28 February 2017

Madelyn's school had a restaurant night at Matchbox Pizza today. When we were leaving, Madelyn noticed the matchboxes in resin just outside the door and exclaimed, "There are matches on the floor of the world!"

27 February 2017

The girls were playing after dinner with some stuffed animals. They "found" an orphaned baby and were talking about it.

Madelyn: The baby's name was.... Mama Lucia.
Alyson: And the baby's name is, um.... Baby.... CiCi!

(To those not familiar, Mama Lucia's is an Italian restaurant and CiCi's is a pizza buffet.)

26 February 2017

Madelyn and Alyson went to the Maryland Women's basketball game today with Bill. For the first two minutes or so of the game, Madelyn kept figuring out the point spread between the two teams. She was convinced that they were going to be eight points apart for the entire game. Final score: Minnesota 60, Maryland 93.

25 February 2017

While we were making a grocery store list this afternoon, we had the girls look through the paper ad to see if there was anything they wanted for lunches or dinners this week. Madelyn took that to mean that she should read through everything in the ad and ask, "Do we need drumsticks? Do we need chicken roasters? Do we need pork shoulder? Do we need chicken thighs?"

24 February 2017

We ordered Chinese food for dinner tonight. The place also sells sushi and Japanese food.

Me: Do you also want edamame or sushi?
Madelyn: Sushi! Wait, can we have both?

23 February 2017

While Madelyn and Alyson were FaceTiming with their aunt Becca this morning:

Madelyn: I'm already learning division in my iReady! Fourteen divided by two is seven!
Becca: That's right! Good job! Aly, what's two plus three?
Alyson, using her fingers to count: Five!
Becca: Yup! Good!
Madelyn, to Alyson: What's seven plus seven?
Alyson: I don't know.
Madelyn, to Alyson: What's two times seven?
Alyson: I don't know. 

22 February 2017

At the end of Madelyn's basketball practice this evening, they were going to scrimmage like they usually do, but only half of the team was at practice. Of the five girls there, Madelyn was the most emphatic in chanting, "Kids versus parents! Kids versus parents!" We ended up playing against them. Madelyn left practice so excited because that was "so much fun!"

21 February 2017

While the girls were playing:

Alyson: Who is your principal?
Madelyn: Ms. [name]. I don't know her real name.

Me: That is her real name.

Madelyn: No, I mean I don't know her first name!

20 February 2017

After we left the Aquarium today, we were trying to decide what to do before leaving Baltimore.

Tony: We could walk around Barnes & Noble.
Madelyn: We could... What else?

19 February 2017

Madelyn and Alyson were playing with their toys. Tony and I weren't paying much attention until we heard Madelyn say, "They live in a hotel where it's quiet." I don't think Madelyn has stayed in enough hotels in her life.

18 February 2017

Lately, Madelyn and I have been horsing around a bit before she goes to bed. A lot of it is me picking her up or her trying to see if she is suddenly stronger than me. Tonight, she declared, "I'm stronger than you when you're using only one arm and I'm using my whole body!"

17 February 2017

While we were out for dinner tonight, Tony left the table to use the restroom. Madelyn was sitting so that her back was toward the direction of the restrooms. Just before Tony came back:

Madelyn, with an "ah ha!" look on her face: Here comes Daddy!

Me: You hear his keys, don't you?
Madelyn: Yup!

16 February 2017

We had spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight. When I got the meatballs out to cook them:
Me, showing Madelyn a meatball: Madelyn, how many meatballs do you want?
Madelyn: ... I'm waiting for you to tell me the serving size.
Me: Oh, okay. Six.
Madelyn: I'll have six meatballs please.

15 February 2017

On the way to basketball practice, we drove past a building with a restaurant on the first floor. The building's key feature is all of the windows. Madelyn went to the restaurant with some family for her birthday.

Madelyn: They had automagical... Wait... Umm...
Me: Automatic?
Madelyn: Yeah! Automatic drapes that covered the windows!

14 February 2017

Tonight's special family Valentine's dinner was cheese fondue and chocolate fondue for dessert. The girls had never had fondue before. Madelyn's general opinion of the fondue was, "I LOVE IT!"

