We've been working on Alex's spoon skills, which are more than lacking right now. I should say that she knows how to get a food-laden spoon into her mouth without (major) incident, but the loading of the spoon is the bane of her existence, so she usually just doesn't bother. But recently she has decided that spoons are pretty cool. She can kind of scoop stuff out of a bowl using the spoon in her left hand, but has found another even better method that works for both hands. She simply takes, say, a green bean. With her fingers. And places it on the spoon. Then she eats it, assuming it makes the long and treacherous journey to her gaping maw. It's so close to right, but in the most characteristically Alex sort of ways.

We went for our first walk in the neighborhood today. We have discovered that there are three Boston terriers, one across the street and two down the road. We saw the pair of doggies today, and Alex proclaimed, "Moo Cow!" I explained that black and white animals are not necessarily moo cows, but she persisted for a moment before repeating "Doggie!" for the rest of the walk. When she wasn't telling me she was done and ready to go back to the garage. Speaking of which, please to enjoy the fabulous picture of Alex doing her burpie dance in the garage. She prefers the garage to all other places in the house and out of the house. And delights in dancing in there while trailing her burpie through oily, salty puddles. And buffing the car with the burpie. Lovely.

I got out and worked on our new path while Alex was napping today. For reasons unknown to anyone, the previous owners had a mulched path with pavers that was line with two rows of bricks. The inner row is sticking halfway out of the ground, and consequently, half of many of theses bricks has crumbled and fallen, leaving brick shards on the ground and sticking up along the side of the path for, oh, I don't know, babies to fall on? Anyway, I'm lifting the outer bricks that are slowly being eaten by the lawn, and sinking the salvageable bricks on the inner row to make a nice flat, non-baby-spearing path edge. Ok, it's not soooo dangerous, but very ugly and as such, slightly baffling considering the rest of the house and garden has been very tastefully and thoughtfully taken care of. Very strange, but a few more afternoons of the brick relocation program should take care of that. Then there are a few other things to tackle outside.........Little junipers in the shade, I may or may not be talking to you.