Wrapping Paper! And there's a toy in it, too!

It has been observed a million times that small children care more about the wrapping paper and boxes than they do the presents. And it's true, Audrey did spend more time with the packaging than anything else, but she also loved the books, puzzles, music, and particularly the baby doll-- although she expressed her excitement by first kissing it and then biting it on the face, so we'll have to talk to her about that. Poor face-bitten baby is all packed up and ready to travel with us to Oklahoma in the morning, where the rest of Scott's clan is gathering.

Happy Holidays! Here's hoping that the flight crew and everybody on the plane has made it their new year's resolution to be more patient and forgiving, and will practice on us weary travelers with toddlers.

Audrey and Brady at the Children's Museum

What could possibly be more fun that a room full of shredded paper?! The Boston Children's Museum has some absolutely genius exhibits for the 0-3 set. Audrey and I, accompanied by our friends Heather and Brady (same age as Audrey), had a great morning here. They ran, they squealed, they splashed, they played with trains and toy shopping carts and doorbells and confetti. In her enthusiasm Audrey mowed down some other kids with her cart, so I had to stay close and apologize to other parents and sweep crawling babies out of her way. Brady was so happy he spontaneously hugged another little kid he'd just met. It was pure joy. Audrey fell asleep exhausted on the way home.

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...

...a new kitchen garbage can with baby-proof, pedal-operated lid that won't close too hard on small fingers! Joy to the world!

Take a memo, Miss Honeybee!

She found a pen and pad of paper today, and sat down and made frantic scribbling motions with the (capped, thank heavens) pen.

You know what's weird about living with a small child? It's not just that she goes everywhere I go (I am seldom alone anymore except in the shower, and she's been known to bust in on me there as well). It's that she's always doing these little imitations of me. Writing. Talking on the phone. Dancing. Of course, a lot of this we encourage, but it's those moments when she copies some very minuscule gesture, like waving in a certain way, that I feel sort of... spied upon. It's an excellent reminder that I must really pay attention to the way I behave, because she's watching. And learning. And taking notes for her stand-up routine, "Mother-- The First Year."

Audrey reads me the riot act

This is Audrey scolding me for a recent offense; my rap sheet includes such outrages as offering cheerios when cheese was requested, preventing her from flushing her clothes down the toilet, and not letting her kiss her own image on the camera. Her disciplinary action is prompt, consistent and uncannily familiar, right down to the slow pronunciation of the "Noooooooooo!" and the finger wagging.

She also follows a program of positive reinforcements with lots of kisses and friendly pats on the cheek.

Hat Phone Dog

We begin our film festival with this short about a hat, a cell phone, and a stuffed dog.

I think you'll agree that it's worth the seconds you'll spend waiting for "buffering."

Dinner for three of four corners

We had a lovely dinner tonight at our neighbors' home across the street. Since we live at an intersection this was billed as the "four corners dinner" and we had three of four corners represented. Great food, great company, and Audrey didn't break anything!

Going into someone else's home now is such a different experience. If I could wish for a superpower, I think it would be the ability to spontaneously turn my body into a baby gate, so I could block the way to such tempting items as that Christmas tree in the background. Lynda thoughtfully-- and wisely-- put her sturdiest ornaments on the bottom.

What will I call my new super-hero persona? And can I also have the ability to lock toilet lids from across the room, empty cabinets of all "sharps" just by looking at them, and create an anti-gravity field around her highchair? Please don't comment merely to tell me that my superpower choice is totally pathetic. Our lives are what they are, and right now, my life is often about keeping Audrey from playing in the toilet bowl.

Did I just hear a splash?

At the aquarium

Audrey and Bethiah watch sea creatures in the big tank at the Boston Aquarium. I should have turned off the flash in the photo of the two girls together, but you can still see one big, bright, scaly fish going by... Audrey was unimpressed by the sharks and the giant sea turtles, but the penguins and also the kids play area (a bunch of plastic blocks, but right next to the big tank) were big hits.