31 March 2014

As we were leaving the house, we noticed that someone left a "Missing Cat-Reward" flyer under our doormat. 

Me to Tony: Is it bad that that flyer made me think "Aww, someone is missing their cat reward. I hope they find it."?
Tony laughed.
Madelyn: Where is their cat reward?
Me: No, they're actually missing their cat and there is a reward for anyone who finds it. It's just worded funny.
Madelyn: Oh. Where is their cat?
Me: I don't know because it's missing.
Madelyn: I think it's because it went off to the supermarket I think.

30 March 2014

After she had been playing games on her digital camera, Madelyn came out and asked if she could play on the iPad.

Tony to me: How much screen time has Madelyn had today?
Me to Madelyn: Have you had a lot of screen time yet today? How much did you play on your camera?
Madelyn: Not that much. I played three.
Tony and I waited for her to elaborate on "three".
Madelyn: Three games. That's less than ten!

29 March 2014

While I was getting dressed this morning, Madelyn was "jumping" from the bench at the foot of our bed onto our bed.

"Jumping is a kind of exercise, too. It makes your leg muscles big and strong so that you can lift heavy stuff like the pillows downstairs."

28 March 2014

For no apparent reason during dinner in regards to Alyson:

"She's stinky like a fish in the deep blue ocean."

We probably should have informed her that fish don't smell until they are dead and starting to go bad. We did tell her that that wasn't nice.

27 March 2014

Madelyn, who has caught the crud Tony brought into this house, was chasing Alyson around with her firetruck picture she made at preschool.

Madelyn, loudly: Weee yoooo! Weee yoooo! Weee yooooo!
Tony: Madelyn, does your throat hurt?
Madelyn: Yeah.
Tony: Then stop it.
Madelyn, softer: Weee yoooo. Weee yoooo. Weee yooooo.

26 March 2014

Alyson was playing with my back massager thing in the kitchen while I was cooking dinner. Madelyn had on her superhero cape and was carrying around some of the play spoons that Alyson had brought out of the playroom. Somehow the massager was turned on so that it was vibrating. Alyson put it on the floor to watch it "walk around" and make noise. Madelyn started running away saying:

"Quick! We must save the spoon children from Oven City from the monster!"

The monster was the massager (and maybe Alyson as well).

25 March 2014

In school today, they learned about helpers. Madelyn informed us:

"Even helpers get hurt and need help sometimes. Firefighters get hurt, and ambulance drivers get hurt, and doctors get hurt, and vechernarians get hurt, and post officers, I mean post men and women...."

24 March 2014

Two baby gates we ordered to keep the kiddos on the front porch came today. There is a picture of a puppy on the box.

Madelyn: Why is there a puppy?
Me: In case someone wants to keep a puppy blocked into or out of a room.
Madelyn: I want a puppy.
Me: Not anytime soon.
Madelyn: But why?
Me: Because we're not even going to consider getting a puppy until you two are old enough to help take care of it.
Madelyn: But you can do it.

23 March 2014

While checking in for the NICU reunion today.

Woman checking people in to Madelyn: How old are you?
Madelyn, excitedly holding up her fingers: Four!
Woman: When did you turn four?
Madelyn, jumping around (aka bouncing off the walls): On my birthday!
Woman, laughing: They're always thinking....

22 March 2014

While at the park today, Madelyn made friends with a little girl also there. They were taking turns being a monster and chasing each other. At one point, we heard Madelyn decide:

"The monster really likes fruit. The monster really likes pears and apples."

21 March 2014

As we passed Camden Yards on they way to the National Aquarium today, we were telling Madelyn that the Orioles play baseball there. Her response:

"Oreo is a type of cookie."

20 March 2014

Part of the constant singing and talking today:

"Eeny Meeny Miny Mo.
Catch a spider by its toe.
If it tries to make a web, let it go."

19 March 2014

First

During dinner Madelyn started asking us about what was against the law and what wasn't.

"If you brush your teeth while driving, that is against the rules."

Second

While getting ready for bed, Tony was getting Alyson ready and I was getting Madelyn ready as usual. Alyson was crying in her room with Tony because of course she didn't want her diaper changed, didn't want to get ready for bed, didn't want to not be playing, etc., etc., etc. 

Madelyn quietly yelling toward Alyson's room: Tony, what is her problem?
Me: Why do you keep calling your daddy "Tony"?
Madelyn: Because he's my Tony.

18 March 2014

On the way home from Grandma and Grandpa's, we had quite the trip. A la Dora the Explorer:

"First, we have to jump the river and cross Crocodile Lake. Then, we need to go through the city and home. Then we need to go to Doc McStuffins."

Translation: First, we need to jump over the little stream from the melting snow at the end of Grandma and Grandpa's driveway and walk around to the other side of my SUV. Then, we leave their neighborhood and get to our house. Once inside, she gets to watch Doc McStuffins.

17 March 2014

When she realized what we were having for dinner:

"Green pancakes! For St. Patches Day!"

16 March 2014

While playing in the bath, Madelyn had a dolphin trapped under a net. She needed the bravest animal in the tub to come and save the dolphin:

"Wally the Purple Walrus has tricks to make all of the nets think he's a net."

Wally got caught with the dolphin and then saved them both.

