Growing Up!

You know, when you see someone every day sometime's it's hard to see changes, because change usually happens in really small increments and we get used to it. But lately I've been noticing a bunch of little things that remind me of how much Abby has grown up in the last ten months.

For instance - gymnastics. The first time we went to gymnastics, she was quite fearful. Now when we walk in the building, it's like she doesn't need me anymore. :) She knows what she wants to play with, and where to go, and what "Circle time" and "Warm-up" and "Stamp time" means, and interacts with her teacher nicely, and just generally sees me as a tagalong. In fact, I think she'll probably do terrifically if she takes the next level class since that's all teacher and no parents/nannies and she absolutely LOVES it when she gets some one-on-one time with the teacher.

She's so much more coordinated now - she climbs up and down off the equipment and even falls onto the mats once in a while and just isn't fazed. She climbs up the slide herself and slides down and loves it - I remember when I used to have to coax her to try the slide, and then she'd do it only if I lifted her on to it and held her hands while she slid down, lol.

She's still pretty freaked by the bars... I encourage her to try one bar activity per week, which she'll usually do, but that's about it. But today she scrambled up the bars at the playground for the first time without so much as batting an eye, so hopefully that will translate over soon!

Today we went to a playground that we'd been to at the beginning of the spring. I remember when we went for the first time, it was fun, but I literally had to be at Abby's side every second to lift, help, catch, etc, and thinking that the toddler area still seemed so HARD. There was practically nothing she could do without my assistance. And I was definitely climbing all over the equipment with her. I remember that even though she was terrified of slides, there was one really big slide at the playground, and she asked to go on it, and I thought, "Kiddo, I can't convince you to go down the 2-foot tall slide without screaming in terror... what makes you think you want to go down THAT slide?!?"

Today Abby scrambled up most of the equipment confidently without waiting for me and wasn't afraid a bit. She even slipped once onto the nice spongy recycled-tire surface and wasn't upset at all. And she pointed to the big slide, the huge slide, and asked to go, and it just didn't look so crazy to me anymore. I stood on the ground and kept my hands around her waist while she climbed up the ladder to the top, and then I caught her at the bottom. No hesitation, no wails, no tears, and I swear when she reached bottom she pumped her first in a gleeful celebration. I did not teach her that, but I did tell her "You go, girl!" as we high-fived. :)

She's always had a strong personality, but it's so amazing to watch it kind of unfurl with all the talking and new skills. :)

Fishies, And All Sorts Of Fun :)

Woke up this morning to MORE RAIN. I swear, I cannot handle any more rain. It rained last week, but it broke over the weekend to give us two days of the most glorious (albeit muddy) weather. This morning? More rain. Apparently three more days of rain. Ee!

I couldn't take the idea of being stuck indoors on such a sleepy bleh-y day, so Abby and I picked up Maggie and headed off the explore the local aquarium. Abby has been with her mom, but I've never been inside, so it was a great way to spend the day indoors and warm (although we did duck out for a little while when it ceased drizzling to see the otters and the lighthouse).

They have a "paleontology pit" where the kids can sift/dig through the sand to find bones, fossils, sharks teeth, shells, etc, and get to take one home with them. Abby would have been happy to stay here all day, I think, though she was much more impressed with the shells than the shark's teeth Maggie and I kept finding and handing her. :)

My little archeologist. :)

They had this huge mega-something skeleton hanging in the first display hall. They also had underwater sound effects playing, and an underwater light display. It definitely felt a little like being underwater, and Abby got a little freaked by the size of the shark. But so long as someone held her hand, she agreed to get a picture taken with cousin Maggie. :)

The true fun, in Abby's eyes, were the fish. She started saying "Fish! Fish!" the second we stepped in the door, and ran up to every display saying "Hi, Fish! Hi!" This museum is really kid friendly... everything is either low to the ground, or has nice carpeted steps for little folks to get to watch. I didn't have to lift her at all in the display hall.

She loved the bigger fishies.

Whenever a fishie swam close to the glass, she would wave frantically and start saying "Hi!" again.

She liked the shrimp, too, though I think she thought they were some sort of insect. She wasn't really sure they belonged in the tank with the fishies.

We tried to show her the Blemys hiding in the oyster bed, but she didn't seem very impressed.

I loved the displays showing local habitats.

Abigail, fascinated. :)

We loved the crabs! Crabs are a big thing here in Maryland. As soon as she saw it, Abby started doing her "crab claws" and saying "pinch, pinch." :)

Maggie helping Abby do "crab claws".

One feisty looking crab!

"Hi, Fishie!"

The otters, Bubble and Squeak! Maggie and I love the otters... We read too much Brian Jacques as kids. :) Abby seems a little confused by them - furry fish?

We went to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants afterwards, as Abby was starting to get tired. She was super-loving at lunch... I think it might have had something to do with the fact that her favorite cake-ball-making coffeehouse was next door!

Eating a macaroon (they were out of cake balls) with Cousin Maggie. :)