Maddie has a plan for everything. It's the first words out of her mouth each morning. "So what's our plan for today, Mom?" She almost can't function until I give her a rundown. It doesn't have to be blow by blow, but there must be one. Bert would roll his eyes and ask where I thought she got that from, as it's the first question posed to him each morning as well. Here are just two examples, from a day overflowing with others.
Maddie was trying to break the mold of notoriously s l o w Ellsworth talkers yesterday by getting Hy to say "Mommie" or "Daddie", at a record breaking 21 months. She was about as successful as I was seventeen years ago, with Justin. (Did you read the, "you know you're from the eighties if you fight the urge to say "Not" at the end of every sentence?) She fought all day long, and well into the night, despite my pleas for her to "give it up!" Disgusted with both her doggedness and Hy's matching stubbornness I finally said, "Why do you even care if he says Mommie or Daddie? What's that going to mean for you?" Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!! "That's it! It's going to mean something for you isn't it? Did you make a bet or something?" She slowly replied, "Nooooo, I was just thinking if he said Mommie and Daddie first, well.......... Well you see, if he can say "Mommie' and 'Daddie'..... " Of course.
Never underestimate that Maddie has a plan.
This morning Maddie was visiting me in the bathroom while I did my makeup. We were talking about age and my grey hair. Then we jumped to her age,and that she could be married in a mere ten years.
She said, "No, thirteen. I'm going on a mission."
This was news to me and I exclaimed in admiring, horrified awe, "REALLY? WHY?" (Will I be struck for that?)
She said, "Because I've always wanted too."
I said, "Really! You're not scared?"
She said, "Why should I be?"
Me, "Uh..., I don't know. Maybe because it might be a long ways away?"
She said, "No, I'm definitely going stateside."
"Oh you are huh? And how do you know that?"
"Because I do. I don't want to learn a foreign language; too hard. And, I don't want to take baths in a bucket; so I'm not going foreign."
I laughed and said, "But Maddie, just two minutes ago you told me you were going to raise your kids as pioneers, and they take baths in a bucket!"
"Well, I'm not going to raise them as real pioneers, I'm just going to make them wear bonnets, and teach them not to be spoiled."
"Oh, well that's good. Because you might call someday and say, Mom, could you come babysit my kids', and if they weren't spoiled I'd say, 'SURE. I'll take'em for a WEEK!' But if they were spoiled I'd say, 'uh....ok....half hour??' "
She laughed, "I PROMISE Mom, mine won't be spoiled."
"Good"
"So, you'll want to see them often?"
"Yes. Everyday."
"Then I better live close?"
"Yes. Definitely."
"Then I guess you'll have to move to Tennessee." (This has been her all consuming dream since our New York trip)
"Oh, really? And how did you plan on talking your husband into that?"
"Mo-om... That's where the mission comes in. I'll be serving there!"
Never underestimate that Maddie has a plan.
Maybe we should put her in charge of our finances.
