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Not having anything particularly topical to write about, I decided to do another quick update on the goings-on at Casa de Stopster. We haven't really been up to a whole lot--finishing taxes (ugh! we are definitely withholding more up front this year), getting the yard back in shape, and trying to spend as much time out in the nice weather before the boiling Kansas summer comes home to roost.

Shortly after we visited the Deanna Rose Farmstead--okay, like the day after--we visited Cedar Cove Feline Conservatory in Louisburg, KS with our favorite 'also-parents', the Jantzer-Wards and their totally-squeezable son, JJ. This refuge houses 7 tigers, 3 cougars, 3 bobcats, a leopard, an adorable lion cub, and a couple of coatis (co-ah-tee), which may be Maddie's new favorite animal, or at least word to say. Cedar Cove, from what I could tell, mostly takes in animals that have already been captive in some capacity and need somewhere else to be. For instance, the leopard was originally in a private residence (yes, it's insane; I know), but when they decided to have a baby, they thought the combination of baby and leopard might not be a good idea (so, maybe not completely insane), and the shelter took him in.

After we gave the kiddos some tiger-time, we stopped by the other attraction in Louisburg, Somerset Winery, for some adult fun. They have a huuuuge open lawn space, so after those-who-are-of-age selected a bottle share, we sipped wine in the sun while JJ and Maddie got good and dirty running around in the grass, playing with rocks on the gravel path, and slogging through the mud near a small bridge. (The bridge seemed to allow one to cross a small drainage ditch, and yes, it was about as pointless as it sounds, but being almost perfectly toddler-size, they thought it was great.

Other than that, we've been sticking pretty close to home. Maddie's still going to Kindermusik every Tuesday, and she seems to enjoy herself. Her favorite part may be the stamps she receives at the end of class, but she also gets pretty excited about the dancing and story time. Maddie's the youngest kid in the class, so usually, when stamp time comes, the older kids kind of push her out of the way, but a couple of weeks ago, she ran right up to the front and pulled up her shirt to Miss Amy could plant a stamp right on her belly.

Oh, and Maddie has fairly flawlessly made her transition back to Laura's for daycare. She seems pretty happy to have lots of kids to play with again, but we have seen signs that she hasn't had to, um, "share" recently. Either that or she's well on her way to "two" a little earlier than scheduled. (I'm betting on a combination of both.)

On a final note, I thought I'd share this picture that I snapped last night. Apparently, when you leave the room to get more paper (20 seconds, people!), she will find a different medium to work with:

iMom

If you spend enough time with the Madster, you will quickly realize that the girl loves her some music. In fact, this week, she finally learned the word, music--mu-uk--and she does use it in context, asking for the musical lamb figurine on her dresser during diaper changes and rushing over to the CD player to have some of her mu-uk played. (Oh, and don't even think about pushing the buttons yourself. It will only end in a meltdown...)

In general, we're all for a love of the musical. We're more than happy to play her CDs, sing her songs, and we've enrolled her in a second Kindermusik course this Winter/Spring. However, lately, she's taken it a little too far. Miss Thing has decided that Mommy is an iPod. Not only does she almost constantly request her favorite songs (and loudly refuse to hear anything else you might feel like singing), she also requests them in "inconvenient" places. For instance, the last two times I've picked her up from daycare, she's greeted me with a hug and a request for Ernie. This also happens almost every time we go somewhere in the car, in restaurants, and this evening, in the grocery store. I've tried explaining that everyone in Aisle 3 does not want to hear Elmo, but she's pretty insistent. (I didn't sing in the grocery store. That's just not a place I'm prepared to go.)

So, in honor of Maddie and her mobile musical tastes, here's a sample playlist:

1. Ah-bo (Elmo's Song)

2. Ehw-nee (Rubber Ducky)

3. Up uh buh buh (Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)

4. Bussss (Wheels on the Bus) (Complete with some phrases and actions. Adorable!)

5. Wo Wo (Row, Row, Row Your Boat)

6. Koo Koo (Little Bunny Foo Foo)

7. Yawk (Rock-a-Bye Baby)

8. Gawk Gawk (the Rock Chalk chant)

If you start to sing something she doesn't want you to sing, she'll yell "No, noooo" at you, and don't be surprised if she changes her mind mid-song, especially if she's asked you to sing "Ehw-nee" (Five bucks says she'll ask you to sing Ah-bo instead).

And finally, not because they're related but because someone asked, here are a couple of pictures from our trip back to Washington this weekend: