31 May 2015

They pay attention to everything. Madelyn totally picked this up from me tracking my food on My Fitness Pal and my steps with Breeze.

Madelyn, grabbing the play smartphone and looking at it: I need to see how many calories I have left to eat today. 500 left and 1 point to make my goal.

30 May 2015

First

When Alyson was saying that she wanted mac and cheese from Silver Diner for dinner:

Madelyn: Silver Diner doesn't have mac and cheese.
Me: Yes, they do.
Madelyn, in shock: What?! Silver Diner has food other than breakfast?!

Second

While waiting for their dinner at Silver Diner, Madelyn was coloring on the kids menu. Alyson was being silly as usual and trying to show off whatever random thing she was doing.

Alyson: Madelyn, look!
Madelyn, focused on her coloring and not looking at Alyson at all: I am.
Alyson: Noooo....

29 May 2015

As Tony and Madelyn were getting in the car to leave her ballet recital dress rehearsal, Madelyn told her daddy, "I'm getting bored with ballet. I'm getting tired of just standing around and dancing."

28 May 2015

Madelyn: Can we go running next Saturday morning since I won't have ballet anymore?
Me: We'll be in Delaware, but sure we can do it.
Madelyn: Is there a bike path we can run on?
Me: We can just run in the street there since there aren't many cars.
Madelyn, in disbelief: Really?

27 May 2015

After I put Madelyn's hair in a bun for her ballet recital rehearsal this evening, Little Miss "I Don't Want My Hair in a Bun Because I'll Look Like a Boy" got really excited. As she looked in the mirror, she gasped, "I look like Elsa!!!!" (Sigh....)

26 May 2015

Madelyn: Is dinner almost ready? I'm super hungry!
Me: Didn't you have a snack right before I got to Grandma's?
Madelyn: Yeah.
Me: Then why are you so hungry?
Madelyn: Because I kind of digested my food.

25 May 2015

First

Today's mispronounced word is brought to you by the letter "P":

"If you want to make brown, you need to mix all the prominary colors."

Second

After being busy all morning at the Memorial Day parade and playing a lot with Alyson, Madelyn wanted her alone time. Alyson asked her to play, and Madelyn responded, "I want to play by myself. I want privacy play time!" (Unfortunately, Alyson cried, but I got her busy doing something else.)

24 May 2015

We had dinner tonight at Mom and Dad's during dinner, we were talking about kindergarten registration a little bit.

Me: I think the teachers who talked to her were impressed with her.
Mom: It's runs in the family.
Madelyn: Daddy runs! Mommy runs! I run! Aly runs!
Me: That's not the type of running Grandma meant.

We then went on to explain what it means when you say that something "runs in the family."

Additional Madelynism provided by Aunt Gina:

"I hope you don't mind me posting one for you and Tony smile emoticon but I was super impressed with Madelyn's ability with reading and writing readiness. During church she wanted to write a note to Uncle Matt who was up on the altar and asked me how to spell his name. When I started to spell "M...", she said "No, I want to spell UNCLE Matt." She knows her sounds and letters and is certainly ready for kindergarten in the fall!!"

23 May 2015

During ballet today, Madelyn and her class and the parents were told to have their hair in buns for the rehearsals and recital this week. Madelyn was very concerned, "What will my hair feel like in a bun?"

22 May 2015

After her kindergarten registration/orientation today, Madelyn at lots of questions about school, including how long she would be in school. We told her all of the grades and when she would change schools. We also told her she could go to college after high school, but that wasn't absolutely necessary depending on what she wanted to do. She sounded like she might not want to go to college.

Madelyn: What will I do if I don't go to college?
Me: Work. You'll need to get a job.
Madelyn, very decisively: Then I want to go to college.

21 May 2015

When Madelyn got back to Grandma and Grandpa's after her last day of preschool, she excitedly declared, "I'm now a kindergartener and not a pre-kindergartener anymore and I am going to a new school next year and we are going to see it tomorrow!"

