Madeleine

Madeleine turned five years old a few months ago and is getting ready to start school.  I want to remember what she is like right now: social, friendly, nurturing, maternal, cheerful, feels things deeply--both the good and the bad, the peace-maker (especially with younger children), really good at apologizing, a great learner, and so excited for all the things happening. 

She's had a busy year: fall soccer last year, ice skating with cousins, skiing lessons and practice with me this past winter, creative dance throughout, swim lessons this spring, and we just started a little month-long basketball class with Lucy too.  She loves trying new things.  I love letting her and try to do them one at a time.

She loves stories.  Matt is really good at making up all sorts of stories for Madeleine and Lucy and they LOVE listening to stories.  Maddie's gotten the Magic Tree House books on audio over the past year and she will take the CD's out of the car and listen to them inside while she plays with legos.  The CDs have been quite a blessing on our longer car trips (Laguna beach last fall and camping in Paige this spring).  We've also been reading more chapter books to her the past few months.  I'm surprised by how great she is at paying attention and wanting to keep reading.  Matt just read Narnia to her for the second time (The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe).  She and I and Lucy read the first two Boxcar Children books.  Matt read the original Winnie the Pooh book with them.  And then The House at Pooh Corner.  Those were fun because he would read to all of us sometimes at dinner time--and Matt does all the voices really well.  She also really liked Little House on the Prairie.  

Social describes Maddie really well.  She is friends with the kids in our neighborhood and finds somebody to bring back to our house to play with every day.  I know the knocks, doorbell presses, and other sounds to distinguish who it is at my door (usually for the third or fourth time each day).  Maddie is most happy with friends to play with--both older and younger.  I'm thankful they usually play here even if the toys are everywhere and I have cups for a bunch of extra kids on my table.  I love how friendly she is and she makes it easy for me to be neighborly and volunteer to keep other children here when a neighbor needs to run out for something.  

Everyday Madeleine plays some form of family.  Most often it starts with her and Lucy taking turns being the mommy/big sister to their baby dolls.  Sometimes their dolls need to be taken to the doctor, or go visiting people who have been staying with us.  A couple weeks ago we were leaving for church and Maddie came crying into my bathroom.  Matt and Lucy had left already.  Madeleine was ready to go but Matt wouldn't let her push her baby doll in her doll stroller to church... :)  "Who is going to feed her when she is hungry?" she asked through her tears.  "Who is going to put her to sleep and hold her and take care of her while we are gone?  Mom! I *have* to bring her with me!"  How could I say no?  We agreed that her doll wasn't aloud to go to primary so I would keep her in my church bag during class.  And the stroller had to stay outside the church doors where we used to park our real stroller.  You should have seen the smile on her face when she walked in to sacrament meeting though, holding her baby for Matt to see.  He smiled and laughed and was happy with the arrangement.  

All this play family has translated into Madeleine being so excited for our next baby to come.  She doesn't let me forget about the baby.  When we first found out we were expecting Madeleine drew a picture of our family with a third child in it.  When Matt and I went on the date the other day she said the baby was going on a date too.  At lunch the other day with two of Matt's cousins she said there were seven people at the table who knew each other (the four of us, two of them, and the baby).  I'm often caught off guard by her remarks that include this next child.  For all Maddie's concerned the baby's already here and has been since the day we told her there was another baby growing.  

School is starting soon.  She's been ready to start school for a year.  I'm excited for her to start and feel like she is more than ready and will thrive when she's there.  She loves learning and making new friends.  She is so ready for school.  I just hope Lucy and I will be ready to let her leave us.  Fortunately her kindergarten is a half day one so we will still get lots of time to play with our Maddie this year.  

Collecting bugs and making homes for them is a well-loved activity. 

She LOVES every minute of family time she can get.  This summer has been great because we've been able to spend a lot of time with Meyers.  We sure are glad we get to see Melory and Mark often too.  This was right after her dance recital this past spring. 

This picture is a bit blurry but it accurately shows Madeleine at her happiest: tacos and a friend to stay to dinner with us. 

A day of swim lessons.  She made it to the point where she could swim the length of the pool by herself by the end of lessons.  Still a bit cautious to swim very far by herself outside of swim lessons but at least she's happy to jump in by herself and put her face in the water now.  And she's a great floater.

Hiking down in Paige.  We went to waterfall gardens, or something like that.  But the girls mostly wanted to sit and play in the red sand and build things like this.  

There's a new park nearby with a merry-go-round in it.  Madeleine could play there for hours. 

Other note-worthy things: 

She lost her bottom two front teeth this year and is getting her permanent teeth in now.  

She's 45 inches tall and 39 pounds. 

She cut her own hair in Florida for the first (and hopefully only) time this spring. 

Her favorite color is "rainbow," although pink, purple, and "mint green" (really more like turquoise) are her favorite colors.  

Her favorite dinner is tacos: cheese, black beans, tomatoes, avocado/gaucamole.

She loves to cook/bake with me. 

She learned how to fish this year and had a fishing-themed birthday party.

We went to visit Kimmy in Washington DC earlier this summer and Madeleine loved that she got to see George Washington's house (thank you Magic Tree House books--for making it exciting and giving her a context for it).

She is still my cuddly child.  Bedtime is one of my favorite times of day with Maddie.  Almost every night she falls asleep with me sitting next to her either singing or stratching her back.  She loves to hold my hand.  At bedtime last night she told me I was the most important person in the world to her.  :)  It makes the stress, tears, and difficult days seem not so bad when bedtime is still a special part of our day. 

She's also very perceptive and is interested in what makes a good friend.  She tries really hard to be a good friend and she does fantastic. 

She is one of my best friends and I am so grateful for my Madeleine!