Easter 2015

We had a fun time this Easter with Mia finally being old enough to participate in activities. She wasn't ready to dye eggs yet, as the cups would just get dumped, but maybe next year.

This is how Mia was when she woke up. She was tired and just wanted breakfast. She didn't want to go on a hunt for anything.

But after breakfast she thought it would be OK to look for her "surprise" that was waiting for her.  

This is her when she had found it. I love her surprised and excited look.  

She went right to work emptying out her basket and finding all the treats in the eggs inside. The toys got pushed to the side 

Then the paper itself became a great toy. 

The Easter bunny left me a treat too.

And didn't leave Dee out either 

We went to Grandma and Grandpas house and tried to take pictures, which was difficult due to the wind. Mia didn't want to sit for pictures, she would rather run around. But we did our best, and I think some of them were pretty cute even with Mia looking distracted. 

Mia loves the flowers at their house.  

She wanted to share them with all of us. 

We took a break from pictures and had a musical interlude with the clay birds. She just recently learned to blow on them to make noise. before she would hum to mimic the noise we made when we blew on them. she is getting better at her breath control.  

Grandpa was showing her all the tricks, and they played a duet.  

Then we were off to the Easter egg hunt.  

Mia didn't want to just collect them, but she wanted to each one to see what was inside before trying to find the next. It was so cute seeing her little face when she found each egg.  

With a little help she managed to find the more hidden eggs too.  

Here is her excited, I found something face. A big high pitched "ooo." 

It really was a beautiful day. Easter time is generally so lovely in Tucson, especially this year. 

Updates: 17 months old

Mia is now 17 months old, and learning every day. Sometimes she tries so hard to be grown up, and then she wants to go back to baby things.

Mia loves adventure and asks for rides in any way she can get them. Here is Dee taking her on the blanket sled. Other rides include: car seat swinging in her seat she is now too tall to use in the car, swinging in the blanket or other various toys, being pulled on her toy car, and she has finally grasped the concept of a piggy back ride. She climbs onto my back or Dee's from the couch, but needs reminders to hold on. Danger girl.

Mia has a love and curiosity for music. She asks almost every day to strum the guitar, and play the piano. I love how she holds the guitar and plucks like a Bass fiddle. She has also started singing more. I will start a song and turn to her and say "your turn" and she starts singing. She doesn't know the words but she is getting better at using her voice with different pitches. She also is starting to do actions to different songs, like wheels on the bus, popcorn popping and itsy bitsy spider. It is so cute to see her mimicking the actions I do with her.  

Yes this cold and flu season has been rough for her and me, but on the plus side she knows what her snot sucker is for. Look I don't even have to help her...  

 Mia was all dressed up for church and looking so pretty so she thought this would be a good day to learn to use the potty. She signed the word for potty, I sat her down and amazingly she actually did need to go. Now dot get too impressed.  She has been intermittent since then, but I think that we have saved a few diapers in the last couple of weeks.

Showing off one of her cheesy smiles

Having fun in class at church. She can now climb into chair on her own, and is getting into all sorts of things. 

Playing with the hair bows which we found to be one of the best toys. 

Exploring the cupboards. 

Playing the computer, one of her favorite activities.  I love her excited face in this one too.

Practicing being an astronaut in her new peek-a-boo storage box. when I got the box, she refused to take it off all evening.  She met Dee at the car to help him unload the groceries. She of course wanted to help with the biggest box.  

Mia also has the best grandma. My mom made this cutie dress for her. I love it and it is modest with sleeves, so she doesn't need a shirt under or a jacket over it.  

This is the face she gave me when I asked her to smile. Her smiles keep evolving and are quite varied.  

She loves playing at grandma's and grandpas. Their yard is so beautiful with all sorts of things growing. here she is smelling the roses and looking at spider webs and then at the back wall where she barks for dogs. usually she does this with grandpa, but I captured it with grandma this day. 

She is a good helper and loves to practice sweeping. 

 Here she is waiting to pray with her princesses before they eat. Just because they are royal doesn't mean they shouldn't pray. After the prayer they lean over the table and chow down with big munching sounds. 

Mia is so smart and learning fast. We love you little girl!