Thanks for the supportive notes that some folks sent after my last post :) I'm feeling better, due in no small part to:

-Dave coming home and helping me to cheer up

-The purchase of a SlapChop knock-off (seriously, there's a knock off version of the SlapChop) which may or may not help with tabouli making, but will certainly provide entertainment either way. (I'll provide a product review after I try it :) )

-Videos!

1.  Parker frolics (he hops like a bunny when he runs), which cracks Maya up. Here you can't see her amusement, but you can see her MacGyver-like shoe/sock removal and applause for Parker's efforts:



2. An older video, which shows Maya's reaction when she is reminded that she has a dog (0:13) , and sees him (0:33---what a screen shot!) after a nap.





PS: Did you notice the beautiful frames hanging in the hallway at 0:22 (and again around 0:30)?  We bought them ages ago, and I ambitiously decided to hang them up before they had the opportunity to get broken.  Unfortunately, we still haven't gotten around to ordering pictures to fill them, so those black and white photos are all the ones that came with the frames.  Sometimes Dave likes to show them to Maya and say "And there's Aunt Betty, helping cousin Sally tie her shoe . . ."

PPS: Huge shout-out to Dave for letting me upload this---he had just gotten home from a long day and was kind of shaggy and unkempt, but is man enough to not care if the world sees him at less-than-his-best :)

PPPS: If you're trying to decipher her shirt, it says "I'll walk when I'm good and ready"