New School Year!

Happy 9th Birthday Maddie

 

Dear Maddie,

Happy 9^th Birthday to my sweet big girl!  May you always be as fun loving as you are right now!  People often comment that you are such a nice girl and so polite. It makes it very easy to be your parents!  For your 9^th birthday, you wanted to go to AG Place.  You’ve had this in mind for many months!  You continue to do well in school and you seem to be friendly with everyone.  You often play with the girls in your class.  You have become close with Jill, Hannah and Mia.  You still have your old buddies, like Arianna, Sophia, Charlotte and Karin.  You love to do arts and crafts and you still express your creative side often.  When a Maddie project comes along, it often involves a mess – Maddienado is still in effect!  Since you have so many awesome qualities, we are trying to embrace you along with your messiness!!  If that’s the biggest concern, we are in good shape with you!  You can be a very hyper girl and can be very silly.  You can also have a side that is a bit shy, but your closest friends acknowledge you can be CRAZY and loud.  You enjoy dance, gymnastics and dance and you keep busy afterschool.  You and dad have a silly bedtime routine and you try to take him down.  You are a pretty strong girl and he says it’s getting harder to not get tackled by you!  You often wear your hair up with a big Jojo bow in it.  You like bright clothes and you have a fun Maddie style.  You like Justice clothes, flip shirts and mermaid and unicorn themes.  You still have MANY friends you like to sleep with and you don’t like to get rid of anything!  Mandy is still your most special and you take her to every campout and sleepover.  You love your family so much.  You and grandpa especially have a special bond (always have!) and you and Emmie call each other besties.  You and Dane has always been close and although you have different interests, you still find ways to play together.  We love our Maddie so very much!!!  I still call you Moo, moods and moodles – funny which names end up sticking! J  LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

Stats:

Weight – 59.6lbs (35%)

Height – 4’6” (75%)

BMI: 13%

Some of your favorites:

At school: Art Class

At home: Playing AG girls with Emerson, Play dates, gymnastics

Food: Sushi

Sport: Gymnastics and running

Team: Purdue

Movie: You aren’t a big movie girl, you do like to go to the theatre, but once you watch a movie you don’t desire to watch it again! 

Show: Liv and Maddie

Song: Any song by JoJo Siwa

Book: You’ve been into Just Grace books this year

Happy 4th Birthday Emerson!

Dear Emerson,

My baby is 4 years old and I can’t believe it!  You love being the youngest in the family and happily pretend to be a baby or tell us things you did when you were a baby.  At the same time, you love being with older kids and are not dependent on me at all.  You are super good at making friends and ask for play dates all of the time.  You are a silly and mostly happy girl though you are still a little quick to cry at home. 

You love to sing and dance.  You take dance class with your friend to Brenley and you love it!  You like to dress fancy for class and show us your dance moves.  You would love to do gymnastics too and are strong like your brother and sister.  You are quite dramatic and like to make us laugh.  Maddie has influenced you!  On the other hand, you like to play sports like Dane too!  You like football and enjoy chasing and tackling your brother and daddy. 

You did 2 year old preschool last year and are doing 4 day a week 3 year old preschool this year.  You like school and are always happy to go and see your friends.  While at school you love learning new things and enjoy doing art projects.  You also like dolls, imaginary play and singing school songs.  The only thing you don’t love is chapel day on Wednesday and I think part of the reason is because you have to wear your polo shirt.  You change out of it the second that you get home! 

When you are at home, you love taking baths!  You would take 2 baths a day if I would let you.  You always have your Barbies and toys and have the Barbies talk to each other.  Many times, I will ask you what you want and you will tell me, “I’m just playing with my girls!”  You also like play dough a lot and also will pull out paint.  You have been into dress ups off and on and like playing with little figurines.  You love to play and I love to watch you play! 

You are a good helper and always want to help me with baking or adding in the cheese for the mac and cheese.  When it’s time to eat breakfast, you like to sit on daddy’s lap and ask for his food.  You goof around together at breakfast time and it’s funny.  You tend to like your things to be organized and are good at putting shoes or toys away. I hope this continues!   You still like to sleep with your blankie at night and if you do nap (in the stroller only at this point), your blankie helps you cuddle up and get cozy.  You are an early riser and are almost always the first kid up in the morning.  You tend to get up between 5:50 and 6:10.  You come into our room and climb into bed with us.  Maddie is usually up shortly after you and sometimes you cuddle up in the chair and watch a show together.

Toy: Barbie

At school: Sand table

At home: Play with Barbies

Food: Mac and cheese, bunny soup and goldfish

Sport: basketball

Color: Pink

Book: Princess books and Pete the Cat

Movie: Barbie – Princess and the Popstar

Show: Paw Patrol and Team Umizoomi

Song: Downtown by Kidzbop

Best friends: Aubrey, Ella, Brenley, Cal, Charlie, Nico Guacamole, Baby Mack

Favorite thing to do with mommy - “Make some mac and cheese, baby!”

Favorite thing to do with dad: “Going in the car with dad with super loud music and having a dance party.”

Favorite Maddie – playing AG dolls

Dane – Play Hatchimals

Stats

Weight – 35.2 (53%)

Height- 40.75% (73%)

BMI 15 (36%)

BP – 104/38

You are so much fun and we all adore you!!!  Love you forever!

