2 and Half and a Ballerina

Since everyone seems to be having birthdays in August, we decided to let Anna celebrate her half birthday. She kept asking if it was her real birthday yet and I didn't want to do six months of rejection. So after a week of procrastination I made a pumpkin bread/cake and we put candles in and sang. She was satisfied.

After we got back from taking daddy to the airport we found a surprise package from our neighbors. It was a tutu with matching Ballerina ensemble (t-shirt and pants) Anna loves it and knows how beautiful she looks all pink.

This morning we were also pleasantly surprised with a visit from Lincoln, Sophia and Robyn. We all enjoyed the distraction and the macawoni.

2 for 1

I have 2 blog posts that both happened within the last hour. Instead of breaking them up, I will combine them although their tones are significantly different, perhaps it will serve as a good juxtaposition. Also I have to write the second one first because that is my current mood.
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Between 2:50 and 3:20 this afternoon:

Change out of sopping wet clothes, head to toe
Clean up large spill of fancy health juice
"Can I have a accident?" "But I want to have a accident!"
Pick her up and run to the toilet
Commence hysterical crying
Scab comes off her elbow
Blood everywhere
Try not to scream at her while she is screaming at me while I am trying to put on a bandaid on her blood geyser
Realize that withholding naps for a better bed time might not have been my best idea
Wrestle her into a diaper for a nap
Wrestle her into the crib for a nap
Sit down to write a blog post

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On our way to Visiting Teaching today we passed the park on the corner where the sprinklers were on. Because we were early I let Anna get sprinkled and play in it with her hands. She was mostly dry when we got to our appointment and I promised that on the way home she could play some more (hoping they would be off). On our way home, the sprinklers were still on. So I let her play full throttle. She ran and ran and giggled and had the most fun possible. She was soaked. I wish that I had a) a camera b) a waterbottle (for me) and c) a slip and slide (and Aunt Beetle). It was awesome, I wish we had known about it all summer, although I think the roving neighborhood gang of swim-suit clad tween girls usually play in it and would have scared Anna off. Eventually minivans started pulling up and the middle school kids started coming through the neighborhood, that was our cue. I persuaded her to come home with me. I stripped her down in the driveway and left her clothes in the sun to dry. Next time, she will wear her swimming suit. Anyone is invited to come, especially if you have a slip and slide.

Appetite

Generally when we sit down to a meal Anna will eat a few small bites, get bored and ask to get down.

Today watching Peter Pan sitting on the couch she has eaten (so far)

2 bowls of cheerios
3 forkfulls of my cup of noodles
2 handfuls of raisins (and is asking for more)

It's a really bad habit to promote, but is it worse than having a 2 1/2 year old that weighs 20 pounds?

Ingredients

When Ben goes grocery shopping he sticks close to the list (except for treats) meaning that we plan 4-5 meals and he buys only the ingredients for those meals. Thus there is little room for improvisation, snacking, lunch or last-second meals without another trip to the store. My question for you is, what are the top 5 items that you almost always buy/have for the days without a plan?

(let's think healthy, I know dad keeps a box of ding dongs in the freezer but...actually I don't know where I'm going with that... I want a ding dong.)

Boston shirt!

Anna recently became aware that while Mommy and Daddy have a fairly significant wardrobe of Boston Red Sox shirts, she didn't have any. She has outgrown all her onesies and been asking for a "boston shirt" for a few months. Luckily Daddy found himself in Boston last week and was able to pick one up for her.

I was mostly excited that she was wearing pants. I haven't seen her in pants in months, she insists on wearing a dress every day and I'm getting pretty tired of seeing those same 6 dresses over and over again. Not to mention they are getting scandalously short.

Dinner

Finally, I have something new to say on here. I was looking at this blog, which is supposed to motivate me to cook/learn how to cook and I actually found something helpful. She introduces the idea of a Dinner Doula. Someone who can help poor culinary cretins like myself to branch out, try to cook easy recipes for picky eaters and not feel discouraged. A hand holder.Anyway, she mentions that her experience as a doula was going to be published in a magazine, and for a second I thought about running out to buy that magazine, then I realized she put up a direct link to the article. Sorry magazine. I think I will try one this week while Ben is gone, although I don't know how Anna and I will eat an entire roast chicken or salmon salad. Nevertheless, if anyone wants to volunteer to be my new Dinner Doula, it would be much appreciated.