15 March 2014

We were outside and Madelyn decided she wanted to play restaurant using our little bistro table on the front porch. She was being the server. I went inside to use the bathroom. The side part of our porch, where Madelyn decided the restaurant kitchen was, goes past the downstairs bathroom. As I'm in the bathroom, I hear her walk by outside saying,

"Bacon! Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!"

(I later found out from Tony that she didn't bring him the bacon on his cheeseburger that he had ordered and she was getting it.)

14 March 2014

Madelyn went bowling for the first time this evening with some of my coworkers. We used the one of those ramps for her. Every single turn went something like this:

Tony or I (or my boss once or twice) would set the ramp up. Madelyn would lug her (8lb) bowling ball to the ramp with a little help to make sure she didn't drop it. She would put it up on the ramp. "One! Two! Three!" and she would push it down the ramp. As the ball rolled down the lane: "I hope I get it! I hope I get it! I hope I get it!" Then, one of two outcomes. If she hit any pins: "Yay! I did it! I did it! I did it!" while jumping up and down. If she missed: "Awwwww......" with a sad look on her face.

13 March 2014

First

This morning while I was getting ready for work:

Madelyn: Do you have the same color skin as I have?
Me: Yup, close, but not the exact same.
Madelyn: And Alyson?
Me: Yup.
Madelyn: And Daddy?
Me: Yup.
Madelyn: Except Daddy has hair on his skin.

Second

While refusing to eat her dinner:

"But I don't want to eat dinner. I'm not hungry. Can I have a snack?"

12 March 2014

Madelyn's attempt to grasp the concept of time/seasons during our conversation at dinner:

"Fall, then Winter, then March, they February, then....when is Summer?"

11 March 2014

Madelyn watched a show with a little creature that ate a flower it wasn't supposed to and then got really big and crazy. The solution was to poke it's nose. 

Me: Well, now we know how to stop you when you are being a crazy monster.
Madelyn: How?
Me: By poking your nose. (I demonstrate.)

Madelyn starts running around like a crazy person while I"m trying to fix her barrettes. I poke her nose and she freezes instantly. This could be useful. ;-)

10 March 2014

This may be a little TMI for some, but it is life with a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old, so deal.

During dinner, Madelyn had to go potty.

Madelyn: Mommy, can you come wipe me?
Me: I already wiped a poopy butt today.
Madelyn: When?
Me: Alyson's....
Madelyn: But I have a poopy butt!

09 March 2014

First

During the Homily at Mass when the priest was talking about evil.

Madelyn: Who is evil?
Me: Someone who does bad things.
Madelyn: Dr. Doofenshmirtz is evil.

At least she was actually paying attention, right?

Second

Madelyn and Tony were getting the ingredients ready to make bread in the bread machine. Madelyn holds up a bell-shaped cookie cutter that was on the counter and asked:

"Can we make bell-shaped bread?"

08 March 2014

When Alyson woke up from her morning nap, Madelyn came upstairs with me to get her. While we were upstairs, Bill and Amanda got to our house to pick up Madelyn for their outing today to the Natural History Museum. Madelyn panicked:

"No! I don't want them to leave without me!"


Update from Bill:
When we were at the museum and walking past a dinosaur "bone" that the kids could touch, Madelyn went over to it and there were some other children and she said, "Ok kids, now dinosaurs lived a long long time ago."

07 March 2014

I got to Mom's to pick up the girls after work. Madelyn and her grandma were playing back in the bedroom. I went back there as Madelyn was opening the door. She saw me, yelled "Aaaahhhhhgggggg!!", slammed the door shut, and ran back into the room to hide.

06 March 2014

When the pack and play is up for Alyson at Grandma's, Madelyn often has to play in it. She likes to play a game where she is a puppy and Grandma has to buy her and take her home.

Madelyn: Grandma, you have to take me home today.
Grandma: Oh no, I was going to get you on Saturday. I don't have a dog bowl, a bed, dog toys, or food.
Madelyn: But, Grandma, you're already in a pet store! Go over there and get it!
Grandma: You're always thinking.
Madelyn grinned.

05 March 2014

I was trying to fix Madelyn's barrettes:

Me: Stand still.
Madelyn as Alyson came up to her and started to go around her: I'm not a real person.

Turns out she was pretending to be a statue since I told her to stand still.

04 March 2014

In the car on the way home from Grandma's, suddenly and randomly:

Madelyn: Why did you put my pretzels in the refrigerator again?!
Me: We didn't! Daddy added them to your lunch this morning. Were they soggy again?
Madelyn: Yeah. Why were they soggy again?
Me: We'll put them in something different next time. We just need to experiment with a good container to put them in.
Madelyn: Okay.....

03 March 2014

Before putting away the clean silverware from the dishwasher, Madelyn insisted on putting on a pair of her sunglasses.

"These are my night glasses. I wear them every night when I go to the bathroom and put away the silverware."

02 March 2014

On Rt. 1 going from UMD to IKEA:

"That car looked like a caterpillar!"

Too bad no one else saw this car.

01 March 2014

Yesterday we went to the mall and Madelyn was very confused about a car inside the mall for one of those giveaways. Today, while we were on the way home from Sam's Club, we saw a car transporter truck.

Madelyn: Why does that truck have cars on it?
Me: They use that truck to take cars to dealerships and other places where they are sold.
Madelyn: I guess that truck is going to the mall.