3 years-old

To celebrate turning 3, Miya invited approximately 30 guests to her back yard for a spring planting party.

Each young guest received a clay flower pot. There were paints for parent-assisted decorating (water-soluble paints don't work so well on things that will be watered), dirt to fill the pots with (or just dig around, as many chose to do), and flowers to plant.



Giving toddlers opportunities to play in the dirt is a pretty safe bet for a easy entertainment - although parents may have wondered about the combination of dirt and finger foods. Would you like some potting soil with that penguin cracker?

 Miya's daddy produced some fantastic cupcakes - the chocolate ones with sprinkles on top were a big hit, both a tasty snack and a fashion accessory.

Miya's big race

On Sunday, Miya and her family participated in the 2012 Minto Run for Reach. This intense competition pitched our young Ottawa native against some of the best athletes in the region - including Paralympian runner Jon Dunkerley.

Though she had been keen to face her rivals in the Half-Marathon competition, out of consideration for her mother (who, to her daughter's chagrin, is a hopeless runner), Miya consented to limit herself to the 3K Family Walk/Run. Since this event was not timed, when her decision was announced there was an audible sigh of relief among other racers.


Miya showed early promise as a marathoner, and  just a few days shy of her third birthday, she proved that she is ready to take on the challenges of road racing. Bolstered by the support of her family - mom, dad and grandma - as well as the companionship of Baby Penguin, she smoothly sailed to the finish line.

John Stanton, President and Founder of the Running Room who was the Run for Reach race starter, is rumoured to have been  studying Miya's running technique and may be introducing a line of pink croc racing shoes at his stores this summer.

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.