My Bargain Today

Abby is going to be moving to a big-girl bed! This is the kind of project mums get all excited about. After looking online at hundreds (OK, thousands), I picked up this bedding set today for an unbelievable price. Now we just have to order the twin bed. Plus she's getting a toy storage thing so that she can actually start to play in her room. The whole project is so much fun!

Conversation with Abby

Abby: "daddys a boy mummy"
Me: "yes, Abby, that's right, daddys a boy"
Abby: "you a grill"
Me: "yes, I'm a girl"
QUIET PAUSE
Abby, loudly: "I'n a grill TOO!"

Girls Day at Toys R Us

I had last Friday off from work. Jake didn't. So it was a girls day!

After breakfast sharing a yogurt parfait (the sharing meaning 85% Abigail, 15% me), I took her to Toys R Us. I expected somewhat of a disaster now that we are more than capable of spreading a chest of toys across the whole house within minutes at home. And maybe a fight when we left. So, I explained that we were going to 'look' at the toys, and that maybe, if she was good, we could pick one to 'pay munny' & bring home.

So, we started by looking at backyard kiddie pools (that's paddling pools for anyone English reading). Nothing to really touch there, safely wrapped in boxes. Then we looked at bikes, dollhouses, books, puzzles, and a long time at a Thomas train table. Every time I asked her to put something back, she did it. And every time I told her "this way now", she came - without fuss. It was going swimmingly well. Her favourite area was the baby-dolls; especially the strollers, swings; all kinds of things 'just like mummy's'.

Along the way, up and down each aisle, she was carrying one thing at all times and I couldn't wait to see which would be the winner and come home with us. It was at first a plastic dinosaur. He was put down for an electronic puppy that barked. Then a princess crown. And finally, at the end, I said "right, it's time to go, what do you want to 'pay munny' for and bring home with us?"

With complete understanding and zero 'moments', my adorable, well-behaved little girl chose these:



Yep, those 'magic' baby bottles that haven't changed since I played with them myself 30yrs ago. So I got out of Toys R Us for $3.99 (apparently could have been even less if I'd taken her to the Dollar Store where I found this picture online). Abby 'paid munny', said 'thank you wady' to the cashier, and proudly carried her bag to the car. We drove home quietly (worn out), got in, and I sat to feed baby 1 (they don't have names) milk, while she sat and fed baby 2 the orange juice. She was focused on copying me, and I could tell, loving her choice of toy.

It was a GREAT morning showing me the joys of having a little girl. Who was so good!

Fourth of July

Anyone that's ever been to Phoenix in July knows that you have to do your Fourth of July hot-dogs & ice-cream indoors, it's still fun, just different:

Then we rode the new Light Rail to Tempe Town Lake to watch fireworks. Here's Abby waiting for them to start. She LOVED them, just like her mama:

Mark & Erin's Wedding

The last night of our trip was a badly-needed night out for Jake & I without Abby :) at our friend Mark's wedding (thanks again Grandma). It was a great time with lots of old friends (hadn't seen Jason & Sami in 4 years!), lots of celebrating and, um, lots of drinks.

We were pretty drunk by the end & thought it would be fun to take a stupid picture of each other with the wedding cake. Jake went for 'serious':

And, mine, well, for once, I'm at a loss for words:

Ojai

Wandering around Ojai: Enjoying home-made icecream in the little parlour on the main street:

Santa Barbara Zoo

In true Abigail fashion, she wasn't very happy to be sat on this thing:

But quite happy to ride the real Zoo train:

Could the grounds of a zoo be any more picturesque?

We don't stop eating for anything, even an underwater view of the penguins:

Relaxing at Grandma's

I took this one just to capture the morning hairstyle:

Grandma stocked the house with markers, they were a hit, apparently kids don't use crayons anymore:

Sharon babysat the both of them one afternoon. She said, across the table, Abby announced to Morgan "my daddy". Morgan said "my daddy". Abby said "no its MY daddy". Morgan said "no its MY daddy". Keep in mind NEITHER daddy is there at the time. Sharon said she watched this escalate until Abigail burst into tears & she had to step in & tell them that they BOTH have a daddy - "yours is Jake & yours is Lance". Episode over. 5 mins later she hears Abby say "MY mummy"..... Bless her for babysitting :)

Grandma's shady yard is perfect for eating outside:

Especially if a big gooey chocolate cake is involved:

Hanging out in the Motorhome

Like I said, a ton of eating:

"This is a serious task, Aunty Kelly":

I love Morgan's expression in this one:

Time at the Beach

As it cooled, the girls put hoodies on over their sundresses & Grandma showed them the sunset:
I like this next picture for 3 reasons:

(a) the beautiful lighting (b) the fact that it looks like her beer! (c) she has spent the last month or so telling me that she has an 'owie' all.the.time. You can see her trying to claim one on her hand here. There never is one!