Dinotopia

MADISON'S BOOK CLUB

It's been a while since we've done an entry about Madison's Book Club, but today we did a book from cover to cover that was pretty impressive for her. We're talking about "Dinotopia," which is a gem from the 90's or so. If you like dinosaur pictures and you're roughly Madison's age, you'll love this book.

She's been sick today, so Daddy and she went through this and a few other books on the couch. Page after page of dinosaurs, and happy kids riding them.

Thinking about it more, and then thinking about "Star Wars." Doesn't Waterfall City look just like Naboo? And don't the people who live in Waterfall City look like the people that live in the city of Theed, on Naboo? And don't the large Fambaas look like dinosaurs? I'm slow - I'm just making these connections now.

But admittedly, we haven't been "Dinotopia" enthusiasts all these years. We picked up the book for the pictures, and for Madison. And today, it was a direct hit: Madison and Daddy spent a long time with the story, and she really loved it. Daddy did too.

Another thing we loved: we finally finished Lego Pirates today! This was big: we didn't just finish the stories - we got all the golden bricks and boats and characters. This has been a monumental achievement for Madison and Daddy, who have been playing quite a bit lately, slowly working our way to the end of this game over the past two months.

Another thing we did today was much more significant: we visited a pre-K and took a tour. Madison said she liked it there, and so did Mommy and Daddy. We've had a major decision to make with Madison in regards to kindergarten. We feel like she's smart enough and balanced enough and bold enough to head out on her own for school - but we also feel like she wouldn't be able to communicate just yet. She understands perfectly, but her communication skills just need a little more time. This is why we're considering bringing her to one particular pre-K school - so she can hopefully learn to speak more clearly, and also model speech patterns from other children of similar ages.

It's a big deal, of course. We begin in a little over a month. Goodness, school starts earlier and earlier, doesn't it? Madison's cousins start school on August 8th! That's insane! It used to be Labor Day for us - and September was the dreaded month synonymous with the return to school. Sign of the times!

Maybe she'll learn about dinosaurs...