30 September 2016

While we were at Target today we went into the Halloween section to see about Alyson's Halloween costume. Madelyn had previously decided on being Hermione, and we already had everything at home.

Madelyn, as soon as she saw the DC Superhero Girls costumes: I don't want to be Hermione anymore! I want to be Wonder Woman!
Me, looking at the costumes: But you already decided. This isn't a very good quality costume anyway.
Madelyn: But I really want to be Wonder Woman!
Me, continuing to look through the costumes and only seeing small and large: They don't have your size anyway. And, this material is so thin and wouldn't look right with something under it, but you'll have to wear something under it. You would be so much more comfortable as Hermione because you can wear your own clothes and just wear the Hogwarts robes over it.
Madelyn, after we walked around a little more, she thought about it, and obviously thought of this on her own: I don't want to be Wonder Woman anymore. I would be so much more comfortable as Hermione because I can wear my own clothes.

29 September 2016

Madelyn's homework involved matching words to spaced that match the height of the letters. For example, "look" would fit in a tall rectangle, a short square, a short square, and a tall rectangle.

Madelyn: I need help with my homework! I'm confused!
Me: Okay, bring it here. What don't you understand?
Madelyn: I'm on the last one and the only word left doesn't fit.
Me, looking at three short squares and a tall rectangle with the last word "and": Huh, you're right. Go ahead and put "and" in the spaces and write a note about it to your teacher.
Madelyn: Okay!

Her note ('And is the only word left and it would fit if this emty space is't thar."):

28 September 2016

Before bed, Madelyn was talking about how you don't really hear anything or see anything or have any idea about what is going on when you are asleep: "I feel like when you go to sleep it's like a time turner because you suddenly wake up and all this time is gone."

27 September 2016

On the way home from soccer practice, Madelyn announced, "I really like soccer! I want to keep playing until I'm in high school, no COLLEGE!"

26 September 2016

Madelyn was trying to do push-ups, but had her form all wrong. First her butt was too low, and then it was too high. She did one push-up correctly and dramatically plopped down.

Madelyn, letting out an exasperated and exhausted sigh: That was so hard!
Me: It wouldn't be so hard if you really tried. You didn't give it a fair try.
Madelyn, realizing she had been caught: Okay, true.

25 September 2016

I was looking at the weather for the week when Madelyn was picking out her clothes for tomorrow.

Me: It's supposed to rain Monday into Tuesday, but it should be fine for soccer practice.
Madelyn: Good because I don't want to miss practice!
Me: Which do you like better, soccer or basketball?
Madelyn, holding her thumb and index finger together almost touching to show "a little bit": I like soccer ball... Oops! I mean basketball, just this much better than soccer.

24 September 2016

While on the way home from Julie's this evening, we were having a conversation in the car when Madelyn asked a completely random question.

Tony, while I was answering the question: Squirrel!
Madelyn: Where?
Tony: Up!
Madelyn: Where? What are you talking about?
Tony: Up!
Madelyn, frustrated: Uuuuugggghhhh!!!!

23 September 2016

Questions from the six-year-old:

Madelyn: Who were the first humans?
Me, hesitating a little because I wasn't sure what she was getting at: Well, we don't really know that because it was so long ago.

Madelyn: No, Adam and Eve.

Me: Okay, yeah. But really because of evolution and how animals and things change over a long, long time, we don't really know who the first humans were. The Bible is a story that symbolizes how God made everything.

Madelyn: How does God make each person?

Me: .....

22 September 2016

When the girls were getting ready for bed tonight, I was discussing with Tony some options for when I can get my 20-mile long run in this weekend. Madelyn came in and incredulously asked, "Didn't you already run 20 miles?" Well, yes, but that was two weeks ago.

19 September 2016

While listening to "One Short Day" from the "Wicked" soundtrack, Madelyn asked Tony, "I wonder what Lupin is doing in Oz because I heard them say 'Moony.'" Tony went back and listened again later and realized that she misheard the lyric "... has all of Oz honeymooning" and confused her fandoms.

18 September 2016

While Alyson was in her sports class, Tony and Madelyn were at the playground. They left there and walked to a nearby Starbucks. It started sprinkling as they were walking, but stopped when they got to Starbucks. It didn't rain the entire time they were outside, but started up again as soon as they left to walk back to the park.

Tony: The rain just wants to rain on us.
Madelyn: Huh? So the rain just wants to rain on people.
Tony: No because their were people outside while we were in Starbucks and it didn't rain on them. It waited to rain until we came back out.
Madelyn, thinking and unable to find a problem with Tony's logic: Oh, okay.

