Baby Dreams

Have you ever wondered what a baby's dream is like? Here is my rendition of what I think my sister's dream is.

Ashleigh is walking in our house. She is not baby anymore, she is big and grown-up like her sister. She is running around, just doing whatever she pleases, when she remembers that there are gummy bears in the kitchen cupboards. Now, knowing she is a big girl, she decides to get to them herself.

Just as she walked into the kitchen, she found a giant wall of legos blocking her way. She smiled to herself and did a perfect karate kick through them, just the way her sister did. She kicked her way through and found herself at the kitchen cabinet. She opened it, and when she did, billions of trillions of gummy bears poured out.

The gummy bears carried her outside, wear MORE gummy bears were waiting. She screamed and tried to get away, and as she ran towards the disappearing driveway, a giant lemon gummy bear picked her up and ate her. She screamed, and then woke up to find herself safe in her crib.

Maddie

Poetry

The Winter Of My Discontent

A painting hangs upon my wall,

And it depicts some mountains tall,

Below the mountain,

Waterfalls, and streams that run afar,

And in the darkness of the night there isn't but a star.

Coffee

Sweet delicious goodness,

Packed into a cup,

Coffee is an easy way to get my good mood up.

Dump it in the filter, then dump it in a mug,

Dump it in your mouth, but don't dump it on the rug!

Best Friend

A best friend should be someone,

Who's always there for you,

A best friend should be someone who you know is always true.

A best friend never cheats,

A best friend never lies,

A best friend protects all your secrets from the gossiping flies,

They comfort you when you are sad,

And never try to make you mad,

A best friend should always be there for you.

Life From My Sister's Point Of View

Today was an on-off day for me. As always, I can barely communicate, so I only sometimes get what I want. My sister, parents, and friends do a pretty good job of understanding me though. Like when I say, " Baba", they know it means bottle, but some of the other things I say, they have no clue what I mean. It's not easy to be small, and not know how to let people know how you feel. So here are parts of my day today.

I distinctly remember taking a trip to a place I see very rarely: The councilor's office. My mom was there while we waited for my sister to come out of the office, and I had a very good time playing. I wonder what would happen if I went up and knocked on the door? Or if I was in the room even? I got to go in for a short period of time while my mom and dad went to the bank, but then I was lugged back outside again. What a bore!

After counseling,  my sister convinced dad to take us for my favorite food of all time ... pizza! I absolutely adore getting to sit at a big-girl table, without my booster seat, and watch the excitement. While waiting for my food to come, I watched a TV that was behind us. It showed some blurry colors, and I kept hearing an annoying voice. I was mesmerized by a small baby that was running around the restaurant. I wanted to tell my parents that I wanted to do it too, but I am not that experienced in language yet.

Finally, on the car trip home, we listened to my favorite song: Heartbreaker by Pat Benetar! I love it because I can sing some lines of it, just like my sister always does. I always feel very grown-up when I sing along with her. When we got home, unfortunately, I had to go to bed. I hate my room, and my crib. It's always too stuffy or too cold, never just right. But I love my Dad's singing technique ... I always fall asleep. Talking about sleep .... Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ...


Goodnight,
Maddie
(and Ashleigh too )

Poetry

Footprints

Foot prints in the snow,

Foot prints in the sand,

Foot prints that are ugly,

Foot prints that are grand,

By and by the people go,

They leave their foot prints in the snow,

My puppy wanders land to land,

Leaving paw prints in the sand,

All the footprints look so grand,

When they mix together.

The Iceberg

The tip of an iceberg,

Looks so small,

It makes you wonder,

If it's there at all,

But small things can be bigger,

Than they really seem,

Icebergs only look big if you see them in a dream.

Frankenstein Berries

When we get blackberries up here in NH, we usually get small sour berries, barely worthy of the name "berry". But in the winter, when we run out of blackberries, we rely on the grocery store to get good berries for us. Now, usually the store finds good berries, but this time, the berries were GINORMOUS! Dad gave them the nickname " Frankenstein Berries", and I thought of this think a thought.

