Anika's Extracurriculars

At fourteen and a half months of life, Anika's extracurricular activities have taken on a life of their own.  Alicia runs a pretty tight ship and demands all studying all the time, but Anika has rebelled and insisted that she grow into a well rounded kid.  As you can see by her look below, she can only take so much physics.

Anika's blue steel look.  Step aside Derek Zoolander.

Anika's a stacking pro.  And as you can see, she gets pretty proud of herself when she completes the stack.

Then she takes off the top half to do some squats.  Like any smart athlete, she's focusing on her lower body strength.

Then it's time for some art.  She's a big fan of her crayons, and would take every single crayon out of the box, only to put them back in and start all over again, if we let her.  

She insists on using the crayon upside down, because she says that's the avant-garde way to color.

Soon she tires of the coloring and is content to put the crayons into her little lego house.

This goes on and on and on until all of the crayons are in the house.  She is incredibly persistent.

This is the single musical toy Alicia and I tolerate.  Anika's turtle plays all kinds of classical music, and Anika loves it.

But she's not content to just listen to her turtle.  Alicia has taught Anika to conduct, and thus she presses the button on top of her turtle and immediately sticks her pointer finger out and moves it back and forth.  She's our little maestro.  

After so much activity, Anika takes a breather with her bunny and takes in the sunset.  She's thinking about her next art project no doubt.

Then it's time for less heady kid play, like playing cars.  In days, Anika became very proficient at her car noises--vrrrrooooooom.  I'm not sure how I feel about the monster truck, but at least it matches her mullet.

Then it's time for playing with helicopters.  And amazingly she seems to get that it flies around in the air.

So as to fit in with her other little girl friends, Anika is also learning to be a world-class shopper.  She loves to wear this purse around her neck and play with my phone.  It's terrifying how normal she makes this look.

This is how Anika "talks" on the phone.  She doesn't quite get that it's supposed to go up to her ear.  Phew.

One of Anika's very favorite new activities is when Mom and Dad blow bubbles.  But I'm pretty sure she likes the fact that she can "make" us blow bubbles for her more than the bubbles themselves.  All indications are that Anika is going to need to be disabused of the notion that she gives orders and they get followed very soon.

This is Anika's friend Josie trying to give her a big hug.  This was attempt 4 or 5.  With all of Anika's extracurriculars, you'd think Anika would be a socialized little kid.  But Anika wouldn't have any of it and stood still looking dumbfounded each time.  Looks like we need less reading and coloring and more shopping and monster trucks.   

Anika's Many Modes of Movement

A faithful follower of Pure Joy recently texted me and asked, "can I still even call you a blogger?"  My only response was, "I feel shame."  But never fear, Pure Joy is not a one year project followed by inevitable blogger fatigue and flameout.  I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that busyness of all kinds got the best of me.

Anika is now officially 14 months old, and she is moving at ludicrous speed--when she crawls.  When she tries to walk, it's like she's moving in reverse.   Here are Anika's many modes of movement and the style she brings to the task.

The cart is easily Anika's most preferred mode of transportation, because she can go fast, drive without assistance, and carry things with her.  But it has its limitations because she still can't turn it left or right.  Hopefully, I'm not saying these same things about Anika when she gets her license 15 years from now.

Preferred transportation method number 2--walking with fingers.  Anika's favorite part of this is  that she can practice her soccer skills while walking.  No joke.  She loves to walk and kick the ball around.  I could live with soccer as Anika's sport of choice, but am still holding out for golf.  She is named Anika, she's one quarter Korean, and she has a golf fanatic for an Uncle--she was made for golf.

Grandma was the inventor of soccer.  I love it, but am bitter deep down about the thwarting of my college-golf scholarship designs.

This is Anika's walking.  She really can take four or five steps at a time.  You've just got to have a good 15 minutes or so of free time to see it.  At least she's not going to be a runway model.

Her standing and walking is much better when holding something in one hand.

Anika's shape-sorting abilities have improved markedly.  I'm pretty sure Uncle Tom has her visualizing the ball going in the hole.  Be the ball.    

While Anika's walking and crawling and kicking skills continue to trend upward and onward, Anika's eating abilities have regressed to all-time-lows.  Gone are the days of broccoli, squash, carrots, and just about anything that is not fruit or cheese--and only colby jack.  

This is Anika asking for more pears.  "More" is really Anika's sign for anything and everything, which makes it hard to understand what she's saying.  Her oral vocabulary is slowly growing too, and currently includes: mommy, daddy, baby, bear, duck, and night-night.  Either "birdie" or "fore" is going to be next!  Hopefully the former.