An(na)tics

• At the grocery store I saw her intensely studying one of those magazine covers. I turned to Ben and noted that she was already ruining her body image. Then she interrupted and said "It's like you mommy!" I'm sure this happens to all mothers at some point. But if you have seen me lately you would understand my dismay/appreciation.
• After church she gathered up as many toys as she could into a small shopping basket and a book and hauled them into our room and next to the bed. Then she read them the book. It took me a few minutes to get the camera all worked out but I did manage to get a picture. Someday maybe I'll post it. (There is a legendary picture of me when I was 3/4, I had taken all my dolls into the bathroom and put them in the tub and floor and read them a story)
• She is really really good at working my ipod. Mostly she uses it to watch YouTube videos of Disney songs. She could do this for hours. Sometimes she does while I take a nap. She can also get into some other apps for drawing and coloring. She's really good at it.
• The other night we had to go to the store so I told Ben to get off facebook and get ready. Anna decided that she didn't want to do anything else all night but "do facebook." When we got back from the store we tried to set up an account for her but she is too young to have an email address. By then she had already seen all that facebook had to offer and was bored.
• She almost burned down her Grumma Great's house. On a Thursday we went to visit. Anna wandered down to the apartment where we used to live but came back a few minutes later. For the next day or two Grumma could smell something but couldn't figure out what. When my uncle was over helping on Saturday they decided to sniff it out. All the buttons on the stove/oven were pushed. The oven was on high and the stove tops were all on. Awesome.
• She is getting very imaginative. I don't think I was an imaginative kid but she can cook up a storyline with her dolls and dinosaurs and whatever is lying around. Today she started a plot using only a dandelion she had pulled from the yard.

That's enough for today. We'll post more later, maybe even some pictures.

Sneaker

I fell asleep on the couch last night watching The Fugitive, so Ben went up to clear the laundry off the bed so I could stumble upstairs.
When he turned on the light he was surprised and a little startled to find that a certain little brownilocks was fast asleep in the middle of our bed.
We had settled her into bed 2-3 hours earlier, and although I thought I heard her get out of her room, we didn't hear her wandering around the house so we forgot about it. Surprisingly it seems she didn't get out any of her usual mommies-bed toys or even jump around recreationally, she was just cuddled right in under the covers and fast asleep. Thankfully I was able to move her into her bed without incident. But I wonder if this is a stunt she will try again tonight.

My new novel, "The Littlest Dictator"

I need to watch a movie!
I need to go in the tent.
I need a snack!
I need to hold your computer.
You go get a snack, ok?
I need a snack then.
I'm happy now!
I'm happy to watch a show now, for a minute.

This was all she said and it was all within about 1 minute.

ps. she should have been napping.
pps. she learned how to open the door.

War and Peace

So since we got her a big girl bed (2 weeks) we've had about 3 days with in-bed naps. Otherwise she sleeps in the car or goes without. Today I really wanted to win, I got her to fall asleep in the car, and of course, she woke up as I moved her inside. Nevertheless, I left her in her room for 2 hours (regular nap length) it was heart-rending for both of us "Open the door pleeeeaaase!" Very difficult.

After her not nap we had activity days which was going to the local pool. Anna had never experienced anything like it so I told her we were going to a Giant Pool. She was excited. She kept comparing it to a castle. I'm not sure how. oh wait, yeah, it's cause the Giant in her Jack and the Beanstalk book lives in a Castle. problem solved. Anyway so we're going to the Giant Pool, It's a Castle. It was overcast and windy but still crowded. She LOVED it. Despite her chattering teeth she wanted to go everywhere and jump in and out of the pool a hundred times. No more sitting at the edge of the pool for us. but seriousna, it was cold. Eventually I felt so bad that I dragged her out and over to the towels where she put on her dry dress and she warmed up.

Eventually we gathered the girls and made our way home. Now we are sitting in the dark basement watching The Little Mermaid and she is lying on the couch in a very sleepy position. I would be very surprised if she doesn't fall asleep. But if she does, at 5:30, what do I do about bed time? I guess we are stuck in sleep limbo for awhile.

It's So Cool In My Pool

Once it got up to sweating temperatures this afternoon I thought it would be a good idea to get out our new pool. Anna agreed. It has been sitting in a box in her bedroom for a few weeks and she was giving up hope. In fact, when I got it out of the box and started blowing it up, she asked where the pool was.

The point is, eventually we got it up. And she was pleased.

Possibly my favorite picture. Of all time.

At one point she asked if there was another mommy to come play with her. So I think next time you will have to come over and swim in our pool with us, ok? We'll make lemonade.