Jugando en el Rio Tuito y mas

Mia is growing fast….so fast that it would be easy for me to forget to write down these milestones. So here are a few little tidbits of what she is doing now:

Climbing steps and rocks and chairs and EVERYTHING she can get to, all by herself.
Reciting her birthdate — One of our many great books is called On The Day You Were Born and the first page has a dedication that says “For Mother Earth, born 4.5 million years ago; and Baby Calla, born June 1, 1988; and you”. We wrote this: “Baby Mia, born September XX, 2011”. We always read the dedication page out loud and just about one week ago, Mia jumped in with the last part: “Baby Mia, born September XX, 2011”. And she says every detail of the date.
Singing songs — She loves to sing. She makes up songs and will recite others. Here is a song she made up several months ago: “Bees, bees, bees, bees; come out of the flowers while you can.” And here is a song she recites, from a book that her Sampaw and Memaw gave her: “Our home is where the land is free from hill or mountains, twig or tree, in a pebbly nest by the stormy sea, where Mama and Papa and Little Pip makes three!” (The latter is from a lovely book from a Cheerios box [!!] about how home is where ever you are safe and with the people you love…fabulous story.)
Playing ‘Mama’ — As in “I am Mama and this is Baby and you are Stephanie”. And endless variations of this theme.
Climbing everything and jumping over things that previously required holding on to two hands.
Doing things “all by myself” including pulling up her pants, going to the potty, brushing her teeth.
Observing and commenting on the birds, wildlife, people and everyone as in “Did you hear those Chachalacas? That was pretty silly!” or “Is he not wearing any shoes?”
Play, play, playing — in her own words.
Swimming and kicking and splashing in the ocean.
Telling stories that involve going on a boat ride, going to Vallarta or Corrales, drinking a margarita or a beer [don’t worry, folks, she isn’t really drinking those, it is just part of the story because — ahem– her parents might be doing some such thing], finding a garrobo (large black iguana type reptile), seeing big whales and dolphins splashing, talking about this or that restaurant, visiting friends at xyz place, going to story time, and more. As an example, the other day, she put a diaper on her head and said “I am the Pie Lady. I am selling pie!” [For the uninitiated, there are two famous pie ladies in Yelapa and they walk the beach carrying pies on their heads; we see them quite frequently but rarely with the pies on their heads, so apparently those few pie-head moments made an impression.] And she has much more complex stories…so entertaining!
Walking and walking and climbing some more (did I mention that she is climbing a little bit?).

I have a diary that I write to her in, and I have written to her since her birth in that book. Perhaps foolishly, I left it in the U.S., so I am all the more eager to write down these things that I want to remember for all of eternity. Such a privilege to share these moments with this wise, sweet, young person.