like the song, mazie has a few favorite things. however, her favorite things do not include girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, snowflakes that stay on her nose and eyelashes, and brown paper packages tied up in strings. instead mazie likes shoes, watermelon, banana bread, cats and dogs. the watermelon and banana bread are just temporary likes. she doesn’t stay with a particular food interest very long. next week apples could be the new banana bread and crackers the new watermelon. but shoes, cats and dogs, these items have staying power.

shoes would have to top the list. the child loves shoes. my shoes, her shoes, stranger’s shoes, her dad’s shoes, she isn’t picky. she likes to say the word “shoe”, she likes to play with shoes, she likes to put the shoes on and walk around in them, she likes to take them off, she likes to de-lace and lace them. she loves shoes. i don’t know what this says about her or me or the world, but i’m sure it says something. i’ve asked other people with kids and it seems the whole shoe obsession is not a normal toddler phase. it’s a mazie thing and i’ve come to appreciate it.

mazie lives with two cats. she’s been interested in them since the day she realized they existed. she pets them, waves to them, hugs them, offers greetings and generally makes their lives miserable. i think it’s typical for kids to like animals, but i do think mazie likes or loves them more than most. she fares better with the dog world as dogs are more accepting of the sort of smothering love that mazie offers to members of the animal kingdom. so far she has exhibited no fear whatsoever of any dog or cat. they can hiss, growl, bark, bat, and she just keeps on loving. have no fear, sooner or later she will learn that she needs to be careful and cautious around animals, but for now the adults in her life can bare that burden for her.

that’s all folks…