Walking along

Since the good weather has arrived, Solanne and I have been out and about a lot. She especially enjoys going for bike rides, with her strapped into the kiddy seat on my bike. When Derek test drove the arrangement for me (with Sol in it), she never stopped smiling for a moment. Fifteens minutes of smiles; her cheeks must have been sore. We also often go out for groceries at the local Iranian store; we take Maïa to daycare in the morning; we go to the park a lot. But my favourite activity, by far, is going for our daily walk.

It's a simple little thing: we put on our sweaters (if need be), lace up our shoes, and head out the door. Solanne ambles along; sometimes she runs. Often, she stops to take a look at something I've missed. Like the flowers. Or the ants crawling into their little holes. Or the way the rotten wood step of a house one block over looks suspiciously like an alligator. Our neighbourhood is always busy with people walking by. That's one thing about Montreal, and especially the more urban areas: they are densely populated, and there's always someone walking about, going from here to there.

She's so cute to watch going along. Today, she was walking in front of me in the middle of the sidewalk. She saw a woman coming toward her, so she moved over. And in true toddler fashion, she announced what she was doing, and why:

"Momma, I moved ova' 'cause the'w was a woman comin'! And I gotted out of de way!" The woman laughed, and I laughed, too.

Almost invariably, people stop to say hello to Solanne or to smile at her or to tell me how lovely or cute she is. That's what makes my day - the fact that she lights up someone else's. For all the talk about the terrible two's, I must say that there is way more to be said about the terrific two's.