Allie Mally Pudding and Pally

Allie is 13 months now. Her first birthday flew by while we were moving. She amazes us every day with her independence and mobility. She climbs on and up everything attempting to match the feats of Selena.  At the moment she is climbing all over the computer chairs which makes it hard for me to type.

She talks quite a bit and has lots of words and even some phrases. She is always asking "tts that" (what's that) and pointing at everything she wants saying "that", "that" sometimes saying "I wan that" (I want that). I've sworn I've heard the phrases "Iwanoutside" (I want outside) "Iwandessert" (I want dessert - while she was pointing at cookies). "Thatdidnthurt" (after she hit me and I said she hurt me). "Iwango" (I want to go). I'm not sure. The words are all blurred together, but it really seems like she says some of that stuff. She also babbles a lot and sometimes it sounds like she is counting. She's not saying the words, but she has the tones down.

She says Dyna pretty clearly. She likes dogs and when we are at the park and she sees a dog she always wants to go and say hi. She is always asking for Dyna's leash and collar and tries to walk Dyna around the house. She is always eating her food and dumping her water all over. :/

She's been eating a lot of bananas lately.  She seems to have become a blueberry snob.  She would gobble the frozen berries we got at the farm faster than you could put them in front of her, but when I've given her berries not from the farm she wouldn't touch them.  Maybe she likes them frozen?  Those berries are the best berries I've ever had.  But overall she is pretty picky.   She still gets the majority of her nutrition from nursing.

Allie is very independent and does not want to be treated like a baby. She wants to climb in her car seat herself.  She doesn't want to sit in the high chair anymore.  She wants to use silverware and she does not want the child size stuff.  I think she gets upset when I give her a plastic plate instead of a glass plate as well.  She wants to peel her own banana.

She is so sweet.  She will climb in your lap and grab your head and plant big slobber kisses right on your mouth.  If you ask for a hug she'll wrap her arms around you and rest her head on your shoulder.

She is learning a bit on cooperating, sharing and cleaning up.  She will clap for herself when she puts stuff away.  Sometimes she'll hand Selena puzzle pieces instead of tearing the puzzle apart.  If you ask her sometimes she'll hand stuff to you.

Allie enjoys flipping pages in books and asking "ttsthat."  She likes digging in the dirt.  Racing and chasing with her sister.  We went to the zoo and she was really interested in the animals.

That's what Allie has been up to.

Digging, Tree Climbing and Puddle Jumping

Welcome to the June Carnival of Natural Parenting: Outdoor fun

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared their stories and tips for playing outside with kids. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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I recently read the book, Last Child in the Woods. Basically the premise is that time spent in nature is essential for the physical and emotional well being of all people, especially children. He summarizes various research that concludes that people who spend time outside are happier and smarter.  Also the less structured the time spent and the more natural the environment the better. I had heard about the book a couple years ago, but hadn't read it.  But I readily agreed and embraced the premise. My clearest memories of when I was young are playing outside. When I ran x-country in college running was always easier in the forest than it was on the road. When I started working, sitting at a desk, inside with no window, 8-9 hours a day was torture for me. The book's message matched my experience.

Thus I try to get my children outside often.  Selena and Allie don't fight as much when they are outside, and outdoor play seems to keep Selena on a more even keel than physical activity alone.  We did toddler gym for a while, and it was fun, but it didn't seem to have the mood balancing result that outdoor play has. 

Our favorite outside play is simply to explore our front yard and the cul-de-sac.  Not anything complicated.  I just take the girls out and see what they want to do.  We have a Japanese Maple tree in our front yard that is perfect for small climbers.  We have some landscaped areas that are great for digging.  (At least they were until we put beauty bark in them.  We are in the process of moving and we put in some stuff to give our house more curb appeal and it gives you splinters like crazy.)  Allie digs too, and I pretend I don't see all the dirt she eats.  We stop at our neighbors houses and stack rocks.  We play hide-and-seek behind the HOA sign. When it rains (which is about 9 months out of the year) we put on our rain boots (usually) and splash in puddles.  Allie got to do her first puddle splashing a week ago.  I think she liked it.  When she was younger I would put her in the backpack and carry an umbrella.

When we move one of the things I am going to miss is our climbing tree.  I made a comment to our Realtor that our new house doesn't have a good tree for climbing and she seemed to think I was crazy. She mentioned that there are lots of playgrounds in the neighborhoods.  But I don't think a piece of playground equipment can be quite as good as a great tree.  Hopefully we'll find a suitable one.  But either way I look forward to exploring our new neighborhood and seeing what new activities the girls invent.