Now I am going to tell a story for fun to tell how they became big. It was a nice summer day, and the blackberries on the vine were still small. Today they were going to fall off their bush, but they were afraid that since they were so small, they would not get picked up and shipped off. The bigger blackberries gloated, and teased the smaller ones for not getting picked.

Finally, a man came around with a basket, picking the blackberries up. When he saw the small ones, he said: "I can fix you up," and he squirted the berries with a growing juice. The berries were very excited to grow, and they puffed larger and larger, and they did not stop growing until they were the biggest blackberries of the bunch. They got packaged and sent to a big store, where they were bought and eaten.

The end.

My Poor Puppy

Urgent news! Lucky is sick! He has not been feeling well for awhile now. When Dad got sick, Lucky stopped playing rough and settled down. I figured it was because Dad was sick and Lucky could sense it. But then, after Dad got better, Lucky still acted down and droopy. But today was the biggest shock of all.

Just a half hour ago, Lucky threw up on the rug! It was gross. He started by coughing, then hacking, and finally spitting out such mulch it made ME want to barf. I kinda looked like a brown, mushed up sausage and some yellowish puke that came up with it. It was disgusting!

The worst part was facing it though. I can't stand looking at puke, or I feel like I will puke. And Dad told ME to go put a paper towel over it! Me, Miss afraid of blood and puke, go anywhere near that disgusting grime!? FORGET IT! I thought to myself. But then, I just swallowed a mouthful of water and put the paper towel over it, and it wasn't so bad after all ... BUT IT'S STARTING TO SMELL!!!! DAD, GET DOWN HERE!
Maddie

Lucky's Treasures

Lucky drags in many things from the woods, as you already know from earlier posts. Here are a few of the things that he has dragged in recently:

A long, narrow stick with a sort of handle in it. I think it makes a good hiking stick.
Half of a small dead snake. I think he killed it, but I am not sure.
Lucky seems to have taken a liking to dead things, because he dragged in a dead mouse a couple of days ago. Bleh!

Out of those things, the hiking stick is definitely my favorite object. Dead things are just plain gross, especially when you know it was YOUR DOG who killed the defenseless little creature. Lucky seems to have found out how to take his collar off, because yesterday, as I was playing in the snow, I saw him running around with it in his mouth.

Lucky's Treasure

The yard is filled with treasure, but not the normal kind,

The treasure that we have, is the treasure you could find,

When roaming city streets, or climbing mountains tall,

You might think you are messy, but our yard has it all,

From wood to stones, from mice to snakes,

The junk Lucky finds, from the neighbors' he takes,

But one mans' junk is another mans' treasure,

And from all his garbage, Lucky gets pleasure.

Kitchen Warnings You Should Be Aware Of

Ok. This is a replacement for that disaster of a recipe for frosting. If anyone already tried it, I promise I will come to your funeral. Anyway, here are some warnings about the kitchen that you might not be aware of ...
Don't trust a recipe that has too much sugar in it. It ends with a disaster, trust me.

Your oven- the doom of baked goods

Never let your food overcook. This usually depends on your oven. If it heats up things too fast, I recommend setting your timer a few minutes BEFORE it is supposed to be done, and checking it then. If your oven cook things so slow it drives you insane, boost the temperature a little.

Lucky Stories

Brrr! Winter again! And here I am outside. I am freezing! I don't even know why my owner puts me out here, she knows it's cold, and I don't even do anything wrong! So I sit outside, freezing, while she is in the nice warm house. Granted, it is nice to be outside in the snow, even if it is cold. I can romp in the woods for new smells, or play with a dog ball I dragged in.

Life is good outside as long as there are no other animals out there with me. This reminds me of a story ... It was a nice fall day, and my owner starts laughing about something from her place at the window. I am partially asleep, so I lay my head back down, but then a cold gust of wind hits my face. The next thing I know I am outside! But also outside with me are 2 strange creatures! ( Namely deer. ) I run over to them and chase them forever, but then I get worn out and head back to the house.

