31 January 2017

During dinner, I gave the girls a heads up about dinner for tomorrow since Madelyn has basketball practice and we all have to go.

Me: Tomorrow, we'll have a dinner of leftovers.
Alyson, looking at her plate: I want this and this.
Me: We're going to have the leftovers that have accumulated all week. You get to pick what you want.
Madelyn: Well, what are our options?
Me: The fettuccini or the sausage and spinach over rice or the soup or the sweet potatoes and green beans.
Madelyn: I want the sausage and spinach! That's my favorite. I could eat that everyday until I got sick of it!
Alyson: But, I want sweet potatoes and green beans!
Me: You don't have to have the same thing.
Madelyn: Yay!

30 January 2017

Madelyn's shoelace was knotted and she asked me to unknot it. It was a mess. As I was untying it, she said, "I don't even know what happened. Sometimes surprising things happen."

29 January 2017

Alyson's school is having a spirit week this coming week, so the preschool is joining in on days that they have class.

Me: Aly, tomorrow is pajama day at school! You get to wear your pajamas. Doesn't that sound like fun?
Madelyn, pouting: I wish I had pajama day.

28 January 2017

We had dinner tonight at Buca di Beppo. One of the dishes we ordered was Fettuccini Alfredo with chicken, broccoli, and red peppers.

Madelyn, after eating some fettuccini: The frappuccino pasta tastes pretty good!
Tony: You mean "fettuccini"?
Madelyn, with a look on her face showing that she knew she was being silly: Yeah, I knew I was saying it wrong!

27 January 2017

Before bed, Madelyn and I were cuddling and chatting. She started poking my belly, which made it jiggle a little. As she poked me, she started repeating "Boingy jiggle! Boingy jiggle!" and laughing hysterically. That of course made me laugh, which increased the "jiggle". 

26 January 2017

Madelyn's wonderful piano teacher brought me a cake for my birthday since Madelyn had a lesson today. Of course, I did not know this. Tony wasn't home yet, but at one point, Madelyn awkwardly came out to the living room during her lesson. It all makes sense now.

Madelyn: Has Daddy parked yet?
Me: Um, no. He isn't home yet. What are you doing out here?
Madelyn: Mrs. Rackey said I could come out for a minute!

25 January 2017

For dinner tonight, instead of having fish sticks and some sides that I was tired of, I turned fish sticks into fish tacos. Madelyn was impressed and said, "Wow! You were really creative with this dinner!"

24 January 2017

Tony was practicing his Spanish on Duolingo. 

Tony, directed toward Madelyn knowing she knows the word for "penguin": ¿Cuál es el penguino?
Madelyn: Penguin! And whatever you said before that.

23 January 2017

A new para-educator started today to help a student in Madelyn's class. I was asking her how she compared to the old one.

Me: Was she older or younger than [old para-educator].
Madelyn: Younger, I think. She is shorter, so I guess younger.

22 January 2017

We went to the Maryland Women's basketball game today against Rutgers. With every single basket in the first five minutes or so of the game, Madelyn would excitedly yell at us something like, "We're one ahead of them!"

21 January 2017

First

Madelyn and Alyson were playing with swords, shields, and a stuffed dragon. Madelyn was telling Alyson how to fight the dragon. Instead of telling her to swing the sword, Madelyn started yelling, "Sword it! Sword it!"

Second

We went to Barnes & Noble today for the girls to spend some gift cards they got for Christmas. What does Madelyn decide to buy? A book about the Presidents of the United States, a biography on George Washington, and a biography on Alexander Hamilton. 

20 January 2017

In the car today, we were stopped at a red light with arrow signs designating the direction for each lane. 

Alyson, referring to the "straight only" sign: Really? Those signs mean the cars have to go up!
Madelyn: A car can only go up if it has wings to fly.
Alyson: Of if a helicopter come and grabs it.

19 January 2017

For her bedtime story, Tony has been reading Madelyn The Chronicles of Narnia. Tonight they were at a point in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader where the sea was made of sugar water instead of salt water.

Madelyn: Why is the sea sugar water instead of salt water?
Tony: The story hasn't told us that yet.
Madelyn, completely sure of herself: Aslan.

18 January 2017

At the end of basketball practice this evening when the coach was talking to the team:

Coach: Since you didn't have a game this past weekend, you should have twice the energy on Saturday, right?
Madelyn: I'll have triple the energy!

17 January 2017

Madelyn's teacher has been out for a few days because she has been sick. Madelyn had really wished she would be back today, but she wasn't. She told me this evening, "I hope [teacher] is back tomorrow because I really miss her." Awwww.

16 January 2017

Alyson and Nana were talking on FaceTime so that Nana could wish Alyson a happy birthday.

