Forgot to post about Mallory eating s’mores before the fireworks. I roasted a marshmallow and we piled it on the graham cracker and chocolate bar. I offered Mallory a bite and she bit in and pulled away while still having the entire chocolate bar still in her teeth. I was cracking up.
Her newish thing is her insistence on going up & down stairs without holding on to a railing or an adult. This doesn’t crack me up – her growing independence frightens and saddens me.
One of the pre-school teachers at Mallory’s daycare told me the other day that she can’t WAIT to have Mallory in her class. While this was very sweet of her to say (I’m assuming it’s because my daughter is charming and well-behaved and a good listener, etc), I told her not to rush…we just made the move to the toddler room and that was hard. I love seeing my sweet baby pumpkinhead develop every day but she is still my sweet baby pumpkinhead. GOD I love her.
She is still VERY shy in most situations, especially ones where she doesn’t initiate the dialogue. I feel badly for our friends – when they see her they are all "HI MALLORY!" and she shrinks away from them. But the receptionist at the dentist? Mallory is offering her bear and hugs and what-have-you. (The one exception to the being afraid of all of our friends: Yaya’s mommy. She is my mommy double in Mallory’s eyes. Mallory will go to her with tears as easily as she would come to me.)
Funny story: Some other friends, Miss Cheri & Scary Larry, see Mallory often. Mallory is pretty comfortable around Miss Cheri. But Scary Larry? NO WAY. We were at a party and I gave him her bear and pacifier and two little toys and she STILL wouldn’t go near him. Then, the new receivers coach at Michigan was leaving and I asked Mallory to give him knuckles. She went right over to him and gave him knuckles. Then he asked for a high five and she obliged. Then he said "oh, can I get a hug?" and she gave him a hug! It was pretty funny – Larry was pissed. Mallory would go to some big tall black guy that she’s never met before in her life and give him a HUG, all while not touching Scary Larry and all her toys with a ten-foot pole?
Then of course the coach was making jokes to Rick about his daughter liking black men already. Nice. And appropriate. But it was in fun.
* * *
Here are some pictures of Rick & Mallory kayaking today:
*Yes, Mallory looks like she has a bloody nose. She in fact does have a bloody nose, courtesy of tripping over her own two feet at daycare while carrying an armful of toys.
* * *
Here’s a sight I’d NEVER thought I’d see in our house…men’s Adidas shoes (pictured here next to his normal footwear). What is this world coming to?!?
* * *
New phrase tonight – "more fast", while on the boat. I can’t get over how quickly she is stringing two words together and expanding her communication.
I can’t think of anything else to write. I have spent too much energy this week moving my blog and hiding it and password protecting it. So far my unwanted visitor hasn’t made it past the old blog’s main page, so I feel pretty good about that! I am going to unpassword this blog for the time being…but know that if something happens, the password will get put back on.
Rick & I are off to try to watch the first Harry Pot.ter movie…I wanted to finish all the books before I started the movies (settle down, Mello).