Winter???

If you like snow, then it was a pretty sad winter in this part of Ohio. We had one really big snow before Christmas, sometime in November, maybe? There were schools closed and a few inches on the ground. At that point in the year it was very cold out and Harper wasn't even walking yet. So we did not get out to enjoy that snowfall.

Since Harper started walking in January, I've been hoping for one more decent snowfall, so I could bundle her up and take her out to play in it. Our neighbors across the street had given us a little sled their daughter had outgrown and I couldn't wait to try it out. At the beginning of last week we were supposed to get a pretty big snowfall, 5-8 inches, which is newsworthy in these parts. Well it only turned out to be a couple of inches (very disappointing for the teachers around here). It was a wet snow and very warm the following day; it didn't look like the snow would be around for long. I did what any good mother would do, bundled Harper up and dragged her outside to play in the snow/slush (or snush).



Do you notice the grass you can see in the sled's tracks? Yes, this pathetic attempt at having Harper experience something of an Ohio winter was pretty sad. Fortunately she is too little to know how foolish we looked, playing in melting snush on a forty-five degree day in March. She was puzzled by the white stuff. Our yard isn't very even to begin with (after we win the lottery, we'll have it regraded), but the snush made it even more difficult for her to maintain balance.


Again, please notice the overwhelming presence of very green grass, in these, our only set of "winter" pictures. I did not take any pictures in which you can see the daffodils blooming next to our driveway. I had put an extra pair of old sweat pants on over Harper's clothes so she wouldn't get wet. It turned out to be a good idea, because every time she fell down (like she was about to do in the picture above) she got not only wet, but muddy. Thank you, Ohio. Next year we'll have to travel up to Grandma and Grandpa's in Wisconsin for some real winter weather!

P.S. Contrary to what many people in our community tell me whenever we're at the grocery store, Harper is not wearing a cute, UD, devil hat. It was a hat with tassels, before Rebound ate them. Hey, it still keeps her ears warm.

So Many Stories. . .

So little time! I'm really impressed with the working moms I know who "blog." I need to trim some activities out of my life (like watching TV - gasp!) because I just cannot get to everything I'd like in a day, or in a week for that matter. Sheesh! I'm waiting to see if I will be going back to school this summer. Some days it just seems like a silly dream, as I can't fathom how I will make it to class, and study, and sleep. It will be easier if I don't go full-time, but possibly free if I do go full-time. Oh well, worrying about it is putting the cart before the horse, I guess.

There are several things I have been meaning to post about. I've had several nights when I get on the computer and read my e-mail, read my favorite blogs, and then I'm tired and I don't want to type anything. . . wah wah wah. So I'm going to try to play catch up a little today and tomorrow. The next two weeks are going to be pretty busy, so there's no time like the present!

We had a really busy day today. Right now Harper should be napping. Unfortunately I think she's having the kind of sleepless high you'd get at about 2:30 a.m. at a sleepover. I can hear her playing in her crib and singing "e-i-e-i," but in her crib she'll stay, at least for a little while.

Harper pretty much eats her yogurt on her own in the mornings now. It is the part of breakfast when I usually clean out the dishwasher or attend to other little kitchen tasks. This morning Harper had some sort of projectile yogurt mishap. Poor girl. Did I reach for the cloth to clean it up? Nope! I laughed my butt off and then ran for the camera. Sorry kiddo, that's what you get for growing up in the digital age. I wonder if she's going to be really angry about this blog someday. . . By photo number three I think I might have hurt her feelings a bit. So I did put the camera down and clean her up.

Of course, I then ended up changing her clothes, because I had forgotten a bib this morning. Oops.

We spent most of the day with Nana and Dziatku. We all drove down to Milford together, to visit Great Nana in her new place. Harper was a huge hit at the assisted living facility. I didn't know if she would be afraid in the new place or not, but she did great. She even mooched some Cheeze-Its from a group of ladies playing cards. She looked at the fish. She walked the halls. And she was absolutely fascinated by a resident in a wheel chair. The walkers and canes didn't bother her at all. I think she enjoys being adored. We will definitely go back to visit soon. There are a couple of cats that live there too, but we didn't see them this visit. Even the fountain at the entrance was a treat, since it was such a beautiful day.

Not that I really need reminding, but we were reminded this week about how good Nana and Dziatku are to our family. I caught some random stomach bug yesterday. I'll spare the gory details, but let's just say I got about a third of a novel read while sitting on the commode. It wasn't pretty. Dziatku came to the rescue first by bringing me some Immodium and then Nana and Dziatku took Harper to their house and out to dinner with Daddy. This meant that I could sleep, sleep, not make dinner, and sleep some more. By this morning all the pipes were working again, but I don't know what I would have done without my wonderful in-laws!

