A Mind of Her Own

In the past few days, Allison Clare has taken a few shuffly steps toward me, collapsing into my arms after each time with her arms around my neck, giving me big grins and lots of snuggly, smoochy kisses. She likes the collapsing-and-kissing part so much that she often pitches forward without walking, her face wreathed in smiles, just expecting me to catch her for hugs. For her, walking is a game she plays where Mommy tries to get her to walk, and she tries not to, and she laughs like crazy either way.

And so, when I beckoned her toward me earlier today, I wasn't surprised that she shook her head with a flirtatious no and dropped to her knees instead, giggling.

But then, she crawled to the middle of the room, stood up, and walked across the living room to the coffee table. Just like that.