Boxes, Boxes Everywhere!

We have a huge influx of boxes in our house right now- some from Christmas gifts we mailed back from Indiana and others from online orders. Paprika is enthralled with them all, and wants to climb inside every box in our house! In fact, when a huge box of toys arrived the other day, the thing she wanted to play with most was the box itself. Go figure!

We continue to enjoy every day together, playing at the park and just bumming around during the afternoons. Mr. Mustard goes back to days next week and it will be a little bittersweet, since he will no longer be home to go to the park during daylight hours. This has been a really special time for us.

Oh, I forgot to mention that Paprika is learning her letters! She knows what B, T, and P are- she can point them out in a line-up and say their names very clearly. She has memorized many of our books and when we get to certain pages in each, she points to the words and says what the word says. For example, in the book "Baby Brains" she points to the word "goodbye" and to the word "mommy" and says the word for each. I know it's just because we've read the book a million times and she remembers that this page is about "goodbye" or "mommy" - it's just impressive to me what she picks up and learns without much help from me at all!

Her sentences are getting longer and longer. She says some pretty complex things now like "Oh look mommy, there's a baby!" She is much more loquacious when she's at home- out in public and around new people she gets a little shy. She is also going through a thing where she has to be with mommy. We are so bonded- I just love it and am eating up every moment of blissful toddlerhood.

I think I was born to be a mom, and so I truly marvel at every step and milestone- I am happy to witness a miracle pretty much every day. There are tough times, for sure- but being here for Paprika in this way is the most rewarding position I could ever have hoped for, and gives me such incredible satisfaction. I adore it!