Happy Birthday, My Maya!

This is Maya (aka Maya Fantaya, Princess Maya, Her Highness, The Eaglet {not sure where that one came from}), and she is now three. Felicitations are a little belated, we celebrated her

birthday in Kerry last week, far, far from an Internet connection. She's actually celebrated all her birthdays in Ireland, and as a result, I have never posted a happy birthday to her, whereas the two boys have been publicly feted. This is a shabby way to treat one's only daughter so I am making up for it now. Santa Claus brought the above "Princess Dress." It was all she wanted for Christmas. The minute she would arrive in from cold, her clothes would be ditched and on went the dress, replete with a pair of pink, plastic high heeled shoes which she christened her "magically shoes" (see picture on the left).

Tash describes her best - she'll be wearing a tutu with matching shoes...as she kicks your head in. Girly-girl she may be, but she is also the first one to climb up to the top of the jungle gym or jump off a high wall. Shane tests the safety of situations by sending Maya on reconnaissance patrols. If she survives, he'll give whatever it is a go. She is the one who tells the other kids that the playground near our house is HER playground, while we duck our heads and pretend we don't know whose child she is...