Madeleine's First Song

I don't know why it surprises me, but Madeleine is already singing. Jason and I caught her singing in the car on the way to church last Sunday. Here is the back story.

When I first became pregnant with Madeleine, I was performing in a production of Sondheim's "A Little Night Music". This was May 2007. I had some morning sickness during the run of the show, and often had a hard time performing. Jason was helping with sound in the booth. One night after a show, we stopped at CVS for something and saw a display of singing stuffed animals. We were tired and silly and so we started testing out each doll to see what it would sing. Most were "Happy Birthday" and "You are My Sunshine", songs like that. We came across a white bear dressed in an old granny dress and wide brimmed hat and pearls. When we pressed the button, it sang a loud flat version of "Sunrise, Sunset". It was not good, but we were so tired we thought it was hilarious and we had to buy it, so we did.

Fast forward to September 2008. Maddie was crying one day, so I pulled out the flat-singing doll and played it for her. She immediately stopped crying and actually started laughing. She really loved that doll. Now it is one of her favorites. Who knew? I ad mit I have been nervous that if she listens to it long enough, she would learn to sing flat. We started putting the doll in the car when she cries in her car seat to help soothe her.

Last week she was listening to it on the way to church when all of a sudden we hear her holding a sustained note along with the doll. She was matching both the pitch and the duration of the note. She did this several times throughout the song. We turned the doll on a second time and Madeleine did it again. We laughed for quite a while. Her first song was not "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or "Little Bunny Foo-Foo", but Fiddler's "Sunrise Sunset". She sings with it all the time now.

We're going to have to get a new doll soon so we can listen to a different song.

Thanksgiving 2008

This year we had a great Thanksgiving. It was Madeleine's very first Thanksgiving, and I think she had a really great time. We started our morning with cinnamon rolls and eggs (Maddie had some eggs) as we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Since this was our first major holiday in our new house, we really enjoyed the three of us being at home in our pajamas following Thanksgiving traditions. After putting Madeleine down for a late morning nap, I made my first pumpkin pie (which ended up being a big hit), as well as the sweet potatoes we were bringing to the big Wardlow feast later that afternoon. Jason made creamy horseradish sauce for the party, since the feast was going to feature not only turkey, but ham and prime rib too.

At 2:00 we went to Jason's cousin Keith Wardlow's house (which used to be Jason's great-aunt Evelyn's house), where we had a major feast with over 30 other people, many from Jason's mother's side of the family, the Wardlow's. Madeleine got to play with Jason's second cousin Tanya's 2 year old daughter Lily, as well as Buddy's granddaughters. She had a great time playing with the older girls and they took good care of her. Then it was time for the major feast, with all the meat, as well as potatoes insane, 3 kinds of stuffing, corn chowder, and all the typical Thanksgiving fixings. There were even banana leaf wrapped tamales. Needless to say, we were stuffed! We barely had enough room for Mulberry cheesecake and pumpkin pie. But it's Thanksgiving...you find room.

Madeleine playing with the girls Miley and Tito


Madeleine and Lily


Madeleine was hungry and wanted appetizers, so she got her puffs out of her bag, removed the lid, and started chowing down.


Time with Granny




The Wardlow house



The Feast







Jason and I were tired, yet Madeleine was full of energy and wanted to play some more. She loved spending time with her Granny and Auntie Katharina, as well as her other relatives. She finally pooped out at about 7:30. What a great day.

11 months old

My baby is 11 months old today. She is growing so fast! Just one month until the big day...her first birthday!

Halloween

Madeleine had a great Halloween. She decided to dress up as Daisy Duck. She loves to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the Disney Channel and do the Hot Dog Dance as Daisy, so we found her the costume, and she looked just Ducky!





Can't wait until next year!
She went trick-or-treating in her grandparent's neighborhood. She went with her Mom, Dad and Grandpa. She only went to 5 houses because the duck bill was getting a little annoying and she wanted to take it off her head.



