Organizing at the Saturn Cafe in Santa Cruz... We have months of videos to upload, so I'll keep the text to a minimum.  And I'm at work...

Cute Outfit + Cute Kid = Cute Pictures! I have trouble getting videos to upload (they take forever and the upload seems to fail 9 times out of ten before completing) but we do have some good photos from the last month or so that you can check out!

Playing in the dirt along the bay trail. Who knew it could be so fun!

Nooooo! The dog park is right next door! Don't you know what the dogs do in that dirt???

Sure, we'll see who's smiling when the bacteria and parasites from the dog gut take hold!

Not quite Abbey Road! Actually, it's the path alongside the lump abutting the bay right by our house!

Patches on the loose

Catch the mouse Jumpah!

Birthday Fun

Madeleine got a lot of artsy stuff for her birthday (now two months ago, i know- better late than never!) and we caught some footage of her in action. This was great because not an evening goes by without her insisting 'i wanna draw'...Thanks Uncle John and Aunt Molly!

Lake Tahoe!

A few weeks before the arrival of Mr Huxley, we took a trip to Lake Tahoe.  It was a little colder than we expected, but we had a great time.  It is so beautiful! And, even sweetpea made the trip!

Airplane!

Maddie's new favorite game is running around like an airplane, which can also be called "flying like dumbo".  This game always requires dad's participation.

PaPa Templeton And the Mouse

PaPa Wise Reads The Noisy Zoo

I can ride a tricycle!

As of September 1st, Madeleine can officially pedal the tricycle all by herself!

Hydrophobia

By now, Madeleine's fear of the water is well-documented. In the biological sciences, we refer to this trait as 'hydrophobia.' But don't worry, we love our hydrophobic daughter just the same!

Wave Shy!!!

As I mentioned, Madeleine was a bit timid around the ocean in Santa Cruz. Now, for the first time ever, we have explicit video evidence showing this drastic change in attitude towards the waters...

Circle In the Sand

We took a 'Daycation' (thanks for the verbiage, Dave) to Santa Cruz fourth of July weekend. We avoided the boardwalk and the expensive parking, but got to enjoy the beach and the seals off the pier. Here is some footage of Madi on the beach. She seems a little frightened by the waves - more on that in the next video. Don't tell Belinda Carlisle about this post; I'm not paying any royalties on the title!

First Performance

Madeleine has always been interested in my guitar(s), but she has never taken the initiative to strum and sing at the same time... until now (or whenever I took this video; sometime between September 2009 and yesterday). Looks like we may have a young singer/songwriter on our hands.

Dizzy Badid

Yes, Madeleine has discovered the joys of altered consciousness. Let's hope she doesn't take this trend too far, particularly in her teenage years...

New Friends!

We got a care package for the Fourth of July from Grandma T. that included, among other things, Lightning McQueen (from Cars) and Clifford. What a fun surprise!! Thanks Grandma!

Index Finger Neck Death Jab

Oh I was so happy to see Madeleine after her performance in the parade. And this is how she reciprocates, with a potent finger-to-neck jab!

Pick Me Up, Please!

As I mentioned, most of the kids start to cry when they see their parents. Yes, even the best kids (with the best parents) are prone to show such weakness. Alas, Madeleine is no exception...

July Fourth Parade

Starring Madeleine! Not really, all the kids were great... until they see their parents and start to cry. But what a bunch of cuties!

Wipe It!

No, not talking about any anatomical region. Madi is very demanding when it comes to her whiteboard artwork.

Madeleine threw a fit the other evening because she couldn't find "Goodnight Moon." She had taken our small hardcover copy to bed the night before (?), and as soon as we found it, she was ready for bed, and went willingly. Earlier that day, she had been harassing Mr. Kitty, and when he took a swipe at her, she shook a finger at him (not the middle one) and said, "Bad dog!"