Harry Potter Party!

 We had a Harry Potter party on Friday the 13th, how cool is that? But where did the last 8 years go? We went from reading How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? to Harry Potter and now she's obsessed. Can't say I blame her. 

Madilyn was Hermione of course and all the family were very good sports and dressed up. Professor McGonagall, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Belltrix Lestrange, Hermione (after the final battle of Hogwarts), Professor Trelawney, Gilderoy Lockhart, Harry and Hermione's muggle parents all came.

Celeste helped make (made) the cupcakes for school and the birthday cake, Brenda came over and helped me make a bunch of the goodies, and Sandi brought most of the decorations and the other half of the goodies. We had cauldron cakes, licorice wands, acid pops, treacle fudge, lemon drops, rock cakes, blood worms (spaghetti), and yummy butter beer.

Madilyn loved it.

I like to put some of my observations about each of the kids on their birthday post. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the 8th birthday is a big deal. Madilyn is old enough to be baptized and become a member of the Church. Madilyn has always been a deep thinker. She has asked questions that seem well beyond her years since she was young(er). Last year her and I were talking about baptism and Jesus Christ and she asked me, "What if its not true?" Basically, What if everything that we've talked about and taught her isn't true? What if there isn't a God? What if nothing we do here matters? I told her that was something she would have to come to know for herself. We have tried to teach her how to go about finding answers.

She isn't always so deep and has been less doubtful since several of her friends at church have already been baptized in the last couple of months. But I know that she has felt her Heavenly Father's love for her. She'll be baptized in a couple of weeks. I am happy she's made the decision but sad that she's growing up so fast.

Madilyn is a special girl. She is strong-willed and wants to make her own decisions. I think she may become a lawyer one day because she'll argue about anything and doesn't back down even when she knows she's wrong. Let's just say I want her on my side of the argument. She loves to dance. She is a great reader. She likes to write plays and direct them (Emma as her fellow actor is not quite as keen but goes along because Madilyn is so persuasive). She has a strength of will well beyond my own. Example, if she doesn't like whats for dinner she'll not eat. Refuses and doesn't eat until breakfast. That's will power and conviction if I ever saw it.

She loves her brothers and sister and has been a great help with Grant.

We love her lots.