Proud Mama Moments

With a little one around, moments to remember seem to happen quite often. As one of these moments happen, I say to myself, I need to remember this. If the moment can be photographed, I do my best to photograph it. This past week, there were two moments to remember.

Earlier this week was Baby Bear's check up at the eye doctor. For this appointment, the doctor had asked that we practice the E game (point in the direction of the E on the eye chart) so that they could achieve a better understanding of Baby Bear's vision acumen with her glasses. We have dutifully been playing the E game and I was certain we would be successful at the doctor's office. Nope. She would not pay play the E game at all. On the off chance, I asked them to put up the standard eye chart with the letters to show Dr. M how well she knew her letters. Voila. She read every letter and showed her 20/20 vision (with her glasses). All is good with her eyes AND mama had a proud moment with little one showing hew knowledge of her ABCs.

Tonight, we were drawing at our art table. Baby Bear has been practicing drawing shapes. Tonight we were busily drawing happy faces. She then says, I am going to draw an R. Thn she proceeds to write her entire name. (She has been able to spell her name for a long time.) While we have been practicing letters a bit and have a stencil with all the letters, she has never written more than a letter or two before venturing off onto another endeavor, such as fillling in the circles. I sat with interest as she gripped her marker, concentrated and then... carefully WROTE HER NAME!! Proud mama moment....and I grabbed my camera before she filled in all the letters.

Bike Ride

Though we had to return the "strider" bike, Baby Bear is still fired up about bicycling. Today, we had our first family bike ride. With all of us on our bikes (Baby Bear on her "stand up" bike), we rode completely around our circle (about a half mile). I am sooooo looking forward to future family bike rides. (A "stand up" bike is a bike that does not fall over when you let it go. Her bike has training wheels so does not fall over when you get off.)

I see this particular bike ride being a many time a week event. Baby Bear's best friend lives half way around the loop. The two girls are just a month a part. They are like Yen and Yang. Baby Bear likes reading, puzzles, crafts, etc and talks a mile a minute. Her friend excels at anything athletic (can swim across the pool by herself, rides a bike with no training wheels, etc).

I don't love you

I have been fairly home bound this year. No trips abroad; just a few trips in the US here and there. As I was preparing for a recent trip, Baby Bear informed me that she did not love me. I asked her if she was sad that I was going to be leaving. She nodded and then started crying, hugged me and said she loved me. Soooo sad for both of us. (I have spoken to her on the telephone and she is happy as a lark spending some great quality time with Daddy Bear.)

Outside Activities

The weather has been just perfect. Every day after work finds us outside playing on the swing set, blowing bubbles, riding our bike or at some park (our favorite at the moment is the "wiggly" slide park).

Last evening started with a bike ride to our corner park. This park is named "my park" by Baby Bear. It is much quicker to get to the park these days as Baby Bear is getting the hang of bike riding. We have had a borrowed "strider" bike for the last month. A "strider" bike is a bicycle without peddles. Forward momentum is gained by walking or running while sitting on the bike. If you stride fast enough, you can lift up your feet and, while balancing, keep going. The theory behind this is to teach balance on a bicycle before learning to peddle.

We played at the park for awhile. Road the bike home. Then ended our evening activities on the back porch blowing bubbles. We ran out of bubble juice in our little container so Baby Bear took it upon herself to refill the little container. She poured and poured and poured and poured....as bubble juice went all over the table. In a matter of fact manner, Baby Bear proudly said, " I am a lot of bubble juice." Daddy Bear and I looked at each other and the copious amounts of bubble juice sloshing onto the ground and agreed with her statement with a laugh.

Last night was the last night for the "strider" bike. The owner of the bike had now grown into it and wanted to play with it at his house. They came and picked it up after Baby Bear was in bed. This morning, Baby Bear realized it was no longer parked on the porch. Very sad Baby Bear. While she has a pink "peddle" bike and a "stand up" scooter (it does not fall down when you let it go), she really like the "strider" bike, the "fall down" bike. We will see if she will gravitate to one of these. I hope so. I really enjoy our walk/rides around our loop and to the park.

It's Strawberry Time

The past couple of weeks are why people live in Texas. Weather in the 70s, low humidity, bright sunny skies, wild flowers and Blue Bonnets every where...and...strawberries. This kind of weather is just asking for a body to be outside walking, biking or picking strawberries.

Baby Bear and I headed out on Saturday for a strawberry picking session. She picked ...and ate....about 3. When I told her she was not allowed to eat them after picking...she lost interest and discovered worms. There seemed to be a worm migration going on near the strawberry patch, so we played with worms for awhile. I picked a few more berries and we headed off (after "freeing" all the worms).

The trip was quite fun....though, I could do without picking up worms. Since 75% of her good friends are boys, there seems to be no hope but that she will be a tom boy.

Where oh where has this blogger been

Been round the world and back again. OK, not really. Just have not been in blogger mode lately. However, as the readers of this are my family who tell me that this is the only way they receive information on the daily events of Baby Bear, it is time to get going again.

We are officially in spring here down south. The sun is shining. The azaleas are bursting with color. And, the tree pollen covers everything! Daddy Bear has swept and blown and watered down the back porch and lawn furniture umpteen times. Still, sitting on the lawn chairs means a nice greenish colored tuckus. Oh well, that is why they made laundry soap. Because the weather is so nice, we have spent many an hour sitting in the back yard watching baby bear ride her bike, swing on the swing, run the dog weave poles, and, lately, hide and find Easter eggs.

Here are a few photos from the church Easter egg hunt this weekend. Baby Bear found a total of four eggs...and that was with significant prodding. After picking up the first egg and discovering it had goodies in the center, she was totally focussed on the goodies of that egg and did not want to be bothered by gathering any more eggs.

Who Dat

Two days to the Superbowl. We are so excited that the Saints have finally made it. It sounds like "everyone" is picking the Colts to win...but, for now, we are just basking in the glory of finally seeing our 'Aints' become the Saints!