I'll admit it. We didn't always vacuum every day (or week, for that matter); but we do much better now that Abigail's unrelenting curiosity married her budding mobility.

So how did she find a rusty old staple to eat? It hasn't been more than a day, or maybe two, since the vacuum scrubbed that very patch of floor.

Thank heavens she hasn't figured out how to use her tongue to swallow solids.

She did it! She really did it!

And I wanna brag about her. 

Monday was an exciting day for us. Delores defended her thesis at last, and stood triumphant after a grueling hour-and-a-half. Some of the professors on the panel were quite flattering in their praise of Delores' effots.

Abigail came along, and spent most of the time being chased away from all the tasty textbooks in Dr. Gast's office by Delores' good friend Anne.  Afterwards, we enjoyed some long-awaited Aggie Ice Cream.

It was kind of funny, after several waves of denial washed over us, to say, "It's done....Only three rounds of revisions left before it is finished." Three rounds of revisions, but at least no more defence.

At any rate, we're understandably happy. Next time you see Delores, give her a hug from all of us. 

Folks say that teaching a few simple signs to a child can help them learn to communicate, and thus reduce the frustrations of toddlerhood. So it is that we have a few signs that we use when we talk to her. "Mom", "Dad", "Milk", "Diaper", "Food", "Up", "Was' up, Dog?"... Only the essentials.

Well, of all the goodness, she picked up on one!

Milk, she said to Delores yesterday morning. She was hungry. Milk, she said to Delores in the afternoon when, again, she was hungry.

Hearing about it from Delores made my day!