Happy birthday, wonderful Matt!

Dear Maya,

It's been a good week for so many reasons. After a couple weeks of you being pretty clingy, you've been more independent again. After a few weeks of you just whining, you're talking more than ever and saying the cutest things. And after a few weeks of frequent wet sheets in the morning, you've been dry for two days!

Last week we went to visit your best bud Wyatt and his new little sister. She was so adorable but you only cared that mommy didn't give you her full attention. But once you and Wyatt got into his cars and musical instruments you were having a blast. We only had a little meltdown after leaving their house.

We celebrated Uncle Matt's birthday on Saturday. We made him geek-themed cakes and decorations and he loved it. We had you pick out a few gifts from the dollar store last week and you were so proud when he opened them--a chip bag clip, a pink spray bottle, and a rubber snake.

Lately you are always chattering about something or other and it's so fun to hear what you come up with. One of mommy's favorites from the last week was when you picked up something using your toes to pass it to your hands and then said "Thank you, toes!" in your cheerful little voice. Another cute one was when Matt gave you a piece of his cornbread one day and you said "That's wonderful!" and have been using that adjective to describe him ever since.

Well, mommy's going to bed tonight with happy visions of you running around this evening in your Halloween costume. Can't wait! Love you!

It's autumn all right!

Dear Maya,

We've been doing lots of fun and fall-y things this past week...

Last Tuesday we went on a field trip with the library group to the fire house for fire prevention week. You were very shy and didn't leave mommy's side most of the time, but you did seem to enjoy checking out the inside of an ambulance and a few different fire trucks.

In Japan, fall is known as a time to appreciate high culture. In that vein, you've been reading, making music and have established a new hobby as well--sculpting! Daddy took out his modeling clay and you have spent hours quietly molding it into balls, snakes, and other shapes. Hours! Quietly! What a discovery!

In the US, of course, one association we make with autumn is pumpkins. Last night we painted some of our pumpkins and, surprise surprise, you made quite the mess. We have quite a colorful and eclectic front stoop going on right now, though. And your abstract designs are quite lovely.

This weekend after a quick visit with your great-grandparents, we brought home the bike they had for you at their house so you'd get to ride it more often. Today you spent a while going up and down the quiet back road behind our house, very, very slowly. You'll get the hang of it sooner or later.

This afternoon you and mommy raked up a big pile of fallen leaves in the front yard and then Rhi came out to jump in them with you. Next Matt came home from work and then daddy, and the two of them threw you into the leaves. All of us piled the leaves on top of you and you loved every minute of it!
 

Oh, and by the way, the milkweed obsession is still going strong. Every time we go outside you grab pod after pod, pull out the seeds and watch them fly out of your hands. By the time you're done, the grass looks like it snowed!

 

 

Well, we've got another fun day planned for tomorrow so nighty-night. Love you!

Magic beans and milkweed

Dear Maya,

Without alphabet study to fill up our time, mommy thought we'd have a relaxing week. Hah! Between trying to deal with some washing machine plumbing problems, getting ready to sell some of your outgrown clothes and toys at a consignment sale, and mommy having an awful cold, it hasn't been relaxing at all!

Here are some of the more peaceful moments of our week:

This is about the 4th bunch of 'magic beans' we got from your library summer reading program plant!

 

You've added milkweed pods to your list of favorite playthings found in nature!

You can't wait for daddy to get home from work...or to paint/carve these pumpkins!

 

We stopped by this field one day for some end-of-corn-season play and pics.

You will miss our Fridays at the farm and these sheep so much when our crop share ends in a few weeks!

Naptime lineup of two frogs, two sheep and a monkey--make that two monkeys!

Well, mommy's got to get some sleep. Love you, silly girl!

Zippa Dee Doo Dah!

Dear Maya,

We have had a very busy, very special week with much to celebrate!

• Last Tuesday morning we went one direction to dogsit at a friend's house, then in the other direction to go to the library story hour...all without a diaper! You'd been potty trained at home for quite a while now but outside of the house was still a hurdle. You did such a good job on Tuesday, though, that we made some special Potty Party Pumpkin Cupcakes together and after dinner we all celebrated. You insisted on blowing out candles and singing 'Happy Birthday' to us as well. 

• We finished the alphabet! Last week we studied the letter "Z" and "zebra" was our key word. As we got towards the end of the alphabet, both you and mommy lost a bit of motivation, but you still learned an awful lot. Instead of starting right away on the lower case letters as mommy had originally planned, I think we'll take a week or two off, then focus on numbers. You can count pretty well so mostly it'll just be about recognizing written numbers. 

• On Saturday we celebrated the arrival of October with a trip to your best buddy Wyatt's family's farm stand to pick out our pumpkins. You also fell in love with the mini Indian corn and the little gourds so we got some of them, too. After we loaded up the car we visited with Homer the donkey for a while, then we saw Wyatt's car go by. It turns out they were headed to the hospital for the most celebrated event of the whole week...

• Wyatt's baby sister was born! We can't wait to meet you, Natalie!

Well, good night little sweetheart. Love you!