Thank heavens those deer never came back. And now my owner has let me in! Finally! Well, I know the drill from here. Eat, sleep, rough house, rest, and be cute. And do I smell ... could it be!? Lunch! I smell lunch! LUNCH!!!!!!

Bye for now,
Maddie and Lucky

Happy Birthday Ashleigh

Well, today my little sister is turning 2. Happy B-day, little sis! Big responsibilities lie ahead! Like learning to STOP DRINKING MILK FROM A BOTTLE AND WORK ON THE CUP. You would normally need to start working on toilet training at your age, but you have definitely passed that. Now, on to the birthday fun!

I have planned Ashleigh 2 parties today, one with just family, and another with me, Dad, Ashleigh, and Nancy and Beth. For her first celebration, which will be held at 11:30, we will have ice cream sandwiches ( Ashleigh doesn't like cake ), and Ashleigh's will have a candle stuck in it. Then, later on, Ashleigh will get ice cream cake with the family.

So Ashleigh, here is yet ANOTHER birthday poem. Have a good one!

Ashleigh dearest,
Ashleigh dear,
Today is your birthday,
It's that type of year,
I hope that you like,
The presents you get,
Today don't you worry,
Today don't you fret,
For today is the day where things are for you,
And I would hate,
To see you blue.

Some Fun Things To Do With Snow

Hello readers! Here are some fun things to do with the seemingly useless snow sitting in your yard.

Number one: Colored Snow

Give your snowmen some style with colored water! This very simple mixture gives your snowmen style, and adds color to the dreary white of winter. How to make: Take the desired amount of empty spray bottles, and fill them with water. Then add food coloring to the water to make the desired colors. Then, go outside and decorate! Have Fun!

Number two: Maple Snow

Do you get hungry for sweets in the middle of the day, but find nothing in the refrigerator? Well, here is a simple solution for you. Go outside and get a full cup of CLEAN snow, and put it in a bowl. Takes some maple syrup and drizzle it over the snow, and enjoy your treat before it melts. Hunger Solved!

Number three ( my personal favorite ) :

How Much Snow Can You Get On The Puppy!

How to play ( only works with dogs, other animals not recommended ):

Take your puppy outside. Get yourself bundled in winter gear, and take as much snow as you can and pile it on your dog. See how much you can get on him before he shakes it off. Rubbing snow into the fur usually helps.
( Note: You might want to use towels, just a word of warning )

Cya,
Maddie

Day Off

I am very excited and happy today, because I have a day off! I very rarely get days off, other than the weekend, so it's a real treat for me. All I have to do for work today is my Think A Thought, and that isn't even work! Being home schooled has it's advantages!!!

Here's my schedule:
12:00 pm: Get Think A Thought done
12:05 pm: Tell Dad
1:00 pm: Visit with Mom
2:00 pm: Play W101

And that's my day! I love Wizard101 so much that I could play on it forever if you let me. Granted, Dad will not let me play all day, but hey, a girl can dream. I skipped out lunch, dinner, playing with Mom, and playing with Dad and Ashleigh, and so many other things from my schedule, that I probably will only have a few hours on my game .... until tonight.
So long for now,
Maddie

An Easy Job

If you need a small job and have nothing to do, I have an easy way for you to make money! You don't even really have to do anything. This amazing job is called Zazzle. It is easy to use. First, make a free Zazzle account.  Then, find what you want to create, say a t-shirt. Have a good picture ready ( no copyright, must be original ) and a funny saying to go with it.

Hit design. Then click upload photo. You will be able to place the photo wherever you want it to be on your shirt/item. Then, you can add text. Like photos, you can move it anywhere you want. After that, you can put the item you created up on Zazzle, and every time someone buys one, you will get some money!

