Maddie @ Six Years Old

Maddie turned 6 today! This picture is just so...Maddie. I have no other words.

Maddie and the sister missionaries right before they got transferred. 

Maddie with her principal, Ms. Nana, and her teacher, Ms. Crocco. I want Ms. Crocco to be my mentor when I go back to teaching. She is phenomenal and we will miss her so much. 

• Maddie is really growing up! She is independent, funny, determined, and kind.
• She loves kindergarten and the only time I have seen her get the slightest bit sad or apprehensive about our move to Arizona is when she thinks about how she'll have to leave Ms. Crocco. I am really going to miss Ms. Crocco, too. 
• When I get up to exercise before the rest of the family wakes up, I often find her in my bed when I get back, snuggled up in the covers with her daddy. She loves spending time with him early in the morning. 
• Maddie has always been a minimalist when it comes to food. Lettuce alone but not salad, strawberry shortcake but without whipped cream, and hot dogs without ketchup. I do have to commend her for branching out lately. There was a time when I thought she would never try new things but she seems to be growing out of that phase. 
• I have tried to encourage Maddie and her brothers to help me in the kitchen for years. Maddie has never shown much interest at all until a couple of weeks ago. She picked out a children's cookbook at the library and told me she wanted to start cooking and that I could be her sous-chef. She made her first batch of cookies and Isaac declared (a little sheepishly) that her cookies were better than mine ("sorry mom, I really don't want to hurt your feelings!"). Since then she made her birthday cupcakes and has told me that she is going to just keep baking harder and harder recipes until she becomes a really good chef herself.
• She is very nurturing, especially with her younger brothers. Just last night I watched her teach Davis how to fold two socks together while they were helping me with the laundry (a rare occurrence), and she can't let Nathan go down for a nap without giving him a big hug. 
• She is enthusiastic about just about everything--her teacher describes her as "the girl who thinks the world is made of glitter" because everything is bright and shiny in Maddie's world. I love her positive attitude.
• She is great at using big words out of context. "My doll is so jovial", or "isn't this day repetitive?" I never correct her because I think it's so adorable. 
• Happy Birthday little lady!