tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-110697572024-03-07T20:35:13.400-06:00Why?Like leaves and kings, all things must fall...Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.comBlogger169125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-56628189449390057762017-09-06T18:16:00.000-05:002017-09-06T18:16:35.712-05:00Remembering Dad
September 6, 2016. I was at a friends house, having a regular old playdate. My mom had been texting me about our upcoming visit in Charleston. Suddenly she requested that I call her, but not while driving as I usually do. “Oh gosh, what does she want to yell at me for?”
“Your dad died.” That’s it. 3 words. Words I've sadly heard before, that rocked my Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975512606454557211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-57238779951471951142016-03-30T13:08:00.000-05:002016-03-30T13:08:04.672-05:00On The Benefits of HikingThis is a follow up to a piece I wrote almost ten years ago.
A lot of times, I find myself telling people, "I used to be a runner." But no, that's not true. I'm still a runner. I run. But I've slowed down. Two kids and a husband who works a lot will do that to a person. So I don't run as fast, or as often, but I've found a new way to get active: hiking with my kids.
I joined a group here Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975512606454557211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-68852934665236522902015-09-03T12:52:00.002-05:002015-09-03T13:05:22.151-05:00On Homeschooling
Our work area
Yes. I plan on homeschooling my children. I've talked about this with a few people, but not many. I"m not entirely sure why not, but probably because homeschooling tends to be seen as a somewhat radical decision. Many people (myself included, before I learned more and met actual homeschoolers) envision someone like Michelle Duggar, with a long skirt and Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975512606454557211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-78573287747151990852015-05-21T11:51:00.001-05:002015-05-21T11:51:25.631-05:00Birth Story of William Jeffrey Madsen
After a less than idea birth experience with my daughter, I
knew I wanted more for my son. Clara’s
birth wasn't necessarily traumatic, but it was full of interventions I didn't
want, and didn't exactly need. I ended
up with PPD, and had a very difficult time enjoying my maternity leave, as I
was constantly anxious and had trouble recovering.
Soon after I got pregnant Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975512606454557211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-65570981121639970962014-08-24T21:56:00.002-05:002014-08-24T22:37:34.970-05:00Our Sleep Journey: Part Two
In my previous post, I detailed how much infant sleep sucks. And continues to suck as that infant becomes a toddler. I should add here that there's actually a name for the sleep "training" method that I chose to use: Wait it Out. Basically, I acknowledge that infants are designed to wake frequently, be attended to and sleep near their parents, and even breastfeed beyond infancy. So Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-42346645514818858992014-08-24T21:45:00.000-05:002014-08-25T14:33:56.699-05:00Our Sleep Journey: Part 1
*Disclaimer: I understand that some infants magically sleep through the night at a very early age. Maybe they were born that way, or maybe you found success with scheduling or cry-it-out. You may even follow that dubious method advocated by several pediatricians. Clara was absolutely not born that way, and I am very against scheduled feedings or allowing a small infant to cry when Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-75847042346408767652013-09-11T07:31:00.005-05:002013-09-11T07:31:48.930-05:00Where Were You (A letter to my students)
Dear students,
Today is September 11, 2013. Twelve years ago, the world changed. Where were you? Many of you were tiny babies. Like, just born tiny. Many more of you were toddlers, walking and starting to talk and get into things. Some of you weren't even born yet - your moms were hugely pregnant, anticipating your birth so that it consumed every one Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-8541105364250461092013-08-11T15:32:00.001-05:002013-08-11T15:34:44.898-05:00Resolutions 2013Yup. Its August. And I'm just now writing my resolutions post for 2013. You know why? Because here's my resolution for this year:
Just live. Be content. Don't do anything new. Enjoy what I have in its abundance.
And I have. Life is good.
I'm not really exercising, instead I'm chasing my new crawler around, and playing on the playground with my preschoolers.