Nana: You're 4 years old! I'm just a bit older than that.
Alyson: Uh huh.
Madelyn, while sitting in the background, mumbled under her breath: A lot older....

15 January 2017

Before bed tonight, Madelyn and I were talking about what we're doing for Alyson's birthday tomorrow.

Me: We aren't in any rush tomorrow, so you and Alyson can sleep as long as you want in the morning.
Madelyn: Yeah, because tomorrow's Aly's birthday, so she should be able to sleep in if she wants to.

Now, how much do you want to bet that she'll forget that come my birthday?

14 January 2017

I baked and decorated cupcakes for Alyson's birthday party tomorrow. The girls came into the kitchen to take a look and ask if they could help, but I was already finishing the last one. The cupcakes are frosted to look like grass and have a woodland animal ring on top of them. Madelyn was impressed and exclaimed, "Since Aly's having a nature party, we get to eat grass!"

13 January 2017

On the way home from the bus stop, I told Madelyn the plan to go over the Mom's for a surprise birthday dinner for Alyson. While we were home, I made up a little story that I needed to go to Mom's to get something I needed to make Alyson's birthday cupcakes. They were being typical children and were taking forever to get ready to go.

Me: We need to hurry and get to grandma's so that I can get back home to make dinner.

Madelyn, whispering to me: I thought we were having dinner at Grandma's.

Me, whispering back: I'm lying for the surprise.

Madelyn: Oooohhh!!!!!

12 January 2017

We had an unseasonably warm day here at about 70F. Madelyn got off the bus and excitedly cheered, "I'm not wearing my jacket! And, I didn't wear my jacket at all during recess!"

11 January 2017

During story time tonight, Madelyn desperately wanted to help the main characters out. She told Tony, "I wish I could go into the story and tell them, 'Don't eat the food! It will make you sleep!'"

10 January 2017

While we were waiting for the bus this afternoon, Alyson was being silly and following me around while I was pacing back and forth to keep warm. As she followed me, she kept repeating, "I'm following your butt! I'm following your butt!" When the bus came and I stopped pacing, she decided to stand right behind me with her nose literally on my butt and kept giggling. When Madelyn got off the bus, she though Alyson was hiding and gave me a mischievous look, but didn't say anything. She quickly went around me and yelled, "Boo!" at Alyson.

09 January 2017

Before Madelyn would get in the car today, she had to have a question answered.

Madelyn: Do we need cars?
Tony: What do you mean?
Madelyn: Do we need cars? They pollute the environment, so do we need them?

08 January 2017

The girls had their first swimming lessons at a new place today. Practically the first thing Madelyn said to me after her lesson was over was, "I like my teacher! She was VERY patient with us!"

07 January 2017

Today was the first basketball game of the season. It was also the first game since Madelyn got her ears pierced. The league rule, which is why we had them pierced in early summer, is no earrings, and they can't even be taped over. Madelyn knew this. She got in her basketball clothes this morning, and I told her we would take out her earring before we left about 2 hours later. About every half hour so after that reminded me that she needed her earring taken out.

06 January 2017

During dinner:
Madelyn, quite randomly: What does "addociate" mean?
Tony: Addociate?
Me: I don't think that's a word. Use it in a sentence.
Tony: What song lyric did you think you heard it in?
Madelyn: "Addociate a time and place."
Tony: Oh, it's "negotiate".
Madelyn: Ohhh....

Madelyn, maybe five minutes later: What does "negotiate" mean?

05 January 2017

As soon as Madelyn got off the bus, she bounded up to me, opened her mouth in a wide smile, pointed to the new hole between her teeth, and practically yelled, "I LOST MY TOOTH AT SCHOOL TODAY!"

04 January 2017

As we were walking home from the bus this afternoon, Madelyn told me, "Today, before writer's workshop, I told my class all about visiting all of the parks! [Teacher] thought the special breakfast was tomorrow since I was at school on time, but that's silly because it was today!"

02 January 2017

We visited Bill and Amanda today, and the girls loved seeing baby toys there that are the same as some that they used to play with. Madelyn took a shape sorter toy like what she used to play with all the time, put the lid on the floor like she used to do, and put the shapes in that so that they stuck out some. She then announced, "It's a fruity tootie shape cake! What? That's what it looks like!" This is exactly what she used to do when she was 3 or 4 years old.

01 January 2017

Madelyn went to see "Mary Poppins" today with Aunt Gina and Uncle Matt for her birthday present. After she got home:

Me: What was your favorite part of the play?
Madelyn, very excitedly: When Mary Poppins actually FLEW! She used the zip line thing to go from the stage all the way to the BACK of the theater! 

31 December 2016

We exchanged Christmas gifts with Julie today. Madelyn received a Santa with the body made of a spring like a Slinky. She stretched it out as far as it would go and said in a Santa voice, "I'm so tall I don't have a body!"