She's Going to Need More Dirt-Colored Clothing

March might be my new favorite month, only because it's not February anymore. It's amazing how different the world feels when it thaws out.

Our last big snow melted and temperatures became tolerable this week, so last Sunday Cora and I went out and got her some outdoor shoes with real soles. She's been wearing the soft-soled ones they recommend for new walkers, but those weren't going to cut it for when it's wet outside.

Normally you can't stop her from taking off exploring these days, but when I first tried the thick-soled shoes on her in the store, she acted like they were glued to the floor. So I took her hands and gently pulled forward to encourage her to take a few steps, and she just leeeaned forward with a confused look on her face until she was at a forty-five-degree angle. Once she took that first step, though, she was off, and I had to chase her around the store.

She's shown great improvements in her walking even since the beginning of the week. At first she had trouble with any uneven surface. Even the cracks in the sidewalk were problematic, and you could forget about the grass, sand, or bark chips at the playground. We've been going out every day, though, and she's quickly mastered those things. Now she's perfectly happy to squish squish squish through the mud and anything else. She's been shocking and delighting all the neighbors we haven't seen all winter with her big-girl, walking-around self.

She loves the tennis courts across the street. A very flat, even surface, and a fence all the way around, so she can wander at will and doesn't have to stay right by me.

On Tuesday we walked to the post office and back together, almost a quarter mile away. She walked almost the whole way herself. It was like herding cats trying to keep her on the sidewalk, and it took forever, but she had a great time discovering every little thing--including that if you say hi to people, they almost always say hi back. If she's in the right mood now, she'll say hi to every person she passes.

So Cora is enjoying the spring so far and is becoming an outdoor baby. Clearly she finds the chill bracing and the freedom invigorating. And it's great to be able to just "go outside" without needing a destination. I'm thinking we might have a good summer again this year.

(If I'm not careful I might end up with a video collect of just Cora saying hi in a hundred different cute ways.)