Maddie looking at fish
November 30th, 2007 by rbanks
Maddie looking at fish by rbanks.
Archive for the 'Madeline' Category
Maddie singing Ba Ba Black Sheep
November 22nd, 2007 by rbanks
Maddie’s started singing on her own, and gave us a little recital of Ba Ba Black Sheep last week. There’s a bit of annoying mechanical noise from the video camera. Not sure why. Hopefully it doesn’t ruin the experience too much 
Madeline counting
October 16th, 2007 by rbanks
It’s been quite a while since we’ve posted a video of Madeline. I think the last time she was just walking. So really quite a while. It’s not that we haven’t been taking video. I just found nearly three Gb of videos sitting on our camera.
Anyway, Madeline is enjoying counting. Really enjoying it. It only takes a “one” to set her off.
London Bikeathon 2007
July 19th, 2007 by rbanks
As Shannon mentioned, we did the 26 mile London Bikeathon at the weekend. I went a bit stupid with mapping our route. Not sure that it tells you much because the outbound and return routes overlap so closely, but the ride is a really great way of seeing the city, particularly on a Sunday morning when the traffic is a little more relaxed. You follow the Thames, basically, across the middle of London, from Chelsea, to the West, through the City, around the Docklands development at Canary Warf, past some great views of the Dome and ending at a cool little park by the Thames Barrier. Then back again.
It took us four hours at a reasonable pace. It’s a family ride, so there’s no pressure, although guys in yellow jerseys do shoot past regularly, doing the more high-pressured route that combined out loop with one that headed further west to Richmond.
Four hours for an 18 month old to sit patiently. It’s quite a while. Maddie likes cycling, though, and was no problem at all, even nodding off for a while with her pink-helmeted head bobbing around in the seat behind me.
Anyway, it’s a well organized, unusual way to see London. The route’s recommended, even if you don’t manage to make the actual event next year.
Bubbles
May 3rd, 2007 by rbanks
I’m attending CHI (a conference on Computer Human Interaction) in San Jose at the moment and missing my family a lot. Talking to Shannon is second best to seeing her, and I can hear Maddie giggling and saying ‘da-da’ down the phone. Looking forward to flying back.
Easter Eggs
April 9th, 2007 by rbanks
Easter Eggs by rbanks.
I guess we’re only a day late, if Sunday is the tradional day for making, hiding and finding eggs. Anyway, we made these today. I decided to blow my three. It took me an hour to blow one, during which I nearly passed out. The other two of mine are therefore hard boiled. All of Shannon’s are hard boiled. She managed to make dinner, have a long conversation with one of her sisters and still do her eggs while I was blowing.
This afternoon we’ll hide them in the garden and subtly point them out to Maddie so she can “find” them.
Finally cycling
April 8th, 2007 by rbanks
After the biggest pain getting hold of a bike seat that would fit a 16 month old, we finally hit the towpath today, cycling from home up to Penton Hook Lock and back again. A decent amount of distance for a first try, Maddie was totally into it (especially with all the dogs around) and Shannon coped well despite still feeling under the weather. The sun is shining, we had ice cream sitting on a patch of grass, the boats are out and the coots are building their nests. It’s great here.
Grabbing a St.Patrick’s Day snack
March 18th, 2007 by rbanks
Grabbing a St.Patrick’s Day snack by rbanks.
We’re in London for a combo Mother’s Day/St.Patrick’s Day walkabout.
Maddie standing
March 17th, 2007 by rbanks
She’s been doing this for a while, but she went through a little wild, smiley phase of standing and sitting on Friday which is quite fun to see.
The International Style
February 17th, 2007 by rbanks
Maddie has tended to avoid pulling down books from the shelves in our hallway. I guess she hasn’t found them that interesting, besides which she’s usually crawling past at too high a speed to notice them, as she makes her way to the front door to find out who just rung our doorbell.
Finally the other day she made a careful selection of one book. Philip Johnson’s seminal coverage of the 1932 “International Style” exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The exhibition that brought Modernism to America, and for good or bad, led to Le Corbusier, Gropius, and Mies van der Rohe following there soon after.
That’s my girl.
The International Style: Books: Philip Johnson,Henry-Russell Hitchcock
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