Madi the Monkey

I wouldn't be surprised if Madi ended up in the Olympics someday. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up excelling in anything athletic. The child is a natural, and her body was made to be in motion. She taught herself to do a somersault at 16 months old with little assistance, and she's been improving her skills ever since. The beautiful part is her true love of physical activity. She doesn't partake in physical activities because she has to--she does them because she wants to.

Her favorite gymnast is Nastia Liuken. She picked up that name quickly, and during the Olympics contended that she wanted to be "the white girl". I was shocked when I first heard this (obviously) but then realized that Nastia was wearing a white leotard. For weeks after the Olympics, and actually still to this day, she makes us announce her as Nastia Liuken, and she will get up for a little performance of some sort. She has often watched gymnastics on tv and literally broken down into tears because she wanted to do the tricks that they were doing. We explained to her that she has to learn to walk on the balance beam before she can learn to do flips! For now, she settles for a cute little class once a week, where she can practice and learn new things. More importantly, she can demonstrate her listening skills and ability to follow instructions, which the teachers are quite impressed with by the way! Her passion allows me to stress the importance of a nutritious diet and lots of rest. She reminds me to give her Juice Plus everyday!