Vacation Week

Mike and I are pretty overwhelmed with life right now and I think that’s gotten in the way of my blogging. Mia continues to be our source of joy and inspiration and is getting us through a difficult time with her smiles, hugs and laughter.

Mike and I took a vacation last week – the entire week – and Mia stayed here with her grandparents. We missed her terribly! I cried when Mom picked her up, we called her everyday (usually a couple times each day), and we came home a day early because Sue sent us a picture of her and she looked so cute and grown up we were afraid we were missing out on too much. We really needed to get away, but we missed our girl! She stayed with Mom and Bruce until Monday, then stayed with Dad and Sue until Thursday and finished off the week with Brent and Carol. I don’t think she really missed us while we were gone. She loves spending time with her grandparents and was busy having fun. But she was so excited to see us when we got home! She ran to us and wanted hugs and kisses all night. She kept cuddling up between the two of us, and she cried if one of us left the room. She’s been more affectionate than usual this week and I think that may be continue to be the reason why. Of course we are eating it up!

On Sunday we took her to the park and played, then we went shopping, out to dinner and to the bookstore. We had to cram a week’s worth of activities into one day! She delighted us with all the cute new things she’s doing and saying.

• She tells us when she’s gone “poop”.
• She often repeats phrases she’s heard us say, such as “I don’t know” (she lifts her hands and shoulders when she says this one) and “almost there”.
• She now shocks me by picking up or pointing to things she’s never mentioned before and saying their names, like glasses, cracker, bug.
• Mia loves to dance, especially with her Mawmaw. Carol sings Beyonce’s Single Ladies, and Mia does this little squatting/bouncing dance, chiming in with “oh oh oh, oh oh oh”. They put on a show at Famous Dave’s on Sunday and it was hilarious. I’ll try to download the video when I can.
• Mia’s favorite song is Ring Around the Rosie. She runs around in circle saying “ashes, ashes” then falling to the ground.
• She loves to kiss the dogs. Open-mouthed. And with her tongue.