Marmot March!

Today Maeve ran (or "ran") in the third annual Marmot March, a non-competitive kids' race that features around 300 participants in second grade or younger and takes place the day before the annual Bloomsday run, a (mostly) non-competitive adults' race that features around 40 to 50 thousand participants of all ages. Joining Maeve on the course were her friend Devin and his parents, Mike and Stephanie, who have appeared on The Squeaker's Report before, as you may recall.

Here are Mike and Brian with Devin and Maeve, cruising along the path in Riverfront Park, around halfway through the race course:



Tracey and Maeve on a bridge across the rushing Spokane River:



Brian trying to keep Maeve moving along near the end of the course:



Maeve kicking into high gear as she approaches the finish line:



Tracey and Maeve with a giant, thick slice of white bread (kind of an American version of Shokupanman), one of the many unusual mascots attending the race:



Maeve was slightly unnerved by the bread-creature:



Celebrating after the race with a balloon:

Maeve's First Birthday

Maeve had a multi-day birthday celebration, in keeping with Auntie Tara's "12 days of birthday" philosophy. Her actual birthday day was spent traveling—via rental car, Newark Airport AirTrain, airplanes to Phoenix and then Spokane, and then finally, our beloved car Subie—but we did open some presents after we arrived home on her birthday.

Here she is with a nicely wrapped present:



A snowman hat from Lynn and Larry!:





The cats, enjoying the fun:



A book from Ariadne:



A book from Grandma Kay:



A book Mommy couldn't resist ordering for herself, er, Maeve:



Purple socks from Aunt Tara!:



Here's Maeve a few days later with her birthday cupcake at daycare:



Finally, on Saturday, Maeve's sixth day of birthday, our friends Mike and Stephanie and their 15-month-old son, Devin, visited for a small party:





Here's the great wooden animal/name sign with interlocking pieces that they gave Maeve:



Mike and Brian goofing around as if awarding/receiving a diploma or oversized novelty check:



Maeve opening a gift:



Tracey, admiring the cake she made:



Maeve and her happy birthday balloon:



Stephanie with Devin, clapping at the end of "Happy Birthday to You":