Happy Birthday, Madeline

Allright, so I know I've been absent for awhile with the pictures, so I am putting them on here now.

Last Friday was "crazy hair day" at ACA. Sadie did her own, as did Madeline. Sadie put crayons, paper clip, pencil and a pen in her multiple ponytails. I thought it showed creativity. Here she is in all her glory.

Madeline's fancy do...
Monday was a holiday here. Probably most places it was. MLK, Jr. day.... so my children put on a show first thing in the morning. It was acted out by Madeline, accompanied, on the piano, by Sadie. This is Mads doing "I'm a little tea pot". As you faithful readers know, that's a sentimental favorite in our family.
Today is Madline's 7th Birthday. There were alot of birthdays of her friends this month and alot of other stuff going on so I made a deal with her. She could invite one friend out to eat on her birthday and then we'd have a big blowout swimming party on her 1/2 birthday in July. She liked the idea so that's what we're going with.
This is her with Kolton (her invited guest) being sung to by the waitstaff at Pancho's - her choice of restaurant. She also got to take home the pinata. Like that hat? I got it for her.
This is my middle baby girl and her sister. My how she's grown. This time 7 years ago, I had already brought her home (the joys of midwifery) and was enjoying watching her sister explore her and get to know that little creature who would come to bring so much joy to our lives.

This is her back in December of '04. Look how much she's grown.

I was looking through old pictures for one of her and my Mom. I had asked her what she wanted from Nonnie and she thought about it for a minute then said "a picture of her, so I won't be so lonely without her". How sweet is that? Nonnie also got her a lil webkiz (and if you don't know what that is, it's only all the rage with the "tween" set. Anyway, the lil kinz her Nonnie got her was the "pet of the month" so she got all kinds of cool stuff on the website (all virtual) and her delight amazed me. It did not, however, shine quite as bright as her face when she saw the picture of her and her Nonnie, all framed in a pretty silver w/hearts picture frame.

As is my custom, on my children's birthday, I shall tell you a little about my Madeline. The picture I put up on here of her in '04 is one of my favorites. It shows her creative flair. The creative gods spent a little extra time with her. They bestowed upon her a flamboyant taste in clothes. Her favorite skirt used to be (until it was just worn out - by the way, another gift from her Nonnie) a blue/brown/gold/white/yellow number that had netting on the outside in those colors and I believe a brown underskirt. It suited her to a tee. I tried to find another one this year but to no avail.

She's also very dramatic. Not really in the "life's not fair" sense, although she can get that going, too. But, the world is her stage. We are all merely the audience for her life. She'll sing her heart out for you. She's not afraid of directing the choir - I'm talking about the adult choir at church. Lots of mature adults and she'll get in front of them and help Michele direct them like she knows what she's doing.

She's a mommy's (and Nonnie's) girl. She'd rather be with me than most others. Although her Daddy rates right up there, too. And she's not afraid of spending the night out (in fact loves to do it). She makes friends easily and often. She's a giver, a caretaker, a nurturer. It will be Madeline standing in our room on a Saturday morning bringing us breakfast in bed. She's been booted from every bedroom and bed in this house. As in, a room is hers to live in then Anna comes along so she has to move in with Sadie. Then, Sadie wants her own room so she moves in with Anna. She finally will get the top bunk, but Anna falls out of the bottom one because it has no rails so back to the bottom Mads goes, without so much as a tear shed. She's adaptable, is what I'm saying.

There's no hug like a Madeline hug. You know you've been hugged when she's done with you. When I wake her up in the morning and say "Madeline, it's time to wake up. Are you ready to face the day?" she almost always responds with "yes, I am ". When she is happy, she is sunshine on earth. When she is sad, it's usually for a decent reason and it's like a gray cloud has come over everything.

She does have her moments of "middle child syndrome". I really think all the descriptions above are all excellent examples of that. But the bad ones? Every now and then, she'll get upset because it seems like Sadie always gets her way. And she probably does more often than not, because Madeline is more adaptable. But that's something I need to work on, not Mads.

I love this child. She loves me. There is no doubt in my mind about either of those statements. I cannot imagine my life without her and "God willing" I'll never have to. I thank God, everyday, for sending her to us. What a sad world it would be, indeed, should there be no Madeline in it.

Happy Birthday, Madeline. I love you.