1 Mother 2 Another

I have to say that for an eight-month-old, my kid’s got a pretty impressive resume of talents.

Truly, if all of her remarkable skills were documented, Disney and the like would be lined up around the block trying to hire her.

Here’s just a sampling of her special skills –



Country-Western dancing  Not only is Maddie fierce at the Tush Push (see previous blog) as a solo dance, she is a great partner for the Cotton-Eyed Joe.  One of her favorite things to practice during dance time with Mommy, as a matter of fact.

Parallel Parking  So she’s still not crawling forwards; she slides backwards with the best of them, and she’s added this bit of finesse to it – at least twice now, I’ve seen her eye a target, keep it in her sights as she spins herself around so she’s facing away from it, and then push herself backwards to it.  I kid you not, and with no rearview mirror.  And parallel parking’s a handy thing to know here in the city, so I’m relieved I won’t be having to teach it to her.  (Sorry again about that fence, Dad . . .)
 
Speaking With Dogs  I should clarify this:  I’m not 100% sure the dogs can understand her.  But I do know for sure she’s speaking in a pitch that only they can hear.
 
Communicating in Sign Language  In addition to working on some basics in ASL, Madeleine’s gotten her first self-created sign down and employs it vigorously.  Remember the waving trick she learned?  It’s in heavy rotation in her repertoire now; she’s been known to use it from the very front of the house, with Mommy standing all the way at the other end.  Still works every time, and she’s even tried it on Kitty.  Sitting on the bed, Maddie’s struggled for a few minutes trying to get nearer to her idol purring complacently out of reach.  After trying fruitlessly to bring herself closer the Kitty, Maddie had a brainstorm, sat back, and deliberately waved at kitty in the agreed-upon “Come Here and Kiss Me” wave.  Imagine her shock when it didn’t work.  She stared at me in consternation, renewed her efforts, and sadly gave up a few minutes later.  She’s confident Kitty will come around eventually.
 
Stand-Up Comedy  I don’t know how she comes up with fresh material so often, but baby girl is slaying them in the aisles.  She tells the most convoluted, intricate stories, and you can feel the wind-up even if you don’t understand it.  Then a big pause, then the dramatic final pronouncement.  A moment of reverential silence, and she bursts out laughing, looking at you as if to say, “I know!  Isn’t that crazy!”
 
Playing the Guitar  Yep, that’s right, my kid can pluck and strum.  Madeleine’s in awe of the guitar and Brian finally let her give it a try.  Daddy holds down the chord and Maddie goes to town.  So far she’s mastered C and G, which as far as she’s concerned are identical.  She’s booking for 2007 right now, so if you’re interested contact me soon.
 
Dancing  We covered the country-western dancing, but that’s just the tip of Maddie’s iceberg of movement talent.  She particularly loves dancing to 50s music with Dad, tossing off the twist and pony as if she’s been doing it for years.  They’re also a great waltz team, with Madeleine’s arms in the right position, though if I’m being totally honest her torso frame’s a bit weak.  You forget the technicalities, though, when you see her trustingly dipping down to the floor.
 
Dancing with Mom’s a whole different story.  When we’re going full tilt through Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty”, her port des bras is tragically beautiful, her developpes high and long.  She loves standing en pointe, though she doesn’t do that without Mummy’s support since she doesn’t have the proper shoes.  Standing on my feet, Madeleine mimics me as I pick up first one leg, then the other in little baby high kicks.  And she’s a really fearless partner; she’s fine trusting you completely as she is tossed in the air and spun around wildly.  Remember that famous lift in Dirty Dancing – the one they practiced in the water over and over?  Well, Maddie holds her back up way better than Jennifer Grey ever did.
 
Singing  And now we’ve come to her forte- music.  Madeleine adores singing, whether she’s performing or listening.  In our church we’ve got a rock band instead of the traditional organ and choir, with Maddie’s dad standing at the main mic.  Sunday mornings as I face forward, Maddie watches the band over my shoulder and has a front-row seat to the best concert in town.  A few bars into a song, and Madeleine’s crooning along with the band.  She stares, wide-eyed, at the guitars, and is particularly respectful of Leah, who both sings and plays the guitar.  Sometimes Maddie’s in a listening mood, but most often she has to join in.  Baby girl has a song in her heart, and it’s just got to come out.  Of course, with her guitar playing and my girlfriend Bev’s Danny hittin’ it on the drums, we’ve got an up-and-coming band to watch out for.
 
So with all her skills, it’s anyone’s guess how she’ll end up as an adult.  Right now I think she wants to be a guitar-playing, country-western dancing, singing ballerina veterinarian.  But at that age, didn’t we all?