Mini Me, Part 1

Harper has been a pretty observant child since her very first moments in the world. When she was just an infant, people remarked all the time that she was extraordinarily alert. Which means she's been taking in my every move for about 16 1/2 months now. Not much gets past her anymore. Every day she is reminding me that I have to be on my best behavior at all times.

Harper mimics lots of actions, which makes it really fun to sing songs with her now. She likes hearing "Five Little Monkeys," and takes great pleasure in smacking her head ("one fell off and bumped his head") and shaking a finger ("no more monkeys jumping on the bed") when we sing it. She has just started to string together "e-i-e-i-e-i" when we sing "Old MacDonald," though she needs a little prompt to add the "o." She tries to do the actions for "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Wheels on the Bus."

She also likes to mimic every day things we do. One of her current favorites is pretending to blow her nose. The other day she swiped a box of wet wipes from the bathroom. I caught her in the living room, taking them out one at a time, holding them to her nose, and making a blowing sound with her mouth. For a couple of months now she's been a fan of "wiping" tables, the floor, and her high chair tray, cleaning pretend spills.

For a while Harper was obsessed with buttons, like on the remote, cell phone, keyboard, etc. But now she likes to hold the phone up to her ear and have long, imaginary conversations. Apparently she has noticed that I don't often sit/stand still while I talk on the phone (because I'm usually chasing her). The night these photos were taken she just kept walking back and forth in the kitchen, she barely stood still long enough to have her photo taken.






Even though they are imaginary conversations Harper babbles into the phone and then pauses for a response. The best is when she pretends to laugh when she's talking to no one. Apparently I laugh a lot when I talk on the phone. Mostly due to Auntie M.

I have to watch myself, in hopes that Harper only picks up my good habits!

Because We Have the Photos

Okay, so, I enjoy writing about Harper. I occasionally try to be funny. I'm attempting to give our family and friends a glimpse into life as we know it. However, I am fully aware that most people check this site just to see cute pictures of Harper. The camera has been snapping a lot lately. Over the next week I'll try to put up most of the new pictures, even when there's no story to go along.

Earlier this month I traveled solo to Wisconsin for my goddaughter's birthday party. While I was gone Matt and Harper had some good bonding time. When I returned I discovered that Harper now likes to play in her daddy's bean bag chair. The evidence:





Unfortunately for Harper, it's a little more difficult to get out of the beanbag chair than get in it:



Don't worry, we helped her, eventually.

You Might Be a Runner If. . .

The top five reasons I see marathon running as a strong possibility in Harper's future:

5. She's obsessed with shoes.
4. She's obsessed with the treadmill.
3. The girl knows how to carbo-load; bread, in all its forms, is her favorite food.
2. She has more energy than that commercial bunny with the drum.

And the number one reason I see marathon running in Harper's future. . .

1. She has no problem being in public, or having her picture taken, with messed up hair. (Hey, when you run, it happens.)

Acoustophobia?

Okay, I'm pretty sure that's not a word, but I need something to put a label on what happens to Harper when we go to music class. She loves to sing and dance, especially if both Mom and Dad are involved and Rebound is leaping around too. I find endless amusement in her most recent attempts to mimic me and perform little gestures along with the songs we sing. Sometimes I turn around to look at her in the car and her little head is bobbing back and forth in time to whatever music is on the radio.

So when we had the opportunity to sign up for a nursery song and sign class at our local rec center, I thought it would be perfect. Not only would she learn something, but it would get us out of the house and give Harper a chance to be around other kids. There's only one problem. . .

Harper is afraid of the guitar.

How can that be?

I LOVE the guitar. Most of the music I listen to involves the guitar. We have spent many afternoons dancing in the kitchen to the GUITAR MAN CD.

I thought we would have a ball at music class and Harper would look something like this:



Instead, her eyes get huge, her lower lip starts to tremble, and she clings to me like a baby monkey, with her runny nose buried in my shoulder. Nana and Dziatku took her to her first music class because I was teaching that day. I almost didn't believe it when they told me she'd been scared. Of music and dancing? I thought maybe it would be different when she went with me. Nope.

Today was our third class. We got their early so we could watch the swimmers and say hello to the other children. We picked a seat not too close to the (somewhat overly) enthusiastic instructor. I talked to her calmly while we waited. And still, when the woman with the guitar walked in, Harper freaked! We had to temporarily remove ourselves from the singing circle because I was afraid she would upset the other kids. The class lasts about forty minutes. Around the twenty minute mark Harper relaxed enough for us to rejoin the group. With about five minutes left she started clapping, dancing, and acting like she was actually enjoying herself.

The other parents look at us with these pseudo-understanding faces that say, "Gee, sorry your kid is a freak and scared of some hollow wood and strings." Sigh. I think it took her a little less time to calm down this class than last. So maybe she's getting used to it.

I thought maybe it would be a good idea to have my brother bring his guitar over here and let her have some more time around one. Then again, I don't want her to become afraid of her Uncle Jamie.

The real question is, do we sign up again? We only have two classes left in this cycle. If she likes it a little better toward the end, it might be worth it to keep going. Maybe we can cure her fear of guitars and she won't have to avoid campfires for the rest of her life.

Destructo Dog

You know, Harper isn't the only lovable monster in our house. I present, The King of the Backyard:



We thought we'd had him fairly well-trained (for a high-energy puppy), until Harper came along. Now she just encourages his inappropriate behavior by laughing her head off. Jumping onto the patio table? Comic genius in Harper's world. Unfortunately for her, he sometimes feels under-appreciated. At these times, he shows his disappointment by chewing the nearest object of value to Harper. Like one of her favorite books. . .



Thanks to Aunt Meaghan's Christmas generosity, I had a Barnes and Noble gift card ready and we were able to run out and quickly replace the llama book! Whew!

PBS

Please witness the effects of Elmo on a one-year-old:

Elmo is like a drug. It's a little scary, I know, but it did mean I was able to make some progress toward finishing my book club book on time. Sometimes a mom has to do what a mom has to do. I use Elmo sparingly, concerned that Harper may develop resistance to this particular stillness treatment. If you have ever spent more than five minutes with Harper, you'll know that she never sits still! Elmo is a miracle worker. Thank you PBS.

P.S. I was very excited to get five comments on my last post!!! I believe that's the most ever. Comments on a post excite me like getting real mail does. Thanks to all those who checked in. Unfortunately I still haven't been offered a book deal or magazine column, so you'll have to continue to read my fine work right here. ;-)

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

So, today is Dr. Seuss' birthday. I found myself a little sorry that I didn't have a room full of fascinated first graders to share it with, and at least do some fun reading. Harper is a little young to fully appreciate the work of this fine, fine man. With his playful, rhyming work in mind, I humbly offer this tribute (with apologies!):

Toddlers! Hey, toddlers! I've a question for you. Would you like to move to Hullabaloo, where there's no one to tell you what you can or can't do?

There are cooklers to feed you. There are doodlers to play. No one to say NO all the long and fun day. No bed times or bath times! No rooms to keep neat! No veggies or any green things you must eat!

There's nothing to learn. There's no need to share. Watch TV all day long and no one will care. There are piles of toys and all kinds of noise. No rules at all, just wild girls and boys. You can push all the buttons and pull all the cords, climb up the stairs and open the doors. There's nothing marked "fragile," you can draw on the floors!

Of course, in Hullabaloo, there aren't any cuddlers to pick you up when you fall. There aren't any snugglers to help when you call. There aren't any fixers to fix things that break. No hangers to put up the pictures you make. We don't provide laps for reading a book. There are no huggers or kissers, so don't even look.

If you like kisses and cuddles and things. . . If you want someone who rocks you and sings. . . If that rings your bell, then Hullabaloo is not where you should dwell.

They may come with rules and bed times and green food. They may tell you NO and put you in a bad mood. But they know how to cuddle and wipe away tears. They know how to love you and calm all your fears. These people called parents aren't so very bad. Aren't you glad that you live with your mom and your dad?

Difference of Opinion

Harper: Peas make great projectiles.

Mommy: Peas are for eating.


Harper: Rebound's dog food is good for me, and tasty too.

Mommy: Dog food is for dogs.


Harper: Throwing forks and plates and bowls and spoons on the kitchen floor is great fun.

Mommy: Harper needs to practice using the fork. I do not need to practice retrieving it from the floor 368 times a day.


Harper: I will eat applesauce with my fingers.

Mommy: You know how to use the spoon, so please use the spoon!!!


Harper's motto: If mommy's not in tears, I'm just not trying hard enough.

Sigh. . . Today was a l-o-n-g day.

