Mia's Top Ten

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First Day of Pre-School Favorites

Color: yellow

Food: bananas and peanut butter

Book: "I Like Myself" and "Benjamin Bunny"

Song: "Miss me when I'm gone!" ("Cups") 

Movie: Mulan

Activity: drawing and ballet

Favorite Place: "camping to the lake"

When I Grow up I want to be: a drawer and a mommy

She's already got the skills for one particular profession:

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We had anticipated that Mia's circus experience would look like this...

She has forever been TERRIFIED of people in masks, weird face paint, and strange hats.  

(As an infant, she screamed when I would wear a towel on my hair after my showers.)  

She didn't want to let go from her handsome protector.  Those clowns are creepy!

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Gma K's honeysuckle:

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Mia doesn't care for carrots from the store (I think I over-did it one month.  Unlike most veggies, no cutting or washing involved with the bagged varieties...)

But something about the ownership of digging up her own makes carrots palatable.

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Fancy swinging:

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We discovered that Mia has developed her own outdoor survival methods.

She spends a good chunk of her day on the "path" that Dad made surrounding our developed property and forages for her own nutrition in the weeds.  This is a post-feasting face (she prefers a weed that she has dubbed "little broccoli").  We haven't decided whether to be concerned or not.  At least it isn't dirt?

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Teeth cleaning with x-rays:  perfect reports encourages continued brushing and flossing cooperation.  It's a good cycle!

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Mia is a natural athlete.  While the rest of us struggle to master this fun game when we go to Gma K's, Mia scores just about every time.  We all want her on our team!

10 + 1/8   

This summer, Mia acquired the new job of wheeling the garbage down to the bottom of our very long driveway.  She is possessive of the chore...which is fine.

The first time she did it, she called back to me, "Do I look like a woman now?"

10 + 1/4

10 + 3/8

Mia Ballerina:

We started Ballet this month and I have never been so pleased with an investment for this girl.  It is highly entertaining to watch and she is just loving it up.  She practices piques, demi-plies, and tendus in our living room for hours! I have a different perspective on dance now...especially the more disciplined art of ballet.  I saw little use in it before (except for ensuring a spot on the cheerleading team...ugh).  But if it can instill confidence, poise, and self-control, we're going for it!

This was taken earlier this year, but I am using it as evidence that ballet is just a means of refining this girl's inherent moves.

10 + 1/2

Prepping for our future dairy herd:

10 + 5/8

Here is Mia riding through the 2 mile, pitch-black tunnel of the Hiawatha.  Her bike-light is the middle one, closest to the ground.  She was sandwiched by Gma K and Mom.  Brave girl! Despite my experience with this tunnel, I was still terrified.

10 + 3/4

Mia's contributuion to the primary talent show:

A snippet of the things she likes to draw on a regular basis.  The pigs and snails are my favorites.  The butterflies are often chubby.  She said, "That's because they are grandpa butterflies."  Hmmm...