Leaps and Bounds

Alyssa is changing and growing so quickly these days... she keeps amazing us with her physical capabilities. In the past couple of weeks, she has learned how to climb the ladders at the playground (a huge development... think how physical you have to be to pull your body weight up by your arms. Maybe she'll be a champion rope climber like Tula. Right, Mom?) Just yesterday she decided it is fun to run... fast! She started racing back and forth across the downstairs and yelling "Mommy! Look! Fast! That's Fun!"

I got such a kick out of that and was thinking about this kid that we saw this weekend. He was beyond tickled with himself to find that he had an audience to watch him jump up and down, about 2 inches from the ground. I think he was similar in age to Alyssa, possibly up to a year older. I spent a few minutes trying to show Alyssa how to jump and wondering how to explain something so simple when the vocabulary is so limited! She must have understood me because she was able to jump by the time Mike got home from work! I am so impressed!

Over the weekend I decided to paint Alyssa's toenails. I've been thinking about it for a while. I just didn't think she'd sit still long enough to get them done. I was wrong! She was so tickled that she asked me to do her fingernails, too! I painted my own to match, and although her fingernails need to be redone (apparently the quick- set polish is not pool- resistant even after they feel dry... the paint peeled off by itslef within a half hour), here are our matching toes. Beware... graphic images (if you hate feet, and you know who you are, sis!)