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Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• Garden Treats — Asha at Mom Costume has once again been bitten by the gardening bug — and this time her baby's tagging along for some fresh air and dirt exploration. (@titbagsandsnoot)
• Outdoor Free Roam — Mamapoekie at Authentic Parenting follows her daughter's lead whenever they go outside. (@mamapoekie)
• Summer fun in Austin with a toddler — Jessica at This Is Worthwhile is brainstorming ways to beat the heat in Texas. (@tisworthwhile)
• summer fun… — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children is looking forward to spending the summer outside with her children the way she used to spend summers with her mother.
• Outdoor Fun for Pre-Walkers — Maman A Droit has figured out ways to let her pre-walker enjoy the outdoors. (@MamanADroit)
• Summer Homeschool Fun at Camp Review — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now discusses how Camp Review motivated and captivated her homeschooling family. (@DebChitwood)
• Digging, Tree Climbing and Puddle Jumping — Laura at Laura's Blog bemoans the loss of her girls' climbing tree but knows they'll find something else just as naturally tempting.
• The Sweet Smells of Summer — Erin at A Beatnik's Beat on Life is looking forward to the many smells of summer she and her daughters enjoy and identify. (@babybeatnik)
• June Carnival of Natural Parenting: Outdoor Fun — Sybil at Musings of a Milk Maker is a confirmed couch potato who can't help but be inspired by the outdoor opportunities Seattle offers her family. (@sybilryan)
• Take a Hike — Michelle at The Parent Vortex connects with her family and the Earth on frequent hikes in their Pacific wilderness. (@TheParentVortex)
• Following Paul — Julie at Simple Life gives her kids unstructured time to dig in the dirt and pick mulberries. (@homemakerjulie)
• Instilling a Love of the Outdoors in Your Baby/Toddler — Tessasdad at Stay At Home Dad in Lansing offers a photo book of tips for helping your little ones enjoy the outdoors. (@tessasdad)
• Camping, baby! — Jen at Grow With Graces has easy tips for tent camping with a little one. (@growwithgraces)
• Think Outside the Easel for Summertime Fun — Acacia at Be Present Mama finds several ways to bring art fun to the outdoors.
• Outdoor Learning in our Urban Environment — Andrea at Ella-Bean & Co. has found ways to get grass between her daughter's toes, even in the city.
• Outdoor Education — Alison at BluebirdMama offers parents tips and resources for making each outdoor excursion a learning experience. (@childbearing)
• Turning Inside Out — Christie of Childhood 101 finds kids get a kick out of taking indoor toys outside. (@Childhood101)
• Watching Peas Sprout — Deb at Science@home combines fun with purpose in this educational outdoor activity. (@ScienceMum)
• How To Create a Pirate Treasure Hunt & Other Easy Outdoor Pirate Activities (June Carnival of Natural Parenting) — Dionna at Code Name: Mama has pirate-themed play ideas for ye scurvy landlubbers. (@CodeNameMama)
• What We Do — Luschka at Diary of a First Child has managed to expose her 8-month-old to a wide variety of outdoor fun, even with the notoriously dreary UK weather. (@diaryfirstchild)
• Summer Fun — Darcel at The Mahogany Way finds her family's visits to the beach refreshing in so many ways. (@MahoganyWayMama)
• Playing outside without a backyard — Sheryl at Little Snowflakes doesn't let the lack of a backyard stop her family from enjoying the outdoors. There are plenty of things to do outside of your yard! (@sheryljesin)
• Having Fun Outdoors, Playset Free — Guavalicious at They Are So Cute When They Are Sleeping has resisted a backyard playset in favor of the regular backyard. (@guavalicious)
• Moon Gazing with your Toddler — Paige at Baby Dust Diaries is keeping her toddler up at night, but it's for a good reason: to share the wonders of the night sky! (@babydust)
• the great outdoors — The grumbles at grumbles and grunts wonders whether her urban child can experience the same free-range childhood she enjoyed. (@thegrumbles)
• Let's Take It Outside! — NavelgazingBajan at Navelgazing is looking for ideas: how can she spend time with her pre-walker outside this summer? (@BlkWmnDoBF)
• A home by the sea: June Carnival of Natural Parenting: Outdoor fun — Lauren at Hobo Mama is living her dream of a home near the beach, and taking full advantage of it. (@Hobo_Mama)
• An Outside Girl — Zoey at Good Goog moved her family to (almost) the middle of nowhere so that her outdoor-loving girl could have more grass and less concrete. (@zoeyspeak)
• Neighborhood Nature — Kelly at Kelly Naturally has learned to connect with the nature she has instead of mourning the nature she misses. (@kellynaturally)
• Building Lovely Memories of Swimming, Spiders and Gravestones — Joni Rae at Tales of a Kitchen Witch and her family are simply outdoorsy people. (@kitchenwitch)
• "Buh-Bye" Season — Danielle at born.in.japan must leave laundry behind and follow her son's call to the outdoors. (@borninjp)
• Backyard Camping — Becoming Mamas took her family camping very close to home! (@becomingmamas)
• The Color of Dreams — Seeking Mother at Woman Seeking Mother makes gardening magical by teaching her son that each flower is a faery. (@seekingmother)

Selena Update

Selena is doing great.  She seems to be handling the idea of moving well, except for the fact that I am constantly using it as an excuse for why she can't do things.

Her and Allie are up to their same old tricks; constantly bothering each other.  Except if I try to take Selena to the store without Allie than Selena says that we have to bring Allie because she loves her.  When Allie is sleeping she oohs and aahs over how cute she is.  "Oooh she is such a cute little baby."  She is constantly comparing Allie to her new baby cousin Issac.  She said, "Issac wasn't wiggly like Allie.  HE liked to be held. Why isn't Issac squirmy like Allie?  Why isn't Allie nice like Issac? Why isn't our baby like baby Issac? "

She likes to talk about how old things are and how long they are, but sometimes she gets her types of measurements mixed up.  "I am 6 minutes tall."  or "My birthday is in two inches."  But other times she does get it right.  She also likes to talk ask, "When will Allie be three?  Then how old will I be?" or "When I'm 4 and Allie is three we'll...." She also is very proud of being three.  Whenever the number three comes into conversation she notes that she is three too.

She's made up the word "catty".  It is when someone is acting like a cat.  :)

It seems like she needs a nap again.  She is falling asleep often in the car or in the stroller.  But if she takes a nap, she is up till midnight.  I wish she would sleep easier and would take a short nap before lunch.

Activities this month have included lots of trips to Northwest Trek, the Olympia Children's Museum, and the Poker Player's Alliance Rally (Selena enjoyed making posters for this).