Madelisms

While grocery shopping:

Madeline: Lydia, you can't have a cookie. But you can have a hug!!

Then I melted into a puddle on the floor.

I love my girl.

mg

July 4th

So the holiday, part 2.

After the festivities of Saturday here and here we spend Sunday the 4th even busier.

We stared the day by getting Lydia all girlie.

I could just melt into those eyes.

Then it was lunch with Kevin's family and dinner with mine. It was really nice to spend time both sides of the family. Even if I revealed myself as an emotional whack-a-do.

Then the real holiday excitement began.

A town close by does a huge carnival for the 4th including rides and fireworks. Madeline had a blast at the carnival!

The carousel was a hit which comes as no surprise.

And the cars that go around in a circle were a smash too. OMG I love this photo!

She was in carni heaven.

Glow necklaces and a juice box. What more does a girl need?

After her first trip to a port-a-john (which we both survived, thankfully) we settled in to watch the fireworks. I love fireworks. Probably more than the average spectator. I find them mesmerizing and the closer I am the better. This year we opted for much further away for obvious reasons.

Now here is where I'd like to say that she loved them as much as I do and it was magical. I'd like to. But I can't. She kinda freaked out and a huge thank you goes to my father in law who was sitting with us because he took Madeline back home and let Kevin and I stay to watch the fireworks.

I don't know what exactly bothered her about the fireworks. I just know that I really didn't expect her to have such a negative reaction. I guess three is still a little to young to enjoy all of the 4th of July festivities.

mg

Madeline and the Sarcophagus

Earlier this week we spent the morning at the Missouri Botanical Garden. (Thank you Anna, Madeline and Cullen!) While there one of the volunteers gave each of the big girls a scrap book featuring some of St. Louis' museums. (MoBot, the Science Center, Missouri History Museum, etc)

One of the locations was the Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) and the art featured in the book was the Egyptian mummys. Madeline has been talking about the sarcophagus all week long.

About four months ago we borrowed this book from our library and part of the story line involves "the bad guy" being locked in a sarcophagus. What amazes me, is that she remembered the story with more detail than I did. I am pretty sure she is going to ace reading comprehension in school... much like her momma.

Any who we are lucky enough to have a world class art museum that has a decent collection of Egyptian artifacts at SLAM so Granny and Poppy set off with Madeline on an adventure to find the sarcophagus.

I've been told she was impressed that this railing was just her size. :)

After the quick rest, they headed to find the sarcophagus.

We found it!

Posing with the "mumma". For some reason Madeline can say sarcophagus without much trouble but she has been calling the mummy a mumma. Who knows what goes on in her silly head some times.

She also found the blue hippo!

After the Egyptian art they visited some of the other pieces of art.

A Monet.

A Degas.

Then they headed back out into the heat and played around Art Hill.


And the Grand Basin.


St. Louis joined in the fun.


Taking the long walk down the hill back to the car.

Thank you Granny and Poppy. What a wonderful adventure for Miss Madeline!

mg

July 3rd

So this holiday was weird. Not only was I missing my friends, but because it was on Sunday the festivities were spread out over two days. This is one case where I am going to say two is not better than one.

So the 4th of July parade was on the 3rd of July. We still had fun. The weather was perfect.


Although blurry I feel it necessary to post this photo of Lydia before we left for the parade all decked in her red, white and blue because she has been sadly absent from my posts in the last month. I am going to have to make it up to her. How can you not fall in love with that face? I mean come on!

Waiting for the start of the parade with Maw Maw.

The fire engine started off the parade and Madeline was not too keen on the noise.

She did however love chilling between Uncle Bryan and daddy in the back of the car.

I feel like I must have just told her she couldn't have a pony. Look at that face. And the posture... if I didn't know any better I'd say she is 8 months going on 13 years.



Madeline was most looking forward to the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales, but not for the horses, but for the puppy that rides on top. Totally her favorite part.

My favorite part is usually the marching band. That's about all I have to say about that. (Except that the drummer right in the middle of the frame is one of my dad's drum students and I've known him since he was 11 and he all grown up and I loved seeing him!)

Madeline took her turn on Maw Maw's lap taking in the sights with Jane.

Before I knew it, the parade was over and Lydia was sleeping in the sling.

mg

Tonight, I proved myself to be completely emotionally unstable

Happy 4th of July.

Today was kinda crappy but for totally boring reasons except for one.

Tonight I proved myself to be completely emotionally unstable.

Let me back up. The 4th is generally my favorite holiday. This year it just hasn't felt right. I thought it might be because it was on a Sunday so the festivities were unnaturally spread over the course of three days. This is one case where three days is not better than one. Tonight I proved that there was way more to it than that.

After finishing dinner I sat at the table with Kevin and Kathy (my SIL) conversing. Kathy, very innocently asked if our friends Scott and Becky were in town for the holiday and I BURST into tears immediately and without warning. Not just little tears, like a full out sob. Immediately. So it turns out I really do have emotional problems.

Kevin had to answer her because I couldn't. As it turns out I miss them more than I was letting myself feel and although I couldn't put my finger on why I was so unbalanced this 4th of July at that moment I knew that it didn't feel right because they weren't there. I was missing them in a way that I totally hadn't expected.

Where were they? Well Scott is a member of the US Army and is currently deployed to Iraq. Becky, is living in Hawaii where he is stationed until the end of this year sometime. This is the first 4th of July in at least 6 years that we have spent without them.

It sucked.

To top it off we went to see fireworks tonight and stopped by 'our usual spot' to say hello to Scott's mother and upon telling her this story I began crying all over again.

It's official. I need serious psychiatric intervention.

Now.

mg

July 2010

We all knew she was growing up, but she is actually a giant.

Actually.

Reader? Read here.

Photo credit: My parents.

mg

It really is a shame

It really is a shame that Madeline is such a wall flower.


And she is just so very serious all the time.


I worry that she just won't let loose.


I worry that her shyness might hinder her.


I mean what am I going to with her?


It is a shame that she seems to have no personality at all.

__________
Sorry to be missing in action. All is well, just really busy.

And don't worry that Madeline hurt herself again. These photos were taken the day she hit her eye on the coffee table back in June. I am just now getting around to posting the "out takes" from that mini photo shoot.


mg