Zipped Up

Show and tell time!

This girl LOVES to eat with a spoon.....

However the end result isn't always pretty.....

I've called in the fashion police on my abilities to dress my daughter in clothing that matches. Not only that, but I've sacraficed fashion in the name of a good bargain. I am SO thankful that she's moved into the next round of clothing. Her previous outfits made me inwardly cringe because not only did they not fit/look nice/match, they were a bit "Tom Boy-ish". While I still find it cute to dress her in something other than frills, I've deduced that frills aren't horrible. So when I found this outfit.....I don't think I can put her in it enough:

(And can I brag that it is from a garage sale? Nah. I won't).

Although I know it's a bit early, I was desperate to find something to hold Rachel's interest in her food. So I opted to see if she was allergic to peanut butter. Only one way to find out, right? Let's just say.....

Not only is she not allergic to peanut butter.....

She would rather I server her peanut butter and hold the cracker.

Rachel is always enthused to play with something "new". By "new" I mean....something that she doesn't normally get to play with. Like......a sweet potato.

As I was peeling potatoes one night, she was insistent that she wanted the "Ball" (potato). I thought, "What the heck? Can't hurt" and gave it to her. Then chased her around the upstairs trying to get it back so I could slice it and bake it!

Sadly...the potato suffered a few minor injuries whilst in her hands.

A few other funny stories that don't have photos. Wednesday morning Rachel woke up before I'd even gotten out of bed, which does happen now and again. So I got her dressed and fed then began to get ready myself. While I get ready she typically will rummage through the cabinet under my sink or play in our closet. However, as I was finishing up I could hear her babbling away in full sentences from the other side of the house. As I went out to collect her for "Bye bye" I realized she was not only babbling, she was actually yelling. Not angrily, just really loud. I mean it almost sounded like she was preaching in her "Rachel Jargon". I realized I'd left the back door open for Monty (which we do often) and she'd wandered out to the deck. She was standing at the top of the steps just yollering with all her might at the houses behind us. Why? I have no idea. But it was adorable. Just pleasantly saying what she wanted to say in a loud voice so all of them could hear her. I'm sure our neighbors appreciated being woken up that way.

Then last night I was spending my weeknight out and about with my friend Sam and Jason sent me this photo:

Last week we bought a bubble machine because the wand bubbles are horribly messy (and Rachel likes to play with the wands which leads to their inevitable demise).

Apparently for daddy-daughter night they played with the bubble machine. This morning Rachel found it on the kitchen table and, while carrying a waffle in one hand, moved the kitchen chairs to climb up and bring me said bubble machine. She REALLY wanted to play with it again this morning. Sadly (thankfully) it was out of bubble formula so I was off the hook!

Jason also told me that my repeated lessons with Rachel on how to use the zipper for the toiletry bag I use for her items when we travel have paid off. She's finally mastered the ability to dive into the diaper bag and unzip the little pouch I keep in there that holds all the extra stuff I might possibly need when we leave the house. I like that bag because thus far she's been unable to get into it. So I can keep her spare pacifier, diaper creme, tylenol, thermometer, vaseline, etc in it. Jason said she managed to get it out, unzip it, and use a crayon as a spoon in the vaseline. Thankfully, he got to her in time. Now we can't use zippers as a deterent to keep her out of stuff we don't want her in. She's getting more and more clever!!