Taking a Worm for a Walk...this happens almost everyday. Seriously.

Here is our sweet girl...doing something she loves to do: taking a wormy on a walk.
She asks us to dig up worms from the garden, wash them off (she doesn't like to have them covered in dirt) and then she takes them for a walk down the street. After they go for a walk then they get thrown back into the garden.
Such a nature girl! I am so proud.

On other nature notes:
Maarit is a budding animal rescuer. We have a rain barrel which is situated (we've learned this spring) exactly in the trajectory path of squirrels who have jumped from the cedar tree and missed the bird feeder. Maarit told her Nana the other day that there was a squirrel swimming. Nana didn't know what she meant, but came to look out the window with her and sure enough, there was a little pine squirrel swimming for his life in the rain barrel. Poor guy jumped, missed the bird feeder and had the surprise landing of his life! Maarit rescued him. They went out and dumped the barrel and he was free. She likes to tell the story and now checks for squirrels in the rain barrel daily.
We did not teach her this, and after checking with everyone I know who could have taught her this I feel comfortable blogging that she does this completely independently and it's adorable.
Maarit hugs and kisses trees.
She walks up to a tree and says "Hi Teee!" and hugs it and kisses it. She has never seen us do this and not any of her grandparents or friends or cousins or anyone. She does it on her own and it is nearly the sweetest thing to see.
Every day...it is so much fun to see what she'll do next. She is my most favorite person in the world.