Carolina in Maya's mind

Dear Maya,

Mommy didn't post last week because we were too busy having fun on our trip to North Carolina!

We left after dinner on the 22nd and drove all night so you could sleep in the car. We got to Grandma and Poppa Stan's house at about 6:30am, just in time for you to eat breakfast and get into daytime play mode. Luckily Grandma and Poppa Stan obliged as Mommy and Daddy were tired!

We hung out for a day of beautiful weather and fun. Grandma bought you a cute pair of shoes when we went for a ride around the local area. That night after dinner, we all took a walk down to the end of their road. Grandma says she's gauged it at exactly a half mile and you walked all but about 50 feet of it yourself!

The next day we got up and drove four or five hours to visit Grandpa. When we got there he took you and Mommy for a walk while Daddy rested. There's a dock and small beach out behind his condo and luckily we got some playtime in before it started to rain.  

"Mr. Ouch" used to live at your great-great-grandparents' house and when Mommy was a little girl
she was afraid to stick her hand in his mouth lest he bite her. You're a bit braver, I guess. :)

The next day Grandpa took us to Airlie Gardens in Wilmington. We saw so many beautiful blooming flowers and trees and some lovely birds, too. Your favorite part seemed to be running along the patch of tulips that were as tall as you, giving each one a gentle squeeze without damaging it. Whew!

The next day we said goodbye to Grandpa and headed to Durham. There we visited our friend Aidan, his lovely wife Keiko and their new son, Ruarc. The baby is adorable, but you seemed to better enjoy the company of their cats. Mommy and Daddy loved snuggling a newborn again and chatting with our old friends.

After a long night at Aidan and Keiko's house (their 9-week old was so much quieter during the night and early morning than you were), we headed back to Grandma and Poppa Stan's for the rest of our visit. The weather was cooler than at the beginning of our trip, but we still had a ball at the beach in the Outer Banks.

 

 

Another day we took the ferry over to the Mackay Wildlife Refuge where we saw lots of different birds. The rest of our time was spent going to thrift stores (your wardrobe is ever-expanding), relaxing, and enjoying our time with Grandma and Poppa Stan. You really thrived at their house with new skills (walking down a small step), new songs (recognizably singing a Japanese song about tulips) and new habits (giving out lots of spontaneous hugs--Poppa Stan being the most frequent recipient) to show for it.

Your first real ponytail!

One other new 'skill' is your "What you talkin'  'bout Willis?" face.

We drove home during the day and although you were well-behaved, it was a bit hairy thanks to our GPS sending us into Manhattan. We got home safely, though, but wish we could have stayed longer. You must feel the same, as your mood has been off since we got home. Hopefully our next trip to North Carolina isn't too far off and we'll get to see everyone again soon. Thanks so much to Grandma and Poppa Stan, Grandpa, and Aidan, Keiko and Ruarc for making our stay so enjoyable and memorable. Love to you all!

P.S. Your new food list these two weeks is extensive, including but not limited to: hushpuppies, fried okra, strawberries, potato salad, hamburger, flounder, Fig Newtons, croissants, popsicles and your first kid's meal--a grilled cheese and apple slices from Dairy Queen.

It's easy being green...

Dear Maya,

We've had some unbelievably warm weather for mid-March in these parts and the spring bulbs are shooting up all over the place. Everyone is thrilled to be spending time outdoors even after the mild winter we had, and you are no exception. We went to the park last week and yesterday you played in the yard barefoot. Yeah!

green grass

Of course it was also a green weekend because of St. Patrick's Day. Mommy dressed you in this funny little outfit complete with rainbow Babylegs and you ran around with your little jar of gumballs like a leprechaun with gold. Mommy made two kinds of corned beef and cabbage for dinner and you loved it.

green shirt

green shamrocks and a French 'leprechaun' in our entryway display

Yesterday we celebrated Auntie Rhi's birthday. While she was out you helped mommy decorate the kitchen--we went with yellow instead of green for her birthday to match the pretty flowers someone sent her (plus that's the color of the balloons and streamers we had leftover from your birthday). When she came home we gave her presents and had cupcakes and cookies. You loved your marbled cupcake and ginger snaps. Sorry you didn't get to eat any of the mint chocolate cupcakes, but that would've been sugar overload for you.

