30 November 2016

The girls were taking turns climbing into the giant box that came today. As Madelyn was climbing out and Alyson was climbing in, Madelyn yelled, "It's time to ship an Alyson package!"

29 November 2016

While the girls and I were wrapping their Christmas gifts for Tony, Madelyn kept looking at one of them.

Me: Are you going to stop looking at this long enough for us to wrap it?
Madelyn, reluctantly: Yeah, we'll it.
Me: You're going to ask him if you can look at it more than he'll be able to look at it, aren't you?
Madelyn: Um, yeah, probably.

28 November 2016

After school today, the girls and I had been planning to wrap their Christmas gifts for Tony before he got home from work. Tony came home early today to work on the outside Christmas lights and was home before anyone else.

Madelyn, after she got home from school: Let's wrap Daddy's gifts!
Me: We'll do that tomorrow.
Madelyn, disappointed: Why?
Me: Is Daddy at work?
Madelyn: Oh, no.
Me: He's on the roof, but let's not risk him coming in on us wrapping.
Madelyn: Yeah, let's play it safe.

27 November 2016

Today I set Madelyn up with her own Charity Miles account on my old phone. The phone still has my old lock code, so she can't unlock the phone herself. She took the phone, put it in her back pocket, put on her Hogwarts Running Club Ravenclaw visor, and walked round and round the house for about a minute. 

Madelyn: Can I see how many miles I've done?
Me, unlocking the phone: 0.07 miles.
Madelyn: That's it!

26 November 2016

The girls decorated their own tree today. I gave them new small ornaments of Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, three angels, and the Three Wise Men. When Madelyn took Mary, Joseph, and Jesus to hang up, she said, "They have to stay together because they're a family." They were all hung right next to each other on the tree.

25 November 2016

While decorating the tree, Madelyn found out that she is a witch!

24 November 2016

While over at Grandma and Grandpa's today for Thanksgiving, Madelyn was playing restaurant. She gave Grandpa some food.

Grandpa, teasing: This tastes like cardboard!
Madelyn: That's because it is!

23 November 2016

I was at Madelyn's school today to help out with a party her class was having. I had asked Madelyn before school if she wanted to walk home. She said yes, so we did. On the walk home:

Madelyn, about 0.2 miles into the 1 mile walk: Are we almost home?
Me: No, we just started!
Madelyn: I know, but I'm tired and hoped we were almost home.

22 November 2016

I'll be at Madelyn's school tomorrow for a class party, which she knows about. 

Madelyn, to Tony: Will I be staying home with you tomorrow for the half day?
Me, confused: What are you asking?
Madelyn: Daddy will be home, so he'll get me at the bus stop, right?
Tony: No, who's going to be at school to get you?
Madelyn: Grandpa?
Me: No. What are you having tomorrow at school that I'm helping with?
Madelyn: Oh yeah, our Fun Run party!

21 November 2016

Alyson and I went to Target to pick up a birthday present for her friend and a case for my new phone. When Madelyn got home from her CCD class:

Madelyn: Did you get a new case?
Me, showing her: Yup.
Madelyn, excited: Oooh! Polka dots! Daddy, is your case going to have polka dots?

20 November 2016

While Madelyn and I were finalizing the details of her birthday party at Color Me Mine, she noticed the chalkboard pant on the wall where they write "Happy birthday, [name]!" for the party. She had already picked all of her colors (by numbers) for her signature paint. She chose #41, a purple, for most of her colors.

Madelyn: Will that be changed to say my name?
Employee: Yup. I'll write that the day of your party.
Madelyn: Can I pick the color?
Employee: Sure.
Madelyn: 41!
Me, laughing: It isn't paint. It's just chalk, so just pick a color name.
Madelyn: Oh! Purple!

19 November 2016

Typical interaction between them while in the car on the way home from seeing Santa today:

Alyson, yelling: Ow!

Tony: What are you guys doing back there?

Madelyn, sounding guilty: Playing!

Tony: Why does playing sound like it involves hurting Alyson?

Alyson: Madelyn didn't hurt me. I hurted myself.

18 November 2016

Awkward phrasing?
Me: Do you know what you want to get Aly for Christmas?
Madelyn, after thinking: Know and don't know.
Me: What?
Madelyn: I have ideas, but I don't actually know yet.

17 November 2016

Madelyn was showing me a picture she drew of a turkey with a green face and said, "It's not sick. That's just the color I decided to make it."