I know that Harper is just testing her environment, but when testing turns unsafe or unhealthy, I need to put a stop to it. Harper does not agree with this assessment of events. Is it possibly the terrible twos are setting in early?

Party Crashers

Apparently Harper was having a rip-roaring good time with Grandma while we were down in Florida. We barely got a glance from her when we came home. My mom was giving her a bath, in order to keep her awake long enough for us to see her. Harper looked up from the bath water, waved a bit, and then went back to splashing. If I could read her mind I'd assumed she was thinking something like, "Oh, those people are back. Whatever. As long as someone feeds me and keeps those sippy cups full, I'm cool." Which is really equal parts reassuring and disturbing. I know Harper's pretty young, but I don't like to think that we're interchangeable with any Joe-Shmoe who walks in the door.

The dog, on the other hand, was beside himself with joy at our homecoming. There's nothing like a 33 pound ball of fluff hurtling at you at full speed to make you feel loved.

Once Harper got out of the tub she was one wound-up kid. I choose to interpret that behavior as a sign that she really was excited about our return. She did seem to like the t-shirt we brought her from the hotel gift-shop. Naples isn't a great place to shop if you aren't a millionaire. They had sixty-dollar sundresses for toddlers in the hotel gift shop. Sixty Dollars!!! The lady who worked there said, "That's because it's a (insert name of designer brand I'd never heard of)." Harper has some really nice clothes she's received as gifts, but I'm all about buy-one-get-one Carter's outfits from Kohls. I hesitate to by items of clothing for myself that cost sixty dollars. I'm guessing she doesn't feel too badly that she's not wearing major labels just yet.

We're getting back in the swing of things. The day after we returned I had to take Harper to the doctor for her 15-month check-up. She appeared to remember something about the last time we'd been there, because she started screaming as soon as the nurse walked in the door. She screamed while her head was measured (95%), while her height was taken (50-75%), while she was weighed (25%, up from 5%, yea), and while she had her eyes, ears, and throat checked, and her temperature taken. I can't even begin to describe the sound she made while actually getting her three shots. It wasn't pretty. She whined and moaned most of the rest of the day. Which was unfortunate, since her appointment was in the late morning.

Today she seems to be feeling much better. She played with Matt's parents while I substitute taught in Kettering. Tonight we busted out the Gymboree bubbles during Harper's bath, she loved them:

No Words Needed

One Sweet Behind

It looks like Harper is practicing for potty training. She's actually just enjoying one of her Christmas gifts from Auntie Shannon. It is a set of three wooden puzzles in a nifty holder that Harper has deemed the perfect bench for her little tush. We're pretty sure she'll play with the puzzles someday. . .







After shopping and packing and planning, it's nearly time to go. We leave tonight for Florida. I know we'll have a great time. I know I really need the break. But can someone please tell me how I'll possibly survive without seeing this little face for four entire days?

Victory

Harper must be part vine, or mountain goat, or aspiring CEO, because she seems to have an innate desire to climb things. First is was the stairs at my parents' condo, which she scaled successfully at first glance, never having encountered stairs before. Then she just started to climb on anything around the house. She likes to sit on our bathroom scale (not a challenging climb), on the crate I keep tutoring materials in, on the step ladder (which we now know we can't leave out), on boxes, and on the treadmill. Of course we keep the safety key out of the treadmill and out of her reach, so it will not start when she's on or near it. I let her climb on it originally because I felt badly that we didn't have anything else for her to climb on safely. It's not too high off the ground, and she is so proud of her ability to get on and off it.

Now Harper seems very intelligent in many ways. It does, however, take some things a while to occur to her. She has never seen us use the treadmill (because we don't let her around it when it's on), and it was only a couple of days ago that she apparently discovered, to her great joy, that she could actually stand on it. Again, it wasn't on, but she's quite the actress:












































She also seems to be practicing her victory stance for when she finishes her first marathon. You go girl!

I talk to Harper all day long, show her things, and hope she's learning and on her way toward meeting those "milestones". As I've said before, she seems to do things in her own sweet time. Usually just as I'm starting to worry that she's taking too long to learn something, she does it. That's how it was with signing, we tried for a long time to teach her the signs for "more," "please," "thank you," and, "all done," and she finally started using them. Now she has pretty much dropped "more" (the first one she learned) in favor of "please," which works just as well. She also seemed to take forever to learn how to crawl, then to walk, and now I find myself missing those days when she'd stay in one place! I am not too big a worrier, as a mother, but it's hard not to be aware of where your kid is on the timeline of accomplishments, especially if you know other people with babies. People ask me all the time if Harper is able to this or that. And we wonder how our kids get so competitive. . .