'green' party decor (manga pages cut in the shape of butterflies)

Mommy noticed that you have a new tooth on top towards the back. That explains why you've had your hand in your mouth so much lately, but you haven't been cranky. You've always taken teething in stride so it's not really surprising, but mommy thought the back ones would hurt more. So glad you're still your chipper self.

more green(ish) grass 

Continuing with last week's word recognition, you now know what "spin" means and start spinning around and around as soon as mommy says the word. The funny thing is that you don't seem to be able to stop (or maybe you don't want to) until you're about ready to fall down. Luckily you haven't hurt yourself, funny girl.

'green' play--you love your boxes as much as the toys that come in them

Well, good night my little munchkin. Mommy's going to bed with the window open a crack so she can hear the green frogs singing her to sleep. It's going to be a beautiful spring, my dear, just wait!

green peas

P.S. Another update on mommy's baby clothes obsession habit. As mentioned last week, ThredUp, the website through which we acquired the adorable patent leather shoes and denim skirt in the above photos, will sadly be ending the swapping side of their company in a couple days. Luckily mommy has found some suitable replacements. We will now be swapping clothes (and other items) with some great ladies on Swapmamas.com as well as buying and selling some consignment items via a couple groups called "Swap Closet" and "Everything BUT the Kitchen Sink" on Facebook. You are still going to be one economically but stylishly dressed little girl. Oh, and green, too!

Learning, loving, growing girl

Dear Maya,

Just a quick update post tonight as mommy's still trying to make up for the hour lost this weekend...


*We tested you with the most infamous foods from each of mommy and daddy's cultures this week. First you had a potato dish with liver in it (though the taste was very mild) and then you had daddy's homemade natto (fermented soy beans--an acquired taste but delicious to many and good for the brain). You loved them both.

Look at you eating your broccoli!

'Flossing' with the string to your Chinese lion puppet

*When it's time to get ready for bed, all mommy has to do is say the word "upstairs" and you run to the door at the bottom of the stairs. You enjoy crawling up the stairs (with us behind you) and are so proud of yourself when you get to the top. You've learned to open drawers, too, but that's not quite as endearing for us. ;)

I look at this picture and see you as a teenager--stop getting so big already!!!

Lots of scrapes from roughhousing lately, but not many tears--such a strong girl!

*You are continually interested in organizing, stacking and nesting things--Tupperware, baskets, colanders, you name it. Tonight Aunt Rhi and Uncle Matt gave you an early Easter present because they couldn't wait to watch you enjoy it--a stacking tower with holes for balls to funnel down through. You loved it!

It didn't take you long at all to figure it out-
then take it apart to make your own game out of it!

And you loved the box it came in, too!

Just a bit of mommy news tonight before signing off. This past week mommy spent a couple of days totally cleaning out your dresser and my own closet to recycle our unused clothes through the website I touted on this blog last week, ThredUp. Well, wouldn't you know it--the other day they announced the complete restructuring of their company: they will no longer include family to family clothes swapping, just overpriced consignment sales. Mommy was sad to hear it as so many of your cute outfits came from wonderful families through ThredUp. Luckily, mommy was able to send off 7(!) boxes of items to other moms and little girls who could use them and order some boxes for you, too, before the service shuts down later this month. Sigh...

Well, we've got a lot to look forward to this week--you sleeping until a reasonable hour thanks to Daylight Savings time, continued beautiful weather, St. Patrick's Day and Auntie Rhi's birthday. Oh, and have I mentioned how much mommy loves your new tendency to give me unprompted big wet kisses? I melt!

Love you!