Hazel Evelina: May 2013

Reading Buddies -- May 23

Hazel was playing by herself this afternoon. She was in her room for a few minutes, and came back out with Green Eggs and Ham and Fox in Socks. She brought them over to the dog, and spent the next 10-15 minutes reading them quietly with Emma.

In the Backyard -- May 22

Hazel has been working on mastering the steps in the back yard since we've been in our new house, and she's getting pretty good at it. She is very good at going up, but she tends to bravely try to walk down as if she were a foot or two taller than she is.

Our backyard is rather on the weedy side, but Hazel enjoys the spring dandelion crop as much as the tulips or daffodils in the front yard. We have our own batch of cheat grass, some goat's beard, and a few other gems back there that aren't nearly as much fun. Soon we will have lilacs, and we are looking forward to that!

Vocabulary Update for May

It's been awhile, so we thought it would be good to share the new words in Hazel's rapidly expanding vocabulary. To be fair, most of these words don't sound a thing like they do when anyone else says them, and there are a number of them that we wouldn't understand out of context, but they are definitely words.

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Flora:
-Pine cone
-Flower
-Dandelion

Fauna:
- Bunny
-Cow (more specifically, a cow is a "moo")
-Birdie
-Moose
-Goose
-Kitten
-Giraffe

People: Hazel has taken to labeling her closest family members in photo albums. Whenever we meet new people now she is sure to tell them who her parents are.

-Mama
-Dad --> Hazel usually says this with an extra syllable, so it sounds like "dad-dad."
-Grammy --> This one is context specific, because it sounds an awful lot like Mama.
-Nana
-Grandad--> Grandad sounds like she adds an extra "dad" to her dad's name, so that it sounds like "dad-dad-dad"
-Baby--> This is always a really exciting word for Hazel, whether it's her own picture or reflection, a baby on a yogurt package, a baby at the park, or a child who would probably prefer not to be called a baby anymore. This is definitely the most clear word that she says, there is no mistake about what she is saying when she says "baby."

Around the House:
-Strawberry
-Num-num--> A catch-all word for food items, usually a happy word
-Window
-Shoe(s) --> Hazel really likes her shoes, and gets all giddy when they come out.

Miscellaneous:
-Nose--> It is worth noting that "nose" is generally someone else's nose, and she points vigorously when she says it).
-No --> Hazel is often quite adamant with her "no," whether she is declining more food or refusing to do something in particular.
-Rock --> Generally, Hazel travels with both a rock and a pine cone these days, whether she is in the stroller or in the car.

Beaver Ponds -- May 18

We had a new trail to try out, and we had fun climbing around on the rocks. Hazel got to ride in her new carrier, which lets her see out a lot more, and has a nifty sun shade.

The beaver ponds we discovered were pretty incredible, they just kept going. We lost track of how many there were, stacked on top of each other.

Hazel enjoyed her share of Pringles at snack time.

The spot that we stopped to eat our snack was littered with pine cones, much to Hazel's delight. This little video shows her saying her word for pine cone.

Mother's Day at Vedauwoo -- May 12

We went up to Vedauwoo after church on Mother's Day for a nice little hike that got much longer than we intended and a picnic lunch. Hazel actually kept that hat on for most of the time, which was a good thing in the hot high altitude sun.

She had a hard time sitting still for lunch, preferring to eat her strawberries in the company of the sagebrush.

After a nap on the go, Hazel was ready to run around for a while. We stopped by a creek and rested while she stretched her legs.

We get so used to Hazel seeming so big, but she looks awfully small out in the world like this!

Blair with Mama and Emma -- May 10

Hazel and I went up to the Blair area, just 10 miles or so east of town, for a little walk in the afternoon. There were planes, presumably from F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, flying very low over the mountains, and it was rainy.

Hazel hauled a pine cone and a rock all the way up from town and clung to them for the whole walk. One of Hazel's sweetest words is her word for pine cone, which sounds an awful lot like "mine." She tends to say it with the glee that she says "baby," like she's just seen a long lost friend. Pine cones are now a part of almost every walk, and her enthusiasm for them is fun for everyone around her.

When we got back to the car, Hazel had some time to run around and eat a snack. She was just starting to learn the concept of "flower," and kept pointing at the little flowers growing on the hillside.