Happy 7th Birthday Dane!

 

Dear Dane,

Happy Birthday to my sweet 7 year old boy!  You have really matured a lot these past couple of months and we are so proud of you for so many reasons!  You have a very loving heart and have become a very good and thoughtful friend, brother, cousin and son. 

Last year you often struggled when leaving dad and I and this year that is not the case.  You are super sweet when we drop you off at school and give us a hug, wave and smile on your way into school.  When dad or I volunteer you seem so happy to have us there and always hug us and tell us you love us.

You have a lot of friends!  You seem to make friends super easily and we will often hear kids calling out to you wherever we go.   You got really close with your baseball team and many friends from your kindergarten class.  This year you added more friends and you like to play with everyone.  Your best friends are Conlin and Luca.  A new friend, Emmett, is someone that you enjoy playing with a lot this year.

You have such determination and when you put your mind to something – watch out!  This is especially apparent on the sports field and recently at track-a-thon at school.  You ran more laps than any other 1^st grader and received the “most laps” again in your class just like you did last year. 

You love sports and have played soccer, basketball and baseball this past year and you enjoy them all.  You also love that dad is your coach.  Afterschool I always find you playing wall ball and football with the boys of all ages.  You just love to play!  You also love to watch sports as well and have a really good understanding of how it all works.  Your sports IQ exceeds mine already at this point.

You are very good at school and it comes easy to you.  You are strong in reading and math.  In the words of your teacher, “You work hard and play hard.”  You get along with everyone, you are kind to children adults and you pay attention and listen.  Mrs. Proenza had many nice things to say about you and we are super proud of you. 

Some of your favorites:

At school: Recess, Math

At home: Play Basketball and golf

Food: Guacamole, pizza

Sport: Football, Basketball, Golf, Baseball

Team: Blackhawks, Bulls, Purdue, Bears, Saints,

Movie: BFG, Pete’s Dragon

Show: Dude Perfect

Song: Downtown, I Like to Win, Believer, Thunder

Book: Minecraft, Stink series

Stats

Weight – 47.2 (30%)

Height – 47.75” (46%)

BMI – 15 (22%)

BP – 90/42

You love spending time with your family.  You are now fine when sitters come, but you prefer if Dad or I can put you to bed.  If we can’t you make sure we tell you “special things” before we leave.  You are super lovable and still have a little bit of feist from time to time.  When you clench your jaw tells us you are frustrated or tense.  It is happening less and less and you have pretty good control over your emotions.  Your headache and migraines have lessened as well so thinking that less worrying is helping you in that area.  You are turning into one awesome dude and we love you so so much. I would freeze this age if I could.  Big hug!!!

Love you forever and always. 

December

We went to California and had a wonderful time celebrating Grandpa's 70th Birthday!  We are so fortunate to have such an awesome and inspiring man in our family.

Highlight video of our California trip...
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Wpi7LrAhRMEzmWOX2

December

A letter to my 8 year old...

Dear Maddie,

Wow have these 8 years flown by.  In some ways you seem so grown up, but in other ways, you are still my little girl!

You love being with your friends and you like being busy. I think you are very much like your dad in that way.  Your play  dates are usually with Arianna, Charlotte, Natalie, Brooke and Avery.  Rosie, Dylan and Karin are within walking distance and you'll walk down or check to see if one of them can play if you are free (which isn't often)!  You also love playing with your cousins in Park Ridge and in California.

You are in gumastics and that is your favorite.  You do handstands everywhere!  You've been dancing with Claire for the past few years and did spring and fall soccer.  You have a lot of core strength and can climb like a monkey, which is definitely your favorite animal! You are still very loyal to your little monkey, Mandy.  You make sure she is in bed with you every night, no matter where you are sleeping.

You are a very responsible girl.  You always do your homework and school is very important to you.  You love your teacher and you just love going to school.  I don't think I've ever heard you say that you don't want to go to school.  During the summer, you were counting the days until you could go back.  Your teachers have very nice things to say about you and it makes us so proud to have such a caring and kind young lady who is a friend to everyone.

You are in Girl Scouts and Indian Princesses.  You and dad are chief and chiefy dove, and you have both done an awesome job!  You have a lot of friends in both organizations and you love selling/going door to door, again, like your dad in that way.
You are super creative!  You  love art and creating things.  You play creatively and will set up a spa, pet shop and play school.  You are also my messy Maddie and organization is something I am trying to help you with!

We enjoy reading with you at night and cuddling up in bed before you fall asleep.  You always tackle dad when he goes to tuck you in at night.  My night routine with you is a bit calmer! :)
We are so proud of you, Madeline Grace.  You have shown us so much love and brought us so much joy these past 8 years.

May God bless you always,
Mom

November

 Go Cubbies!!

 Goofy Girl

 Junie B. Play with Brownies

 Buddies!  Normally Emmie and Maddie match, not this time! :)

 Thanksgiving in Kokomo

 Biggie High Five!

October

Maddie scored her first goal on the last game of the regular season.  Woot woot!

Badgers Team - a solid group!

Ice cream to celebrate a successful season.

Halloween Parade at School.  Mads was Madeline Hatter from Ever After High.

The kids chose their costumes and it shows what they were into this year...Ever After High, Star Wars and The Little Mermaid!