Maddie, Matt and I have really enjoyed the summer we've had. I don't think you could ask for better Missouri weather. We actually missed the one big really hot spurt in June when we were on vacation!
Here is Maddie at Shelter Gardens (near Shelter Insurance here in Columbia). She loves the flowers and running down all the paths, but I think her favorite part of visiting here are the fountains and the koi pond. Every time we pass the entrance on the way to the grocery store she shouts, "Fishies!?"
Maddie also liked trying out the old-timey desks in the schoolhouse at Shelter.
We took a vacation to Austin, Texas in June to visit friends and had a great time. Maddie really did pretty well on the car trip. We did break down and buy a portable DVD player (something I said I would never do) and it was a lifesaver. Back-to-back Elmo is much better than a screaming toddler --- especially on a twelve hour drive. We are also well acquainted with the parks between here and Austin as we took several breaks so that Maddie could swing. Here she is with Matt at the hotel pool in Austin. The weather was awesome while we were there. Very hot (100s) but very low humidity compared to Missouri.
We visited the Dallas World Zoo and Aquarium which is set up like an indoor rainforest. Some of the birds fly around freely and one happened to swoop down and land a little too close to Maddie. She screamed and snubbed any and all birds the rest of the visit. She did enjoy running up and down the pathways and tunnels. We enjoyed seeing the sharks in glass-encased tunnel. Very cool.
We had a great time visiting Becky, Craig, Meredith and JoJo in Austin. The best-ever BBQ brisket from Salt Lick; the Zilker Park train; Chuy's Mexican restaurant; a drive through Hill Country. Enough said.
Here's Maddie checking out JoJo's new toy.
Back in Missouri, Maddie has spent most of the summer chasing Gooseyard. Instead of just hiding like Callie, Gooseyard lets Maddie get just close enough to almost touch him and then moves a few feet ahead. Here he is trying to hide under an afghan on the couch. Maddie snuck under the blanket from the other end and caught him in a big hug. Priceless.
Aside from going to the park and swimming at the pool, Maddie has also been painting with a paintbrush. Here she is painting her hand. Future tattoo artist?
Making a mess is a huge priority for us. So here Maddie is playing with shaving cream. She wasn't sure what to think about it at first, but soon figured out that it can be smeared everywhere. Fun.
Last weekend, we took our second annual trip to Peach Tree Farm. Maddie got to pet sheep, goats and a big lop-eared rabbit. She insisted on riding the cornstalk horse. (Oh, I forgot to mention, she LOVES horses.)
I'm pretty sure this is Maddie contemplating how she can ditch us and stay at Peach Tree Farm permanently.
Well, that's all for now. We'd love to hear from any of you who still read this blog! Post a comment and let us know how you're doing.
There will be more posts coming soon. HINT: Halloween costumes... birthdays... etc.
