05.20.12 - "Are we going on the highway?"

Maddie loves to ride on the highway so she was particularly thrilled that we let her go with us to Callie's graduation party in Topeka today. Here we're stopped at the Cassoday exit along the Kansas Turnpike in what was one of many false "I gotta go potty really, really bad, daddy!" potty stops.

She was less sure about the turnstiles at the Expocentre, however. She eventually chose to walk around after.

08.28.11 - No more Maddies jumpin' on the bed!

Spending the night in Manhattan means gettiing a little creative on sleeping arrangements. We employ no less than two air beds and two pack-n-plays when we're there. On this trip, Maddie slept on a twin bed in Cayden's room. I really didn't think I'd have to worry about her sharing a boy's room for several more years. They held hands the next day while shopping at Target which gave her daddy another panic attack. At least I know Cayden's folks will keep him in line so I really shouldn't have anything to worry about. And Uncle Brian is her godfather, too, so there's that.


Cayden and his dad get doughnuts from "Grandma Dillons" every Sunday morning. Maddie's never had one but when he asked her what kind she wanted, she said, "Chocolate!" It must just be in a girl's DNA.


She wanted sprinkles, too.


We hit City Park before lunch where Maddie had a blast on the playground. That playground alone could get us to move back to Manhattan.

06.19.11 - Dancing queen

Maddie tore up the dance floor at Mac and Amanda's wedding last night in Erie. With a couple of self-described wallflowers as parents, it's unclear where the lack of inhibition comes from.


The wedding was at a golf course in Erie. They sat (mostly) still for 20 minutes then we let them run free before hitting the reception.


Golf carts provided a lift to the parking lot for those interested. :)


Hold on!


At first, Maddie wasn't sure what to do. She just kinda walked around playing with the balloons.

But, she's very observant and figured it out pretty quickly.


Then she showed her brother.


They chased each other all night.


She kept saying, "I want my Nater-Tater," even when he didn't want to play anymore.


At times she was the only one on the dance floor. We're going to have to find a wedding to crash soon so we can let Maddie dance again!

06.18.11 - When you got to go, you got to go. Or not.

On the road to Mac's wedding this weekend we decided it would be a good idea to take Maddie's baseball potty with us. It fits in the back of the Pilot just fine and I knew we'd be able to find a dirt road a lot more easily than a bathroom on our way. Unfortunately, we had a couple of false alarms. But, she did finally manage to go once or twice and never went in her pants.

This photo was taken on K-39 near Benedict. Click here to see just how in the middle of nowhere we were. I'm glad we packed the potty.

12.05.10 - Sleepy heads

We hit the road super early this morning to travel back from Manhattan where we had Christmas with the Swearingens. Up late and up early means one thing: Naps! This is actually Maddie's second nap of the afternoon. She woke up after two hours very cranky. So we cuddled on the sofa and fell asleep.


Mid-afternoon naps on the sofa started about four years ago with our first-born. This photo was taken Nov. 26, 2006.

08.06.10 - Scheer Family Reunion

The day after the Royals game, we did a little shopping then headed out to the Scheer Family Reunion. Angie's grandma, Nan, is one of 11 Scheer children. Maddie went swimming in a big pool for the first time before we headed inside to watch a magic show. Truthfully, I think the way Gramma Karen and Nan look at Maddie and Nate is magical, but that's just me. After dinner, we made the drive back to Wichita. Angie even volunteered to drive for a bit so I could ride in back with the kids. We listened to lullabies as the setting sun burned on the horizon. What a great weekend!

08.06.10 - Royals with the Swearingens

Our friends Brian and Emily, and their boys Cayden and Carter, met up with us in Kansas City last weekend for a Royals game. Here are a few snaps from our seats in the upper deck and hotel. Be sure to check out this photo of Nate watching the fireworks after the game. Check back soon and I'll share some photos of Maddie swimming at the family reunion.

08.04.10 - But Dad ...

Why don't you update my blog anymore!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Actually, she was crying during the Royals game last weekend. Who could blame her? It IS the Royals. And it was hot. And late. Hopefully by this weekend, I'll have time to upload some more photos from our weekend in Kansas City. Despite the look on her face in this photo, we had a pretty good time!

12.20.09 - Great Grandma Betty

Today we traveled to St. Paul, Kan., to celebrate Christmas with Angie's dad's family. Here Maddie sits on Great Grandma Betty's lap with her cousin, Emerson, as they prepare for a photo with all of the other great-grandchildren. Maddie also played peek-a-boo with Aunt Joanie, her godmother, got carried around a lot by Grandpa Greg and received a baby doll as a gift from Santa, who looked an awful lot like Uncle Dennis.

12.06.09 - Monkey See, Monkey Do

Maddie loves to play peek-a-boo and Cayden loves to mimic. Should get interesting when his little brother arrives early next year.

12.05.09 - "da godfaaathuh III"

We're in Manhattan this weekend to have our annual holiday dinner with Brian, Emily and Travis. We've all been friends since college and it's so wild to think that Christmas now includes reading How The Grinch Stole Christmas to our little ones! Next year, the number of kids will be doubled! Oh, boy! Oh, boy!

10.11.09 - "da godfaaathuh"

We made a quick trip to Manhattan today for Cayden's second birthday party. For some reason, we missed his first birthday last year. Before we left, Maddie spent some quality time with Uncle Brian, "da godfaaathuh."

09.05.09 - Pilot's pilot

We returned from our quick jaunt to KC today after having breakfast with Brian, Emily and Cayden, shopping at Legends and visiting our friends Kent and Amy at their new house in Gardner. Angie and Maddie slept for a good portion of the drive back and were feeling quite rested so Maddie offered to take over the helm at our potty stop on the turnpike to give her Daddy a break from driving.

If we let her drive like that we'd be bad parents like Britney Spears!

09.04.09 - Go Royals!

We met up with our good friends Brian and Emily and their son Cayden for the Royals game in KC tonight. It was quite a pitchers' duel until the Royals blew their one-run lead in the eighth inning. Didn't matter; Maddie still had a great time! She rode the carousel in the kids' zone, got a nice stuffed Royals daisy (should have been a pansy?) and a certificate for attending her first Royals game. There were fireworks after the game, though, but she slept right threw them on her mother's shoulder.

Two baseball stadiums down, 28 to go!

05.25.09 - Road trip 3

Since Christmas is Angie's favorite holiday - and since Maddie is a Christmas Eve baby! - we took a few extra minutes to drive through Santa Claus, Ind., on the way back home from Cincinnati. That gave Maddie a chance to get out of her car seat for awhile, which she appreciated until we had to put her back in it!

05.24.09 - Pretty Good Uncle Chuck

This trip to Cincinnati was really all about seeing Uncle Chuck and Aunt Dee. Sure, we saw a Reds game, hung out with Aaron and went to the zoo. But Uncle Chuck is my dad's older - and only - brother and it was important to me the he get to meet Maddie no matter how little she still is. He treated us to breakfast yesterday morning and tonight had us over to his place where I got to catch up with my cousin Scott and his three girls: Libby, Chloe and Carly. Aaron is now more than six feet tall, Libby is turning into a beautiful young woman and the twins are as rambunctious and hilarious as ever at nine years old. It's amazing how much people change when you only see them every few years.

As we left his condo tonight, I held Maddie up and told her to say goodbye to her Great Uncle Chuck.

"I don't know about great," he said, reaching out to touch her hand. "But pretty good's OK."

05.23.09 - Rally caps

It was free cap night at the Reds game tonight. Unfortunately, we needed to use them as rally caps, which didn't work, in the Reds' 7-6 loss to the Indians. It was special, nevertheless, as I saw my first Major League game in Cincinnati in 1988 and one day Maddie can say the same about 2009!

05.22.09 - Road trip 2

Hey, Dad! Let me know when you want me to drive for awhile!

Unfortunately, not only can Maddie not reach the pedals she also can't see over the steering wheel. So for those of you counting the mileage at home ...

Mike 950.4
Ladies 0

05.21.09 - Road trip 1

We set out this afternoon for Cincinnati and we're learning what it's like traveling with small children. We stopped four times before we made it to Columbia, including the El Dorado rest area which is less than 30 miles from where we started.

And no, Nan, Maddie didn't get any Chicken McNuggets.