Madeleine seems to be growing up daily. There is such a difference from a year ago! She’s so beautiful. She is definitely the peacemaker of the family (which Rob blessed her with as a newborn). She loves to wrestle. She loves her long hair. Her laugh is so infectious. Madeleine loves everything about primary: helping in sharing time, learning about Jesus, being with her friends, and especially being taught and loved by her teachers.

Madeleine loves milk, but it has to be cold. When it is starting to come to room temperature, she says it’s dry. When she is thirsty, she says her lungs are dry.

She loves stuffed animals, any and all kinds.

 <a href="“>Here’s the video link. It’s pretty funny. 

One of her favorite things to do, which is hilarious, is tie knots. Seriously. She absolutely will tie knots in anything she can get her hands on. This includes string, ribbon, Rapunzel’s hair, shoelaces, whatever. She ties things to chairs, to her bed, to the banister, to anything that has a hole in it or can be wrapped around. She’s actually doing it right now. My dad likes to tie knots so she must have gotten it from him. It’s so funny, though, to see a 4-yr-old girl work so hard and so often tying things up and getting so much joy out of it.

She gets pretty frustrated with schoolwork. She’s hates writing, especially, because she can’t do it perfectly. She will completely break down when her letters don’t look like typed font, which obviously they don’t. She is so fun to talk to and has a great imagination. Plus, look at this cool thing she built.

The other day I took her to the mall. We were in a small store which had a tv and bench for the kids to use while the moms shopped. I was approximately 10 feet away from her looking through the racks. I thought maybe I should peek my head around the corner and make sure she was still there but I didn’t. A few more minutes passed and I decided to go check. She was gone. I looked all throughout the tiny store but she had left. She’s a wanderer and I knew this was going to happen some day. So out into the busy mall I went, looking and thinking. I stopped and talked to a kiosk worker right outside the door and asked if she’d seen her leave, which she hadn’t. I then told her that if I’m not back with her in 1 minute to call mall security to help me find her. So then I glanced down both ways wondering, “Which direction would my Madeleine go?” I knew which way to look. Sure enough, quite far down from where we had been, I saw her walking in my direction with her head down. Thank goodness! I crouched down and hugged her and had a discussion about what had happened. She told me she thought I had left her. I reassured her over and over again that I would NEVER leave her. I will be with her forever and will always take care of her. I’m so glad I had known which way to look for her. I only wish I had checked on her in the store when had been prompted.

Then…later in the same mall…we bought something in another store and then were rushing to the other side of the mall to our car when I noticed Madeleine was holding something behind her back. Ugh. She had “snuck” a little chapstick out of the store. I crouched down again and had another important discussion with her. All the way back through the mall we went to return the goods. The clerk knew just how to handle a four-year-old thief and I appreciated her. Quite the day at the mall. I don’t think I will be taking her again for a little while.

Madeleine is such a blessing in our family. We love our Madeleine!