The pumpkin patch

This morning Miya took a trip to Foster's pumpkin patch on the southeast end of Ottawa.

There were piles of pumpkins for sale, but it was much more exciting to head off the big pumpkin patch and choose her own. The weather was cool, with sprinklings of wind and smatterings of rain, but Miya was undaunted.

She and her father carefully searched through acres of pumpkins (okay, a small field) to find the perfect daddy sized pumpkin and Miya sized pumpkin.

Next step will be making jack o' lanterns.

Career choices - pilot?

Wanting to be sure that she has time to explore all her options, Miya is beginning to consider future career possibilities.

Becoming a pilot is one of the many options she is considering.

This choice is not surprising to her parents, given that one of her first words was 'airplane'. However, they are cautioning her that she may not advance very quickly in this career path given that she is still encumbered with the responsibilities of attending pre-school.

Not easily discouraged, Miya is spending her time familiarizing herself with different aircraft models and the layout of the flight deck.

The days are getting warmer

As spring moves toward summer the days get warmer and Miya spends as much time as possible outside. Waking up from a nap, "Go outside!" is usually one of the first things she says.

So many things to do outside - climb and slide on the play structure, play with water in a little water table, help daddy pull dandelions or watch him mow the lawn, find worms with mommy and carry weeds to the green bin...

Now that the yard looks so nice, it's time to have friends over for a picnic. (The best thing about these picnic is that pants are optional.)

And it's always fun to get dressed up as a dandelion princess.

Spring in the capital

Now that the weather is turning warmer, Miya is outside soaking up the sunshine and making the most of Ottawa spring.

She joined in at the local Easter egg hunt - her face festively painted with a little bunny and was very equal opportunity for what was added to her bucket: eggs, grass, pebbles, sticks.

She attended the local tulip festival where she checked up on tulips large and small.

At the tulip festival she even shared her artistic talent by joining in on the kids mural - adding dabs and streaks of bright colours. Tulips and creativity are blossoming all around.

Maple syrup season

In true Canadian spirit, this spring Miya made sure to attend a local sugaring festival to check on this year's maple syrup production.

With help from her parents, she checked several buckets to ensure that the sap was flowing.

Then came the all important taste test.

Miya accepted a serving of maple syrup poured over clean snow and wrapped around popsicle sticks.

After some reflection, she deemed it absolutely delicious. Even the stick was worth chewing on after all the syrup-snow had been eaten.

Miya 'sings' the ABC song

So here is our 22-month old reciting the alphabet. We do not expect this film to receive any acknowledgment at tomorrow's Oscar awards for directing, editing or photography. But we do feel that M delivers a very strong performance in the role of a budding scholar and logophile.

She often 'sings' this song after she has been put down for a nap - we can hear her shouting out the letters. When she gets to the end - 'now I know my ABCs, next time won't you sing with me' - she mutters 'now-a-now' and then peters off in a bunch of indecipherable syllables.

Camel ride

Tired of Canadian winters, Miya recently hitched a camel ride to head for warmer climes.

Originally destined for Egypt, recent political turmoil deterred them, so she and her traveling companion were forced to remain within the Children's Museum.

This is likely just as well. Neither of them held a valid passport and we suspect that the money she carried was a forgery.

My 20-month old could draw that

The Ottawa arts community is abuzz with the recent opening of an exhibit of Miya Nagaraj's latest work.

These bold, colourful pieces - praised by critics as a striking combination of innocence and bravado - are set to move quickly.

The paintings are a mixed media of water-soluble paint and dish soap on paper.

The artist, famously reticent in talking about her art and influences, has simply titled them 'paintings'.

Christmas

Christmas must be very strange to you when you are only 20 months old.

One day, you wake up from a nap and come into the living room. There is a tree. Not just any tree, but a tree with lights and little things hanging in the branches like snowmen, angels and stars.

And parents, children do not have an innate affection for hairy strangers dressed in red. In fact, these men with their bright outfits and jingling bells are terrifying. Why on earth would one want to sit on his lap and smile for a camera? Miya much preferred to keep a safe distance.

Then come the gifts. Everything that a child receives is gift. New clothes, new toys - they usually just appear. But for an inexplicable reason, on Dec 24 and 25 these things are wrapped up in paper or put in fancy bags. Although Miya soon got into the fun of ripping wrapping paper, not surprisingly the whole idea of gifts was lost on her.

And then, one day, the tree disappears and all that remains are the new toys and some scattered pine needles.