it's 6:00 somewhere

i think i've mentioned it before, but baby girl's most cranky time of the day was that awkward chunk after she woke up but before my honey got home.  we didn't have enough time for an outing, i was normally trying to make something edible (some people call it "dinner") and baby girl would just whine and cry and beg for me to hold her.  

well... it's better now.  far from perfect but much much better.  instead of having her nap from one to four, i put her down at two or a little after so she can nap til 5 or even 5 30 sometimes.  this is excellent because it minimizes the time in that whiny awkard pre-daddy pre-dinner stage that was pretty much earth shattering for baby girl... every single day.

now we get up from nap, put our play clothes on (yes, both of us do this... i frequently have trouble napping in my play clothes), grab a banana (just for baby girl) and head outside (both of us do this part too) to get the mail and play until christopher gets home.  granted, this plan would not be possible without this fabulous warm weather we've been soaking up but whatever... it's amazing.

and i know it happened a while ago before she overdosed, but baby girl is obsessed with bananas.  she's back to eating several a day.  but unlike her previous banana kick, she kinda treats her banana like a toy or lovey.  something to be held while she plays and goes about life in general.  previously i would give her half a banana that would immediately disappear, and two seconds later i'd give her the second half, which she would also immediately polish off.  these days...  she wants the whole banana.  so she gets half in each hand.  when i put the first half in her hand she then points and grunts for the other half to be put in her empty hand.  so she has half a banana in each hand.  the first half is gone normally by the time i throw away the peel.  the second half stays there forever.  and i mean like up to an hour or more sometimes (yesterday she gnawed on a granola bar for almost an hour and a half at the playground).

she got this banana before we went out to play.

"let's go play, mom."

"my bicycle is right over there and it's beckoning me."

"mom.  for real.  stop taking those unflattering pictures of me and let's get on with this 'outside play' you lured me with."

she couldn't figure out how to steer with one hand.  she kept alternating her free hand, putting it on one handlebar and then the other and then back to the first.  i couldn't help but laugh at it. 

 

GLAMOUR SHOT!  we'll add it to her portfolio for america's next top [baby] model.

we have a dog problem in our neighborhood.  i'll rant about it some other time.

 

 

we also have a problem that the neighbor kids taught my child to cross the street without holding my hand.  will rant about that later too.

today though was a minor success in that my child waited at the curb for me to accompany her.  honor and obey your mother dear child of mine.

this parent likes to give his child fruit snacks before dinner.  and that's all i'll say about that.  notice the banana still in hand?

she was still holding it over 45 minutes later when we all came inside to eat dinner.