some June happenings

Maddy graduated in May but then the first week of June she had a one-on-one testing with her teacher Mrs. Cook. It was fun to watch them interact together as compared to back in August when we did the same thing before Kindergarten started. 

It was also fun to see the ways Mrs. Cook asked Maddy about things and concepts that I wouldn't have thought to ask. For example, she had a small bear toy and she held it around Maddy's body and asked questions to test her knowledge of above, next, behind, in front. Our teachers do a wonderful job and we sure like Mrs. Cook.   

Maddy dressed up for something (for the life of me I can't remember why) with her hair up in a bun and matching shoes and she looked simply lovely so I had to fashion our own photo shoot to capture her loveliness.

I love to see her creativity. We had family coming over this Sunday afternoon and she wanted to create a store for them to shop at. She had little items in the shoe cubby that they could buy and made a computer from her pencil box.

When I was little I used to make computers and things from toy briefcases and just seeing her come up with that on her own made me remember my childhood. Kids are so creative it's amazing.

(She clearly loves this summer dress)
One day when driving home from out and about, Scott looked back at his daughter and then shook his head. He knew from the sunglasses, side-ponytail, (which she did all on her own) and expression that he had a lot of energy and personality to look forward to in her growing up years.

other May happenings

The traditional Sally Bytheway Chorale spring concert at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square and the traditional Soprano group photo.

Dinner at Cody and Hayley's house and fun with baby cousin Harper.

The next door neighbors have a daughter who is a few months younger than Maddy. She and Ruby have become fast friends. They both go to Miss Swendy's Day School so Scott and Ruby's mom came up with a deal where on alternating Wednesdays we take home both kids and give the other couple a night off. The picture below was sent one night when they had taken the girls bowling.

I dropped Maddy off at school one morning and it hit me how grown up she is. She walked up to the school with her backpack, wearing her dress and wedge heel sandals and I felt the enormity of the month . . . May is graduate from Kindergarten month. It has gone so very quickly.

Maddy's first and last days of Kindergarten.

The day where Maddy did my makeup and nails. Scott kept looking at me next to him on the couch and being shocked over and over again at the eyebrows. He finally made me go and scrub them off. Frankly, I didn't think she did too horrible of a job. She's come a long way.

There was more singing. A recording session at De Azevedo Studios. First the whole recording group, then the Millennium crew who have been singing together 15 years, then Lex and the Dalton girls.

Maddy desperately wanted to do a lemonade stand. It was late in the evening, early in the season and she pushed so hard that I decided to teach her a lesson - letting her do it and she wouldn't make any money because who wants lemonade (well Apple juice) at 8:30 at night in May?! She picked the 5 cent price - I suggested a quarter. She managed to rake in $5.21 from three customers. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was a brilliant marketer, setting the price low so they would take pity on her and pay her more. I suspect if she had my price posted they would have paid the quarter and went on their way. Brilliant.

 A pose from the silly girl at the park.

And a beautiful picture of lovely niece Rebekah who is now in London serving at the Hyde Park Chapel. What lovely girls we Daltons make.

field trip day

Maddy had a field trip in April and they asked for some parents to come along so I took the day off and joined the kids. We rode the school bus to Hogle Zoo and Maddy was so excited. It was her first bus ride ever and for some reason, it was even more exciting because it was a school bus.

It was unfortunately forecast as a rainy wet day. We wore gloves and boots and took umbrellas to keep us dry. It was chilly but not too bad and the rain was mostly just an incessant drizzle. But the kids didn't care and the animals didn't either.

On the bus ride home the drizzle turned into some serious snowflakes - big ones that stuck. I was glad that we left when we did.

I dropped Maddy off at Katie's house to play that afternoon because unfortunately I had to go back into the office. For Maddy it was about the best day ever - School Bus ride, field trip, field trip with MOM!, playing with Jackson all afternoon - doesn't get much better than that.

For me it was also a pretty great day - school bus ride, field trip with Maddy, and then I met Ludacris. After the field trip I went into the office and had my meetings and around 4 o'clock, one of our staff came in and told me that Ludacris would be at the office in about an hour or so, and would I be available to come and greet him. What!?! Chris is a XANGO juice drinker and was in town doing a show and wanted to come and meet the founders and visit headquarters. What a treat that was. He was extremely kind and pleasant and well spoken. I know it's judgmental but I didn't expect a rapper to be well spoken.

I really was just a person in the room and not the main 'greeter' of course, but it was fun to be included. When Gordon (one of the founders) introduced me he said that I was a singer and told him about me singing Gun's and Roses at the company party. Another co-worker then jumped in and said "she has a demo tape for you to listen to if that's ok". Both Chris and I squirmed a little - or maybe it was just me. I quickly told him, oh, no. He's just kidding. I just sing for fun and as a member of choirs. I'm no big deal. To which Gordon jumped back in and said "She actually just toured all over Europe. . . ". Oh, they are sweet. They make our choir trip seem so much more than it was. But, we are a marketing company, making things more grand is what we do!

December 2014

Merry Christmas

Christmas started this year with Aunt Jana's annual "day after Thanksgiving party", except that it wasn't the day after Thanksgiving. What a wonderful tradition this party has been for as long as I can remember. It is fun to see our little ones at the same age as when Aunt Jana started the party with us. 

Maddy had a school program. Gratefully the kindergarten classes performed first and so I got to go and enjoy and then leave. I like to think that I could hear her over the other kids but I suppose I probably couldn't. From what I could tell however, she knew all the words and was a great little performer.

Maddy has had a dry itchy face since before Halloween and unfortunately, by this time it was making her eye all puffy and red. We tried changing back our laundry detergent and going back to basic shampoo, we moisturized (and moisturized, and moisturized). We tried allergy medicine and eye drops. Dr. Lindsay said "I'm not sure if the inflammation is causing her itching or if her itching is causing the inflammation". Eventually her rashy face left and I suppose it was a little bit of all of the above. 

We had a ward breakfast Christmas party this year. All the kids got to come help Brother Osgood with the reading of Luke 2 by putting the manger scene together. I led the kids and then the ward in some carols. It was kind of a fun change from the normal party.

We made our annual December trip to Benihana. Why this is an annual Christmas tradition I'm not sure but we go every year.

XANGO had it's christmas party...

Maddy got a manicure while I got my hair done. Can you tell she was in heaven with that pampering??!!

We had our usual Sally Bytheway Chorale concert at The Assembly Hall and then meandered through the grounds at Temple Square to see the lights on the way back to the car.

Somewhere I have some Christmas pictures that I will need to add but where they could be on my computer I suppose is a guess. Happy Christmas.

kindergarten

And so it begins, the middle part of Maddy's life. She's past the baby stage, is now starting the school age stage, but everyone tells me that before long she'll be in the grown-up family-of-her-own stage.

I guess I have to cherish this while I can...

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

CALVIN SMITH ELEMENTARY

MRS. COOK

AM KINDERGARTEN

RM. 12

September 2, 2014

No tears escaped my eyes but there was a surprisingly big lump as I watched her stand in line and then walk into her kindergarten classroom.

This is Maddy's first homework assignment (and mine) - make a paper doll that can hang in the classroom that looks like you. I was planning on fabric and rick-rack and buttons. But Sunday night she couldn't stand the wait, so we made due with what we had. I think that we she did a fabulous job.