Wild Animal Park

Our yard is a wild animal park. I went outside with dad last Saturday and was running around in my standard high-energy way. Suddenly I rounded the corner of the house and found this turtle in the grass!

I bolted back to tell dad. I'm not sure he believed me, though. He took his time coming over to the front yard as I quickly collected my gloves, my bucket, and opened the door to the house to yell at mom telling her to come quick and bring the camera.

But I was right. There was a turtle visiting us! Dad decided he must have come from the retention pond and become lost. We offered him to a neighbor who has a small decorative pond in his yard but he turned us down, so after a lengthy play-time, we brought him back to the pond.

At first we set him down about 10 yards away from the water but dad decided the weeds looked free of poison ivy so we brought him down right next to the water's edge. We briefly discussed the size of the pond and some lilies growing on the other side and looked back down to say good-bye to the turtle. He had disappeared!

Mom said that I was a very good zookeeper. She said she could tell because obviously the turtle was very happy that I brought him back home.

Vocabulary

My current vocabulary consists of:

• Dada: used interchangeably for either parent
  
• Mamamamama: a favorite babble word
• Uh ohhhhh: often stated just before tossing my sippy cup over the side of the high chair
• Aeee Ouuuu: said both as I hand you an toy and as you hand the toy back to me
• Uuu P: not said often, but when articulated that means exactly what you think it should mean

Words I also know include

• Foot: which causes me to thrust my foot into your face
  
• Hand: which results in a similar appendage thrust
• Fingers: during which I expect you to tickle my fingers
• Nose: which results in my finger smearing your glasses as I try to point to the middle of your face
  
• Steamroller: which causes me to immediately start giggling uproariously and crawling away from dad as he come chasing after me
  

Spring Walking

I'm continuing to practice my walking and balancing. I'm very good at walking while holding onto one hand. Sometimes I hold onto my sister's hand, although generally it is either mom's or dad's. But I can push myself up to a standing position from the middle of the room and when I'm taking my time I can walk across an entire room pretty consistently.

One of my other favorite games is what mom calls the "sharing game." I hand you something and you say 'Thank-you.' Then you hand it back and I say, 'Aee Whooo.'

Gardening

After two years of neglect, the entire family is working hard at improving the gardens. We spent a lot of time weeding, planting new flowers, and adding annuals. Now we have a variety of colorful gardens that are mostly weed free... and we have the reason for all the time spent with frogs and other animals.

Sofia and Toad are Friends

I had a toady last few days. On Saturday, dad found me the toad I have in my hands in this photo. On Monday I found a toad in the playground at school. Yesterday we found another toad in the garden at home. And I love them all.