31 January 2016

Some neighborhood friends were over to play this afternoon. They were giving each other check-ups in the playroom. Among many other silly things they were saying, I heard Madelyn say, "Oh no! Alyson has a temperature of one hundred and thirty!"

30 January 2016

Today we went to my parents' house for my birthday dinner. We had cheesecake for dessert.

Madelyn: Why is it called cheesecake?
Tony: It's make with cheese.
Alyson: Where is the cheese?
Madelyn: Inside the cake!

29 January 2016

Somehow we were talking about running during dinner. Madelyn declared, "Grandpa could probably run faster than Grandma because he's younger." She then went on to decide who could run faster between every pair of people she could think of.

28 January 2016

The girls were sitting on a beach towel on the floor pretending it was a sled. Madelyn was holding up the front and steering when she yelled, "Alyson, we're going to fall off a cliff. Be prepared!"

27 January 2016

After I picked the girls up from Mom and Dad's today, we stopped at home quickly before going back out to meet Tony for my birthday dinner. Madelyn didn't want to leave right away because she was insistent that she had to do her homework.

Madelyn: I need to do my homework.
Me: You don't have school again tomorrow. You can take it to Grandma's to do.
Madelyn, looking intently at me and waving her hands above her head: I. Still. Need. To do. My. Homework.

26 January 2016

Alyson, randomly: When I grow up, I want to be a doctor.
Madelyn: When I grow up, I want to be a smoothie maker!
Me: Is there a lot of need for smoothie makers?
Madelyn, confused: I don't know. I just want to be one!

25 January 2016

While I was on the phone with the girls earlier to say good night since they are spending the night at Grandma and Grandpa's again:

Madelyn: Tomorrow's your birthday!
Mom: I was in labor right now. In about a half hour my water broke.
Madelyn: What? You broke your water bottle?

24 January 2016

After I found out that school was already canceled for Tuesday:

Me: Guess what!
Madelyn: What?
Me: School is already canceled for Tuesday.
Madelyn: Yay!
Me: Let's go pack up your stuff for spending the night at Grandma and Grandpa's.
Madelyn: Oooh! Can we have two nights of sleepovers at Grandma's?!

23 January 2016

Our snow day activity today was letting the girls watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. When it was Christmas in the movie:

Hermione, in the movie: Happy Christmas!
Madelyn: It's "Merry Christmas!"
Tony: It's "Happy Christmas!" in England.
Madelyn: What?! Hermione's in England?!

22 January 2016

While I was fixing breakfast this morning, the girls were playing in the living room with their Disney Princess Magic Clip Dolls. The princesses were preparing to go to a ball.

Madelyn: Rapunzel, you need ball lessons because remember two years ago you fell and scraped... [thinking pause] messed up your hair?
I couldn't help myself and giggled.
Madelyn: What?!

21 January 2016

MCPS announced they would be closed tomorrow before Madelyn got home from school, but just about when her school got out. When she got off the bus this afternoon:

Me: Guess what! You don't have school tomorrow!
Madelyn: I know! [4th grader on bus] said that we probably won't go back to school until Wednesday!

20 January 2016

While we were walking home from the bus stop this afternoon:

Me: How was school today?
Madelyn: It was great!
Me: What did you do?
Madelyn: We had math centers and literacy centers. And, you want to hear the absolute best part of the day?
Me, expecting her to tell me what they did at recess: What was that?
Madelyn: A third grade class came in and read different fairy tales to us!

19 January 2016

Madelyn didn't finish her lunch at school and wanted to eat it when she got home. Tuesdays are piano days, so we need to eat dinner at 5pm and she wanted to eat the rest of her lunch at 4:30, which wasn't happening.

Madelyn, as she was putting her lunch away: Well, can I at least eat my M&Ms?
Me: You can either eat the M&Ms now and not have leftover birthday cake for dessert, or you can put the M&Ms away for another time and be able to have cake after dinner.
Madelyn, thinking: Ummmm.... I'll wait for the cake.

18 January 2016

While Tony and Madelyn were reading the "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" tonight, Madelyn pointed to a picture of a dementor and asked, "Is that seriously black?"

17 January 2016

Usually, we go to the Giant about 15 minutes from our house. We ordered party platters from the Wegman's about a half hour away for Alyson's party. Madelyn went with Tony to pick up the platters, but wasn't too clear on where they were going.

Madelyn, in the car: Why is it taking so long to get to the grocery store?
Tony: We're not going to our normal grocery store. We're going to one farther away.
Madelyn, confused: Oh. Did we just pass your work?

16 January 2016

The girls usually take baths, but if we are short on time, they will take a shower. So far this year, the girls hadn't taken any showers, only baths. After visiting with Grandma and Grandpa after dinner so they could see Alyson on her birthday, we decided the girls needed a short bath tonight.

Madelyn: Can we take a shower tonight?
Me, not feeling like getting soaked: We'll see, but we'll probably do a bath.
Madelyn, angry and disappointed: But we haven't gotten to take a shower at all this year!
Me: That's only been 16 days so far.
Madelyn: Oh.

15 January 2016

After asking Alyson yet again what she wants for her birthday dinner:

Alyson to me: What do you want for your birthday dinner?
Me: To not have to cook it.
Madelyn: Then that's up to Daddy or the restaurant!

14 January 2016

While getting ready to go to Grandma's funeral this morning:

Madelyn: When the funeral is done, will school still be going on?
Me: Yeah.
Madelyn looked at me with sad eyes.
Me: Do you want to go to school after the funeral?
Madelyn: YES!

13 January 2016

Madelyn's homework today was for me to ask her some questions about mealworms and for her to tell me all about them.

Me: Tell me about the life cycle of a mealworm.
Madelyn: First, they start as an egg, then a larva, and then a pupa. Then, they turn into a beetle. Mealworms molt, too!
Me: What is molting?
Madelyn: It's when they shed their skin as they grow! Humans do it, too!
Me: And so do snakes.
Madelyn, in shock: What?! Really?! That is so cool!

12 January 2016

After her piano lesson this evening, I was asking Madelyn if she still liked it since it was her second lesson.

Me: Do you like learning to play the piano?
Madelyn: Oh yeah!
Me: You want to learn to play more complicated songs, don't you?
Madelyn: Yup!
Me: You have to learn the easier stuff first.
Madelyn: I know....

11 January 2016

Madelyn was being super crazy this evening. Ironically, her teacher had texted me and told me that Madelyn was wonderful in school today with helping keep her class quiet while they were doing some testing (ugh, testing kindergarteners....). 

Me: So, are you being so crazy because you are calm and well behaved at school and you have to get it all out at home?
Madelyn, thinking: Yup!
Me, teasing: So, you'll never be calm at home because you're such an angel at school?
Madelyn: I can be calm for a week! I'll be calm for two weeks!
Me, tickling her: No way!
Madelyn: Stop tickling me, and I won't talk for a whole week!
Me, stopping and looking at her incredulously: You can't be quiet for a whole minute.

Madelyn just looked at me and stuck her tongue out. :-P

10 January 2016

Alyson frequently misuses "person" and "people" by using "people" for the singular of the word. While in the car today, it finally got to Madelyn, and she exasperatedly complained to her, "You DO NOT understand the meaning of person or people!" I don't think that will help Alyson figure it out.

09 January 2016

Madelyn's homework for this weekend was to come up with questions and then interview members of her family. First, she interviewed Tony​ and me, and then called Mom and Dad to interview them.

Madelyn: How old are you?
Mom: Too old, ##.
Madelyn: Oh my GOSH!

She asked her grandpa the same question and had the same response.

08 January 2016

First

Madelyn has been playing with my old keyboard since her first piano class on Tuesday. The keyboard has a large number of different instrument sounds programed into it. After she was playing with it this morning, she came running in to me in the kitchen and exclaimed, "Mommy, it's like all the instruments are in one! You just pick which you want!"

Second

Kindergartener wisdom:

Madelyn: I fell at recess.
Me: Oh, you fell? What happened?
Madelyn: I fell running around and that was the point that I realized I should probably not run because the blacktop was wet.

07 January 2016

Alyson lives in a world of make believe and sometimes it bothers Madelyn. This morning was one of those times, and Madelyn yelled at Alyson, "Stop it, Alyson! Stop trying to trap everyone and stop trying to use powers on everyone!"

06 January 2016

First

The first of two exchanges between the girls today. This one was while Madelyn was building her Legos.

Madelyn: Ooh! Strawberries!
Alyson: I like strawberries.
Madelyn: You can't eat these.
Alyson: But I like strawberries.
Madelyn: These are Legos.
Alyson: I like Legos.
Madelyn: You can't eat Lego strawberries.
Alyson: I know that!

Second

The second exchange that happened while I was cooking pancakes for dinner and Alyson was trying to figure out how she could help.

Madelyn: You can help Mommy by telling her when they are bubbly.
Alyson, running up to me: Mommy, are they bubbly?
Madelyn, yelling to Alyson from the living room: No, you tell her when they are bubbly.
Alyson to me: Are they bubbly?
Madelyn: That's not what I said to do!
Alyson to Madelyn: Then what did you say to do?!

05 January 2016

During her first piano lesson this evening, the instructor was going over basic music terms with Madelyn.

Instructor: Do you know what a beat is?
Madelyn, after thinking: It's how the music moves to the beat.

04 January 2016

Tony has been reading the first book in the Land of Stories series with Madelyn at bedtime. (Possible spoiler alert.) Today, they got to the point were Snow White admits that she helped the Queen. Madelyn gasped, had a surprised look on her face, and exclaimed, "She did what?!?!?!"

03 January 2016

This afternoon while Alyson was napping, Madelyn was working on her Legos.

Me, absentmindedly checking the monitor: Aly is still asleep.
Madelyn: Good! I don't want her waking up before I finish my Legos.

After a few minutes, Madelyn was distracted and playing with her Legos that weren't completely built yet.

Me: I thought you wanted to finish before Aly gets up.
Madelyn, frantically going back to building: Oh yeah!

02 January 2016

During the Maryland Women's basketball game today, Madelyn first asked, "How did our team get so good?" She legitimately wanted to know how they each learned to play well and how they learned to play well together.

Then, when they weren't playing so well in the second half, Madelyn was getting annoyed and stated, "Maryland is NOT going to pass it to Ohio!" Unfortunately, they then proceeded to turn it over.

01 January 2016

Multiple times in the last week Madelyn and I have had discussions about respecting people's "personal space bubbles." During dinner tonight, Alyson was shooting pretend fire and ice out of her hands at me.

Me: I have my mommy shield up. You can't get me.
Madelyn: I have a person bubble around me, as in a personal space bubble around me that nobody can get into.