It Runs in the Family

In case we were wondering where Makela gets her animal rescuing gene, I captured and released an 8-inch lizard today. I found it running around the garage after we returned home from the library. Turns out it was a Southern Alligator Lizard:

When I sent Joe this picture, taken from "The Lizard Lounge" web site, he had but one thing to say: "Glad it didn't bite you, Ranger Rick."

Mermaids Do What?

Makela is currently obsessed with mermaids. She pretends to be a mermaid on the playground, at the dinner table, and of COURSE in the bath tub. She often asks if they are real. But she made me laugh pretty hard with today's burning question: "Mom, how do mermaids go to the bathroom? That's what I'd like to know."

New Neighbors

Oh how I've neglected this blog for the last eight months. Wish I had more time to write. But with Charlotte doing new things every day, and Makela saying and doing hysterical things, it's time to start doing a better job with this thing. So here's a conversation that Makela had mostly with herself today, after she found a little snail next to the sidewalk on her way home from the library with Daddy and Charlotte today....

M: I see his little breathing hole.

M: Oooh, he's got tiny little eyeballs.

M: What if he gets stepped on? I'm going to stay & watch over him.

J: But Makela, you can't stay -- it will take hours for him to get to the sidewalk.

So Makela gently moves the snail over by a tree.

M: Now he's safe from predators. Dogs like to eat snails, you know.

M: Look, it's a whole snail home!

M: That must be his mom & dad. I bet they were worried about him.

M: Just have to say one last goodbye. (Transfers kiss from finger to shell.) That's your home now. We need to keep you very safe.

M: They're our neighbors! We have new neighbors! I think the one I helped is Snaily. He has a sister, Shelly. The Dad is named Slime & the Mom is named Swirl.

M: I'm very good with animals, you know. I didn't just grab him up, I used very gentle fingers, like this.

J: You're an animal rescuer, Makela.

M: I am! I *am* an animal rescuer. Maybe I could work with Diego.

Babies with Talent

As I was feeding Charlotte in her room this morning, I started laughing. Makela heard me, and this was our conversation.

Makela: "What are you laughing at, Mommy?"
Me: "Charlotte is blowing a raspberry while she's trying to nurse."
Makela: "Well, babies can be pretty talented. Especially this one."

Of course, I only laughed harder at that. Where does she come up w/ this stuff?

Baseball Stadium Food

Joe took Makela to her first baseball game today. He scored free tickets from Fish & Richardson, so they were sweet seats -- 13th row right next to first base. Not a bad way to start, especially with a Padres win over the Mariners.

But the funniest part of the adventure happened in the car on the way there. Joe was explaining all the fun things that they have at the baseball stadium, and the following is a snippet of this conversation.

Daddy: "Do you know what they have to EAT at the stadium?"
Makela: "Hot dogs!"
Daddy: "How did you know that?"
Makela smiled.
Daddy: "Do you know what ELSE they have to eat?"
Makela: "Pizza!"
Daddy: "Pizza? How did you know THAT?"
Makela: "Daddy, I'm good with stadium food."

Best. Sound. EVER.

I've always loved the sound of children's laughter. But I'll never forget hearing it like I did today. On the way home from school today, Makela started giggling in the back seat. Charlotte laughed at her in return -- first time she's laughed other than being tickled* -- and pretty soon they had me giggling, too. They went back and forth for a couple of minutes. It was the BEST sound EVER.

(*NOTE: I thought Charlotte might have laughed at me earlier this week, but I wasn't sure. Today there was NO question!)

Voracious Reader

Makela now wants to read anything and everything, usually out loud (although she recently started reading silently, telling us that she "can hear the words inside her head").

Joe took her to her swimming lesson at the YMCA today, and here's what happened:

While waiting for her lesson to start, Makela read the "One Long Whistle" sign at the pool all by herself! It includes the words apologize, inconvenience, aquatic, policy, requires, emergency, and participants, with participants being the only word she needed help with....