Goofy Girl

Cara, without a doubt, can be incredibly goofy. After all she is a toddler! While she will play happily with her own toys, playing with other objects in the house is often preferred. So a plastic tub intended to hold some toys becomes a favorite hat...



Then there is a fascination with food. We weren't sure Cara would give up the head of garlic before she went to bed, but luckily after she finished her night-time milk she was willing to return the garlic to the pantry.




The love of hats - at least hats that aren't hers - can be pretty funny too!

And we swear that she did not get the idea of reading while riding on her trike from us!

Family Day

The year has flown by, and on May 30th we celebrated Family Day, the anniversary of the day that Cara joined our family. We're still figuring out how we want to commemorate this important day in our family. Obviously we are overjoyed to be Cara's parents and to be a family together, but we also want to acknowledge Cara's birth family and the foster family that took loving care of her for three months. This year C took the day off from work to take Cara to the zoo. I came home early and we enjoyed a nice walk through a local park, where we found a nice person to take this photo of us, our family, together for a whole year!

St. Edwards Park

Given Cara's love of running around large green fields, we decided to go on outing that would be satisfactory to all. St. Edwards Park has a beautiful big lawn plus some trails leading down to Lake Washington. So Cara would get her grass and mom and dad would get a bit of a hike, plus we would continue Cara's exposure to being carried in her backpack. J remembered there being a bit of a shoreline, so maybe Cara could also get a bit of a water experience!



The big grass field was a hit, as expected. Cara had her snack and then ran around, decapitating dandedlions. This has been an on-going delight of spring, and a joy we don't think anyone would deprive her of. After lots of running back and forth, with mom and dad alternating trying to take photos (the camera is a strong Cara magnet), we eventually loaded up and set off down the trail to the lake. Cara enjoyed checking out the flora. (yes, Cara is fond of her orange sippy cup)



At the waters edge the lure of water was too strong - Cara definitely had to get close. We hadn't brought extra shoes (or clothes), so we thought we would give her the opportunity to dabble her feet in the water. At first, Cara was delighted by the texture of cold, wet sand on her bare feet. That lasted a few minutes. Then her feet started getting cold and suddenly she wasn't having much fun anymore. We dried her feet off, got the sand out from between her toes and moved away from the very tempting water.





Walking along the trail restored Cara's good humor. She had a great time stomping across a wood bridge, but occasionally got tired and needed to sit down. In the middle of the trail! We had a yummy lunch back up on the main field, and Cara fell asleep in the car on the way home. A good time was had by all.

Growing Fast

There is no doubt that Cara is growing fast. She is a full on toddler now, walking and sometimes running, full of smiles and opinions.




She has already started wearing mom's clothing, eats with not just one spoon but two(!) and likes to sit on a chair like a big girl.






Somethings haven't changed though, and she is still delighted to start her days with Ms. A.

Cherry Blossoms

A little behind here, so the text will be light. But you all come for the photos anyway!






Spring brings beautiful flowers to Seattle, and this spring was quite glorious this year. Usually the cherry blossoms are only around for about a week, but this year cold, damp weather kept them in bloom for longer. Long enough for C to come home from his travels and take Cara out to enjoy the trees in full splendor on the University of Washington campus.


The outing started with snacks and drink at a park before they walked up to the Quad, famous for it's display. Cara had a delightful time running around on the green grass, occasionally throwing herself down to stare up at the flowers. C finally decided he needed to get a photo of what she was looking at!



While at the Quad C and Cara also made some new friends. Ida had only recently joined her parents, J and T, in China. We've since gotten together with them a few times, and hope that Cara and Ida will become good friends. We certainly are enjoying getting to know J and T.

Stop and smell the ... rocks

A friend who follows this blog, on hearing about our crazy spring, expressed some concern that we don't have time to stop and smell the roses, since as he put it "it seems like watching Cara grow up is and will be an incredibly rich experience for you guys." I was thinking about his words as Cara and I took one of our now habitual after work walks. No roses to smell yet and Cara wasn't that interested in the crocuses. But the rocks now - that is a different matter!


Walks with Cara are an excellent exercise for me in slowing down. With the slightly warmer weather we've been going out for 15-30 minute outings almost every afternoon. Cara is gradually getting to know the immediate neighborhood and increasingly chooses our path. Sometimes she really wants to walk, other times the pebbles in the next door neighbors yard will keep her fully occupied. Its a great way to meet the neighbors and unwind after a busy day.



So what's been going on with us? Well, C has an insane travel schedule this spring and has been gone more than he's been home. We decided to go ahead with our remodel plans and extend the balcony on the third floor, giving Cara more outside play space for when the weather gets nice. And J is starting a new job! So the leisurely walks are a welcome relief and reminder of what is really important in our lives.

Sitting

Sitting is something we do so much of, I've always taken it for granted. But the beauty of being a parent is your eyes are opened to how special the simplest actions can be. Suddenly you realize the complexities of everyday actions and that there is something noteworthy in attaining them.

Cara started sitting within a few weeks after she started walking. She first discovered sitting on the stairs, which is fairly easy since stairs don't move and she can hold on to the wall as she sits down. Sometimes I'll sit next to her and we'll just hang out, sitting around. She loves that!


We bought a table and some chairs so Cara and Isabel can sit and draw together. Cara loves the chairs but they are still too big for her to get into herself. She'll walk over to the chair and hold up a hand to me indicating that she wants to get up. I'm sure it won't be long before her legs are long enough and she's sitting there on her own.

Meanwhile, the stool we got for her is just the right height to sit down on. Learning how to back up to the stool so it doesn't move was a bit of a trick, but once Cara figured it out she was happy to keep practicing.

And how about that kitchen cupboard! Yes, the perfect height for Cara's little legs.