Madelyn's latest happenings

I haven't done a post on Madelyn lately (which is weird because this whole blog used to be about her). Here's her official 2nd grade picture. Isn't she adorable!?

 

I love it! I got to choose the background and orientation. They took the photos in front of a green screen and then digital backgrounds were put in. Technology!

We had parent teacher conference about a week and a half ago, and the conversation was basically, "Madelyn's doing well...but she's very emotional." That would be the understatement of the century. She cries at the drop of a hat. Her teacher (Mrs. Gallis) said that one day they were reading in groups, and Madelyn was reading in too quiet of a voice for the other kids to hear, so they asked her to read louder and that made her cry. Plus the second week of school she called me from the office like four days in a row wanting me to come to the school and/or bring her home for one reason or the other. SIGH! On the other hand, she laughs super easily, too. It's like one big roller coaster ride!

 

This is the typical school library book haul she brings home each week. A bunch of dangerous animal books and The Possessed (which she just got for the creepy picture on the cover--she didn't actually read it). I'm fairly sure she's checked out every single shark book the library owns multiple times. They are her favorite animal. 

Here's what she picked out at the book fair after we went to parent teacher conference:

I ♥ Kittens with a purple kitty charm bracelet? Oh! Typical 7-year old girl! And then......Attack of the Shark-Headed Zombie. "YES! I want THAT one!!!!!!"

I should mention that she's had a penchant for the macabre since she was two years old. So far Luke shows no such signs.

 

She got stung by a hornet while waiting for the school bus one morning about two weeks ago. Poor thing had to go through the whole school day without it being treated (other than a band-aid). It was red and swollen for at least a week and a half. It's still itching her. Ouch.

  

She got a Nintendo DS for Christmas last year, and of course Luke plays with it all the time when she's not around. The games are these teeny little one inch squares of plastic and who knows how many we've lost. Her favorite game, Cooking Mama Shop and Chop  had been missing for about three months. Last week, I caught Luke dropping various DS games (which are not cheap, by the way) over the side of his bed (against the wall). I pulled out the blanket drawer he has underneath it and lo and behold--there was the missing game along with a couple of others. Luke!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Picture she drew of The Doctor (from Doctor Who) wearing his 3-D glasses (complete with David Tennant's glorious hair and sideburns), an hourglass to represent "time" and the sonic screwdriver! I love that girl!!!!

 

 The other day, she pulled out her old leotard and tights and asked me to teach her some ballet. I had her get out this instructional ballet video we have of a class of little girls and she followed along for about 15 minutes before declaring that it was "too hard" and "My arms are too tired". I just had to smile. I knew ballet would be too slow of a pace for her. Which is why doing crazy, bouncy, swingy gymnastics is right up her alley.

 She's always on the lookout for butterflies, and back in August she spied this (very tolerant) yellow swallowtail in our yard and took 25 pictures of it!

 (Mark's mowing the lawn in the background)

 Amazing!

  

Last week we let her do a four day "Jr. Cheer Camp" with the cheerleaders from Cedar High School. It was a logistical nightmare because I had to pick her up from school in order for her to get there on time, plus she still had gymnastics, plus we had about one thousand other things going on. However, she "LOOOVED" it (her words--you have to say it in a guttural voice).

 On Thursday, she got to cheer at a high school football game--Cedar High Redmen vs. Canyon View Falcons (also from Cedar--big rivalry).

 

Of course it rained almost the whole time. It was only about 42°, too. The coldest weather we've had all fall, and the first rain we've had in a month!

 

We had to dig out the winter coats. Luke still thought it was all very exciting.

 

 

 Guess who already wants to be a high school cheerleader when she grows up!

Here's one of their cheers I recorded:

They're saying, "The cookie monster says that the Redmen are... the great big cookies at the top of the jar! The cookie monster says that the Falcons are... the itty bitty crumbs at the bottom of the jar!" (then high pitched screaming)

 

Then they did a little dance out on the field at halftime, after which we promptly left because we were all sopping wet and freezing. Mark and I laughed because it's probably the first football game either of us have been to in about 15 years.

 We love our little Miss!! ♥