13 February 2017

While walking home from the bus stop:

Madelyn: I want to play iPad.

Me: You know the rules. No iPad during the week.

Madelyn: Then why did you let us play on Friday?

Me: That was after school on Friday, so the weekend had basically started. But, I can also not let you play on Fridays if you want.

Madelyn: No! Fridays can count as weekends!

12 February 2017

I tried a sample of a new protein shake today. It really wasn't good, but I drank it anyway. It was vanilla flavored, but was green colored because it boasts to contain two servings of greens. Eventually, Madelyn decided to be adventurous and taste it even though she knew I didn't like it.

Alyson, after Madelyn drank some: What does it taste like? Grass?
Madelyn, after drinking some water: Yuck! No. It just doesn't taste good.

11 February 2017

While eating dessert after dinner, which was chocolate cake:

Tony: This cake is really rich.
Madelyn: What do you mean by rich? There's too much money in it?

10 February 2017

Madelyn's school had their Valentine's Day parties today. Madelyn ate a lot of treats during her party. I was there. I saw it all. After the party, she told everyone she could multiple times, "At our party, I ate everything I could get my hands on!" That was only a bit of an exaggeration. 

09 February 2017

After dinner, Tony was doing is DuoLingo Spanish lessons. Madelyn decided she needed to chime in with what she knows and said, "¡Hola, penguino! ¡Adios, penguino!"

08 February 2017

Madelyn picked out scratch and sniff dessert themed Valentine's cards for her class. Her class's party is on Friday, so she went ahead and addressed her cards today. As she was getting them out of the box, she was in Heaven and exclaimed, "Ooooh, these smell so good!"

07 February 2017

I had to keep an eye on the time while the girls were getting ready for bed because I was going to the PTA meeting tonight. I glanced at the clock in Madelyn's room.

Madelyn, saying this in rhythm and knowingly smiling at me: What time is it?
Me, completely understanding her reference: Showtime.
Madelyn laughed.
Me: You would have been really mad if I hadn't answered that way, right?
Madelyn: Yup.

06 February 2017

As Alyson walked past me, I grabbed her to hug her. I trapped her legs with my legs and had my arms wrapped around her as she was facing away from me.

Tony: Are you trapped?
Alyson: No! If Momma let my arms go and I got my legs out I could get out if I just stepped out like this and...
Madelyn: That sounds like you're trapped.

05 February 2017

Madelyn was reading a book before I said good night to her.

Me: You're such a bookworm. 
Madelyn: A book what?
Me: A bookworm. It's means that you're always reading a book.
Madelyn: Yeah, I read whenever I can!
Me: Exactly, bookworm.
Madelyn, back to her book: Mmmhmmmm.

04 February 2017

We went to a sushi place for dinner tonight. Madelyn had a Shrimp Tempura Roll and really liked it. (Alyson had pb&j rolls from the kids menu.) After we left the place:

Me: So, you liked your sushi?
Madelyn: Yeah!
Me: Next time, you'll try something with raw fish, right?
Madelyn: NO!

03 February 2017

Mom and I decided this morning that I wasn't picking Alyson up after work because we were going to have dinner at Mom and Dad's. Instead I was going to go home and get Madelyn from the bus stop and then go over to their house. Madelyn was right there for the conversation, but the first thing she said as she ran off the bus was, "Where's Aly?"

02 February 2017

The girls wanted to have breakfast for dinner tonight, but they were arguing over omelettes (Madelyn) or pancakes (Alyson). I gave up, and we went to Silver Diner.

Me: What are you going to get, Madelyn?
Madelyn: Blueberry pancakes.
Me: But you're the one who wanted omelettes.
Madelyn: Yeah, well, now I want pancakes.
Me: Okay then, Ms. Kiddo.
Madelyn: Don't call me Ms. Kiddo!

01 February 2017

I packed each girl a cookie in their lunches today. I put them in a disposable snack bag instead of a reusable one. Apparently, this didn't meet Madelyn's approval because she asked me, "These bags aren't good for the environment, are they?"