20 May 2015

Madelyn was being "secretive" all day today about some things they were doing in school, but insisted on asking her daddy one question after asking me earlier in the day.

Madelyn: Daddy, what's your favorite sport?
Tony: To watch or play?
Madelyn: Um, play.
Tony: I guess running.
Madelyn: No, what's your favorite ball sport? Is it soccer or basketball because I said it's those at school today.

Madelyn didn't really say much more but Tony did pick soccer, "if he had to pick something."

19 May 2015

Mom got up from the dining room table at their house and was moaning and groaning.

Mom: I'm getting old.
Madelyn from back in the hallway: We know you're getting old!

18 May 2015

A month or so ago I had shown Madelyn some flowers in our yard that had been eaten by a rabbit to teach her what that looks like. Over the weekend, Tony worked on cutting back the jonquils in the front yard. When we got home today:

Madelyn: Mommy! I see evidence that a bunny has been in the yard!
Me: What evidence?
Madelyn pointing to the jonquils that had been cut back: The bunny ate flowers!

17 May 2015

First

During breakfast, Madelyn randomly started flexing her muscles. I flexed back, and Alyson started doing it. Madelyn then asked her daddy to show his muscles, which he did. Madelyn's response as Tony got up to put his bowl in the sink: "I could be Hulk Smash if I was as strong as Daddy!"

Second

While eating her lunch of leftover shrimp and broccoli:

Madelyn: The shrimp tastes kind of weird.
Me: How does it taste weird?
Madelyn: It tastes like shrimp without ketchup.

16 May 2015

The girls like to pretend that the rugs in the living room are islands and the hardwood is the ocean. They often "jump" off the islands to swim in the ocean.

Madelyn: Aly, do you want me to read you a ballerina book?
Alyson: Yeah!
Madelyn: Okay, let's read it on the jump-off island at the beach!

They rush off and sit next to each other on the rug in front of the door.

15 May 2015

To prove yet again that I know everyone, I saw one of the interpreters we regularly use for my direct report at the restaurant we had dinner at tonight. While I was talking to her, the conversation turned to people understanding or not understanding sign language.

Me to the interpreter: I hate it when I want to talk to someone through a window or something and I go to sign and then realize that they don't know sign language.
Interpreter: Everyone should know it.
Me: Yeah, but that isn't likely.
Madelyn: Why? You could teach them!

14 May 2015

While riding her bike up the very small hill in front of our house, Madelyn said to Tony who was helping her, "Peddling up a hill is HARD!"

13 May 2015

After reading "The Watermelon Seed" by Greg Pizzoli (about a crocodile who eats a watermelon seed) before bed tonight, Madelyn proclaimed, "The vines shouldn't grow out of his nose! That would be SO embarrassing!"

12 May 2015

We had BLTs for dinner tonight. First, Madelyn insisted on making her own sandwich. No problem with that. She was only having half a sandwich, but the entire time she was making hers, she kept asking, "Is there enough bacon for everyone to have two slices?" She wasn't too happy when we told her one slice was plenty for her half sandwich. Then, when she sat down to eat, she pulled her sandwich all apart to eat it because that's what Alyson was doing. Crazy kiddo.

11 May 2015

Randomly after Tony was done reading her bedtime story to her tonight:

Madelyn: What is the name of a boat that people live on?
Tony: A houseboat?
Madelyn: No. I think it's a yacht. Yeah, it's a yacht.
Tony: Then why did you ask me?

10 May 2015

After we got home from the girls' races this afternoon, Madelyn was asking me about the 4th grader I run the mile with.

Madelyn: Why was she so upset?
Me, really wishing the answer "she's a fourth grade girl" would be acceptable: She thinks she should be able to run a lot faster than she can. She gets frustrated with herself, especially when the other kids pass her. It was a lot hotter today, so she was slower. Even though she's the youngest kid running the mile and hasn't been running as long as the other kids, she thinks she should be able to run as fast as them.
Madelyn, completely confused why she would think this way: Why?

Now, if only Madelyn always understands that she likely won't be the fastest.

