarette.  Hang out in black and white. I bet they were funny.  They look like they knew how to laugh.  (ok, maybe not in this picture, you'll just have to trust me).

Has anyone seen my camera?

Yeah, yeah.  I know you want more pictures.  I can't find my camera.  Anywhere.  Argh.  Want me to dig up some oldies for ya?  I'll do that.


Despite what some of you think, this blog is actually (mostly? partly?) for Madge, as a sort of DIY baby book gone wild.  So I like to record the events that have happened in our lives, that way when she's old and gray she can look back and say "wow, my mom sure wrote a lot of lists".  Or something like that. 

So, I'm going to share the lists from her birthday party.  Last year I took a photo of it.  I'm going to scan it for you.  Actually, in the interest of full disclosure:  there were about three lists, this was the final edit.  The list I used On The Day Of. 

Why so many lists, Jenn?  Simple - this was Madge's first Real Kid Party.  She wanted her school friends to come as well her BFFs (Jackson and Mackenzie).  I wanted it to be fun, but in an "old school" kind of way.  'Member hot dogs and ripple chips?  Or, at Pam's parties:  pizza buns (oh yeah).  Then you just played and had fun.  Remember?  How about money in the cake (not that I EVER had that b/c You Know Who was all "nobody is choking at my kid's party blah blah blah") Anyway, where was I?  Oh yeah, so I wanted that kind of old school, loot bag givin, ripple chip eatin, game playin' party.

But we live about a million miles out (according to the city kids) so I knew people wouldn't be able to come and drop their kids at the door.  So that's why we had it at Darcy's condo, in the Party Room.  Worked like a charm.  Loved it.  And of course, the kids are 5 so we didn't leave things too unstructured.  Just the right mix of Barbie Free Time and group games (aka jacked up circle time).


and here is the list.  And as soon as Lisa quits her day job and gives me a memory stick with the party pictures on them I will put them on this here blog.  I solemnly swear. Cross my heart and hope to die.  Stick a fork in my eye? (really? no....that's not right).

TOPIC CHANGE

So, do you remember the kick A mug hug Donna (Grandma Pollock) made for me?  (experiencing memory loss? Click HERE)

Any hoodle - apparently someone was in my house, took a picture and then put it in their magazine! Check it out.  Don't you just feel cozy looking at it?  Except for the creepy part about somebody sneaking around my kitchen....hmmmm.....

The PICTURES ARE UP!

They are up!  They are up!


Go on over to elle markosky.  Take a glass of milk with you.  Trust me, you'll need it after you see the cupcakes.

Click here for.... PINK PARTY PICTURES

The Party

So, let me tell you a little bit about The Birthday Party.

We had the party yesterday in Saskatoon. Maddie really wanted to have her Kindy friends there but I really didn't want to have to entertain 5 sets of parents as well as kids.  We wanted the ol' "Drop and Go" party approach.  Can't really do that in Warman, they either wouldn't have come at all, or the parents would have stayed.  (Not that they're aren't LOVELY people, that's not what I mean - just wanted the kid:adult ratio to be more kid than grown up)

So, where to have it?  Lara saved the day and asked her mom Darcy J____ P.I.  (her names seems like someone from a detective novel, so I've added the P.I.  She likes it) to lend us the party room in her condo which is two blocks from Madge's school.  What could be more perfect?

So we invited Jackson, Mackenzie, Juliette, Georgia, and 5 kids from her class.  We used the Daycare/Kindergarten class Venn Diagram for this one.  Seemed to work.  There were games (parachute, What time is it  Mr Wolf, Simon Says, and the ol' not quite a classic: Pass the Mystery Bag and Pull Out a Prize So Everyone Wins)  There was cake (a purse cake, thank you very much) and about a trillion cupcakes.  And some veggies that believe it or not, people ate. 

All in all, I think it was a really fun party.  Can't wait to see Lisa's pictures.  I'm sure she's going to post them any second now......

Happy Birthday Madge

On this day, five years ago....

Madeleine Jane decided to join us and we were excited.  And then shell shocked.  And then exhausted.  And bewildered (two people to wash 6 lbs?) And terrified (...my milk "came in") And relieved ("..oh, THAT's how you feed her")


And that was all in the first three days. 

Well, five years in we both still find ourselves excited, shell shocked, exhausted, bewildered, terrified, and relieved at least once every 12 days.  But mostly I feel grateful and amazed.  How did we get such an intelligent, witty, and engaging little girl?  Not to mention - this kid is BEAUTIFUL. (it's my blog, I can say that).  She is just so wonderful and I can't believe I am lucky enough to be her Mom. 

So, I know what your thinking:

"Blah blah blah Jenn, you love your kid.  She's great.  Yeah we get it.  Where are the freaking pictures?"

Well, as I've said about eleventy billion times:  Lisa is the greatest sister in law ever and she is the world's greatest photographer.  She took ALL the pictures of Maddie's cake, party, and all the fun.  Now, while she is my personal lifestyle photographer, it has come to my attention that she does indeed have a life away from her camera and computer (what?).  Apparently she has a full time job, two children and a husband who also deserve her time  (who  knew?) This means we will all have to be a little teeny bit patient and wait for pictures.  mmmkay?


Or you can be like me and obsessively check her blog. 

Happy Birthday Madeleine Jane.  We love you so much.

Headline: super model has been disguised as mad scientist for past 7 months

We had a photo session with Lisa yesterday. So much fun. I love how she helped us frankly look so good. There is a sneak peek on her blog so check it out.

www.ellemarkoskyphotography.blogspot.com

Here's the thing. . .

