Maddy just got picked up after spending all day with me.  What a great day. Let’s see if I can find the words to do it justice…

We started our morning with coloring pictures of daisies and sunflowers – two of my favorites, and both her picks.  Hers was beautiful with a heart right smack dab in the middle.  And now you begin to get a glimpse of sweet Maddy.  Her heart right in the middle of everything she does.

After our art projects we headed to Starbucks to visit Abby and have a cupcake and lemonade for a midmorning snack.  Something only a babysitter or grandma can get away with 🙂  She ate the cupcake and I ate the frosting.  We licked our fingers and talked about important things like favorite colors and best friends and how delicious raspberry passion tea lemonade is and questions like, “why does Mya call it bunny milk when it’s from a cow?”

Our next stop was “Home Beepo”.  It was meant to just be a quick trip to return and pick up some paint.  But Maddy made it a whole new experience. Big and small chains had the potential of being beautiful necklaces.  PVC pieces made great telescopes.  And all the beautiful colors of spray paint, behind a cage door that just begged to be pried into.  Doors in displays that could open and you could go into, to pretend and play house with.  Beautiful windows “just like Miss Rebecca has!”  Textures that needed to be touched and felt with curious fingers.  Everything seen through imaginative, creative eyes that twinkled with innocent awe.  A beautiful thing.  And Home Beepo aisles were meant for skipping (Earlier we had discussed and compared the difference between skipping and galloping.  And we practiced.  It was also noted that “Trey thinks that galloping is skipping”. A common, though very crucial, mistake.)

Now it was time to make a lunch for Blake and take it to him at school.  As we waited outside for him the breeze felt good under our sundresses.  At four and a half, you can just let the wind have its way and watch your dress fly up in your giggling face.  Not so much at 46 and a half. 🙂

After a successful lunch delivery, we returned home to work on painting some chairs a sunny, “most beautiful yellow ever”. We pounded and stapled the new upholstery.  And “we did a really good job!”  Yes, Maddy.  Yes we did.

No girl day is complete without getting your toes painted.  Pink is our favorite color.  And purple.  So it makes sense to do one color on your fingers and the other on your toes.  Miss Jana picked a bright pink for herself, much to Maddy’s joy.  Abby met us there and Maddy sat in the middle next to her.  They chatted the entire time and by the time they left the place were “best friends” with pretty toes.  And in Maddy’s case, pretty fingers.

And now time to go home and draw more pictures.  This time of birdhouses and mommy and daddy and baby birds.  And clouds.  And flowers.  And eggs.  Maddy got to meet Paul and give him one of her famous, all out, no holds barred, full body involved, hug, with her legs wrapped around his waist.  And then it was time for a walk with Abby and Paul.  Or more of a skip, and a “one, two, three, jump”, as she held each of their hands and brought a smile to each of their faces.

That was my Maddy day.  She so symbolizes playful, fun, innocent, sweet youth.  I want my heart to never stop seeing through Maddy type eyes.  Eyes full of wonder.  Eyes full of love.  Eyes full of anticipation for each new day and its possibilities.  Thank you, Maddy.  I love you!