30 December 2016

The girls were playing and putting on a pretend concert. Madelyn began introducing their show and said, "And if you enjoy the show there'll be refreshments after the show!"

29 December 2016

We went to the Maryland Women's Basketball game today against UConn. While we were waiting for the doors to the Xfinity Center to open:

Man in front of us in line: Who's going to win?
Madelyn: Maryland!
Man: By how much?
Madelyn: One-hundred points!

28 December 2016

Tony and I decided to go for a (second) walk this afternoon while here at Nana and Poppop's.

Tony to Madelyn: Do you want to go for a walk with us?
Madelyn, instantly: No! I want to keep playing!

27 December 2016

On the way to Nana and Poppop's we were close enough to Yorktown, VA for it to appear on the mileage signs. When Madelyn finally noticed one, she whispered, "The Battle of Yorktown. 1781."

26 December 2016

Tony took the girls to Target to return Alyson's slippers that were too small to the elves stationed there.

Alyson: Daddy, where are the elves?
Tony: They're working in the store and are dressed like the Target employees. They have red shirts and tan pants. There's one.

The entire rest of the way through the store, the girls kept pointing out Target "elves" by saying, "There's one!" every time they saw an employee.

Alyson seeing a Target employee as they were leaving: Is that a Target elf?
Tony: I don't know. It might be.
Madelyn: How will Santa get the slippers?
Tony: Don't worry. Santa and the elves will use their magic to make sure they get where they need to go.

25 December 2016

While finishing up dessert at Mom and Dad's after Christmas dinner:

Alyson: I love Christmas!
Mom: Too bad Christmas is only once a year.
Madelyn: Jesus was only born once a year!
Tony: I'm pretty sure Jesus was only born once.
Madelyn: I mean we only celebrate his birth once a year!

24 December 2016

Admittedly, we usually leave Mass at Communion because Alyson just can't stay quiet for much longer. There are times we stay until the end of Mass like Christmas Eve and Easter. After we got back to the pew after Communion today, Madelyn whispered to me, "Are we going to leave? I thought was is over." Oops.

23 December 2016

We made sugar cookies today and one snowman's head broke off when I was checking if they were done.

Me: We'll have to make an icing scarf on one of the snowmen. I accidentally broke off his head.
Madelyn: The icing will hold his head on. "I'm Nearly Headless Nick Snowman!"

22 December 2016

The girls were playing while waiting for Santa to come around on the firetruck. Suddenly, we heard Madelyn yell, "We're going to have so much fun down here that we're going to blow our mind with fun!"

21 December 2016

Tony and I finished wrapping presents for the girls today and put them out by the tree. A good chunk of them are in a pile right by the front door.

Madelyn, the instant she walked in the door: Who are all of these for?
Tony: They have tags on them.
Madelyn, as she read the tags: Aly. Me. Me. Aly. They're for us!

20 December 2016

Since the moment she got home this afternoon, Madelyn was acting like a brat.

Me: If you keep acting like a brat, you're going to have to clean the house.
Madelyn: I'm not cleaning it by myself! I'm going to get Aly to help me.
Me: Nope, only those acting like brats are going to have to clean the house. If she isn't acting like a brat, she doesn't have to help you.
Madelyn: Then I'm going to tell her to act like a brat!
Me: If you do that, you're really in trouble.

19 December 2016

The girls were making some potpourri this afternoon. Madelyn was so confused about what it is called and asked me, "What is this again? Pastastory?"

18 December 2016

The gingerbread house the girls and I decorated today was a Starbucks Cafe. We also had some Santa decorations to add to it. Madelyn created an entire storyline, "It's the North Pole Starbucks. Santa is walking through the drive-thru because he parked his sleigh on the roof with the reindeer. He needs to get his coffee before he leaves so that she stays awake on his long trip around the world on Christmas Eve."

17 December 2016

We were listening to the Pentatonix Christmas album in the car. The song "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" came on, and Madelyn informed us, "I've heard the version of this version of this song." Huh?

16 December 2016

Tony was playing Super Mario Run on his phone and Madelyn was watching. While he was racing in a Toad Rally, Madelyn got really excited and said, "Wow! You're really far ahead of that person!" Then, a few seconds later, "You're still really far ahead of that person!"

