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Friday, February 26, 2010

Musician Yesterday, Architect Today

Apparently our musical phase was fleeting because today we are on to building...lots of building. In fact, so much building that we may become an Architect like Aunt Jenny. Madelyn constructed towers of blocks for almost 45 minutes today. She would not let Mommy play so I just photo-documented the construction process of one of the towers and it's resulting demolition...


4 Blocks


5 Blocks


Adjust the 5th Block Because We Didn't Like How It Looked


6 Blocks


7 Blocks


CRASH!!!!


Happy Weekend Everyone!
Kristin and Frank Lloyd Wright...I mean Madelyn

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Madelyn's First Concert

For Christmas, Grandma and Grandpa got Madelyn a bright green recorder. I thought she would have loved this toy since it made noise and was sure to drive Mom and Dad crazy. Apparently I was incorrect in my assessment of the toy because she yanked it out of her stocking and tossed it aside to see what other treasures were to be had in the bottom.

Today, for some unknown reason, Madelyn picked up her recorder and handed it to me and said "music Mama" (side note- Madelyn has every episode of Little Einsteins that she has every watched memorized and can probably tell more people what Fur Elise sounds like than Beethoven himself plus Maddy and I play music together on my flute, piccolo, her drum and keyboard all the time. Given these factors I was pretty proud that between me and Little Einsteins she at least understood that this crazy green thing was meant for music because it must resemble something else she had seen being played).

So I played her a few songs- silly songs like Hot Cross Buns, Jingle Bells and Mary Had a Little Lamb. Obviously my virtuosity inspired some deep musical urge in her because she said "me play" and when I gave the recorder to her that is just what she did. Her musical savant alternate persona then gave her orders to locate her microphone...which she did, and then to dance and sing whilst playing her recorder...which she also did. Here are the results of Madelyn's first musical concert...Juilliard here we come!

(Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible for any broken glassware or ear drums that may occur as a result of the following video clip)

Enjoy and have a great night!
Kristin, Patrick and Madelyn

Short Version

Madelyn's First Concert from Patrick Barry on Vimeo.



Long Version

Madelyn's First Concert - Long Version from Patrick Barry on Vimeo.

Friday, February 12, 2010

How Much Do I Love You?

Since I get quite delinquent on posting, especially on our busy weekends, I will post our HAPPY VALENTINES DAY post right now while I have time and am thinking about it!

It really is funny how celebrating v-day changes after kids. Patrick and I NEVER celebrated the holiday, we would make dinner or go to dinner sometimes but there were no gifts or flowers or cards (except one year when I was having a mental breakdown during busy season on Duke and I got flowers as a "please don't kill yourself" gift).

This year, however, Madelyn and I have:
1. Picked out the perfect valentines (sparkly princess ones...these only won out over Mickey because they sparkled and came with stamp pads and stamps)
2. Colored these valentines for all of her friends and family

Here is just a sampling

3. Made a big deal about going to mail the valentines for our out-of-towners (she checked the mail box 5 times to make sure they were still in there)
4. Baked cupcakes for Daddy's work (white with chocolate frosting and white with pink buttercream and sprinkles)- Madelyn loved adding things to the mixer and watching it spin...then she loved eating the batter (2 cupcakes worth) and the results (1 whole cupcake with extra frosting)
5. Today we baked cupcakes for Daddy (strawberry with cream cheese frosting)

Got our stuff all ready! Like the valentines day cupcake liners and spatula?

Just a little taste, Daddy won't notice...

Are they done yet?


All done, strawberry with cream cheese frosting- yum!
Maybe we will make some strawberry cream cheese frosting now...

6. Finally we went to the store to buy food for a special valentines dinner for Daddy and a dinner for Daddy, Grandma and Uncle Jeffrey this weekend- we are making a fondue party for Daddy and a tenderloin roast with sides and apple crisp for Grandma/Uncle Jeffrey- yum!

This holiday just got so much more fun with Madelyn. To commemorate this new found enthusiasm I thought I would quote one of Madelyn's favorite books right now...it just says it all...

How Do I Love You?
P.K. Hallinan

How do I love you? Let me count the ways.
I love you on your very best and very worst of days.
I love to see you laughing and dancing in the rain.
And even when you lose your shoes, I love you just the same.
I love to hear you singing, I love to see you smile.
I love the way you take each day in your own unhurried style.
I'm happy when you're happy, I'm sorry when you're sad.
And even though it may not show, I love you when you're bad.
How do I love you? Well now let me see...
I love the way you act so brave when you fall and hurt your knee.
I love to watch you sleeping, tucked away in pleasant dreams.
I love to hear you whisper all your giant plans and schemes.
I love the way you wear your pants, with the front part in the back,
And the way you walk around sometimes with your head inside a sack.
I love to see you deep in thought, I love to watch you play.
And though I'm sure you'll never know, I love you more each day.
How do I love you? It's impossible to say.
For if I had a million days and time enough for all the praise, I couldn't tell you all the ways...
I love you.

Here is Madelyn last year on Valentines Day
Here is Madelyn mixing her Valentines Day cupcakes for Daddy this year...so big!


Happy Valentines Day to everyone and all your Valentines....big and small!

~Kristin, Patrick and Madelyn



Monday, February 8, 2010

Preschool Here We Come!

Today Madelyn and I went to finish the registration process for preschool!!!!

After many weeks of research, looking at schools, getting on wait lists, NOT waiting in line overnight to get on some wait lists and just plain waiting we found out that we have a Monday-Wednesday spot at Sharon Baptist (Hear cheering in the background?? No? Well I do!!!)

In order to confirm this space at the school we had to go fill out paperwork and pay our registration fee, Madelyn was very excited to go to "skooooool" (as she says) and even tried to join the TK class (4 and 5 year olds almost ready for Kindergarten) for their trip to music class by stepping right in line, single file and all, without a backwards glance at me.

We are thrilled to find such a nice school for Maddy and that she really, really loves it there- I don't know if she can wait until September!

Here is a quick picture from our adventure today. The front lobby at the school has tiles with all of the kids hand prints on them (each color is a different "grade"). Madelyn thinks this wall was meant to high five and will not let us leave without doing so to each and every hand!


Have a great week to all!
Kristin and one school-bound Madelyn