Beach Vacation
At the end of June, we spent a week at the end of June in Bethany Beach, Delaware, with Grandma, Grandpa, and the aunts and uncle on the occasion of the grands' 50th anniversary.

Maddie got her first kayak ride, and finally embraced the ocean.  Earlier beach trips were met with fear of any moving water, but this time she got her feet wet with "jumpy", where she jumped over the dying surf.  Later, she ventured out (with help, of course) beyond the breakers for swimming in the waves.  One of the few situations in which her bravery exceeded her abilities.

Other activities included dinosaur golf, dinosaur doctor (healing her plastic dinosaurs), and the requisite snowcones and pizza. 

up to five and one quarter
       years

 size
      -  44 inches
      -  42 pounds

activities
      - soccer class
      - beach week
      - county fair
      - trip to Montana

 interests
      - dinosaurs
      - reading
      - magic school bus
      - computer games
maddie diary   summer 2002
  
Reading
Maddie loves her library books, and now is quite happy to sit down with them on her own and plow through them.  Her favorite series: Magic School Bus, Magic Tree House, Commander Toad, and the Time Warp Trio.  She's not yet reading the Time Warp series herself-- way too many expressions that need to be explained.
Physical Activities
Soccer class continues.  She's improving, but isn't terribly motivated.  She's the only  girl in a class of boys, and while she's as skilled as all but a couple, she lacks that testosterone-driven "that ball is the most important thing in my life right now" ethos that some of the boys have.  She does quite well in goal, but I don't think that'll interest her for very long.

The big breakthrough has been in swimming.  She can swim (dogpaddle, but fast) the length of the pool, swim under the surface for a while, jump in off the side-- a lot more than she could do a month ago.  We've gotta get her some lessons so she can really have fun.  She likes going in the deep end with a noodle and taking little free-swimming excursions from her base.
She's pretty shy.  Very chatty and open with family members and close friends, but she's hesitant to talk to anybody else.  She won't go up to a playing kid and try to get involved.  It will be interesting to see her get involved with a whole new group of kids this fall.
Montana Vacation

See here.
Fair Champeen!
Maddie entered 3 items in the fair, and won ribbons for each of them.
Drawing of the earth: Honorable Mention.
Self-portrait (painting): Honorable Mention.
Painted rock alligator head: First Prize.
Short story about an allosaurus: First Prize and Department Champion!