Spin, spin, spin

By the time Little Princess and her mother arrived today it was almost afternoon. We ate our lunch outside on the porch to 77 degree weather. Very pleasant indeed considering there's been hurricane weather last week and more coming in this week.

We seem to spend a lot of time eating, sleeping, eating, sleeping and occasionally working in play time when we're not on the road.

Today we planned a trip to the local city park near us so she could play on the playground. It was closer to 5:00 before we could get off, but we had a little time for her to play and the sun wasn't quite so hot. The playground equipment had cooled off some and a lot of the other little kids were busy at home waiting for their moms to feed them dinner while we cart ours off for a quick play.

She loved the different equipment that was there. There were three or four different sections for her to choose from. Some of the slides had a slope to them that would dump her out before we knew she was coming, but she didn't complain. She made her way down those slides by herself for the most part, but Mommy was close behind or Granddaddy was in front to catch her while I tried to get some pictures.

She would run from one to the other, then to the swings to swing and back to the play equipment.

We met another woman there with her four kids aged 14 and under to the youngest being 17 months. The 17 month old was a little dare devil boy. He was not afraid of very much. I told her she didn't look old enough to have a 14 year old, and she didn't. She said she would have more kids than that if her husband would let her. She was so calm and composed with them and her almost four-year-old latched onto to Granddaddy. She made the comment that their grandparents weren't in their lives very much so she thought the little girl really enjoyed being with Granddaddy and she could tell he was a nice guy. She obviously kept her eye on them as scattered as they were. The older two boys did keep calling out to her to make sure Granddaddy knew she had somebody watching over her, I think.

We came back home for a quick dinner of bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches with other goodies and while I was washing the lettuce I offered Annabelle the chance to help me spin the lettuce dry in my salad dryer. She jumped at the chance and we pulled a step stool over for her to help Grandmomma. She loved it! She was such a big help, too. She could make that salad dryer spin!

After dinner Granddaddy and Mommy went to Costco to pick up a few things before they closed. Annabelle and I stayed home so I could give her a bath and wash her hair. She was very cooperative. She didn't stand up in the tub (except she did crawl around on her knees, which didn't count as standing.) She let me wash her hair (twice, because the first time I had used the baby wash on her hair and she knew she was supposed to have it washed with the baby shampoo.)

She played with this little foam doll I had picked up at a consignment sale for $2.
It came with a bunch of tops, bottoms and shoes. You put them into the water to get them wet then stick them on the side of the wall. They stay on the wall and their clothes will stay on them, too, if you put them into the water.

She would look around for each shoe and try to match it up to the other one. Some were boots, some small shoes and some attached to one piece to make one set. She really has enjoyed my $2.purchase. I wasn't sure when I bought them, but I shouldn't have worried. I think they were sold at one time by Discover Toys, but I haven't been able to find them on the internet.

She was all clean and her hair half way dry by the time her Mommy and Granddaddy came back. Hair drying is the most difficult thing with her. She scoots past me in one direction or the other. I tried to get her to sit on the stool and let me dry it, but she decided she wanted to sit in the corner of the cabinet...way out of the reach of the hair dryer. She had to run up front to grab a pair of my winter leather gloves. From where, I have no idea! But she found them. That entertained her for a few more swipes of the hair dryer until she had accomplished sticking those little hands into each glove, then it was off and running again. I threatened her. I told her if Mommy came home and had to dry her hair it would be so much harder. She ignored me. She did have to go in search of "her" brush that I keep here for her.

After they came back I decided I would be happier tomorrow if I finished cleaning my lettuce and cut it up ready for a salad for tomorrow. I grabbed my knife and went to work on cutting and washing it. She saw what I was doing and wanted to pull out the
step stool again. "Chair, chair, chair". Mommy was trying to get her to finish brushing her teeth and get her pajamas on, as well as taking her medicine to no avail. She wanted to help Grandmomma with the salad spinner. I finally talked her into getting those things done while I finished chopping and washing the lettuce, then she could help me.

Then it was spin, spin, spin. She really did enjoy pushing that plunger down on that salad spinner. She would take the top off sometimes while it was still trying to spin, which was a mistake, I was afraid. I could see lettuce flying everywhere, but we finally got it finished up and put away.

She's such a good little helper in the kitchen...for right now. Check back in a few years and we'll see if that's changed.