Quotes from Maddie

Our kids have been total champs-- they've put up with sunburn, mosquito bites, food dislikes, sleeping in uncomfortable places, waiting for buses/taxis/airplanes, walking miles on end. On the other hand, they've seen great beauty, learned much, and pushed themselves beyond what they thought they could do. Maddie, not surprisingly, has not lost her wit.

1. As we were sauntering back to the beach house on a balmy night, Maddie reflected on her love of the outdoors and our Berkeley neighborhood's lack of safety and sighed, "I live in a concrete forest, and I don't even get to walk through the forest!"

2. We were watching boats on a lake. Phil remarks, "Look, they're pushing the boats with poles in the shallow water." Maddie corrects him, "That's called 'punting', Papi."

3. We had eaten dinner at a restaurant that served solely seafood (not the kids' favorite). They were quite unhappy about it. Afterwards, we thanked them for their patience in sitting through the meal. Maddie replied, " Thanking us for being patient is like thanking prisoners when you put them into jail!"