Practicing

P and I were saying tonight how there are fewer and fewer remnants of the baby in our great big girl these days. She pretends to be twelve million different people and animals and creatures a day. She sings to herself. She gets into the guitar case and wants us to say, "Oh, look, a new guitar!" And then "Oh wow, this guitar is really heavy. Hmm, how do I play this thing? Where are the strings?" And then, "Oh, it's wiggling, wait a minute, what is this? It's a person! In fact, it's a ballerina in a black tutu! Oh my, what a surprise." Again, and again, and again. Her favorite moments are the part when you haul her up out of the guitar case and the part when you realize (for the twelve millionth time) that she's alive. So much practicing going on. At the park this afternoon, first hopscotch game. She was very serious. Again, and again, and again. Each time a little bit steadier on her feet.