15 December 2016

For the first time, Madelyn was the kid in the audience with us and not the one on the stage performing. She was excited to see Alyson's preschool Christmas program, but throughout the entire thing, she repeatedly asked, "Is it time for the refreshments yet?"

14 December 2016

While I was fixing dinner, I had the girls help me out by stuffing Christmas cards.

Madelyn, to Alyson: We're elves!
Alyson: Why?
Madelyn: We're helping Santa-Mommy with Christmas!

Madelyn went on and on about being elves and helping "Santa-Mommy". Eventually, Alyson got annoyed.

Alyson: Why do you keep calling her "Santa-Mommy"? She isn't Santa!

13 December 2016

During dinner we were talking about the years everyone in our family was born. 

Madelyn, to Tony and me: What year were you born in?
Me, muffled by a noise: 1982.
Madelyn, trying to clarify: What year were you guys born in? 1882?

12 December 2016

Our family was invited to a special breakfast for our city's parks and recreation department since we completed our 2016 family challenge of visiting all 65 parks in our city. When I told Madelyn this afternoon, her jaw dropped, she gasped, fell over backward on the couch, and yelled, "Really?!?!?!" I wonder how she would react if we did something to really become famous.

11 December 2016

We had homemade pizza for dinner tonight. Tony was drinking a Sodastream soda that was pretty light colored. Alyson was talking about what each person was drinking. Madelyn observed, "Daddy has soda, but not very thick soda."

10 December 2016

Before bed, Madelyn and I were talking about the day and her pottery painting party at Color Me Mine.

Me: What was your favorite part of your party?
Madelyn: I had to favorite parts: painting pottery and the cake.

Me: Well, I'm glad since that basically was your party.

09 December 2016

First

Madelyn colored me a picture today at school. When she gave it to me, she made sure to inform me without any prompting, "It's not unfinished. The face is white. It's supposed to be that way."

Second

When Madelyn was going to bed around 7pm:

Me: Good night. I love you, and happy birthday again!

Madelyn: My birthday is over before I really turn seven!

Me: True.

Madelyn: How much longer until I turn seven?

Me, looking at my watch: A little less than 5 hours.

Madelyn: That's because I was born really late at night.

(She was born at 11:58pm.)

08 December 2016

When Madelyn left for the bus stop this morning:
Mom: This is the last time I'll see you as a six-year-old!
Madelyn, after she walked away a few steps: I'll still be six tomorrow morning because I wasn't born until late at night!

07 December 2016

After basketball practice this evening, Madelyn and I went to the grocery store. On the way there I was listing items we needed.

Me: We might not get the celery depending on what they have. Daddy can get milk tomorrow if we don't want to get it.
Madelyn: So we need 9 or 8 or 7 things.

Honestly, her counting helped because we almost forgot something before we went through the list and counted to figure it out.

06 December 2016

We had a joint birthday dinner tonight for Mom and Madelyn. After we were done with cake, there was about two-thirds of it left. Madelyn looked at her grandma and asked completely seriously, "You're sharing what's left, right?"

05 December 2016

Apparently, I'm not allowed to play pretend.

The girls have a Hallie (from Doc McStuffins) figurine that lost an ear. Somehow they found the ear, so I glued it on and held it with some tape while it dried.

Madelyn: Why is that paper on Hallie's ear?
Me: It's tape to hold it in place while the ear dries. It's like a cast that will come off after the ear heals.

Madelyn just looked at me like I was crazy.

04 December 2016

During story time tonight, Madelyn was confused by some words in italics. She asked Tony, "Why does it look like The Dawn Treader has been reading really fast?"

03 December 2016

Madelyn had a dress-up birthday party to go to today that she wore a fancy dress to. After she got home, she didn't want to change. Before dinner (spaghetti and meatballs), I suggested that she change multiple times. She didn't want to. As we sat down for dinner, she reached over her plate to grab her napkin and managed to get spaghetti sauce on her arm. Luckily, it was a sleeveless dress and she had taken off her sweater. She then wore a painting smock for the rest of dinner.

01 December 2016

Tony and I chaperoned Madelyn's field trip today to a local children's theater to see "Beauty and the Beast". We were sitting in the row behind Madelyn. When the music started, Tony and I "caught" Madelyn playing air piano along with it. That's our little music geek.