I guess this photo summarizes how Maddie has been feeling about her summer. She's all smiles and grins! Which is how she's been mostly. She's definitely been testing her limits more and more which have resulted in more and more time outs. We actually had a tantrum one night...it was interesting, but in general she's pretty happy. Loves school and her teachers who can braid her hair much much better than Mommy ever can. I'm talking two french braid pigtails. I mean, come on! I can barely do the one braid in the back straight. How can I compete with french braids?! I'm going to need lessons. Anyone willing?
Introducing....Maddie's new Playhouse! After a year(?) of having this playhouse in the garage in pieces....we actually put it together one afternoon and another evening with a time out for a HUGE thunderstorm that decided to blow through unexpectedly once it saw that we were making good progress on it. It's made of cedar and smells WONDERFUL! Now the big question is where will we end up putting it in the yard. We first have to get the playset together and up...we might not have room left! in the yard. The utilities guys are coming tomorrow to mark off where lines are in the back so we can dig and put things in safely. Have I mentioned that our back yard is quite small? If we could switch our front and backyards we'd be perfect...
The house is actually really cute. We got it at C*stc*, I know, we get EVERYTHING there... It has its own wooden shutters and flower pots, a kitchen, pergola, benches, a working door! Heck, I'd like that house! Maddie is posing with a bottle of orange juice, doing the "I'm cute" stance.
What gets me is Maddie also really liked the box that it came in to jump up and down on. Heck, once we took that out to the curb to throw away, she was more upset even though there was a new playhouse there to play with....figures!
So, what is this clown doing to Maddie? Even better question, where did Maddie see a clown? Well, I've been cooped up at home mostly since Wednesday afternoon when I had an unscheduled wisdom tooth removed...I have been swollen and in pain since, but last night Ron mentioned that a circus was in town. So, last minute plan for the evening, I grabbed my meds, put a smile on my face and off we went to let Maddie have a grand time at the circus (she's been worried about Mommy not feeling well...poor kid!) This picture I think is great of the clown painting her face. She chose to be a butterfly (spiderman was a close second though!). Note in the picture how she's folding her hands while he's working.
The final result! A Beautiful butterfly heading into the Circus tent. The Circus was fine. It seemed small, but the last circus we went to was at Madison Sq Garden so the scale is much, much different. I'd prefer not to have the animals at the Circus actually, I feel horrible for them, then I feel bad for going. I prefer human acts like Cirque du Solieil...Maddie was asking questions, watching and clapping on her own to things she liked. The biggest smiles and wide eyed stares were for the "swingers" also known as the trapeeze artists. I just watched her as she stared at them swinging and then flipping and catching each other. That alone was worth the horribly expensive tickets.
What is that?!? Maddie on a big girl, two wheel bike? That is right! Thanks to her friend Ty, a neighbor, who found it and brought the bike over for her. She can't touch the ground with her feet yet while she's sitting and she still tries to pedal backwards, but she's slowly getting the hang of it. We're going to have to bring it to the park to give her a chance to ride in a level, no car traffic area.
And to say thank you to Ty for getting a bike for her, Maddie made him lemon cupcakes! Mommy my have helped a little...but Maddie broke the eggs, mixed, put the batter in the cups and even decorated them...Yummy!
So, that's what we've been up to around here. I am feeling better than I did on Thursday thankfully! Oh and Maddie did go and try out a new gymnastics class, but all and all that's been it. We're getting into the time of the year were we go to festivals, faires, and on vacation, so I don't think we'll be slowing down much.
