During our waking hours, everyone around here is either printing, tagging, tying, or shipping. Crazy. Busy. Even Neko has cracked out the scissors and is helping me cut twine.
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Playpen
Susie and I were wondering recently, whatever happened to the playpen? When did people stop using them? I remember babies in them all the time in my childhood, but now they are non-existent. We suppose it has to do with that whole thing where you’re supposed to be holding/interacting/stimulating your baby 24/7. But instead, we all plunk them in their exersaucers in front of Baby Einstein so we can actually prepare dinner or vacuum or pee. At least in a playpen, a baby can practice crawling and standing, right?
So we’re bringing back the playpen. I’m not saying Ellery is going to live in there, but every now and then I need to get something else done that requires nearly my full attention, and she needs to be somewhere safe. Of course, the moment we rolled the pack-n-play into the living room, Neko and Shep declared it their own private fort and climbed in and out, watched tv, ate dinner, and filled it with pillows and pretended it was the ocean and they were mermaids.
So I’m bringing back the playpen. For pre-schoolers.
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Yay, press!
Both the Momergency Kit and the Smart-Tees were a part of the Women’s Health holiday gift guide.
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Scuba Santa
Tom had to work all day, so the kids and I hit the road. We headed to the aquarium, where they have this whole show where Santa and his sleigh are under water.
It must have been a slow day at the aquarium, because Santa was all over the place. First he was at that show, then he was in the shark tanks, and then he was hanging out in the lobby on the way out. If Santa really does move around this fast, maybe he can deliver all those presents in one night.
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Happy birthday Henry
Today we attended a birthday party for a friend of ours whose son was turning three. I love when kids are young enough that you can get away with inviting your friends that have kids, so really it’s all about YOUR friends getting together and catching up.
Next spring Neko turns five, and I think I might actually have to invite her friends instead of mine. Bummer.
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Not that we’ve decorated our real house yet
I ordered this dollhouse holiday decoration kit a while back, and have been waiting to crack it open with Neko. I had to find the perfect time when Shep was napping and Ellery was fairly content, because it’s a project that’s only suitable for ages 4 and up.
Today was the day. Shep napped, Ellery played in the pack-n-play, and Neko and I decorated the Playmobil house. She was fascinated by the little lights we strung on the house and the tiny stockings we hung by the chimney.
Okay, maybe Tom and I were a little excited about it, too.
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Playgym, revisited
Four years ago, right about this time of year, we bought this playgym. It wasn’t cheap—definitely equivalent to a nice armoire. Why fork out the dough? The one my parents bought from the same company over 30 years ago is still in fine working condition. My whole childhood, it was a rocket ship or a boat or a monkey cage at the zoo. It is pivotal in my childhood memories.
We initially bought it for Christmas that year, but Tom and I got too excited, and let Neko start crawling around on it a few days early. We ate dinner at the coffee table for over a year, since it took over our dining room.
In the past few weeks Ellery has mastered the stairs, and happily climbs to the top, delighted with herself. She laughs in the mirrors and crawls through the tunnel. It’s gratifying to see our third enjoying it just as much as our first.
See? We use it way more than we’d use an armoire.
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