Category: madelynne

madelynne

Random Acts of…Popularity

Lindsey P. Brackett4 Comments

Madelynne’s in Pre-K. Pre-K. Not “big K”, not middle school, not high school, but Pre-K. That K is for kindergarten, folks. And do you know what I have heard about more than anything this year? Not Word of the Week, letters that are friends, or how to count to 100. Nope, I’ve heard about the popular girls.

That’s right. Even in Pre-K, even before they’ve stepped foot in a “real” school, even though she’s at a Christian academy, they’re there. The Pops.

You know the girls who make you feel less than worthy just by their very presence. The girls who are able to command the attention of the room just because they arrived. The girls who you desperately want to like you, even though, let’s face it, sometimes they’re a little mean.

I think I may have issues left over from high school.

But I never thought we’d deal with this at age 5. 10 maybe. 12 definitely. 15? Well by then you either are or you aren’t, so you learn to live with it. Even though it still hurts that you might be good enough for an English lit tutoring session but not for the big party.

She’s five. FIVE YEARS OLD and already knows “cool.” Already desperately wants just to fit in, be liked, to be….popular.

I never was, so it hurts me all the more for her to come home and cry because three of the six girls in her little class wouldn’t play with her today. For no reason other than she’s not in their “group.” How do kids even know what a clique is at this age?

And where do I draw the line? How do I teach her that she’s not going to always fit in, that sometimes it’s okay to be left out, that she can have friends that are just as good, if not better to her than those Pops?

How do I teach her that when I have a hard time understanding it myself?

I welcome any and all how-to-mommy-girls advice 🙂

Oh, and this is definitely a girl thing. The boys LOVE her. A little too much we think.

amelia · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · madelynne

Random Acts of…Growing

Lindsey P. BrackettLeave a comment

Belle’s figured out why she’s growing. She informed me the other day it was because she’s “had a lot of birthdays and birthdays make you grow.”

Madelynne’s growing up, too. One morning this week when I asked her what she was doing as she got the frozen waffles from the freezer and headed across the kitchen she tossed back that hair and announced, “I’m making my own breakfast.” Yeah, I’d rather it didn’t involve the possibility of a burnt finger before 7 a.m.
And Amelia? Well, according to my M.I.L. she’s eating 5 oz at every feeding (which is twice while I’m at work) so she’s putting it somewhere! Her cheeks are fat and that dimple is cute as ever. We dedicated her today and she was sweet…and stinky since she filled her diaper just before the ceremony! Ahhh….the joys of motherhood.
madelynne

Random Acts of…Community Theatre

Lindsey P. BrackettLeave a comment

This summer Madelynne will be making her first debut on a stage that’s not in the church or Mommy’s school. For those of you who were privileged to witness her as the “flying sheep of Bethlehem” at Mt. Carmel or a Seussical fishie at North, you know she’s got a lot of…..well, we’ll just call it being uninhibited.

Or so I thought. On Sunday night I took her to audition for “The Wizard of Oz” at our local community theatre. It’s being directed by my friend and colleague, Mrs. Paula who she knows and likes. So I figured auditions would be a piece of cake. I mean, Madelynne’s certainly not my shy child.
The hardest part of auditions was controlling my overwhelming instinct to direct her myself. Not just because she’s my kid but because theatre has been a part of my life for so long, I have a hard time checking out of that director’s role. She was cute, but not outstanding. In fact, if it was my show, I probably wouldn’t have cast her, but Paula is braver than me. Or she has more patience. I’m not sure which, but this is a woman who will put on a musical with 50 12-13 year olds, so she’s got something I don’t have.
Anyway, Madelynne basically just stood there on stage with the other kids who were auditioning. She hardly moved when asked to improv but preferred to slightly imitate the girl on her left (who was older and taller and quite good). Her shining moment, however, involved some quick thinking. When asked what her munchkin name would be she giggled and announced, “Lollipop!”
On the way home I talked to her about how just because you try out for something doesn’t mean you’re going to get it. I explained what it means to have a good audition, to which she replied, “But Mommy, I will act like a Munchkin when it’s the real play.”
Well, let’s hope so.
amelia · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · madelynne

Random Acts of…Growing Pains

Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment



With the exception of myself who is hopefully shrinking back down to better-than-pre-pregnancy size, there’s been a lot of growing in our house lately.

Madelynne is getting so tall that her shorts and skirts are rapidly becoming less than dress code worthy. I had Jill cut her hair too, a cute little stacked bob that’s longer in front to please her daddy but less work to comb which pleases mommy. She’s getting just so grown-up!
I don’t like it.
Belle is finally outgrowing 3T clothes (good thing since she’s four!) and lately she’s been climbing in our bed in the middle of the night to complain that her legs hurt. Today, however, she’s exhibiting more than usual stubborness, so she’ll probably be complaining soon that her bottom hurts.
I really don’t like it.
And Amelia went yesterday for her two month check up. Two months? How can that be? It’s gone by so fast. I’m torn between the desire to get these next 5 weeks that I have to be at work over with so I can come back home and the wish I could keep her little forever. Then I remember that as she gets bigger she’ll start to sleep through the night.
Nope, still don’t like it.
Here’s the stats on our little one who’s grown the most:
10 lb, 10 oz. (that’s a gain of 3 lb, 7 oz)
22 in (no way she was really 21 in the hospital)
38 cm of a “somewhat unusual” head.
Yes, that’s right. She apparently has an extra soft spot which is contributing to a slightly pointed back skull. Thank goodness is covered up by all that hair! Our pediatrician thinks it’s fine though. His actual words? “Well, that’s just her head.”
And that’s just my baby. Hopefully for a long time yet.