I advise making more than one thing, otherwise you will not make enough money. And remember, it has to be an original photo, something you took, otherwise you would be copyrighting. You will have to be able to think up witty sayings go with the picture, so don't just take random pictures.
I hope this works for you.
Maddie

Tropical Poems

Beach Relaxation

As I lay in the sand,

The sun on my face,

I think happy thoughts,

With all of their grace,

The sea rolls in,

And I float away,

I land on an island,

And that's were I am today,

Resting and relaxing,

Not a care in the world.

Tropical Paradise

I am on an island,

Far out in the sea,

I have everything I want,

Even family!

There's island fruit for us to eat,

And a beach for us to sleep,

Lying in the darkness, nothing else can beat!

As I lay down beneath the moon,

And try to fall asleep,

I dream I'm on a high up cloud,

As I fall asleep.

Island Dreams

I fall asleep one night,

Dreaming of the beach,

It's mystifying wonder,

Makes me lost for speech,

The smell of ocean water,

Flowing through the air,

I write a letter to my friends:

I wish you could be there!

I see a seagull overhead,

So majestic and so strong,

I turn down my radio,

To listen to his song.

But then I wake up refreshed,

And wish to go again,

But tomorrow is another day,

And I'll go there again.

Super Duper Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Hey there! You know those cinnamon rolls that I told you about? Well here is the recipe!

Traditional Sweet Roll Dough

2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 warm milk ( scalded then cooled )
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup ( 1 stick ) butter, softened
4 1/2-5 cups of flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in milk, sugar, salt, eggs, butter, and 2 1/2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth.
Mix in enough remaining flour to make the dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough. Shape dough into desired rolls and coffee cakes, cover, let rise for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 375, bake as directed below.

Cinnamon Rolls

1/2 of sweet dough
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Roll dough into a large rectangle; spread with melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle over rectangle. Roll up, beginning at wide side. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal well. Stretch roll to make even. Cut roll into desired amount of slices. Place rolls apart in greased pan. Let rise until double. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. ENJOY!

Hint to Aunt Michelle: Print this out for Grandma, she says she wants the recipe :p
Enjoy,
Maddie

Ice Cream Places and Their Comparisson

Here are my observations on desserts served  at different local restaurants.

First: J.P. Stephens
Rating: 5-star
J.P. Stephens is a small restaurant near where I live, and it's not too popular. It's a nice place to go and eat with friends, or if you want huge ice cream sundaes. They serve vanilla ice cream with a lot of chocolate sauce in it, topped with whipped cream and a cherry. They don't serve tiny cups like so many of the restaurants do now-a-days, they serve a full sundae. J.P. Stephens has to be the best ice cream place around. Sorry, Friendly's!

Second: The Peterborough Diner
Rating: Quarter Star
The Peterborough Diner is a nice place to go if you like good service, but not if you are looking for a good dessert. Their ice cream tastes sort of stale. I will give them credit for whipped cream, but that is all. Boo! Get better ice cream!

Third and Last: Friendly's
Rating: 4-star
Ok. We all know that Friendly's are the ice cream professionals. They serve super ice cream. But like everything in the world, they have a fatal flaw. And that flaw is whipped cream. There is never enough of it on my sundae!( But then again, I am a whipped cream maniac. Enough is never enough!) The ice cream is perfect, as everyone knows. Their milkshakes are superb. But that whipped cream.... ok, I am exaggerating. A little. Because they put a little whipped cream on their ice cream. Just not enough. Boo Friendly's!

Maddie

The Three Up-coming Birthdays

Happy Birthday to my special three family members! They have birthdays all lined up in a row, and here they are:
Ashleigh J. Nef, 2, January 18, 2010
Wayne C. Nef, 46, February 23, 1966
Lucky B. Nef, 1, March 1, 2011

First of all, I would like to give each person a birthday poem, each one unique and just for them.

To my best little sister, Ashleigh:
Sister, sister dearest,
I know that I love you,
And soon will come your birthday,
And you'll get things a-new,
Though I know that you'll enjoy them,
I hope you'll know whats true,
Family is special,
And so are you!

To my Dad:
Happy Birthday Dad,
This year'll be the best,
Though last year was rotten,
This year is one to rest,
You've made a well-planned move,
Let's put it to the test,
But no matter what,
To me you'll be the best.

