mae milestones

I didn't write a "thirteen months of Mae post", but we still have lots of fun Mae milestones to catch up on!

A few weeks ago, Mae started saying her first real word: doggy. As soon as a dog comes into view during our walks or runs across the TV screen in a Beggin' Strips commercial, Mae yells out "DOG-GEE!"

Just five days after her birthday, Mae stood up on her own for the first time. Since then she frequently just pops up in the middle of the floor looking super proud. She loves playing "How Big is Mae?" and keeps her balance (most of the time) when she throws her hands up in the air! Since she's finally standing, she has graduated to the next room at day care. That meant a quick shopping trip to get Mae's first pair of shoes! We got a cute pair of white and pink Stride Rite sneakers with little butterflies on the side. Mae thinks they are weird and tries to chew them off her feet.

Also, she has started to take a few wobbly steps at a time; I think her record is five. She looks like a tiny drunken Frankenstein, but she gets more stable every day. She thinks walking is hilarious and usually collapses into a giggly puddle at the end of a practice session. I'm looking forward to her walking just so her little knees don't get so scraped up now that she's in shorts most of the time!

But possibly more exciting than her first word or her first step, was Mae's first bite of cheese. She is now eating (and loving) all forms of dairy including cheese, yogurt, milk, and my personal favorite... ice cream. I made a cheesecake for my birthday last week, and I have never seen her mouth open so wide as when I was offering her little bites. I have to admit, I did selfishly hoard the thumbprint cookies that Kathy made me (using my homemade jam!), but I did share bits of the Boston Cream Pie cupcakes that she also brought to my birthday party on Saturday. I'm getting used to this dessert-sharing business; I haven't had to share with anyone for years now!

oliver turns one!

Our little godson is one! Last Saturday, Emily and Christopher threw a "Little Blue Truck" themed birthday bash for Oliver at their home. They had great weather and excellent turnout... and we had lots of fun!

Oliver really got into the cake smash. He had practiced a little during his one year photo shoot, but had devised a new technique for maximum cake consumption at his party. He started out by bringing the cake to his mouth in big fistfuls, but figured out that smooshing his face directly into the cake was more efficient.

Ollie got lots of fun new presents including a slide, a water table, and a fancy blue coupe. All the kids were fighting over everything; I think Oliver is going to be one popular kid with all his fun toys!

If you haven't read the book "The Little Blue Truck," it's about a friendly little pickup who helps a big dump truck out of a mud puddle with the assistance of some barnyard friends. Emily's party decorations were really cute; my favorite was the cornstarch/cocoa powder "mud" that was super fun to squish and play with. She asked me to make a truck photo booth after seeing one on Pinterest, and I had so much fun working on it! It's made from a science fair board, craft paint, and some wood trim to reinforce the back. Emily bought balloons shaped like the cow, the pig, and the BIG GREEN TOAD!

On Sunday (Oliver's actual birthday), we celebrated Father's Day for Dad, Dan, and Christopher, plus Emily's birthday and my birthday! I sewed Emily an apron from this super cute bird fabric I found at Joann, and of course I had to add teal ties for her. I bought the Sweet and Sassy Apron Pattern from Modern Vintage Designs on Etsy. The pattern had great instructions and was easy to follow. Happy Birthday, Emily!

we be jammin'

During mom's birthday week extravaganza, we had a little extra time on Wednesday before I had to drive back home. Emily invited us to go strawberry picking, which neither mom nor I have ever done! I was shocked at how tiny (and adorable) the ripe berries were.

Each group got their own row of plants to work on, so we didn't have to worry about rushing around to find the best berries. Oliver kept wanting to eat the ones that Emily picked! We left with several pounds for each family.

Two pounds of fresh-picked strawberries was the perfect impetus for my first attempt at canning. I bought jars and pectin and set to work Saturday evening. I made a half recipe following instructions from The Pioneer Woman. The jam set nicely and the jars look to be sealed properly. We had some with breakfast on Sunday morning... successful (and delicious) first attempt at making jam!