16 November 2016

Before bed:

Me: You won't have piano tomorrow. It's going to be Friday instead.
Madelyn: Why?
Me: Because your teacher won't have her car.
Madelyn: Why?
Me: Because she has to get it repaired.
Madelyn: Why?
Me: Because the manufacturer says there is something wrong with it that needs to be fixed.
Madelyn, unexpectedly and proud of herself: Okay. I kept saying "Why?" and you kept answering me until I said "Okay."

15 November 2016

This morning, the girls were fighting over whose hair I was going to do. 

Me, teasing: Sounds like we need a death match. Battle it out, and I'll do the winner's hair.
Madelyn: So, pretend to be dead?

14 November 2016

While talking about our days during dinner:

Me: [Alyson's teacher] said that the entire class was tired and out of it today.
Madelyn: Why did she say that the entire class was tired and out of it?
Me: Because the class was tired and out of it.
Madelyn: No, why were they tired and out of it?
Me: There's the better question.

13 November 2016

During dinner, Madelyn randomly observed, "What if there was a high school called Five High? It would be the opposite of high five!"

12 November 2016

During her piano lesson today:

Teacher: The notes in the spaces on the bass clef are A-C-E-G: All cows eat grass. Well, I'm pretty sure they do.
Madelyn, with absolute certainty: Yes, yes they do. All cows eat grass.

11 November 2016

Madelyn peaked at what I was looking at on my computer. After looking, she exclaimed, "Whoa! That's so cool! What the heck is that?"

10 November 2016

Multiple times today, Madelyn and Alyson got into arguments. For the most part, neither of them did anything wrong, they just disagreed on something. The one who was mad would announce being mad and storm off to another room, such as the play room, and shut the door. She would stay there for a while playing or doing whatever else by herself. Finally, she would come out and act like nothing happened. At least it was quiet!

09 November 2016

I'm actually glad she didn't really care.

Me: Trump won the election.
Madelyn: So, Hilary came in second?
Me: Yeah.
Madelyn, seeing something hanging on a doorknob: Hey! What's that orange string over there?

08 November 2016

Madelyn didn't have school today or yesterday. Before bed:
Me: Are you ready to go back to school tomorrow?
Madelyn: YEAH!

07 November 2016

Madelyn was looking at the LEGO Winter catalog. I'm not sure if she realized it was a LEGO catalog and not an ad for another store because she excitedly told me, "They have all of the LEGOs in one place!"

06 November 2016

After getting home from Grandma and Grandpa's:

Alyson: When are we going to have a sleep over at Grandma and Grandpa's again?
Tony: For Grandma's and Grandpa's sanity, not for a while.
Madelyn: What's a sanity?

05 November 2016

Last year, Madelyn played basketball. It took her all soccer season to have this epiphany:

Me: Do you remember in basketball how your coach told you to get open and get to the basket? Do the same thing for soccer. [Note, they don't follow all of the rules for soccer at this age.] 
Madelyn: But this is soccer, not basketball.
Me: In basketball, you dribble the ball with your hands and try to get the ball in the basket. For soccer, you dribble the ball with your foot and try to get the ball in the goal. They're practically the same thing.
Madelyn: You're right!

The next time she was playing, she got open, received a pass, and almost scored. One of her teammates finished off the play and scored.

04 November 2016

Me: What's part of the Declaration of Independence?
Madelyn: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal"
Tony: Who wrote it?
Madelyn, thinking: Thomas Jefferson!
Me: Yup! You're learning U.S. history through something fun like "Hamilton".
Madelyn, excited: Really! When we really learn it in school, my teacher is going to be so surprised!

03 November 2016

During her piano lesson today, Madelyn started to compose her own song. She was so excited to play it for Tony when he got home. The second he walked in the door, she said, "Daddy! Listen to what I did!" and started to play before he could even put down anything he was holding.

02 November 2016

Kids these days definitely play some interesting games. While getting ready for bed, Madelyn told me, "We were playing teenagers at recess, and I was 29 just like [boy in class], and I had enough money to buy a mansion!" Poor kid is in for a rude awakening.

01 November 2016

While walking from the car to soccer practice, we passed a tree that had good low climbing branches but quickly went to lots of thin, unclimbable branches.

Madelyn: I want to climb that tree!
Me: You wouldn't be able to get very high. You're too heavy for the little branches. They'll break.
Madelyn: If I went on enough of them them they wouldn't break.
Me: You would need a lot more branches than that tree has.