O’Molly

Like what seemed to be everyone else in the city, we went downtown for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Molly loves parades.

Staked out a good spot, bought an Irish flag to wave, and settled in. 🙂

Molly had a great time, and lasted well into the thing. She liked the pipers and drummers best, of course….and marched along!

 

She also enjoyed the step dancers. There were several different troupes, a few of which managed to be dancing when they went past.

 

In parades past Molly’s been skittish about loud noises. She had a few this time around, and seemed to enjoy them. When all the big motorbikes went by revving their engines, she covered her ears, but looked up at us grinning! And of course she jumped for joy at the fire trucks.

Molly eventually was right out in front, almost in the street, watching it all. She stretched her arms out to a clown at one point, beckoning her for a hug — and she got it! I missed that shot, but just barely got off a picture of a similar event with a giant puppet. No fear from Molly, she stood patiently for a double high-five!

About halfway into the parade this gaggle of pre-teen girls squeezed their way in front of us. Molly took it as an invitation for her to squeeze in among them herself, and proceeded to do so. She sat down, introduced herself, and watched the parade with the “big girls.”

By the end there had been several hugs. They all said “Goodbye Molly!!” when they left. 😀

Today we zipped back to the zipline place. Molly leapt into action, right from the first attempt.

 

Molly also found the climbing wall, and more specifically the rope web the staff had made. Very cool, and Molly climbed right up it. Perhaps more impressively, when she was finished climbing, she pushed right out from the wall in full appreciation that the rope and harness would hold her.

I’m not sure I was this cool a kid at her age. I mean, I got cool later. But look at this! 😀

Rollin’

I’d picked up a toy stethoscope at the kids expo — it actually works! — and been holding it back for just the right moment. Molly yesterday asked for a “special new toy,” so I figured, heck. 😀

I told her I had something for her, to use whenever she wanted to be “Doctor Molly.”

She looked me straight in the eyes, even before I opened the box. “It’s a stethoscope,” she said. 😀

And she put it right to work!

…She said “Where’s the robot’s bump-bump, bump-bump?” 😀

In other news, mom’s been cycling to work every nice day we’ve had. Molly finally noticed, and responded by wanting to ride her big-girl bike with mom!

It’s a Strider bike, with no pedals. Below is video from day one and day two, and on her second day out she’s even getting some gliding going on!

 

Her sense of balance is getting great. It’s fun to watch — she’s learning how to do it, and I’m incredibly proud. 🙂

Molly’s also establishing herself as more “in charge” when it comes to the dogs. Here she is feeding Rojo — and getting him to sit. 😀

 

Yesterday, when Molly woke up, she said “Where are we going to?”

So I offered her several options, including the zoo and pool. She said “I want to stay home today and play here.”

So we did. 😀 Lots of swinging, lots of playing with toys inside and out. Lots of talking about bugs and flies and things, lots of reading. It was a great day, and a good reminder that sometimes it’s OK not to have a full calendar. 😀

Here’s Molly doing some home cookin’ out in her playhouse; she’d gone out and started playing with her pots and pans, then stopped and said “I want my new oven. You go inside and get it for me, I’ll stay here and not get into trouble.” 😀