Madeline's Growing Up!

Today was Madeline's first day of "school"! She's enrolled two mornings a week for a Mother's Day Out program at a church about ten minutes away. This morning, when I asked her if she wants to go play with the kids, her only response was, "Sciiiii-ted!!!!!" (translation: excited) with all the energy of a two-year-old. So we got her dressed up this morning -- she chose her patent leather shoes -- and off she went to play with the other three children in her class, coloring, making bunny ears and learning that God loves her. Now when we ask her to smile, she plasters her face into a silly permanent grin that she'll hold as long as she has a laughing audience....it looks funnier and funnier as the expression gets harder for her to hold.

Madeline's growing up. At this rate, we're going to be packing her up and moving her into her college dorm soon. Okay, I'm being dramatic, but we did move her into her "big girl room" this weekend! She helped Rob put together her new bed -- the room is bright and colorful, with her very own watercolors framed on the walls. Madeline is also earning stickers left and right for the little dribbles she makes on the "big girl potty." Naturally, there's lots of cheering and hoopla on Rob and my part. So it took me by surprise when last week, she started cheering for me when I, uh-humm, stepped away ("Yay, Mom-meee!"). We're reading, learning, and slowly catching on to the ways of a todder. Give her choices. Let things go. And if you add the words "big girl" to anything, she'll want to try it. Offering her Big Girl Greenbeans looks like me with a bag of Swedish Fish.

I'll end with a funny picture (but please don't look at it too closely). On Sunday as Rob and I were focused setting up her room, it was very quiet for awhile, though we knew she was safe in our bedroom across the hallway. We soon learned why. She had raided my underwear drawer like college boys do in the movies and came around the corner wearing 12 pairs (I counted) around her waist! The best part is she left them on for hours!