We all came back to Grandma and Grandpa's house for more pictures.
Madeleine and Jason (dressed as Ricky Bobby)


Madeleine and Grandpa (dressed as the devil). Madeleine wasn't too keen about the costume. It freaked her out a little.


Then it was time for a lasagna dinner and yummy pumpkin pie!

Maddie at the Pumpkin Patch

I have looked at a lot of my friend's blogs and their adventures at the Pumpkin Patch, and I see very similar pictures to ours. I think we all went to the same pumpkin patch. But since a lot of us live in Irvine, that seems to make sense. We actually moved to Corona, but drove 45 minutes to the Irvine pumpkin patch because it was such a cool one.

They had a pumpkin graveyard and haunted house that Madeleine and I went into. In fact, Jason took a picture of us that looks like we are "walking into the light". It is quite amusing.



These are some really great pictures of Madeleine waiting for the Great Pumpkin. I hope he rises out of the pumpkin patch for her because honestly, this pumpkin patch was definitely the most sincere.




The best part of the trip was the donkey riding. Well, pony riding. But if anyone knows Madeleine, they would know that her most favorite song in the whole world is a British sailing song called "Donkey Riding". It is often the only song that will get her to calm down and sleep at night. So when we saw pony rides at the pumpkin patch, we told her she would get to go donkey riding for the very first time! I don't think she quite knew the difference. Nevertheless, she was the hit of the donkey/pony riding tent.




She loved the donkey riding so much, she decided she wanted to ride something bigger and did some elephant riding. I don't think she realized that the elephant was not real. She'll have to do real elephant riding when she's a little bigger.

Lights on Broadway 2008

So I know it was two weeks ago, but we have been a little busy moving into our new house and all, but Jason and I were involved in our stake production of a musical revue called "Lights on Broadway". Most people would think a church production would be amateurish at best, but not in Irvine! We had quite a professional production. I was fortunate enough to be the assistant musical director for the production and appear in 7 musical numbers! It was nice to perform again since I have not done a whole lot since having Madeleine. I got to sing a great solo "Everybody Says Don't" - a Sondheim favorite. I also got to sing with 6 other amazing women the Bernstein tune "I Can Cook Too" - and awesome 40's/50's swing number. The highlight was Jason and I on stage opposite each other in as Gaston and Belle in "Me" from "Beauty and the Beast". We have not played opposite each other in over 3 years. Although it was only a 3 minute song, we had a blast. I loved it especially because I got to do something I would never ordinarily do - play Belle. That role is my sister's department.

The show is not going to Broadway, but there is something special about performing with your fellow brothers and sisters in the church. It brings you so much closer together in such a fun activity. I will miss the Irvine Stake because of this. But I have been assured that Jason and I are invited as Irvine Stake alumni artists in the next Lights on Broadway production. I can't wait!

Picture from the OC Register of me and Leilani Sofuia and Bridgette Briggs singing "I Can Cook Too"


Jason and I posing for "Me" from Beauty and the Beast


Me singing "Everybody Says Don't" from the backstage viewpoint.


Backstage pictures of our Irvine Stake peeps

Miller family - Amber, Marin, Nicole, and Ben


Katie Luther and Bridgette Briggs


Music Man Barbershop Quartet - Ben Morgen, Bruce Loosli, Mark Mortensen, Glenn Patchell


"I Can Cook Too" Girls - Bridgette, Leilani, Jen, Heidi, and Jolie


The men singing "Into the Fire" as pirates (for you musical theater geeks...I know there shouldn't be pirates, but pirate costumes are cheaper than 18th century ones.)


Sandi Burgess and Lesley Stout


The Dancing Queens? - Nicole Miller, Jen Izu and Luci Ainsworth


Dreamgirls Kari Goodman and Andrea Robertson


Angela and Eddie Villa, our "go to Mimi's Cafe after the show friends"

Our fearless leaders Linda Simmons and Sandi Burgess


We have so many more friends not pictured here. Just know that we love you and had a fabulous time performing with you!