Inga is 1 year old!

We had a low-key birthday celebration today, since Eric is out of town (I decided not to go to Chicago with him after all). Low key = cut a slice of leftover cake, light a candle, and sing Happy Birthday. If you haven't read her birth story, here it is.

We celebrated earlier this week with her cousin who was born 2 days before Inga. I made 4 little cakes, each one decorated to look like a different fruit. My favorites were the kiwi and watermelon. Yes, the insides of the cakes were matching colors!

 

 Blurry and fuzzy, but one of my favorite pictures of Inga--very much her personality:

Right after she hit 11 months, Inga began walking all of the time. She won't crawl now, except to extricate herself from underneath a chair or table. She loves to hold one or more toys when she's walking around the house, preferably a stuffed animal in one hand and a doll in the other. I see her starting to mimic our sounds and actions. She nods yes and shakes her head no. When Zari and Dio are singing, or squawking like birds, or roaring like dinosaurs (or whatever else), she tries to join in.

 

 

 

Remember Inga's missing neck? She found it, finally!

I just started teaching Zari Suzuki violin lessons. My mom gave me an old 1/8 size violin. We're working on posture, bow & violin holds, and basic rhythms. Mississippi stop stop and Wish I had a motorcycle are favorites. Dio especially likes the motorcycle one. Whenever we do the Run Zari, run Zari rhythm, the kids run circles around the house laughing like banshees.

space cadet Dio