09 May 2015

First

Multiple times this morning, Madelyn informed me, "I can't go running this afternoon because I'm going to the grocery store with Daddy to buy food and nothing else." Very subtle. They brought home purple carnations for Mother's Day.

Second

While outside "helping" in the garden this afternoon, Madelyn was wearing a pair of my gardening gloves because Alyson had on the kid-sized gloves (need to remember to get another pair of gloves). The gloves were too big on Madelyn. From across the garden, she yelled to me, "I feel ridiculous in these gloves! Seriously I do!"

08 May 2015

Last night Madelyn had a bad dream that had something to do with Alyson getting hurt badly. She also almost fell out of bed this morning. I'm not really sure what happened because her explanation wasn't the clearest. When we got to Mom's this morning:

Me to Mom: Madelyn might be tired because she didn't have the best night's sleep.
Mom: She's not the only one.
Me: Sorry. Madelyn had a bad dream, and she sort of fell out of bed.
Madelyn of course listening in: Grandma, I'm not going to tell you about my bad dream because I don't want you to be scared.

07 May 2015

After Madelyn finished her homework today, the girls were playing hospital. A sampling of their playing (mostly attributed to Madelyn):

"Aly, you're in the hospital because you have a really bad cold."

Alyson was tired of being the patient, so she told Madelyn, "My turn! You sick." Madelyn didn't let that last long. 

Next thing I know, Alyson "has a sprained ankle" and Madelyn is actually carrying Alyson around the house by hugging her under the arms and lifting her up to take her to the hospital.

Then, I hear Madelyn tell Alyson, "I need to go talk to the hospitalist to find out what's wrong with your ankle." Not too many five-year-olds know that there even is such a thing as a hospitalist.

06 May 2015

When it was time to go upstairs to get ready for bed:

Me to Alyson: Aly, time for bath.
Alyson: No! No bath!
Me: But you need to get clean.
Alyson, almost starting to cry: Nooooo!!!!
Me: Would you want to take a shower instead of a bath?
Alyson, suddenly cheerful: Yeah! Shower!
Madelyn from the other room: Can I take a shower, too?!?!

Yes, they did take showers and there were no tears. Whatever works, right?

05 May 2015

While we were talking before she went to bed:

"God made everything outside and he made us. He made us with feet so that we can walk. Otherwise we would get along like this."

She got down from the bed and started hopping around while holding her feet together. Every once in a while, she would "lose her balance" and fall to the floor, which reminded me of a fish out of water.

04 May 2015

While talking to Aunt Becca on FaceTime today, Madelyn insisted on taking over the camera and making faces and sticking her tongue out at her aunt. Becca started sticking out her tongue right back.

Becca: Who do you think has a bigger tongue?
Madelyn, without having to think: You do!

03 May 2015

A sampling of the many things Madelyn said while we were running our 5K race this morning:

About every half mile: "How much longer?"

Maybe around mile 2: "I didn't realize it was going to be this long." (After I had tried to explain it to her for weeks, but the concept is so foreign to a 5-year-old.)

Going down Pennsylvania toward the U.S. Capitol building: "Is that the White House?" After I told her what it was: "Who lives in the Capitol?"

Pointing to a random white stone building: "Is that the White House?"

After seeing the Washington Monument: "George Washington was our first president!"

While running: "I love running! It's my favorite type of exercise!"

02 May 2015

While Madelyn was getting changed after ballet, I could hear her teacher talking to the next class about how they need to wear their hair for the recital. She was telling them to put their hair in buns, which I figure is how Madelyn's will need to be.

Me to Madelyn: Has your teacher said anything about how to do your hair for the recital?
Madelyn, who always wants her hair in a half ponytail: No. I hope we have to wear it in a half ponytail!
Me: I doubt that's how you'll have to have it.
Madelyn: Why not?

01 May 2015

Madelyn while on the way to Mom's this morning: Where is Heaven?
Me: No on really knows, but usually people like to think of it as up in the sky. People go "up to Heaven".
Madelyn: Heaven is in outer space? I don't think Heaven is in space.