These are a few of my favorite things...

I quickly learned within a few weeks of diving into motherhood that Lia and I spend the majority of our time in two rooms in our home: the kitchen and the family room. As a result, this is where the toy basket was promptly placed when she became interested in toys a few months later. However, after she started to become mobile at around eight months, I soon learned that there were a few activities that Lia would rather spend her time doing instead of playing with her toys. So, I have dedicated this post to a few of her favorite things that she likes to busy her waking hours with in the family room, the kitchen, and the hallway leading to the upstairs. As cute as these activities are, there is one hitch for me.....many of them require endless hours of picking up and putting away what she has undone. So, you could say that my daughter and I are currently engaged in a sort of tug-a-war on a daily basis. What fun it is!

Activity #1: Assuming the role of the dish washer terror.

No matter how quietly I open the dishwasher door, or how slowly I pull out a rack, or how gently I place a piece of silverware of plateware in the washer, my daughter can hear me. It is amazing! Her micro-sensitive, superman ears perk up at the slightest dish loading noise I make from across the room. And you better believe that I only attempt to load the dishwasher when she is safely nestled behind the barrier of our couch and deep in play with toys and/or books. But, no matter how tricky I try to be, I can't be beat! Lia drops whatever activity she is doing and comes flying into the kitchen on all fours dead set on her mission. What is her mission you may ask? Why to unload the dishes for me...dirty or clean it mattereth not! This is my least favorite of her favorite things. I am not a fan of cutting knives and glass plates being thrown to the ground by my daring daugther. However, I don't think this is a battle I will win.

Activity #2: Unpacking the tupperware and saran wrap/plastic baggies/aluminum foil drawers.

I would have to say that Lia's #1 favorite is the tupperware drawer. It is found at the bottom of a set of four drawers and it gets unpacked at LEAST 2-3 times a day. The drawer above contains the bags, wrap, foil, etc. and doesn't get favored as much (much to my relief!). So, here is my faithful kitchen assistant working hard! I often times find random pieces of tupperware hidden in various hard-to-see places in my kitchen days later while I am doing something else.

Activity #3: Waiting for mom at the bottom of the stairs.

Lia is my loyal friend. Where I go, she too can be found. It is quite adorable and I have never felt so popular in my life. It really is the ultimate self-esteem booster. Since there is now a gate at the bottom of our stairs (due to me finding her alone at the TOP a few times--ahhhh!), she will now patiently follow me there whenever I run upstairs for a quick minute or two to get something or do something. I can always find her patiently waiting at the bottom, hands shaking the gate, greeting me with a smile. It truly warms the heart....:-)

Activity #4: Talking to her "new best friend."

After Lia started crawling a few months ago, she soon discovered that our coat closet has a mirror on the outside. With the discovery of the mirror came the discovery of her reflection and a perfect friendship was born. She can spend several minutes talking to Lia, Part II. Being an avid fan of Pixar's, Finding Nemo, I coudn't help but make the immediate connection to the goofy, blue fish in the dentist office fish tank, Auntie Deb. This fish enjoys talking to her sister Flo who is found staring back at her everytime she looks at the glass! I guess we can say that Lia has found her own inner Flo.

Activity #5: Playing "Marian...Madam Librarian" (if you haven't seen "Music Man," you will have no idea what I am talking about. Go rent the musical.)

Lia discovered early on that there are two bookshelves that are reachable to her little, busy fingers. As a result, she resumes the role of librarian on a daily basis to remove and scatter our books all over the floor! She can busy herself for many, many minutes while participating in this activity. Not only does she enjoy removing our books one at a time, but she finds great joy in looking through the books one page at at time while sitting in the "book nest" that she has just created on the floor. Being English teachers, Ron and I find this activity more than appropriate AND seeing that I dust my house on a bi-annual basis, she is a great help to me and my dusty shelves! Now, I only have to dust the top two shevles twice a year!

Down they come one at a time!

Madam Librarian so pleased with herself!

Activity #6: Attacking the placemat drawer!
Just recently, Lia stumbled across a new gem in the kitchen. The drawer that houses all of the placemat sets that I never use! I was just tickled pink that they have found a new purpose. One of our sets has an Asian theme (see the blue, silky ones) with matching chopsticks and holders. Lia was especially intrigued by this and she can be seen here trying to figure out how to work this apparatus. Apparently she didn't succeed as I had the good fortune of finding a set in our garbage can the next day (note: the garbage can is now permantly stationed in our dining room which is guarded by an infant gate. What a lovely addition to the dining room decor this has been.)


Activity #7: Playing in her "clubhouse."
Recently, Lia figured out that she could squeeze between the spaces of our kitchen chairs. In doing so, she found a whole new world underneath our kitchen table that she LOVES! I started calling this her clubhouse. She now cruises under there with a favorite toy or two in hand (or mouth) and spends several gleeful minutes squawking and talking, crawling back and forth, playing with our feet, and just sitting down to play with a toy. It is quite a cute sight. I have now managed to squeeze my less-than-baby-size-32-year-old body under there to play chase with her. Yes, I am sure you are trying to imagine how this works....I don't have much room to chase her, but we make it happen. She loves this game! So, in the future, if you can't find Lia, look in her clubhouse.