A Long, Unedited Video for Grandma Jo

This video is 14 minutes long, and gets repetitive so could be stopped at the halfway mark.  I split it in two so you actually have to click on the second one to view the whole long thing.  I share it because Maia is pretty chatty throughout, and it gives a great picture of where she is at developmentally, or at least speech-wise.  I can only recommend watching the whole thing to Grandma Jo, and perhaps to any cousins under the age of seven.  Anyone else might find it a bit of a bore (although it is still worth watching the first minute of the video).  If you fit those qualifications, enjoy!

I love that Maia refers to her nummie blanket as a person.  She wants it to sit, she often wants to feed it, change its diaper, or put clothes on it.  Often when she goes somewhere there are three people going:  Maia, Bear, and Nummie. 

Maia Learning to Ride a Bike

Thanks Holly for reminding me that Mom wants videos.  These two were from a few weeks ago, so Maia's a little better now, but they were her very first attempts at riding a bike once I figured out I could lower the seat so her feet actually touched the pedals.  I love how much she is just clearly enjoying herself. 

"Go to Work"

Tonight Maia carefully stuffed her num-num in her Dora the explorer backpack, then had me help her put it on.  Then she picked up bear and walked to the front door and announced, "Bye-bye, see ya!  Go to work!"  Apparently she's been doing this a lot lately, and Jeanette says that while she is pretending, she is not pretending about going.  She'll then tell Jeanette, "Outside!"  And want her to open the door.  Tonight I wondered how far she would get, so I opened the door for her and away we went.

It was very cute walking with a determined little girl, sometimes running, sometimes shuffling along barely moving, sometimes stopped as she took in all the people sitting outside at the restaurants, and sometimes spinning in a circle like a dog chasing its tail as she tried to see "num-num" behind her in her backpack.  For the first five blocks she actually followed my route to work (at each intersection I would ask her "which way?" and she would point emphatically, saying, "That way!")  As we passed a bar playing music she began to dance, and for awhile after that she was singing.  We had to stop at the coca-cola factory because they have a bright red railing out front, and she wanted to be a monkey.  I was a little worried cuz her backpack was big and heavy, and her hands are so tiny, but she hung on and swung really well.  Everyone we passed thought she was hilarious.  Such a determined little girl.  She kept giving her bear a kiss and telling it, "See ya Bear, have fun!"

After 15 blocks, when it was basically dark, she finally stopped and asked me to pick her up.  She had carried her bear the whole way, and worn her backpack.  I'm still not sure where she works, but she sure enjoyed going there.