Today Harper did two things I've been looking for her to do for a little while now. At breakfast, I was asking her where various parts of her face were. Usually she just looks at me and waits until I touch, or help her touch, her nose, eyes, mouth, hair, etc. She's been able to find my nose for some time (which I'm trying not to take as a dig on how big it is), but never seemed too confident about finding her own. Well at breakfast she correctly identified her eyes, nose, mouth, and hair! We fell apart on the ears, but she'll get it.

Later today, while we were playing in her bucket of blocks, she actually stacked three of them. She loves to knock down towers that we build, but had never shown any interest in building her own. I think the building question is one the doctor might ask the next time we visit, so I will happily be able to tell her, "Yes, Harper can stack at least two blocks." What did I do when Harper built her tower? I clapped and cheered and then knocked it down. Ha! That's pay back kid, you'll think twice before you knock down my next pyramid. Fortunately, she laughed.

Looking Up

After a scary first afternoon, Harper seemed to improve quickly. Tylenol did its job and we made sure she drank lots of clear liquids and tried to keep her comfortable. Her temp never went back up over 100. Harper is now left with a very stuff nose, a picky appetite, and is slightly cranky, otherwise she seems fine. I, on the other hand, am recovering from the cold of death, which struck in full force Friday night. I spent most of the day yesterday in bed. A huge thank you to Matt for allowing that to happen. I sincerely doubt I spent more than five hours with my feet on the floor yesterday. I'm feeling a little better today, with the help of some cold medicine. It clears my congestion but makes me feel all floaty, which I could do without. Matt now seems like he might be coming down with this thing and we're hoping he gets over it fast because. . .

We're going on a trip!

Next week!

To Florida!

So I guess I am going to have to leave home again after all.

We've know about the trip for a little while actually. We will head to Columbus on Wednesday night, to stay with Dotto, who graciously agreed to open her home to us. Our flight leaves out of Columbus at o-dark-thirty Thursday morning, so we're getting a little head start by staying there. We'll fly into Ft. Meyers and spend the weekend in Naples, where we'll stay until Sunday. Matt won the trip through work, so it's Happy Valentine's Day to us!

The hard part, of course, is being away from Harper. Since I'd finished nursing I have been looking forward to maybe a night away with Matt. Four nights away seems a lot for the first separation. Fortunately my mom is coming to stay here. This means Harper will be on her turf, where she tends to be a more reasonable human being. It also means not having to take the dog to Camp Canine, which he loves, but it's not free. And Matt's parents are also right here, to lend a hand or provide adult company to Grandma. I'm sure she'll love staying with Harper, the two of them will have fun together. There are a couple of weekends coming up, when it may make sense for me to travel without Harper, this will be a trial run. If it's too hard to be away I might have to rethink things.

In talking to a friend last week, I realized I've never really been away from Harper for more than a few hours. I guess the longest was when we went to Green Bay to see a Packer game in October, and she stayed with my mom. We were probably gone for about seven hours, maybe not that long. As a full time mom, I really appreciate little breaks, Saturday mornings when I can run errands on my own, a night off to go to book club, sneaking off for a movie, even subbing for a day. I think these little times away help keep me sane, and I know I am a better mom because of them. But a long weekend, now that it's so close, is feeling like a really long time.

On the other hand. . . It will be a chance for Matt and I to be together, eat good food that I don't have to cook or clean up, and we won't be anywhere near a computer or work or laundry or basketball or dirty dishes or dirty diapers or dirty floors (hmmm, maybe I need to clean my house before we go?). It will be like a little retreat for us, and who doesn't need that?

Now I Know What Guilt Really Feels Like

Harper spent today at the home of a wonderful babysitter named Vicki. I met Vicki through some parents of children I used to teach. She has been a blessing in our lives, living just down the street from us and watching Harper lovingly while I tutored this summer. Since school has been back in session, she occasionally babysits when I sub, if Matt's parents aren't available. I was subbing today and when I got home there was a message from Vicki, saying she'd tried reaching me at school and on my cell phone and that Harper had a fever. I had left school by the time she tried to call and must not have heard my cell phone in my purse when I was on my way home. To top it all off, I stopped to run an errand, prolonging the window of time in which she couldn't reach me. I called her as soon as I got the message, to let her know I was on my way, and then flew down there.