To my Puppa Lucky:
Lucky, Lucky,
So loyal and true,
You are my puppy,
and I love you,
Soon is your birthday,
You'll be one year old,
A treat is in store,
Here's a hint: It is cold.
You growl at the people you don't care to know,
You love to eat and play in the snow,
And I'll love you forever.

Ok, well there. Each person has his poem. That is a  minor gift from me. I would tell you what I am getting everyone, but alas, Dad would see. And Ashleigh.Lucky can't read, so I will tell you his. It is going to probably be a doggie cake.

Cya Later,
Maddie
P.S. Happy B-day!

Wizard101 News

I have finally gotten Dad to play Wizard101 with me! He has not played in forever, so I forced him to get onto the game with me, and he actually enjoyed playing it with me! He had told me he was a level 2 in the game, so I got my level 2 player ready, only to find out that he is a level 6! So I got my level 6 too, and now we are playing together.

For those of you who have no idea what a Wizard101 is, it is an awesome online multiplayer game. It is magic based. You must have an email address to play. All ages are allowed to play, but players under teen cannot communicate with other players. You get to choose what school your wizard is in, and what they look like.

You can decorate your own houses and dorms, meet new friends, collect pets, learn cool spells, and a lot more! It is also free to play, but only for limited areas. If you are a member you have access to the entire spiral, which can be gained by advancing in levels. If this sounds like your type of game and you are interested in joining, here is the website: www.wizard101.com

Good Luck!
Maddie

Poetry About Art

Art

Art comes in many forms,

Art comes in many ways,

Art takes us back to way back when,

Back to the olden days.

The Mona Lisa is a prize,

For exquisite beauty,

Art can come in any size,

Or even any shape,

Art is history told in color,

In the best of ways.

Wood Wizard

He is a man with talent,

The talent of the wood,

He's not a man of evil,

Only a man of good,

He carves things out of bark,

And sells them in his shop,

The shop stays open in the light and even in the dark,

No one ever sees the shop,

For it's tucked deep in the woods,

 For a woodsman needs his wood,

To create his work of art.

Stone of Art

Maya went out walking, 

Stone tools in her hand,

She came upon a boulder,

And thought of something grand,

She put her chisel to that rock,

And hammered it right in,

And that day so stood the ending of that great block,

But in it's place,

A statue stands,

Of seven children holding hands,

An they stand for all the lands,

That our Earth has today.

How To Create Your Very Own Website

First, you are going to need a Google account. So go to www.gmail.com and create an account. Next go to www.blogger.com to get started. Sign in using your newly created Google account. Click make new blog. Then, you can start to name your blog, etc. Try to make the name simple, so that people don't have to type a lot of words in. Abbreviation helps a lot in this category. For example: Maddies Think A Thought can be cut down into: www.mtat.blogspot.com. This shortcut saves people a lot of time. You are given a choice of what you want your blog's name to appear as on the blog, so abbreviation does not make the name seem weird.

After you choose your type of blog, hit design. It will let you personalize your website to your perfection. You can choose different backgrounds for your website, and different fonts too. You can choose what color you want your site to be, and what color you want the writing and background to be. Try to make the colors coordinate and that the text size and color is readable, or else people may have a tough time reading your website.

 Make sure you have a good thought in mind before starting. The whole world can see your website when you start  it at first. This can be changed from the settings tab, but you should still know what you will want to write on. There is a section of blogger where you can add advertisements. Though Maddies Think A Thought does not use this feature, it is an easy way to earn some cash.

Ok, you are now set to start blogging! I hope that your website is successful as mine is. It's quite easy to do when you get used to it. You can even have more than one website! I hope this introduction helped. Good luck!
Maddie

Carasoua

I met a new friend today! He can't talk, he can't come to my house and play, but he is an absolute angel! His name is Carasoua, and he is a brown pony who lives on the road next to mine. He has a beautiful chestnut coat with a blond mane and tail.