I had such a fun day today.  Know how i can tell?  Im exhausted and my house is a dissaster. 
How did i get so lucky to have a sister who is not only a talented photographer but will also take my kid for a sleepover at the last minute? 

Lucky and tired. Thats me.

Good night.
J

"Mom, were you born in the Olden Days?"

 "Or, was it just sort of the Olden Days?"

I won't lie to you: a big worry for me was having a little girl who was all tomboy.  Tomboys are great, in fact I have several really good friends (and a sister) who were (are?) tomboys.  Who the hell else is going to watch Sports Centre in the morning? No, I think tomboys are a valuable addition to our culture.  Nothing against them. 

Per Se.  

Where the problem lies is if MY child is a tomboy - what do I do with my love of dress up, tea parties, girl guides, and make believe?  And what the HECK do I do with the mountain of dress up clothes collected and saved over the years?   Like, we are talking BINS of the stuff.  Several.

As you can see (as happens most of the time) - my worrying was for nothing.  Clearly Madge has a flare for the dramatic and the historic.  And now she wears this dress all the time.  

All. The. Time.

And below...well it's the same dress, circa 1982, a peek into my brief modelling career. 

Oh, and that's MC Geri Ward on the mic. My entourage at the time, The Fedora Twins,  are on the folding chairs.

This is my favorite picture of my parents.  It's from their wedding and the location is at my Grandma Hurst's house.  The lady in blue on the left (not the actually the Queen) is my Great Grandma Jessie Butcher and my Grandpa Butcher is the guy on the right. 

Ukrainian Christmas?

Maddie "invited me to her place for coffee" this afternoon.  After our coffee she told me there were presents for me under her tree.

Maddie:  "It's kind of a strange tree, it's really just a stool, but I made it tall".

Yes folks, there were four gifts lovingly wrapped and placed under the "tree" for me to open. 

Well, two were for me, and two were for her. 

"oh Mom, heart hands are so easy". 

Markosky Christmas

We spent Christmas with Jason's family at our house this year.  It was fun to have everyone over and enjoy the basement together.  Marion did 99% of the cooking and Lisa and I were on dish duty.  The men?  They were busy installing the door to the rec room (which they completed).  It would be an understatement to say Maddie was thrilled to see her cousins again!

Jackson - our youngest photographer

a very rare shot of Lisa

New Years Resolutions

1. Exercise every day.  Even if its just for 15 minutes.  (so far I've done three days in a row. yay for me)
2. no technology after 9pm (well, except for tonight b/c I just had to post my latest felty felt creation...see below)
3. Read a freakin book.  What's a book? Jeepers.  I can't believe I don't read books anymore.  Like print.  Like nothin is movin on the dang page.  Just words.  No pictures.  I'm going to do it.  In fact, I started last night (again, yay me)
4. Leave work every day promptly at 3pm (except fridays when I get to leave at 2:30).  None of this stayin' late crap.
5. Starbucks every Friday.  Yep, no matter what.  And lunch out twice a month.  For sure. (notice the language change there?  Instead of "I will not get starbucks anymore".... I just did a little switcheroo.  It's called making goals achievable.  I didn't invent it, don't worry you can do it too.)
6. (this one is for you kids) I will  post (at least) once a week.  

And now, on to the REAL reason for this post...feast your eyes on my  newest creation.  All the credit goes to Sarah F for finding this idea for me.  It was so easy and I love it.  Time to buy more felt...

(psst....it's a bookmark)

Now kids, THIS is a mug hug.

 

designed and created by Grandma Pollock

Ken Dolls (one with black hair, the other blonde)

"Mommy,his underwear says Ken, but I'm naming him Michael Jackson. And this one I'm calling Justin Bieber."

Christmas in Flin Flon

Whoa.  I have been off the grid for a while now.  Jeepers.  Sigh. Where to begin? That's the trouble with falling behind, gets hard to catch up.

We went to Flin Flon for Christmas, so I'll start there I guess.

But first I will tell you that I just turned around and looked at Maddie and I need to share what I'm seeing.  Background:  I'm sitting in my office (you know, the closet in the spare room) and Maddie is quietly  muttering to herself and playing with some toys on the floor near me.  We have spent the day together - Jason had to go back to work but we had the day off.  Anyway, she's had several costume changes today.  Well fast forward to now:  Maddie is in a swimsuit and towel "cover up".  WHAT?  Are we swimming?  No.  It is warm in the house?  Not really (despite what Morgan will tell you).

Today's Outfit Tally:
- jammies:  four pairs
- skirt:  one
- pants and matching hoodie:  one
- pink sweater:  two
- swimsuit and cover up:  one

Best. Uncle. Ever.

Christmas Eve, just after we "fed the reindeer"

We have a Flin Flon tradition.  My cousin, Shelley, taught us this:  We make Reindeer Food (some oats, cereal, etc and glitter), then we go outside and sprinkle it on the lawn.  Christmas morning when we looked out the window we could see sleigh tracks and reindeer footprints.  I'm not making this up, people. 

I put a bird (or three) on my mom's tree.  It's totally hipster now.  Flin Flon is pretty much the new Portlandia.

Snack, and a note for Santa.

"I totally new he was here!!" Maddie's reaction when she saw the crumbs left on the plate in the morning. 

Seriously,  how did we live before tablets?  No, really, how did we?  Why the toque?  B/c the headphones are too big.

Madge set up a little salon and clothing store.  Dog grooming is extra.

What did I tell you? Best freakin Uncle ever. Who else would wear a damn paper crown?  (oh wait, we were ALL wearing the crowns...)