These Are a Few of Her Favorite Things

It's been a while since either of us did any random posting; most of our recent posts have been event based (which is to be expected as this fall has been insanely busy--no idea how we're going to survive once she starts organized team sport-like things). So, with this is mind and in a sort of homage to one of M's current favorite movies, I decided to put together a short list of those things currently most beloved by the Madster:


10. Dance parties--First instigated by the Dad, who conveniently has Pandora on his phone, these dance parties range in theme from Raffi to the Wiggles to Mary Poppins and may last anywhere from 30 seconds to 20 minutes. Beware of entering a dance party in progress as you will be pulled in, even if she has to pout to convince you.


9. Cooking--Maddie is now getting old enough that she can help more and more with cooking, and she's very adamant about being included in any kitchen activities. She grabs a chair from the kitchen table and pushes it up next to the counter/stove/sink and "helps" with stirring, pouring, and measuring. Mostly though, it's just an excuse to eat whatever odds and ends I'm prepping, up to and including raw flour. Yes, she's weird.


8. Singing--Here, I don't mean songs she's heard, although she sings plenty of those. She's taken to making up her own songs, and you'll hear her singing them while she plays, in the bath, when she's coloring, etc. I'd like to tell you that her imagine is really growing, but, um, I can usually only make out two or three words per song. She could be singing about rocket science in iambic pentameter, but you'd never know it.


7. Gwennie and "Zeldy"--Miss Thing loves her kitties, sometimes a little too much. She hugs them, she kisses them, she chases them, she jumps over them... Yeah, we've had a lot of talks about that last one. Thirty+ pound toddler landing on 6/12 pound cat = badbadbad vet visit bad bad. (It's a real equation; check my math if you don't believe me.)


6. The Wiggles--Oh, those cheesy, over-the-top, dancing, singing men from Australia. I know Maddie is hardly the first small child to fall for their catchy choreography, incessant cheerfulness, and songs that will get stuck in your parents' heads for week after annoying week, but she's fallen hard. This may or may not be further enabled by Jon's magical phone and its ability to play You Tube videos of Sam, Anthony, Jeff, and Murray upon demand.


5. Kindermusik--Right now, we're in the middle of our third Kindermusik session, and it looks like Maddie is really beginning to get the hang of things. She responds to questions in class, offers suggestions for dance moves on request (mostly jumping and stomping, more on that later), and most of all, she pays attention and follows directions for the majority of the class. This is a big improvement from previous sessions when she mostly ran around the room, inciting other children to run amok as well.


4. The Beatles--You can't say she doesn't have good taste (unless you don't like the Beatles, in which case you obviously have no taste, you fascist). One day while driving in the car, in desperation, I stuck in the a Beatles #1 hits CD (apparently, I had the wrong Kindermusik CD, and she was getting quite upset), and she's been in love ever since. She really likes "Let It Be," but her absolute must-have, super-favorite, best-ever song is "Yellow Submarine," and if you're in the car and it's playing, she will insist that everyone present join her in the chorus.

3. The Big Fish--So, it's well known that Maddie loves her aunts and uncles. She loves her cousin Oli. She loves her Grandma and Grandpa and her Nana and her Pa. She loves the pets of all of the aforementioned people, too, but for some reason, she's fixated on the "big fish" that lives in the fish tank at Nana and Pa's. Every time we mention going to Washington (KS), she exclaims, "And see da' big feesh?!" No idea...


2. "Classic" Movies--Not sure why, but Maddie has really latched on to some of the movies that Jon and I watched as children. The thing is, these weren't "new" when we watched them. Current favorites include Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Sound of Music, and Mary Poppins, and I'm on the lookout for Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang and Annie at the library. (There may be some parental fast-forwarding during certain parts of those...). I think it's the music that draws her to them, but she adores them, which can be a nice motivating tool, if used correctly. (What? Okay, so it's really just a nice way of saying bribe. Shut up.)


1. Daddy, no Mommy, no Daddy, no Mommy--Starting at about the one year mark and continuing to the present, the Madster goes through phases where she's all about one parent or the other. These phases usually last about 2-3 weeks, and come and go on a whim. If you're "in" with M, you're walking on air. You'll be the recipient of frequent unsolicited hugs, kisses, and 'I love you's. Your company will be highly sought, and you will be chosen to accompany her anywhere she wishes to go. If it's not your turn, you are an unlovable loser who can do nothing right, and you really, really should not have gotten out of bed that morning as you're clearly not capable of making her happy in the least. (I may be exaggerating, but you get the idea.)


Anyway, that's a little Maddie update for you. And by little, I obviously mean long-winded and rambling, as usual. Sorry...Maddie, at Jon's surprise 30th birthday party (Photo by Larry Stoppel)