Maddie @ 8 Years old

Today Maddie tried out for the school play, the Lion King. She has no formal acting experience, no formal musical training, and no fear. I am just blown away by this girl's confidence! I watched her during her audition and she gave it all she had! This girl has so much heart. Here is a little bit about Maddie at 8 years old.

Selfies are kind of her jam. She has taken hundreds of them on my phone. 

She planned out this year's Halloween costume all on her own. This girl knows how to make lemons out of lemonade. Instead of wallowing in the fact that she had to get braces, she decided to theme her entire costume around them. So of course she became a nerd. And she won two costume contests in the process. #nerdsrule

She loves all things ocean and wants to be a marine biologist when she grows up.

She loves her brothers and is especially tender with her younger ones.

Full of personality she is.

A couple of months ago, she and I were able to meet up with her kindergarten teacher (who lives in Connecticut). Ms Crocco has really shaped Maddie's educational experience thus far and I will always be grateful for the year that Maddie had with her (and consequently I compare every other teacher to her and they never quite measure up). 

Nathan @ Three Years Old

This Kid. I don't even know where to start. Three years old is just a really fun age. He can dress himself (though he prefers to be in the buff and will sometimes stay that way for hours after a bath or in between changing clothes) and take care of almost all of his potty needs, but he is still so much my little baby that I feel nostalgic just looking at him sometimes because I know he won't stay this way for long.

At three years old, Nathan:

• Adores his older siblings, especially Isaac. He wants to be right where they are, doing just what they are doing. 
• Has finally started to get over his pickiness phase when it comes to food. He is at times (though not always) our most adventurous eater. 
• He loves to flex his muscles and show me how be they are getting because he eats all his vegetables. 
• I was recently called as the Relief Society president in our branch and Nathan is my little traveling/visiting buddy. He goes everywhere with me and I really couldn't ask for a more patient little side kick. Just today we headed out for a visit and he played quietly in the living room of one of the sisters in our branch for over an hour while I visited with her. 
• People comment on his curls almost daily. He also gets compliments on his angelic cherub-like face. I get asked how I ever refuse to give him everything he wants because he has such a sweet face. 
• He often hates to get into the tub and then hates to get back out of it. 
• The Little Blue Truck Leads the Way is his favorite book and he has the entire thing memorized. It reminds me of when Davis was around his age and could recite Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus from memory. I think Little Blue Truck will hold a similar place in my heart. 
• He makes me call him crazy nicknames like "My Sweet Fish" and "Snuggle Bear"---I don't know where he comes up with this stuff.
• Most of the time I am his favorite person. 
• We have been focusing on the LDS church's "Light the World" campaign for the month of December, hoping to remember the true meaning of Christmas in our home. Yesterday Davis gave Nathan a package of TicTacs. He proudly told me, "Mom! I"m lighting the world!" A minute later one of the kids asked Nathan if he would share with them. "NO!" he bellowed! "And...Nathan just made the world a little darker..." remarked Maddie. 
• He has the best smile and the best giggle and we all just adore him.