Happy July!

June came and went so quickly.

Mara is growing by the minute, it seems.

Yesterday, I was dosing off on the sofa while she was watching a movie (about Elmo), and she smacked me on the back and said "areyouokay" in one mumbled sentence. I was flabbergasted awake at that point... having my daughter ask me if I was okay! I mean, we tend to ask her that a lot, but it came as a shocker to hear it from her lips! She's adding new words every day.

She is quite good at this puzzle and enjoys holding the pieces by the small red knobs (as shown above). She also tends to do this...

During our extended weekend at home (due to the July 4th holiday), Mara asked to go to school every single day. She would walk to the door, hit it, and sign "school." I had to explain that we weren't missing school, but that she couldn't go back until xx number of days. That usually satisfied her. The same can't be said for when we tell her "not right now" when she asks for a walk (as I'm dragging myself into the kitchen in my jammies, or when it's mega-hot outside), or when we say no to TV.

We did participate in the Stiz's annual slip and bleed (I'm SO sore). I tried to take Mara down a small portion of the slide, but she cried and cried and I think the sprinkler was in her face (not that she complains during waterplay at daycare when she sprays herself in the face).

And about 5 days ago, she learned to say Mommy and Daddy instead of Mama and Dada. We are beyond thrilled! Although, she does tend to annunciate the MEEE at the end... but who cares! Here ya go: