Beads & Super-Cool Trees

Greta is growing up so fast. One day she’s nursing and snuggling…The next she’s striding across the living room, straight to the Mardi Gras beads, and looping them around her neck. And wearing them all day. And resisting their being taken off. And, throughout the day, coming up to me, taking my hand, and leading me places. Few things are cuter. (This would be cuter if it weren’t accompanied by demanding screeches, but I’ll let it slide.)

This afternoon was sunny, and though it was cold, I took the girls to a nearby playground just to get some air. Lucia pushed her pink corduroy cat in her doll stroller. Cat hadn’t joined us for a walk for quite a while, and Lucia was excited to show her flowers, leaves, etc., pausing now and then to take Cat out of the stroller and let her “touch” some plants. Lucia was in a very good mood, and she chattered on and on and on in her precise, funny way: “I’m letting Cat touch the flowers! I’m letting her. Mama, I let her touch the flowers. I LET her. Is Greta sleeping? No! She’s awake! She’s AWAKE!” [spotting some crab-apple-type things on the ground, then realizing the tree above her was covered in them] “Ooooooo! Looooook! A berry tree! That’s cooool! Coooool! That is so coooool! Oooh. There’s the playground. I want to do the twisty slide.” [dramatically struggling to push the doll stroller on the grass] "This is haaaaaaard. It's hard to walk on the grass."

The girls rode home together in the double stroller, snacking. Cat is next to Lucia. Greta has Mardi Gras beads on underneath her coat.