Walking Girl

The other night we took a walk to the ice cream store. OK, it was really to McDonald's to get ice cream, but it sounds so much more quaint that we walked to the ice cream store. Maggie dutifully rode in her stroller on the way there with her play fork in one hand and spoon in the other.

We sat outside at said ice cream store, ate our ice cream and enjoyed the beautiful weather. It all of a sudden occurred to Maggie "hey, I can walk now" and she walked down the sidewalk and turned the corner as if she was going home. We followed her...and followed her...and followed her and she in fact did walk all the way home. She was on a mission. She would not hold my hand, would not go in her stroller, would not let me carry her. She was determined to walk as far as her little legs would take her. All the while with her fork in one hand and spoon in the other.

I love the little Frankenstein walk. I'm always amazed when she gets somewhere without falling. I love the fact that she is my little shadow now. I will get up to bring something to the kitchen and turn around to find her at my feet. She doesn't want to be picked up, just wants to follow you where you are going. And I love the fact that she knows what she wants when she wants it. Last night, she started walking upstairs around 6:30 looking for me obviously trying to tell me it was time for her to go to bed. She walked to her books in her room, picked out the one she wanted, we sat down and read it, I sang to her and put her to bed with her fork and spoon.

Now that I think about it, I'm not sure if she has let go of the fork and spoon. When she woke up this morning she was still holding them and she carried them all the way to daycare. We'll have to see if they made it home.