This kid is growing up so fast!

Johanna and I have been having such a great time since I have been off of work the past few weeks. Actually, this entire summer has been really great for us. I love spending time with her and helping her learn and grow. She's my little buddy and I look forward to seeing her change day to day. I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to be a mostly stay at home mom. It just works for me.

Anyhow, I wanted to share what we've been up to lately.

Johanna is learning new words everyday. She actually made her first sentence two days ago - we went swimming at this little wading pool not too far from our house and I asked her where her little inflatable boat went to. She looked around, spotted it and said, "I see boat." I couldn't believe it!

Today we went to storytime and she was yelling "yay" and clapping. She was also jumping up and down and singing along to the "ABCs" and even tries to count to five. I am in awe at everything she picks up and how quickly she does it.

My mom gave me a really interesting article from Newsweek about Creativity in America. Research shows that creativity has been on the decline in children since 1990. It also listed research on how important it is to nurture creativity in children to help them succeed in life. It made me think how lucky I was to grow up with parents who really nurtured our creativity - we went to the library, explored nature, always had art supplies, and were even able to piano lessons, even ceramics!

I really want to learn more about how to nurture a child's creativity. It makes me think back to the REL program I was fortunate enough to be a part in from 3rd grade through high school. I remember tons of activities we would do that encouraged problem solving and creative thinking. I really feel it molded me - I think I am good at problem solving and thinking of creative solutions.

Anyhow, I rambled off on a tangent but I just believe Johanna is a bright little girl and I enjoy playing with her and helping her learn. I really want to nurture her creativity and create toys and do projects that encourage imaginative play and problem solving. That is why I love doing projects like the play kitchen and felt toys.

Here is a video that shows her playing and singing her ABCs. Smart girl!