Breakfast of Champions

Mabel now takes her meals at the dining room table, thank you very much. Yesterday Dylan introduced her to cereal and milk in a bowl (as opposed to dry cereal with a chaser of milk) and she is over the moon. Please be assured she takes her new responsibility as a grown-up cereal eater very seriously.

Mabel's Favorite Things, Spring 2010 edition

It's high time for an update to our (not really) regular feature, Mabel's Favorite Things. Here it is, circa Spring 2010:

10. Cool new wagon

9. Cheese

8. The slide in our backyard ('syide')

7. Any type of brush ('bush' - rhymes with mush) - a hair brush, a broom, the brush I use to clean out the bird bath; we're not picky.

6. Juice ('yooce'; see accompanying photo)

5. Sidewalk chalk from Grandma Sandy & Grandpa Tom

4. Walking

3. Reading books

2. Soup ('shoop')

1. Holding hands with Mom & Dad

Fancy

Today Mabel and I went on the garden tour at The White House! Our neighbor Robin (or Rah-Rah, as Mabel calls her) works there and was kind enough to take us. The weather was gorgeous and Mabel didn't mind being confined to her stroller most of the time - there was a lot to look at. Although she did not appreciate being told that No, you cannot pet the enormous police dog, although waving and calling Woof woof! is fine; and also No, very sorry, I don't think the Secret Service will bend their rules and allow you to play on the First Swing Set. (Featured in background, please see photo.)

Baby's First Onion Rings

We went out to dinner a few Fridays ago and Mabel ate her first onion ring. She had this look on her face that said, Why have you been keeping these from me, lo these many months? And the Nugget tried it, and it was good.

Mabel's Got a Brand New Ride

We had a nice long Easter weekend. I was off work Friday and Monday and Dylan's schedule was lighter than usual so we all got to hang out a lot. We went to the park a bunch, took day trips to Annapolis and Shepherdstown, went out for dinner, rolled eggs next door with the Fernkas-Ankrah's and .... oh, yes. Mabel got a new wagon, which is quite spectacular, so we spent a lot of time taking her for walks, rolling it around the backyard and in general just loving the wagon. It is deluxe - seating for two, storage (Mabel recommends always having a snack, a book and at least one sippy cup on board at all times) and four cup holders, plus a canopy. I think she looks a bit like the Queen Mother when she's being carted around in it.