You've Got a Fast Slide. 10-27-13

Boop was trying out her friend's (from Baby Yoga) slide. 

The only thing that got her to stop was the tractor coming around for the hayride.

Summer, Revisted. 10-25-13

Boop is so used to seeing butterflies on our buddleia, 

that she calls butterflies "fowfers" (flowers). 

I'm not if she knows the difference or has confused one for the other.

These were done by SF.

Another Beau. 10-22-13

I took this photo of Boop in the park while at the family reunion.

She met a little boy at the playground. It doesn't take her long.

Cute now, but when she's a teenager, I'm going to have to watch her like a hawk!

Happy 4th of July--a little late.

Stinker #1 and Stinker #2 at Grandma's:
All dressed up with nowhere to go.

Up and Down the Stairs. 10-20-13

 She loves to play on the steps...

I've Found a Hiding Place, Part II. 10-3-13

Once at work, I talked to my friend, G. She offered her car to me if I wanted to run home at lunch. I called my mom who had left to go back home on Sunday morning. "Did you happen to find my keys in your stuff?" I asked. When she said, 'no.' I was a little relieved and a little disappointed: relieved that I didn't have to try to get my keys from 7 hrs away, disappointed that I still didn't know where they were. She gave me a few ideas. "Did you look inside of each of your shoes? Are you sure you didn't leave them in x, y, z? I bet they just fell somewhere." So I borrowed G's car to look through the places Mom and I had reviewed. After exhausting those, I was more worried that Boop had stuck them in one of Mom's bags, which Mom dismissed as not possible. 

The more I looked, the more exasperated and desperate I got. I started working at Boop's level, started crawling around a bit. I pulled out furniture--where I found our pool pass and a few credit cards I had been missing--after I had already gotten a replacement, of course. After giving the living room and den a good look, I ran upstairs, then back downstairs. On to the laundry room and the kitchen. The kitchen. And Boop's little kitchen. I went through her toy bins, pulling out the shelves of her little kitchen, opening the door to the cab... inet. The little cabinet. And there they lay. The long blue ribbon loop and the clump of janitor's keys. Boop no doubt put them there for safe keeping. I couldn't help but smile a shake my head, an expression I saw my dad make a little too often as I was growing up. And all of those hours I wondered if Boop would have some awful genetic disease where she wouldn't be aware of the world around her. And then she has the where-with-all to know that my keys are important and should be kept in a special place. Soon, she'll get much more enjoyment of giving her mother so much grief! 

I've Found a Hiding Place. 10-1-13

A special hiding place. Anyway. I'm trying to get caught up. Always trying to get caught up.

I got up last Monday, got Boop and I ready and started out the door. Reached up to grab my keys off the etagere. Reached up to grab my keys off the etagere. Reached up, felt around. Wait. Looked at the etagere. Moved stuff around on the etagere. Where are my keys? Walked over to my shoe bin. Looked around. Felt around. Hm. Looked at the fireplace. Squatted down. Walked through the passageway. Surveyed the kitchen. Paced back and forth. Hm. Went to my sort pile of recycling and shredding. Lifted papers, flopped them down. Gave them a good frisking. Looked at Boop, "Honey, where are my keys?" "Keys! Keys!" she responded. She walked in circles like her mommy. I gave up on my memory long ago and try, try, try to keep my keys in the same place. I even put them on a long ribbon necklace; so I wouldn't be tempted to drop them just anywhere.

I called daycare. "We're going to be a few minutes late; can you save some breakfast for Boop? I've lost my keys." So, I grabbed a week's worth of stuff for daycare, slung it over one shoulder, and threw 30+ lbs. of Boop on my hip. I guess I was sort of balanced. Then, we walked down the street and over the hill to daycare. I got Boop sorted, and then I walked back to the house. Winnie was very interested in my pacing, and it was much safer to follow me around with Boop out of the house. I moved the etagere. I moved the shoe bins. I frisked lots of papers. I checked Boop's basket of books. Hm. I'm going to have to walk to work; so I started out.