Me: “Maia, what food do you like to eat?”

maia: “Nothing. I don’t like ANY food to eat.” (an all to common answer to any query lately)

M: “Well, do you like strawberries?”

m: “Yes.”

M: “Do you like chicken?”

m: “Yes.”

M: “And what about bagels? And watermelon? And pop beans?”

m: “Yes, I like those foods.”

M: “OK, thanks. We’ll talk about them tomorrow.”

m: “Um, mom, you forgot to ask if I like cereal.”

M: “Do you like cereal, Maia?”

m: “YES! Of COURSE I like cereal.”

She had the "M A" done when I looked at her, she then completed the "I A" while I watched.

Her name. She had the first two letters done, then she finished the “I” and the last “A” while I watched. I only had to remind her to cross her “A’s”. I was floored.

The balloons are for her friends, in all of their favorite colors.

Go go writing girl!

As I was cleaning (or trying to order the chaos a bit) the playroom Maia saw an opportunity to model music class for her sisters. As soon as there was a bit of open carpet, Maia began to sing the “chugga-chugga choo-choo” instrument song that we sing in class when the Big Box of Instruments is brought out for free play. She looked at her sisters and intoned “Here come the instruments!” as she dumped them out in front of their eager little hands.

And Musical chaos reigned as drums were beaten, shakers shook and bells rung. The only difference to a class was when Stella began putting instruments back in the box and Maia chided her by saying, “Stella, it’s not time to clean up yet. Wait for the song!”

She had eaten most of her dinner and was longing for just one more biscuit–they live in the biscuit house, you know–and I gave in and let her go choose another to share. Maia hopped off her chair and proceeded to the other side of the table where John had moved the biscuit house (the bowl with a napkin liner they were sitting in) earlier out of her reach.

She looks over at me: “Shhhhh….I have to sneak up on the biscuits. They’re sleeping and I have to sneak up a grab one out of the house before they wake up!”

She then tip-toes over to the bowl and snatches up a biscuit and scampers away, presumably before the other biscuits realize what just happened.