I have been trying my hardest to get close to him and pet him, and today I nearly succeeded! I had an oats and honey granola bar, and I gave it to him. He loved it! He loved it soooooo much that he put his head over his stall fence for more! That was when I went to pat him. He did not like it and moved away.

Over time, he has grown closer to me than to anyone else. He likes Nancy, but Ashleigh he is just plain afraid of. He LOVES me. So probably the next 2 times I see him, he will get up the courage to let me pet him.

P.S.- If you want to try to get close to an animal, the best way to do it is gently and quietly. Animals hate noise. It scares them. Good Luck!
Maddie

Verifying Rules: The Official Rule Book Of Maddies Think A Thought

Ok. It's not that I have caught anyone doing anything bad, but I have made an entire list of rules, shown below. I am just reminding you about some things. Remember to follow the rules or you WILL be banned and shown no mercy. Bad language or behavior is inexcusable. Here are the rules:

1. No bad or inappropriate language is to be used.
2. Have respect for the other users of the site. If 2 people are caught poking fun, I don't care who started it, you will both be banned. Jokes are allowed, but nothing hurtful or insulting.
3. Keep your beliefs to yourself. Just enjoy the website. Requests are allowed, but nothing too far out or inappropriate.
4. Personal information is a no-no. A first name or nickname is allowed, but any farther and you go bye bye for good.
5. Don't ask me to translate. I know that it's helpful if you have homework on an Egyptian queen or something to read hieroglyphs,  but hey, I am probably no better at Egyptian than you. Stop cheating on the internet and get your work done yourself.
6. Don't make false users to scare other people. It is unfair. Any wind of a scare that was faked in my direction, and the person who gets caught will be removed and will NOT be allowed to come back.

Ok, I think that is just about it. Just stick to the rules and  no problems will occur.
 Cya later,
Maddie

Sister Stories

My little sister Ashleigh is a very big part of my life. A little sister or brother is a big part of everyone's life. Though when they are young all they seem to do is cause trouble for you, they are there for you whenever you need comfort. When you get older, a sister or brother will comfort you in hard times ( no, that does not mean your refrigerator running out of ice cream ), like losing a loved one, or moving. So hear are some poems in honor of our younger or older siblings.

Siblings 

Sister, sister, sister dear,

When you where young and small,

I saw you as my greatest fear,

A step into a fall,

But now your grown and now I see,

A sister is what's meant for me.

Dearest elder, oh so wise,

You have taught me well,

You taught me how to conquer fears,

And how to ring a bell,

You taught me manners,

And for that, 

I'll look to you forever.

My Puppy

' My, puppy, you look stupid',

The common people say,

Yet they have no idea,

Where puppy's wisdom lay,

He might not sit or bow for you,

But he will sit by your chair, 

No matter where you go,

Puppy's always there.

The heart is where the wisdom lay,

And that is where it is today,

Compassion, love, and tenderness,

Puppy's heart, it must confess,

It's filled with love that won't compress.

How To Make A Drum Out Of Chenille Stems

Ok. So here is a lesson for those of you who are art lovers. I have simple steps on how to make a drum out of chenille stems, which can conveniently be bought at any craft supply store or Walmart's.

You will need:
1 pack of bright colored fuzzy sticks
1 pack of dull colored fuzzy sticks
A whole lot of patience!

Ok. Start off by taking 2 bright red chenille stems and making a circle out of each. One will be the top of the drum, the other will be the bottom. Now take a light brown chenille stem and twist part of it around a red circle.

Now bring the stem up and over the top of the other circle, which should be on top of the other. Wrap the brown stick once and bring the other end down a little bit away from where you started. Keep doing this pattern until you have a full drum.

For the final bit, take dull white stems and make a criss-cross pattern over the drum until it is all filled in. Give yourself a hand, you have hopefully succeeded in making a drum. For the drum sticks, fold over a light brown chenille stem and twist it. Voila!
More lessons will be coming shortly. Please comment as I would like to know how well I explained things. Thanks,
Maddie