Swinging

This is going to be a relatively boring post, because I don't have any pictures or video to back it up. There IS video, but unfortunately it ends with the large German Shepherd doing something that should never be filmed. Let's just say it required a large clean up effort. Here's a new picture of the two stars, though.
So I'm guessing that pretty much anyone with kids goes through this at some point. She's never been one to be scared of going too high on the swings and there are some special swings at our park that I can REALLY get her "to the sky" (as she puts it). But swinging has been a constant chore...like making candy...you always have to be there to stir the boiling molten lava that is the sugar mixture. Yes I'm comparing my child to a boiling pan of caro syrup because God help you if you fail to keep her as high as she likes!

Well, the other day I went to pick her up from daycare and there she was swinging like a champ ALL BY HERSELF. In my head, I fell to my knees as she yelled over to me "Look Daddy. I swing myself!" It never fails to amaze me how many things she just all of a sudden gets. Its like overnight, she wakes up the next morning and can play the oboe. I'll be happy with swinging for now.

Swimming

Here are some pictures from Maddy's first swimming lesson last week. She was crying for about 30 of the 45 minutes, but she was brave and did everything the instructor wanted her to do. She seems really excited to go again this week, so hopefully we've made it past the crying.

Maddy the Monkey

So lately, it seems like the cuteness that is the Madelyn has really shot ahead when it comes to climbing and jumping and playing on the local park's new-fangled jungle gym thingy. That's right...I said new-fangled. All we had was jagged metal, merry-go-rounds that would fling you to the moon, and cement...lots and lots of cement.

Anyway...here's a couple of pictured of my dearest monkey.

Maddy's Bed

I think a lot of you know that I got Maddy's bed at IKEA. I thought it would be a fun bed that would last her quite a while. When she was younger, the bed was pretty low to the ground. Even with that, every once in a while I would hear a little thump and have to put her back in the bed.
Well, one of the cool things I love about this particular bed is that it can flip over for a bunk bed feel with a little play area underneath. So I decided that this weekend would be it. Under the questioning gaze of my three year old, I flipped her bed. It was not until I put the mattress on top that she realized what was going on. After that it was pure excitement.
Last night was the first night she was able to sleep with the new configuration. I was a little nervous about the ladder and her falling off and this and that. And even after all the excitement from the weekend, she STILL wanted to lay down in my bed. I stood my ground and after a little fussing and whining, she finally climbed the ladder to the top.

I decided that I would check on her right before I went to bed just in case she was in a precarious spot. I found her with no covers, shivering and tucked up against the outer barrier with her leg thrown over the top. We'll see where she ends up tonight.

Artistic Expression

With apologies for my long hiatus, I give you some of Maddy's artistic expressions. This is a study of the human form with concentrations on the smiling face of her subject. Purchase inquiries can be made to Sotheby's auction house.

Clean Those Ears!

So, I called to talk to my daughter last night (as I sometimes do) and she happened to be in the bath. Mommy was going to let her talk anyway (a risk in itself considering the bath water), but all she could yell was "No! My ears aren't clean!"

Get those ears clean baby, and I will talk to you later.

Movie Star

Now generally I would say that these glasses appear to be something cheap...something that you would get out of...say...a happy meal. But on Maddy, they take on a new life. Could she be following in the footsteps of Bono? Who knows. What I do know is that she's destined for great things...even if destiny is going to need a little help along the way.

My super star: