Miss Maya's dandelion days

Dear Maya,

The weather is finally spring-like around here and we're ready to be outdoors and what happens? You catch a cold. Luckily the worst of it seems to be your endless running nose. After a day or two of occasionally sitting still for a change, you seem back to full capacity running, dancing, climbing and trouble-making!

squeezing under your crib to fetch a binky you threw

spinning and spinning and spinning around in circles until...

...you can't stand any more and fall down awkwardly

Yesterday we went out in the backyard for a while since you seemed to be feeling better. You ran around picking up sticks and pine cones and trying to climb up on the water pump platform while holding them all in your hand. Without an extra hand to balance, you had a hard time and managed to fall once.

You also continue to be interested in flowers like mommy. You smelled any you got near enough to, and you tried to repair them by putting fallen petals back on poppies or sticking dandelions we picked back in the ground. You also kept blowing dandelion puffs even though you were several feet away from them--so cute!

We have this cool weeping birch tree in the yard that has branches drooping so low even you need to crouch to get under them. Inside the dome created by these branches is a nice shady space with a greater concentration of dandelions. It's such a fun area for you (and mommy and daddy) to explore.

You are still singing more than talking, but last night you managed to clearly say "Lightning" when you saw Uncle Matt and Aunt Rhi's cat. He didn't come when you called but when you fed him some treats he ate out of your hand for a bit. I don't think our cat Clio will be doing that for a while, though.  You scare her.

I'm not sure how many weeks of food reporting mommy's missed, but you had a landmark experience this week--your first Girl Scout cookies! Thanks Shawn and Kelsie for bringing them over! We also had your first ham at your great grandparents' house and one night mommy made you your own mini spinach quiche.

Speaking of food, you have really been enjoying 'cooking' lately. Pretty much every day when mommy is in the kitchen making dinner you have to be at my feet with a mixing bowl, a spatula and whatever bits of food I give you to mix around. Tonight you really outdid yourself, though. When Auntie Rhi was preparing the Brussels sprouts for cooking, you sat on her lap and really, truly helped. You took each sprout out of the box, peeled off some of the outer leaves and handed them to her for trimming. What a good helper!

Well, mommy needs to go get some rest. Another day of chasing after you awaits! Love you!