Adorable, Active and...Avocado-y?

Dear Maya,

Oh my goodness, are you ever a darling lately! We are so in love with your recent personality--you entertain yourself, you clean up after yourself, you like to cuddle and show us that you care--what a sweetheart! And funny? You have us in fits of laughter on a daily basis. Tonight you surprised mommy by reciting a page from your favorite story that was the one page you always made mommy read for you. When you got to the last two words "banana cream" and saw how pleased mommy was, you kept repeating them until I cracked up!

The above and below pictures are from a very cold but fun weekend. We went to a park that was new to you and you braved the snow and frosty temperatures to try out all the new ways to play. You also flew a kite for the first time. It wasn't super windy and it was super muddy, but you loved it!

Yesterday was a busy day. We babysat your cousin Grace in the morning and you were stingy with your toys but otherwise sweet, even wanting to give her her bottle. In the evening we had an avocado-themed birthday party for Aunt Rhi. You were so excited to give her the dollar-store gifts you had picked out--a toy dinosaur, a rubber ducky nail brush, and a chip bag clip just like the one you gave Uncle Matt for his birthday. You helped sing to her and open her presents, and of course you loved the avocado cupcakes.

And here are some other random notes on your recent habits before signing off for the night...

• You don't like fried okra. 
• You suddenly over-pronounce the letter "r" in everything.
• You love your shirt with sequins and your barrettes with beads so much that you have tantrums if you can't wear them.
• You have taken to 'reading' your 'favorite book' in your castle-shaped tent, though the favorite book in question changes every other minute. 
• You are slowly learning how to write your letters and surprised mommy by writing an A in the condensation on the bathroom window this morning :)

Well, it's bedtime for this round mama. Love you!