It's a zoo around here. Really.

Peter is deep into almost-3-year-old territory these days, full of imagination and "magical" language. "I'm a triceratops! Look at my big horns!" he roars. "I'm a tiger! I chomp my food with my big sharp teeth!" "I'm an elephant! Waaaoooooooo!" Peter is all sorts of animals all day long, and it's amazing to see how fully he inhabits these roles. (We are working on understanding that, while they are welcome in our house, stegosauruses and mountain lions do NOT eat at the table.)

Fully participant in this menagerie is little Audrey, who at almost one demonstrates a surprising gift for pretend play. She follows Peter around the house, crawling as fast as she can, holding up both hands and saying "Roar!" when he's a dinosaur or throwing one arm in the air like a trunk and trumpeting when he's an elephant. She takes it VERY seriously. Also taken seriously are new activities like putting Cheerios in pots, splashing in the tub, saying "DIS!" and "DAT!" and giving hugs and kisses to her stuffed animals. She is a beaming, funny, happy little person (despite the fussiness that comes from FINALLY getting some teeth!).

After a long, icy winter, we are so thankful for the arrival of spring. Being outdoors with the kids is one of the things Steve and I love best. Peter has spent the past few days building a little house of bricks ("so no one will be able to blow it down") for the snails that have congregated in the damp flowerbed on the side of the house. Every morning we visit it, take off the roof, and drop some leaves and flowers down for them to eat. Peter takes such good care of his little friends; he's always been this way, and we pray it's a part of him that will never leave.

Peter Triceratops


"DIS, mama, is a pizza crust."