When Vicki opened her door and I saw Harper with those glassy fever-eyes, I just started to cry. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything that heartbreaking in all my life. She was hot all over and just crying these tiny little cries. Vicki helped me take her temperature the way I knew the doctor's office would ask for it, i.e. holding her down while I stuck the thermometer you know where, and she had a temp of 103.1. This is the first time Harper's had a fever unrelated to vaccinations, and those were really low, hardly worth remembering. She seemed to be in a little better spirits by the time I got her home and got her some Tylenol, hopefully it will do the trick.

I can't believe this happened when she wasn't with me. I may never leave home again.

Super Bowl Sunday

We have a nice little Super Bowl Sunday tradition in our family, that has been going strong since Matt and I were married. His parents come over for a nice, quiet "party," during which we eat chicken casserole (a family favorite I grew up with), and actually watch the game and, of course, the commercials. In the football spirit, I dressed Harper in her Brett Favre jersey for the big day. While waiting through all the pre-game nonsense, she played a rousing game of Lay on the Kitchen Floor and Try to Kick the Dog in the Face. Guess who enjoyed it more. . .
















While I was preparing dinner, Harper and I had a little conversation about the big game. She looked at me, proudly patted her number 4 jersey, and gave me a look that clearly asked, "How many touchdown passes do you think my man Brett will throw during the first half? And do you think the Packers will win by more than a touchdown?"

I gently took my sweet angel on my lap, sighed, and explained that the Packers wouldn't be winning the Super Bowl this year, because they weren't playing in the Super Bowl. I felt it was only my duty to further inform her that Brett Favre may very well retire from football before next season. These are the times when it's hard to be a parent. Her look says it all:
















I know little one.

I know.

Thinking Hard

After taking a week off, I feel like there were all these things I wanted to mention about Harper that I still want to get to. Yesterday we were working on something (I don't want to say what because it might ruin a surprise for that person), I was writing a note on the back of it and Harper wanted to join in. I gave her the pen, with the writing point retracted, and let her add her two cents. She looked like she was working so hard to write the perfect thing. . . I wonder if that's what I look like to her when she see's me writing? If so, I need to lighten up. She was soooo serious!































When we were finally finished, she was apparently flooded with relief, and very happy with the results of her efforts.
















We had a great time while my mom was here. It is just so nice to have another adult around for conversation and back-up! It's a lot easier to get dinner made when you can tag-team the baby. It's a lot easier to do most things. The only thing I didn't do was get on the computer too often, because that just felt rude. Really, it's a shame Matt has to work. It's a lot of fun around here with two adults. Harper and I have fun on our own too, but you know, the more the merrier. Although that doesn't mean I want more kids right now! Not unless Grandma is going to move in with us, and I don't think Grandpa would go for that.
















See how happy Harper is to be with her grandma? We're lucky to have such a great family. Matt's parents help us all the time, they were with Harper this morning while I volunteered in the library of the school I used to work at. I love that I have people who can stay with her and I know she will be fine. It's a really good feeling. Thanks guys!

The Rise and Fall of a Cereal Artist

We're back! Actually, we never went anywhere. I did some school volunteering and subbing at the end of last week. Then my mom came to visit, so it has been very hard to get to the computer. Today was a quiet day around here. Nothing going on except a quick trip to Kroger, and Matt gone most of the day. Harper and I shared a little oatmeal as part of dinner. She's been showing some promise with a spoon lately, so I gave her the bowl and spoon. Of course, as soon as she had the bowl in front of her, she abandoned the spoon and dug right in. I should have expected as much!



Apparently, Harper enjoys the feeling of food between her fingers. Yuck!

Please notice that, while she wasn't eating with the spoon, she wouldn't give it back to me either.









Once Harper had her fill of oatmeal, she discovered an entirely new purpose for it. Art! She would stir the oatmeal around with her spoon and then proceeded to spread it on her tray and the counter. This is not an activity I would normally endorse, but I was interested to see what the results would be, and Harper was having a lot of fun.







The photo is a little dark, but here is Harper's first attempt at "food as art". Perhaps I can look forward to mashed potato sculpture in our future. . .

Alas, as with all good things, this fun with oatmeal could not go on indefinitely. When she started flinging the oatmeal, instead of merely spreading it, I had to put a stop to the creativity. Cleaning oatmeal out of the dog's fur is not my idea of a good time.





This is the tortured state in which Harper found herself after I cleaned up the oatmeal. She has a true artist's temperament! Her fit was completed by throwing herself face down on the kitchen floor after I took her out of the high chair. I didn't have the heart to photograph that, it was just too sad.