Today I saw Hana do several things that really caught my attention and REALLY show how much she is growing up. On the walk back home from preschool I decided to stop off at a park very near our house and let her play a little bit. We haven't had a chance to play at this park for months. The last time we were there to play, there were several things she couldn't do that she could do OR taught herself to do (right in front of my eyes) today! It was amazing to watch.

First of all there is a tall perpendicular ladder that she couldn't climb without some help last time. Today, the first time up she asked for a little help. The second time up, I barely gave her an extra little push on the last rung, and the third time up she just shimmied her way right to the top without even thinking about it! The first couple time she was figuring out where to put her hands and how best to pull herself up and she figured it out quick.

The next thing I noticed was that the taller longer slide didn't intimidate her at all and she zoomed right down it and landed on her feet! Until now, she's always layed down on the way down and then slid off the bottom at the end and landed on her little tush! Today she was popping right up on her feet when she hit the ground. I was impressed again.

Then finally, on the shorter slide she has always wanted to climb up it the opposite direction. It has been impossible until now to go even three or four steps up it. But today she was sooooooo determined. I was over checking my cell phone and I kept hearing her giggle and scuffling around a lot. I turned to see her trying to make her way up the slide from the bottom and falling over backwards as the slope got too steep! And she was laughing at herself about it. I went over to help her, and tried to support her bottom while she climbed, but she pushed my hand away and say "I do it!" So I just stood back and watched. She learned how not to fall over backwards, but she kept making it a little farther up and then falling and sliding all the way to the bottom on her tummy, only to giggle and then get up and try again. She'd make it a little farther up and then fall and slide, over and over again. Sweat started breaking out on her forhead and she was even breathing hard, but she was so determined. Once she made it all the way to the top and just had one tiny step to go and she fell again and slid all the way to the bottom. I just kept telling her how good she was doing and to keep trying. All the while she would laugh when she fell and then get a REALLY determined look on her face and start up again.

Finally she made it all the way up, and we both cheered. She ran over and took the long slide back down, scurried around the little play set and headed back up that slide AGAIN! This time she fell a few times, but she made it up more quickly. She slide down the other side and came back for more. After countless times of this, she had mastered making it to the top without even slipping!

I pray she keeps that dedicated determined spirit and thrives on it! It was so fun to watch her do that.

Then this evening while I was making dinner we had one of her favorite CD's going and she went over and sat down at her little piano (I call it her "Linus" piano, like the character from Charlie Brown has). Anyways, she started playing along with the CD and she was pushing down notes with the rhythm of the tune of the songs. She stayed on the same note, she wasn't actually playing the tune but she was keeping the rhythm of the tune. I was pretty impressed. We have to seriously think about piano lessons soon...

WOW, I can't believe she is growing up so fast! Where did my BABY go???