I'm not eating exceptionally Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-38882160506224605812013-08-11T15:19:00.002-05:002013-08-11T15:40:29.530-05:00Reboot
I think I'm going to try and start blogging again. I sort of have a running list of things I'd like to write about, though I'm not sure how interested anyone is in them. So if you have any ideas, or just to let me know you even read this, leave me a comment!
Here are my ideas so far:
The joys of teaching middle school
The joys of parenting, including my personal parenting philosophy, Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-88921143780144736422013-02-16T22:27:00.002-06:002013-02-16T22:33:35.417-06:00Clara Grace Madsen November 26th, 2012 2:04am
As I type this, my Clara Grace is fast asleep in her swing,
and I have to force myself to stop staring at her and do something with my
evening. It’s been a wonderful and crazy
three months since she entered this world.
Take a trip down Memory Lane with me, as I record how Clara Grace made
her first appearance.
Going into pregnancy, I read everything I could find on
Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-55616882688726790012012-01-09T20:00:00.002-06:002012-01-09T20:04:29.767-06:00Signs I'm Growing UpI thought it would be a great idea to bake bite-sized brownie bites for a ladies night on Wednesday. When that ended in broken Pyrex all over the kitchen floor, did I cry? Nope, I didn't. That's for the Old Jessie. Did I swear? Nope, that's for other people. I just said a bunch of loud nonsense non-swear words, locked Billy in the bedroom, and swept up the mess. This is why my wonderful Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-47998782215395980412011-12-31T16:58:00.000-06:002011-12-31T17:00:02.673-06:00Resolutions 2012I realize that I haven't posted here since March, and I probably won't write much this year, either. But I still wanted to do some declarative New Years Resolutions, since I didn't last year. Since there were no 2011 goals, let's look back at 2010: For 2010: I would still like not to get burned, but I would also like not to be afraid or bitter regarding situations in which I may get burned or Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-50758843831986137282011-03-29T09:34:00.004-05:002011-03-29T11:04:38.463-05:00The Great Egg ExperimentFor a long while I've been on a mission to make the perfect hard boiled egg. Up to this point, all efforts have failed. But now I'm on Spring Break with time on my hands, and I'm trying the scientific method on this beast. I have a dozen eggs and an electric vegetable steamer. I'm trying one egg at a time and adjusting variables such as cooking time and amount of water in the basket. Stay Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-85695793945994953932011-01-08T11:42:00.005-06:002011-01-08T11:58:38.494-06:00School BullyingI Just finishing reading Please Stop Laughing at Me by Jodee Blanco. The ending, just like the ending to her talk at my school, is driving me nuts. After all those kids did to her, how can she forgive them without a second thought, and become best buds with them? I understand how she longed for their acceptance, but I just can't see how she lets go of years and years of anguish and hurt. Maybe Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-90099962949380695092010-11-24T23:35:00.003-06:002010-11-24T23:45:32.861-06:00Pre-Emptive TherapyI trained for and ran my first marathon this October (yea!). I tried once before and failed due to injury, and stayed out of the game for too long, with disastrous results. This time around, I decided I actually wanted to finish the darn race, so I tried a different approach. I made an appointment with a physical therapist BEFORE I was injured, to prevent the inevitable onset of the shin Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-41276822950580024852010-08-19T09:34:00.002-05:002010-08-19T09:37:05.955-05:00I Just Made The Best Smoothie EverIn a Magic Bullet (Or similar sized personal blender) combine the following in order:1 T ground flax seed1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced1/2 cup ripe frozen bananas1/2 cup frozen raspberries1/2 cup almond milk (to top of container)Blend a little longer than you normally would. Drink, and enjoy!Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-48009402787316398882010-07-18T21:05:00.002-05:002010-07-18T21:31:50.476-05:00Runner's HighYes, I know, it's been awhile. Most things I have to say can be expressed in 140 characters or less, so follow me on Twitter for those (@jgrab). But not this thought. Chicago's Lakeshore Path may be the best place I've ever run. Yes, I've had some very nice runs through state parks, but those are often hilly and pretty difficult, despite their beauty. I've run some fun races, but I usually Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-80403538241270458542010-04-28T20:47:00.003-05:002010-04-28T21:20:58.798-05:00Notes to My 14 Year Old Self(Or, "We Need a Hot Tub Time Machine!")Hey Tweeps! If you could go back to age 14, what would you change about the way you lived your life? What would you do the same?I love my little sister. If you're reading my blog, you probably already know that. But really, she's the most awesome kid I know. Some reasons why I like her: She's crazy smart, witty, and goofy. She's way more mature than I Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-75968314097623119842010-01-01T17:45:00.002-06:002010-01-01T17:49:17.502-06:00Resolution Time Part IIFor 2010:I would still like not to get burned, but I would also like not to be afraid or bitter regarding situations in which I may get burned or have in the pastI need to open an IRA or somethingI need to run a few half marathons so I feel like a runner againSpill less, whine less, hug more.Eat organic, at least partlyBalance grad school, work, social life, and maybe even a love lifeEnjoy all ofJessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-18178590935897586132010-01-01T17:36:00.004-06:002010-01-01T17:45:38.317-06:00Resolution TimeSo here's all of my failed resolutions of years past. A little depressing. 2006Don't get burned in 2006. - FAIL2007Take more pictures and get better at using the stinking camera. - FAILDon't get burned. Yes, this was my failed resolution of 2006, but we're trying again. It may mean I'll need to stay away from hot stoves, or crappy guys, or both, but I'm hoping the benefits will be worth going Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-74041963356894317102009-11-07T08:59:00.002-06:002009-11-07T09:03:25.575-06:0018 months in the makingLast Saturday I finished my final long run before the race. I think it went well. I used a route I haven't seen in awhile (Apparently through a bad neighborhood, though I didn't know it at the time. Sorry Dad). It was very windy, which meant that my out leg was a wee bit easier than the return leg. However, all told, I maintained my pace throughout the run, and when I finally calculated the Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-41133822083659927302009-10-10T20:12:00.004-05:002009-10-10T21:34:32.668-05:00Homebrew Journal Vol 1I should have done this from the beginning. I don't remember any of the stats on my first independent homebrew experiment, except that I started it sometime in August, and that it contained Whole Foods Organic cider, and Pick N Save organic cranberry. I think I used Safeale05 yeast, and added 1# white candi sugar. So now I will right that wrong by recording all of my endeavors from the Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-11450351428227916462009-09-19T21:26:00.002-05:002009-09-20T08:24:31.958-05:00The Super Skilled Girl’s Guide to Brewing Your Own BeerStep 1: Have a homebrew. If you’re all out, or just starting your first batch, have a microbrew. Or a glass of wine. But drink something, to remind yourself why you’re going through all this trouble. Step 2: Eat some dinner. It will make you far less crabby than trying to brew on an empty stomach. Step 3: Find something for your roommate, husband, dog, etc to do. Preferably out of the Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-66160317476210132092009-08-10T00:11:00.003-05:002009-08-10T00:19:30.052-05:00Thank You So MuchThis weekend I listened to a sermon about the tenth commandment: "Thou shalt not covet." Prior to this, I never much considered myself a covetous person. I think i get by fairly with minimal material possessions. I don't think I ask fr much. However, I soon learned that there's more in life to be envious of, and that those things keep me from truly appreciating all that I have been blessed Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069757.post-88867046996229246662009-08-01T13:42:00.003-05:002009-08-01T13:48:09.455-05:00A List of SortsIn the interest of feeling a little caught up on this blog, and for everyone who actually reads (all 2 of you), here's a list of what's been going on lately. I went to Africa. It was great. I'd love to show you pictures; all you have to do is ask.I started running again, then stopped, then started again. I hope to run a half by November. I ended a 2 year long relationship. I enjoyed several Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175621669167314351noreply@blogger.com3