Video! (I think we have) video!

Mavis' friend Loretta, though she is 16 days younger, is a bit more advanced than Mavis in a few things. One, Loretta is already crawling. Two, Loretta knows how to post video on her blog. Thanks for the tutorial Loretta. So here's a video we've been wanting to post for at least 2 months. Mavis one day just thought that her mom barking like a dog was the funniest thing ever. She laughed so much, but then never did again. Guess it was fleeting. Like the time her mom drank too much & barked like a dog in the bar...
but I digress.

Update! We have now figured out how to do "embedded" video. (Actually, it's pretty darn easy...)

OSU versus UT

 
Mavis became a little distressed when she heard that the Oklahoma State softball team is going to play the University of Texas tonight. She's not sure who to root for, her grandpa's team, or her home city team. She'll probably just go to bed instead. 

Mavis loves pickles

 
We went to a BBQ joint to meet some friends the other night. While we were waiting, dad helped Mavis try a pickle. Turns out she loved them & sucked all the juice off of them, & even got a little piece down. 

 
Mavis shows off her bikini top. It was probably the hardest thing for her mom to figure out since the Rubick's Cube. Might just go topless next time. Mavis liked the water, although she protested, the cold I assume, if she got too deep. But we had a good time. 

Deep Eddy Pool

 
Last Friday Mavis & mom went to Deep Eddy pool, this wonderful pool next to Town Lake where the water is non-chorinated because it's fresh spring water that they drain each night & refill each morning & is constantly circulating. On the right side of the picture it's very shallow--perfect for the kiddo's. On the far left is 8 lanes dedicated to lap swimming. The two sides are separated by a wall. It's really wonderful & refreshing, especially during our long summers. Did I mention that it's something like 75 degrees year round. Refreshing. 

Mavis goes to church

 
Well, neither of Mavis' parents ever in their wildest imaginations thought they'd be taking their daughter to church--although it is Unitarian Universalist. But here it was Easter, Mavis had a beautiful dress, & we ended up at church. Only this room in this picture isn't our church, it's only where we had church. Wildflower Church (www.wildflowerchurch.org) doesn't have it's own building yet, & on special occasions we get to use this beautiful room in St. Edward's University. Close enough to our house to walk, which is nice. I love the great light from the windows. 

 
Look at this family will ya?!? Who woulda thunk it. 

 
We had a lovely flower communion. Mavis thinks flowers are for eating. 

 
This picture isnt' the greatest quality, but I just love the expression on her face. She knows how wonderful & amazing she is, I think. 

Thanks Great 1

 
Mavis loves her Easter dress, that her Great 1 gave her, although her Great 2 probably had something to do with it as well. More than one person at church said she looked like an easter egg. 

Mavis hits 6th Street

 
After Emo's, Mavis wanted to walk down 6th Street. For those who don't know, 6th Street is about 6 blocks of bars & live music venues, with a few restaurants, tattoo parlours, & cigar barristas thrown in, in downtown Austin. In this picture, she's standing in front of one of the tattoo parlours in Austin that have left their mark, so to speak, on her mom. 

Mavis goes punk rock

 
Last Saturday, Mavis went to Emos, her first punk rock club. While she's already seen quite a few live bands, this was her first punk club--they don't have early shows very often (though, admittedly, the band playing--Calexico--was more Portuguese/gypsy/jazz than punk). www.casadecalexico.com As you can see, she's practicing how she's going to stage dive later on. 

 
Punk rock clubs don't have places to change baby diapers. So we made our own spot. First, mom had to brush the cigarette butts & broken glass out of the way. 

 
Mavis, reaching for whatever her little fingers can find. 

 
Would you change your baby's diaper here??
 

Mavis has her very own swing

 
And boy does she love it. Her daddy put it up about 10 days ago, & starting about 9 days ago, every time we go in the back yard, she reaches out towards it & wants to swing in it. 

 
Zed doesn't seem to quite understand how a swing works, that if he walks where it isn't, it'll be there 3 seconds later & smash into him. Which seems to bother Mavis more than that hard-headed dog who's obsessed with the ball. 

Mavis (doesn't) feed herself

 
This is what happened when I gave Mavis some smooshed up banana to try to feed herself, or at least play with. You can see for yourself what she thought of it, & this without even tasting it! Or maybe she's just worried about that frog flying in the window behind her. 

Lying down

 
You know what they say, the baby's job is to play. Look at these babies, lying down on the job. 

 
What do you think they're doing??? 

Mavis & her friends

 
Mavis has been meeting once a week (most weeks) with her friends Ellie & Loretta, since the girls were young (since Mavis was about 8 weeks). Back then, the few weeks difference in age seemed huge, not so much now, as Mavis, the grand dame of the 3, is the least mobile. Here you can see she doesn't know quite what to think of babies who can move around a room on their own. 

The apple falls right next to the tree.

 Do ya think we look a bit alike? 

  
Grandma helps Mavis swing in the backyard. As with so many things, Mavis loved it...for about 10 minutes. In her defense, her daddy wants everyone to know that in fact, Mavis loved it for much more than 10 minutes.

Mavis loves limes

  
Honestly, I wasn't holding the lime in mouth against her will, she was just going to town sucking on it. Perhaps in part because it was pulled out a cherry limeade. Yummy.

Mavis, Where's the Light?

 
This picture was initially meant to show Mavis' cool Hawaiian shirt (by Dad's standards, at least.) We also caught Mavis admiring her favorite object -- a light. About any light will do. In fact, when she's getting upset, a great way to calm her down is to say, "Mavis, where's the light?" She'll usually look around until she finds it, and then stare at it for a while. By that time, hopefully she has forgotten that she's upset. This trick also works with fans and dogs.
 

Mavis & her Gigi

  
Mavis & her great granny Nadine love to hang out in Grandpa's lazyboy. They were in about the same pose at Christmastime. We've decided that "Great Granny" is a bit of a mouthful for Mavis, so we've shortened it to Gigi (G.G.). Mavis has no problem saying that.