Meet the “staff” behind MAD Family Fun! PART 3 Our "product tester"

This is the last part of our meet the "staff" at MAD Family Fun series. I think this staff member, our "fun test," is our best gage at what is and is not fun. He is the D in MAD, our son David, who is 6.

David was our third try at having a child and we were blessed to get him happy and health via a c-section at 36 weeks. He has been a blessing and at times a hand full! I love watching him learn about the world and I get the chance to rediscover my inner child. I can walk through a store and do things most people would be locked in a padded cell for, but because I have a child with me, people just smile.

What can I tell you about David. Well he is definitely a cat and chicken person. He loves trains, books, and always being on the go for new adventures. His favorite food is a bagel with a gigantic smear of cream cheese. He totally dislike potatoes in any form.

He is compassionate, most of the time. He is cuddly, most of the time. But when he goes bad, oh he does it with zest. He is very smart, but that is because of me LOL No I don't mean I have better genes then my hubby, I just spend more time exposing David to the world. The fact he is an only child also plays into his intelligence I think. He spent the first four years of life with mostly just adults. And since he was the only one to get my attention, he got it all.

He says he is going to be a Train Engineer when he grows up. I tell him he can be anything he wants! I look forward to seeing him grow and develop. I am amazed daily by him. Like today he asked me to get a CD out of a package and I told him I would have appreciated it if he had come to me for help before he mess up the package, to which he said, "well I would appreciate if you would just get the CD out for me." That's my boy! LOL

Meet the “staff” behind MAD Family Fun! PART 2

Today I thought I would introduce you to the A in MAD, Adam, my hubby. He is 38 and a very hard working guy. He puts in a lot of hours to provide for us, and while we appreciate it, we do miss him. That is why family time is so important. When we have weekend adventures, we want them to count, like moving alligators!

Adam is a west coast boy who moved to Michigan for me. Awwww!!! He misses his family but has adjusted well. He love to fish, though he doesn’t get tons of time to do it because of work. He also has tried his hand at hunting. Adam is an AMAZING cook, and his BBQs are to die for. Our son knows who to ask to make dinner and it sure ain’t momma! LOL

What else can I tell you about my dear hubby? Hmmm, he likes remote control helicopters, good food, microbrews and home brewing. He love his new big flat screen TV. He is a devoted hubby and daddy. I don’t know what else to say. He is a quiet man who doesn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve but we know he loves us and that’s all that counts! David adores him and well heck, we have been married going on 8 years, so I must kinda like him too!

Meet the “staff” behind MAD Family Fun!

Hi!! I am Mindie and I just turn 37 (gasp) but frankly I still feel 25. I am married to a wonderful man, Adam. And we have an amazing son, David, who will be 5 next month. While David is amazing he is also amazingly naughty at times too!

I have a degree in history and have worked in museums, zoos, and aquariums. Now I am a full time stay at home mom, which is kind of funny for a girl who was never going to get married or have kids! Funny how life gives you what you need, not what you thought you wanted.

We live in a very small town in Michigan, but we have “major” cities within driving distance. I make a point of reading the papers and searching high and low to find things to do. Might as well take advantage of what’s out there, right? Friends and family always asked where I find so many fun activities and events and that is how MAD Family Fun came to be. Having fun shouldn’t coast a lot, period. And I believe all families could do with an extra dose of fun these days.

So what makes me me? Well I am still trying to figure that one out! But I do know that the loss of our first son, Andrew, who was still born at 38 weeks, has definitely made me the mommy I am. Andrew taught me life can be short and to live it as full as you can while you can. I think that is why I make a point of having fun and experiencing life to the fullest everyday. While some people might think it strange that I have baby chicks living in my dinning room, I say why not! While some people might cringe that I let my 4 yr old handle an alligator, I say why not??? When my hubby brought up tapping our trees to make our own maple syrup, I said, why not!

We learn, love and share life here at MAD and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Yes, we might be over run by a dog, 3 cats, a rat, a snapping turtle, 2 chicks and a butt load of fish, but the joy we get and lessons we learn are all worth it. I may not have the newest, nicest truck, but then again, I don’t have to worry about getting it dirty when it is time to go on an adventure. My house may not be spotless, oh and it is not, but the crafts that we make are too much fun. I would rather pretend my couch is a pirate ship and sail it all day long with my son, then do dishes or laundry.

So that’s just a little bit about who the M in MAD is. I enjoy sharing my adventures and helping others find their own. And if you ever have any questions for me, feel free to ask. Maybe one of these days I will do a Q and A session with you. But for now, it is back to the fun…..get out there and have some fun today people!!