Monsters on Monday

 Mr. R. has class on Mondays and Pip and I fend for ourselves. I try to come up with new or special activities for us on Mondays that will keep Pip entertained while keeping me sane and the house still standing. This week our entertainment came in the form of puzzles, coloring pages, a walk around the neighborhood and a visit from her second favorite Sesame Street Monster, Grover. 

Pip received an itunes gift card for Christmas and I have been researching toddler apps to add to her collection. One of my favorite childhood books, There is a Monster at the End of this Book, is now an interactive app for toddlers. Grover reads the books and interacts with your child as she turns pages. Pip loved it! We read the book three times on Monday night and she and Mr. R. read the book the following morning. Worth every penny. 

Unplugged Saturday

 Saturday I accidentally left my cell phone at home. Pip had us up at 6:00AM and we were dressed and out of the house by 7:00. We took over the slides at the park, Pip tried the monkey bars for the first time, we took a ride on the carousel, and stopped by to visit with my grandparents. We also spent Saturday night in the company of amazing friends with 6 kids, two dogs, a cat, and a bunny running around.

And I don't have a single picture to document any of these events. Saturday I was accidentally unplugged from the world and it was delicious. The world was fine without me and I didn't miss the text messages, pictures, and status updates that have become my daily routine. I also didn't pin a single recipe or craft project on Saturday either. My energy and my focus was on Pip and Mr. R. and while I don't think they noticed the difference I enjoyed being more present and not being distracted by the buzz of an email. I can see more unplugged Saturdays in my future. 

The photos your see are the result of me cleaning my camera and switching my lens. Pip was more than willing to model while I adjusted my settings. She loves to say "cheese!"

A trip to Tokyo from the comfort of our couch.

 I had a craving for sushi and Friday is take-out night in our house. Thanks to pinterest and Netflix Mr. R. and I enjoyed an evening in Japan after Pip went to bed. We had a chopstick competition. We learned how a sumo match is actually won. We played best out of three on fruit ninja. We made popcorn and settled in to watch Godzilla. 

It was awesome in a relaxing, pajama wearing, couch lounging kind of way. 

 There is something to be said for Friday nights spent in pajamas. 

TGIF... It will be Friday soon right?