17 September 2016

We rode bikes today around our city to visit some parks. We have a bike "trailer" for Madelyn that attaches to the back of a bike to make it like a tandem bike. Tony and Madelyn were riding down a hill at a good pace, but not especially fast.

Madelyn: This is really fast!
Tony: No this isn't really fast.
Madelyn: What?!

16 September 2016

Dinner conversation is always the most fun version of random possible.

Madelyn: Do you stay up until midnight every night? You're always up later than us.
Me: Um, no. Some nights, like last night, it's midnight, but I try to get to bed by eleven.
Madelyn: Why?
Me: Because adults need sleep, too.

15 September 2016

Madelyn telling me what they played in P.E. today:

Madelyn: We played cars!
Me: Um, okay....
Madelyn: We practiced running around with a ring we used to steer. We also learned about boundary lines.
Me: You learned about lines you aren't supposed to cross?
Madelyn: No, we learned about boundaries.
Me: So, you learned about lines you aren't supposed to cross.
Madelyn, thinking: Oh, yeah!

14 September 2016

What first grader does this?

Madelyn: Do we have any extra calendars we aren't using?
Me: I'm not sure. Why?
Madelyn: So that I can write down my homework and important days and things I need to remember.
Me: Do you want a student planner?
Madelyn: YEAH!

13 September 2016

Our 6-year-old, the rule follower:

Tony was looking at Madelyn's math packet for homework this week. There is a page for her to do every night, but I told Madelyn earlier that she could do all of it and get it over with if she wanted.

Tony: Why did you only do the one page?
Madelyn: We're only supposed to do one page every night.
Tony: Well, do you know how to do the other pages? Did you have time to do them?
Madelyn: Yes, but [teacher] said to do one page every night not all of it!

12 September 2016

Screen time at Grandma's on days off always messes up Madelyn's plans for after getting home. When we got home today, she said, "I wish I could play iPad, but I played a lot of Wii today!"

11 September 2016

On the way into DC today, we saw a flag at half mast. We started explaining what that meant and why a flag would be at half mast to Madelyn. Her very matter-of-fact response, "Well, that's some new information."

10 September 2016

Growing up and having responsibilities is hard.

Madelyn: I don't know what to do.
Tony: Is the playroom cleaned up?
Madelyn: I cleaned it so it's not taking up the WHOLE floor.
Tony: So... no, it's not cleaned up. There's something you can do.

Madelyn, frustrated that Tony didn't come up with something fun to do, stomped off to the playroom.

09 September 2016

As we were sitting down to dinner of leftover tacos, Madelyn looked at my plate with salsa on the taco and said, "Mommy has a spicy tooth."

08 September 2016

While Madelyn was picking raspberries in the garden this evening, she kept informing me of her progress: "I've picked so many raspberries! We're going to have raspberries for weeks! [looking into the container] I've picked nine raspberries!"

07 September 2016

While Alyson was getting into her pajamas this evening, Madelyn came into Alyson's room, and said very seriously, "I need to ask Aly a question. Aly, how was preschool today?" Alyson didn't really answer her other than, "Good!"

06 September 2016

We had hard tacos for dinner tonight. It was actually the first time the girls had hard tacos, and it was amusing trying to teach them how to eat it. After dinner, I was telling Madelyn that we would have leftovers on Thursday as soft tacos instead because we were out of the crunchy shells. She was fine with this as she told me, "I think soft tacos will be better because they will be less breakier."

05 September 2016

After I got home from my run this morning, Madelyn informed me, "Everyone needs to complete one cleaning chore. And, then, we can have a Labor Day party with games and crafts and fun activities. There can be different activities for the kids and adults. What is your chore going to be?" All of us cleaned the upstairs bathrooms and vacuumed with Madelyn being the slowest and least enthusiastic of everyone about actually doing it.

04 September 2016

At the Renaissance Festival today, we let the girls get toy shields. Madelyn had also been eyeing some swords and told us, "I really want a sword, but I don't want to kill Aly!"

03 September 2016

After climbing a tree at one of the parks we visited today, Madelyn exclaimed, "I want to climb more trees! I want to be a monkey! I don't need a playground. Nature is my playground!"

02 September 2016

This morning before leaving for school, Madelyn walked out of the playroom with a small flashlight hanging on a toy cell phone. She said to Tony, "Just like you guy's phones have flashlights on them, mine has a flashlight on it, too! But, mine is an actual flashlight hanging on the phone."

01 September 2016

Before bed, I gave Madelyn an update about tomorrow.

Me: Daddy is staying home from work tomorrow, so he'll make sure you get to the bus.
Madelyn: Why is he staying home?
Me: Because he wanted to.
Madelyn: Why?
Me: Why not?
Madelyn: Why why not?