We have just returned from a week at the beach in Florida with dear friends of ours. Samir and Ami have two girls: Annika (2) and Amara (9 months). Since Maren is almost right between the two in age, it made for a great vacation. The four adults agreed that vacations are more about "quality time" than "relaxation" when you have three under two. Quality time abounded and it was awesome.
What's new with Maren? Let me see if I can give you some highlights:
1. She has enough hair to wear alligator barrettes! (Never mind that she rips it out as soon as you put them in.)
2. She can feed herself with a spoon. (Roughly 50% ends up in the mouth, and 50% ends up being cleaned off from a five foot radius of Maren's high chair.)
3. Maren can say both "Mom" and "Dad". For the past three weeks, she has been calling both Brad and I "Da" or "Dad". She says it in the sweetest, happiest voice and repeats it over and over until she is in our arms. For Brad, this is awesome. However, "Mom" is only said when in or near tears or when she is extremely grouchy and whiny. What meaning should I draw from this?
4. Her vocabulary is expanding: ball, uh-oh (used whether she drops it OR throws it), Dad (always said in happy tones), Mom (only said in whiny, grumpy tones), woof woof (whenever she sees something with four legs and fur), ROAR (with great gusto when she sees lions or tigers or Tigger), more, bir (for bird), whoa and cheese (as in "say cheese for the camera").
5. Her nickname in the condo was "klepto", as in kleptomaniac because she was constantly picking things up, carrying them around and discarding them somewhere random. She particularly loves tubes and small bottles. Brad and I are accustomed to this, so we remember to hide them. Poor Samir & Ami, however, spent half the vacation looking for stuff that Maren had swiped. She darted into their room at every opportunity because she learned there were so many treasures within her reach.
6. My brain-washing perseveres... this child *loves* the ocean. Yes!
7. She loves other children. She is somewhat of an aggressive hugger and hand-holder and can be quite intimidating to them. We're working on that.
We'll look forward to your comments! Thanks.
Why do we love the sea?
It is because it has some potent power
to make us think things we like to think.
~Robert Henri
