Maya Wins!

"All right, you're doing great, but remember, no hitting below the belt and try to keep it clean."

No Licking Please

I've been looking forward to bringing Maya to Petland for months. She has a clear love of animals and I couldn't wait to see her reaction to being in a room full of puppies. Maya was a big squealing mess, as soon as we let the puppy go she was running around and playing with the living mop. The one thing that caught me by surprise was how much she hated the puppies licking her. She was fine with the puppies scratching her arms but as soon as they licked her hand she lost her interest.

Christmas

I think everyone except Maya was heavily anticipating Christmas this year. We tried to do as many Christmas activities as possible, hoping to get Maya interested in what this 'Christmas' thing is all about. Endless light displays, Christmas carols, visits with Santa, must see Christmas cartoons, and in the end, Maya just enjoyed all the attention and I haven't had this much Christmas spirit in years.
Maya's first reaction to the gifts under the Christmas tree.

Taking a good look at the rocking horse.

Trying out her rocking horse before deciding that it really needed to keep its distance.

Poppy and Maya discovering just what happens when an emotional pigeon finds a hot dog.

Poor Little Bunny

Maya gives her Aunt Jennifer a giant Teddy bear in hopes of helping her feel better from the flu/cold/hangnail from which she was suffering.

Christmas Lights In Palm Trees Are Awesome

Every year the zoo puts up lights for Christmas and also does a light show complete with music. We met up with some friends so we wouldn't be the only people with a child running around like a crazy person. It was a lot of fun and the lights were absolutely beautiful, the entire zoo was just sparkling. Santa even made an appearance complete with snow machines to help remind everyone that even though its 80 degrees outside it's still Christmas time. The light show was held by the sea lions with music blasting all around them. The poor things took it pretty well, the slim sea lion was swaying back and forth while the fat one was laying on his rock passed out and completely oblivious.

Anatomy 101

We have been teaching Maya to identify parts of the body and she's been doing really well. Ear

Nose

Mouth (she prefers to stick out her tongue)

Belly Button (currently an outie)

Toes

Suddenly Not Afraid Of The Moustache

All I wanted was the standard screaming child photo with Santa, is that so much to ask?

Thanksgiving/Christmas

We celebrated the first half of Christmas extra early this year since we wouldn't be able to make another visit before then. Maya helped with passing out the gifts but wasn't that into opening them, which was ok since Jacob was standing by to assist anyone in need. As an added bonus to all the presents she received, Maya got to play with Aubrie and Jacob's toys. Aubrie was fine with Maya running around with her brand new doll but as soon as Jacob's car was out of the box, he was convinced Maya was out to keep it as her own. In Jacob's defence, Maya really was trying to get her hands on it.

Back To Tennessee

This year we went to Tennessee for Thanksgiving so we could see what could be learned from an 11 hour car ride with a toddler. As it happens, I can get car sick from watching movies in the backseat, it's not a great idea to take pictures while driving, curly fries qualify as vegetables, there's no point in bringing a bunch of dvd's since she'll only want to watch the same one over and over and over, and a screaming toddler can help shave 2 hours off your driving time.

Visiting family even if we have to drag her kicking and screaming.

Amazing Self Discipline

My awesome tower that my difficult to impress child ignored until the moment I tried to put her down for a nap.

Orange Is Her Color

I finally got a picture of her trying to join the books at the library.

Doesn't Do Bathrooms

Tired of your help getting deported? Afraid you might have to start paying minimum wage? Well have I got a solution for you! Introducing Lil' Helpers, born in the U.S.A. and too young to know a fair wage from a Cheerio.*

*English speaking version not yet available.

Best Seat In The House

Maybe it's something everybody does, I don't know, but Maya has a new found love of tiny places. Her favorite place to sit is between the wall and the end table right on top of the base of the speaker stand. She will squeeze in there with her sippy cup and talk to herself and laugh. She's had several different places where she will go to be by herself but this is the first spot she seemed to have "created". There's her birthday chair where she will enjoy an evening book or the rug in the kitchen where she can have her own spot to cook and, of course, the spot by the front door where she can play with her toys and not have to deal with us watching her. Last week at the library I caught her trying to cram herself into the bookshelf. I really regret being too slow with my camera phone.

This new spot just reminds me of when I was little and would create my own little spots around the house and the farm. Morgan's is the most well known, it's hard not to notice an eight year old spread out on the floor with a sheet covering him and the air vent so that it creates this giant bubble. That guy has a very strange obsession with air.

Boo

So, Jason and I were so excited about Halloween this year! This being the first year Maya could actually participate although she would have no clue as to what was going on. When we got outside she just started wandering around until we would aim her in the direction of someone handing out candy and at the last minute something else would grab her attention and away she would go. Everyone seemed to think her lack of attention made her even more adorable and happily poured candy into the bucket I was carrying for her. Don't they realize that tonight Jason and I will be sitting in the living room fighting over the Snickers? Maya isn't going to see a single tootsie roll. They're choking hazards and bad for your teeth. My teeth are all broken in and used to all the sugar. You see, I'm doing her a favor.

Our Weekend

Traveling with a child is a breeze as long as you lower your expectations until you can accept that at no point will you be anywhere close to comfortable. Maya kept wanting to share her toys with the closest person on the plane, and by "share" I mean she was doing her best to give the poor people a concussion with her phone. Flying with a child in your lap is great if you think about it, free airfare for them and you don't have to deal with a car seat. Of course your personal space is now their personal space and that amount of space makes a match box look like a palace.


We had a fun, yet short, weekend in Indiana. Maya finally got to meet the Haley branch of the family tree and seemed to get along really well with her cousins. I'm sorry it took so long to get her up there to meet everyone, but we finally made it!