Mali Is Not Leelo, NO

Mali says "no," with force and a big scowl. She will thwack you for additional emphasis if you've really pissed her off (for instance, if you have denied her a piece of food that she needs to help fill up her hollow leg).

Also she says "All done," when finished with a book, and will drop it neatly into my back pack if it's nearby.

She waves. She takes bites. She fits blocks into the correct shape sorter slots. I've written about all of this before but it is still shocking as my benchmark is Leelo (I don't really remember what Iz did, as Leelo's babyhood erased hers from my mind).

The other day at the Cafe, Mauna came over, plopped a bunch of Mongo Lego blocks in front of Mali, and told our baby that it was damn time she started playing with them. Mali responded by picking them up, looking them over for a moment, and then fitting them together perfectly. I don't think Leelo knows how to do that, still.

I looked over this morning to see her scribbling on the kids' MagmaDoodle. Who taught her to do that? Certainly not me. I think this is what babies normally do when they pass the 12 month mark. They do things.

She is incredibly observant but also methodical and inquisitive. Give her a whiffle (sp?) ball and a crayon and she will spend fifteen minutes seeing how far she can poke the crayon into each and every hole.

She is a rock and roll baby still, dancing for many songs but especially that Alphabet one.

Now I just want to wean her and get her to stay seated in shopping carts and high chairs. And get her to nap during the day and play quietly by herself when I need to work. But that would be icing on the sweetest and most wonderful baby ever to grace our path.

She is funny looking, though. Especially with her wispy, filmy cloud of curls.