A Different Kind of Vacation!

Madeline with her camping doll named Leslie. Each night she takes her backpack off, unrolls her sleeping bag, and zips Leslie in her tent. In the morning she rolls up the sleeping bag and sleeping mat, puts them in the backpack and sets Leslie off on the Trail again. She thinks of you every day, Leslie!

Here Madeline is ready for dance class in her leotard. She took a 6-week class in tap, ballet, and tumbling. Papa and I got to take her to the class and watch the cute little girls as they prepared to show their parents their routines at the next class time (which would be the final class).

Katie was not feeling very well when we arrived, but she was very active within a day or two! She doesn't look extremely happy here, but she was perfect! We really had fun with her and she rarely fussed! Her favorite "person" (besides her mother and father) seems to be Winston. She says, "Hi, Dog" (minus the "g" sound) about a hundred times a day, starting with her first words each morning! She loves Winston!

Madeline shoved a huge stuffed dog (~4.5' x 3') she calls "Crazy" into her play house and then insisted both she and Papa get in too! Papa obliged, bless his heart! Grandma would have been a bit claustrophobic, I'm afraid! Tea parties, playing doctor with the veterinarian kit, building with blocks, puzzles, and other things kept everyone busy! On two days we took her to preschool for a couple of hours.

Katie and her crooked smile! She loves the ladybug castanets that Great Grandma and Grandpa Gottschalk gave Madeline in a rhythm band set a couple of years ago. She also loves holding on to your fingers and walking...everywhere...even though she has never crawled and shows no desire to do so! At 11 months she still has no teeth, but that doesn't slow down her eating of table food (she has nothing but contempt for baby food now!) Meat seems to be her food of choice presently! Vegetables? Not so much!

What a joy to have the opportunity to spend time alone with the two girls while Emily and Franz enjoyed a long weekend getaway to Napa Valley! Ours was a "working vacation", but one we loved! We are blessed! We did have a wonderful time with Emily and the girls at the Desert Botanical Gardens, as well!