Stopping to smell the pot pie.

oh hey. thanks for the carrots. 

Penny sat in my lap as I ate dinner tonight and she insisted on feeding herself every globby bite of chicken pot pie, with a fork, by herself.  She concentrated so hard.  So carefully yet clumsily grabbing the (adult) fork and tapping it onto the bottom of her bowl hoping to stick something.  Like spear fishing but messier.  I'd estimate an average of 45 seconds to stab each bite with a 30% bowl-to-mouth-completion rate.  It took forEVER.

Then there was earlier today on our walk in the beating-down heat after I had already been pooped on by a bird and was gaining more and more sunburn as we went along because I wasn't the one wearing a giant hat, when Penny decided she wanted to walk instead of ride in her stroller; walk the other direction, that is.  She would not could not ride, no no not her, there was waddling to do.  It was so hot (OK it was only 77 but it felt hot.).  Dan ended up carrying her because we HAD to get home or the dogs were going to dehydrate.  Longest walk ever.

As Penny's learning to do things on her own and to communicate (and sometimes gets confused), I too learn the importance of patience.  Stopping the clock.  Stopping whatever I'm doing.  Whatever else seemed so important.  BEING with her in whatever she's doing.

We're past the stage when baby was just along for the ride.  She's a little person, and she wants things and needs things and desires things and is curious about things.

Patience is a virtue, that means it's something we should strive for all the time, but it might not come easily most of the time.

I think all of us parents need to remind ourselves of this when it feels so easy to lose our patience and just do it for them, pick them up, tell them "no" etc.

Speaking of patience, recently I went to the zoo to look at animals for the first time in years; and it was my first time experiencing it through a toddler's eyes.  Here's what I learned:  
-Birds (or "BuhBuuhs") are by far the most fascinating of all the creatures.
-Rhino... pretty huge... kinda boring.
-Staying at one bench for half an hour waving at peacocks is not a waste of time.
-Bring snacks and extra waters.
-Sand, rocks, trash and dead leafs are just as interesting as animals.
-Every stranger should be waved at.
-Three hours is long enough.

Photos from the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, where it is only $2 to feed a giraffe.  

Yes, I said feed a giraffe, for two dollars.

Monkey sees a real monkey for the first time ever.

this guy and all the peacocks were her favorites.  oh and the dirt and pebbles.

photo courtesy of Aunt Katie who took an early long lunch to come zoo it up with us

nom. nom. nom.

Not the zoo but I couldn't leave out this photo from our Tucson visit where we FINALLY got to 
hang out with my sister and meet her roommates, see her digs and pretend like we were sorority sisters for a day.
Love these girls. Cutest college room ever, right?  #PPL

Thanks for reading.  Thanks for voting.  Much obliged.