Why?

Mercy asked her first "why" question last week: "Why are you doing that?" I was making the bed. (Yeah, really, I don't know why we do when we're just going to sleep in it again.)

Why must be some type of milestone in her cognitive development. I'm not sure if I'm ready, though, for the flood of why questions that are sure to come. It's going to force me to really think about things. Today she asked, "Kitty, why are you being so naughty?" Ha! I'd like to know the answer to that too. (SS)

Random Recent Pics

She's seeming so much more grown-up lately. I'll probably always keep saying that. (SS)

It's Puzzling

Here is something I find fascinating. Mercy enjoys doing puzzles. Sometimes when they get easy for her she puts them together upside down (rotated 180 degrees) or face-down (without the picture showing). Hmm. Very interesting. (SS)

Tiny Dancer

Ballet. When I was a girl I COULD NOT WAIT to grow up and get married and have a daughter so I could take her to ballet class. So today was pretty much the goal of my whole life.* The idea of Mercy in a leotard and tights? So cute it hurts. But it's been a long journey of indoctrination, I mean encouragement, getting her to this point (no pun intended). Let me walk you through the process.

You see, as soon as baby Mercy started standing up I started putting a tutu on her. She would usually get upset and take it off. She refused to wear one for a LONG time, much to my dismay. I kept trying, though, and good thing nobody but her saw ME wearing it around the house hoping she'd want to imitate me. Then we started watching ballet on YouTube once in awhile. Then I hung up a handtowel for her with embroidered ballerinas on it that she dries her hands on several times a day, heh heh heh. Then, this spring, we went to go observe a class so she could see other little girls dancing. So over the course of a year my overt and subliminal schemes worked and she finally came around. Yes! Now she loves to put on tutus (of her own accord!) and dance around the house.

I found an instructor that accepts 2-year-olds and holds classes at a church (they have to be 3 at all the studios). Mercy will be learning worship ballet, because if you're not dancing for Jesus, why are you dancing? There are 6 other 2- and 3-year-old girls in her class and they were all so precious that the other moms and I could barely console each other. A couple of them joined me in making the hair bun effort, which is not that easy with such super-fine hair. Well, after all the monumental build-up and a lifetime of expectation my camera weenied out. So this is it, but don't worry--there will be many, many, many more to come. (SS)

*I do tend toward hyperbole, so relax everybody. My real goal in life is to one day own a laundromat.

Mercy hamming it up during class...

and conked out afterwards.

Half-Day-Trip Mania

Photos from the Children's Garden at the Huntington.

May was a sick month at our house, so when we were all better I had the compulsive urge to GET OUT! In the last two weeks we have been to the Aquarium of the Pacific, Adventure City, Atlantis Play Center, and the Huntington Library. We enjoyed all of them and look forward to more! (SS)

Getting Back to Our Roots

We spent Memorial Day planting flowers. Chris made a pretty redwood planter and matching storage bench. Mercy was a super helper. We have a tiny vegetable garden in the back yard and have enjoyed peas, strawberries, and a bumper crop of lettuce. We're looking forward to seeing if the heirloom tomato plant produces. It's already taller than me and about 3 feet in diameter! (SS)

Funny Things She's Said

My favorite method of Mercy waking me up was kissing me all over my face, but a close second was this boisterous greeting: "Wake up, mama lady!" Also memorable was the time she spoke in perfect syncopation with the alarm: "(beep)...TIME...(beep)...TO...(beep)...WAKE...(beep)...UP!"

Yesterday morning she actually wanted me to STAY in bed and said, "Let me get a much better pillow for you. There you go."

While I was singing her to sleep one night she reached up and patted my cheek and said, "Another song, sweetie pie?"

One day she was having a great time riding on her toy car outside and asked, "Wanna ride, mama? I'm pretty sure it's happiness for you!"

One day on our way home in the car she was asking if daddy would be home from work when we got there. "Can I play with dada? Can I be funny? Can I be crazy? And weird? I like him. He's a nice man. He's a sweetie."