Mommy's Turn

Riley is Mommy's little helper. Not "mommy's little helper", but actually helpful. When I drop something she picks it up for Mommy. The other day I was struggling to get dressed (stupid fused spine). I figured I would see if Riley could lend a hand. I had one foot in a pair of underwear and was trying to hold the waistband out and contort my body enough to get my foot in the other hole.

I asked Riley to help. She ran over saying "help!" examined the situation and waited for instruction. I held the waistband out and said "hold this, please." Riley stares blankly. "Mommy needs to put her foot in, hold this." Riley lifts her foot to put it in the leg hole. Clearly confused, she sweetly complied with what she thought I wanted.

I laughed for a minute and then raised my foot to show her that Mommy wanted to put her foot in. Riley was near enough that I could reach her hand so I grabbed her hand and put in on the waistband and said "hold on." "Hold it!" she confirmed. I put my foot in and then clearly pleased with me she said "pull up!" She even assisted me in pulling them up part way like Mommy does for her.

Sometimes you dress the toddler, sometimes the toddler dresses you...

The Cutness That is Miss Roo

Riley wanted to go play outside in the morning so she demanded "me-mes on" (pajamas off). I pulled a little flowered red dress on her. She demanded "booots!" after that. So, we put on her pink kitty rain boots and while we were in her room she noticed the newly repaired set of hooks. I hung two purses, a dinosaur baseball cap and a kitty ear headband from it. She pulled down both purses and the ball cap. Having slung a bag over each shoulder she put on the hat and turned back to command "come on!" Off we went to the swing in a red flowered dress, pink kitty boots, two purses and a dinosaur hat. Only Riley.

I don't have any of yesterday, but here's a similar esemble.

Yesterday, Riley peed on the potty three times! This is a huge deal considering her once a day average. At some point in the afternoon Riley had peed on the potty and we had "flushed it bye-bye". She stood in the doorway of the bathroom waving bye-bye for a minute. It was cute she looked like someone on the dock watching the ship that was about to pull away. When I asked if she was still bidding farewell to her pee-pee she said "bye-bye pee-pee" waved again and turned on her heal to give her dolly a turn on the potty. So, cute.

When we reached pick up time I told Riley to help me my find her shoes. She ran to my room yelling "Sh-ooo-es". Once I had my shoes on I said "Riley, we have to hurry! It's time to get Isaac from school". She got behind me, put both of her tiny hands on my tailbone and started pushing. She pushed and I laughed all the way to the door. She knew how to help Mommy hurry.

Why You Wish You Lived Next Door

This week I finished the invitations to our housewarming, Ta-da!

As you can see I made Martha Stewart proud with my Smurf themed paintshop invite. My printer had an issue which caused my Smurf to come out pink. He looked sick, but when Mike fixed the issue and he came out blue he looked very healthy. Smurfs are the reverse of humans in that way.

I'd been meaning to make the neighbors cookies since we moved in. I decided it was time to make the cookies so I could hand deliver the invites with them. As always my trusty helper was by my side as I prepared some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

Yeah, they're from mix. Sue me.

Mix, mix

More mixing. Oatmeal cookies have stiff dough.

Giving it a taste.

Ready for baking.

Riley's first "licking the spoon" experience.

Once the cookies were baked it was all about presentation.

My artsy shot of the materials.

The front of the invitation.

The finished product.

I delivered them while they were still warm.