Leaps & Bounds

Sometimes it feels like Makela makes a giant leap forward in one way or another, and there I am to witness it, right as it happens. And sometimes it just happens without my even noticing right away, probably because I'm with her all the time and can't see the progress on a daily basis. It's funny how it seems as if I wake up one day, and suddenly there's a big change in my little girl.

Today was one of the former occasions. We were at Seaworld with our playgroup today, and just before we left, I took her to use the bathroom. Without warning, Makela announced the following: "Mommy, I'm going to do it all by myself." I thought that meant that she wouldn't need me to help her pull her pants down and/or help her up on the seat (both of which we've been working on). But NO -- she meant the WHOLE thing. Before I'd even finished saying, "Okay," Makela was closing the stall door on me, and then it was latched. She was SOOOO proud of herself, giving me a play-by-play commentary that the whole ladies room could hear. But she sure did it -- she went, wiped herself, and didn't even freak out because of the "augo-mag-ick" flusher. "I did it!" she proclaimed, beaming from ear to ear as she exited the stall.

Of course, Daddy pointed out what's next -- that Makela will want to go into the whole restroom by herself. But THAT'S not gonna happen anytime soon. It's one thing to be independent, another to be reckless.

I also have to mention another one of Makela's recent big changes. This is one of the gradual ones. Relatively speaking, that is.

Over the last month or so, I've found myself putting more and more of Makela's clothes into the current "outgrown" box. I knew she'd been growing, but didn't think much of it until I realized that some of the fairly new things in size 3/3T were suddenly not fitting her anymore! She just started wearing size 3's around her birthday -- how could this be happening?

Well, I'll tell you how. Makela was more than happy to oblige when I suggested we measure how tall she is at Target last week. They have these little height charts on the sides of some of the clothing racks. So she stepped in front of one, and I was positively SHOCKED to see that she was standing at 39.75 inches! She had a shoe with a small heel -- maybe 1/4" high. So I rounded down to 39.5 inches, which is STILL a whole 1.5" taller than she was at her three-year check-up at the very end of January!

Several people have commented on how tall she looks all of a sudden, especially some friends we hadn't seen in a while. But honestly -- 1.5" inches in about 2.5 months?!? Makela gives new meaning to the phrase "growing like a weed!"

The Chef & The Cook

It's been a while since I last posted. I really need to make this a daily habit. Especially after reading this really cool book by one of my favorite scrapbook designers, Cathy Zielske, called "Clean & Simple Scrapbooking". She is amazing, and now I'm totally inspired to write more and refine my scrapbooking style. Not only that, but she has the BEST ideas on how to organize scrapbooks and the layouts within them, particularly when scrapping out of chronological order. I haven't quite been able to break out of my chronological chains yet, but I may just get there now. Geez -- I think I need to go thank this cool scrapbooking guru on her blog. Take a look if you like. Cathy's blog is at www.cathyzielske.typepad.com.

Anyway, I'm tired and thinking very randomly tonight. My thoughts are scattered. But I know I need to write down a few of the recent things about Makela. Otherwise I will completely forget them, and I can't let that happen!

The first one happened last Thursday evening, as Makela and Joe were busy cooking in her play kitchen, after I'd left for my Weight Watchers meeting. Apparently, Joe asked Makela if she wanted to be a chef when we she grows up. So here is what she said in reply: "Yes, I want to be a chef when I grow up. But now I'm little, so they call me a cook."

Another funny thing happened a couple of weeks ago, when Joe was talking to Makela about using a telescope. I didn't catch the whole conversation, but I heard him telling her about using this versus just "the naked eye." Without pausing for even a second, Makela looked at her Daddy and asked, "Which one is the naked eye?" Of course Joe had to explain that this was just another one of those weird expressions that grownups use....