Play By Play | Girl's Weekend

Simon asked to go spend some time with my parents at the coast so Anna and I had a whole weekend by ourselves.

I'm actually pretty sure this was our first weekend all on our own. It was pretty great. Great to just hang out with her, great to let her pick out things to do and watch and eat, great to listen to her laugh and great to just have her upsets to deal with vs. two.

Here's a run down of our adventures:

FRIDAY NIGHT | Ate mac & cheese and watched Babes In Toyland (Katie picked it up for us a the library earlier in the day). I let her sleep in bed with me and we read a couple stories before she finally fell asleep and I read until I finished Mockingjay.

SATURDAY | George the cat wanted to wake up earlier than Anna and I and he kept walking over us and purring really loud right in our faces. We finally woke up and Anna asked to watch The Princess & The Frog on my phone. I went downstairs to grab it, fed the animals, picked up my laptop, the newspaper, and some goldfish + apple juice and headed back upstairs. We lounged in bed for the duration of the movie.

Stripped the beds, carried the bedding downstairs to the laundry room and started that process.

Made some eggs and toast and Anna played legos and washed dishes in her little play kitchen (which is basically in our kitchen). I unloaded and re-loaded the dishwasher, cleaned the pantry, kept the laundry moving, cleaned out a couple drawers and she "helped" and chatted and worked on her own dishes and drawer.

We drew cats. And ate more goldfish and some Skittles. We watched Babes In Toyland again (I did a bit more sorting in the kitchen during the second half). Right near the end of the movie she had a melt-down, hit Lily, and ended up in her bedroom for some "quiet" time.

I left her up there for 20 mins or so and went to check on her and she was quietly playing with her Playmobil people.

We cooked together. Sausage and bean soup. To have someone interested in the food being prepared was awesome. Soundtrack was Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto. We ate together (she had yogurt, oranges and a couple bites of the soup). Soundtrack was Dave Matthews on Pandora.

Did the dishes. Anna played doctor with one of her barbies. I love listening to her stories and conversations.

And then popcorn. And a cup of milk for her. And a couple rounds of Olivia on the DVR.

A meltdown on the way to bed. Stall tactics. Lots of crying. I get her in her PJ's and get her in her bed. In and out of her room a couple times in-between making my bed and she finally gets that she's in there for the night. I get ready for bed, check on her again and turn off the light, take a shower and start reading 1000 Gifts.

SUNDAY | When she wakes up we repeat Saturday mornings ritual. Iphone movie, banana muffin (+ a few crumbs) and reading the paper in my bed.

Bath-time for Anna in the big tub.

A trip to Sears to deal with a microwave that's becoming an expensive fix (with a quick stop for a latte & kid's hot cocoa - only she was very insistent that it was a "girl's" hot cocoa vs. a "kid's"). The microwave is one of those that's built in above an oven and it's only sold as a set with the oven. Awesome.

A stop to look for a new coffeepot, two stops at thrift stores. Come home with four new barbies, including two that have pink and purple hair and sparkly bodies. All barbies get a very good bath in the kitchen sink.

Lunch of left-over mac & cheese and strawberries.

A couple Dora episodes for Anna and magazine reading time for me in-between laundry folding sessions. Lots of "potty talk" - right on target for a freshly minted three-year-old.

Head outside for some weeding and picking up dog poop and dreaming about what that space could be. Thinking this may be the year that I really invest some personal time in that space.

Play soccer. Shoot a couple baskets out in the driveway. Lots of laughing. Clean up the yard stuff we got out.

Feed the animals.

Inside for edamame. We both love it. Black Butte Porter for me and apple juice for her. Watch a little TV.

Carry the baskets full of clean laundry upstairs and she helps me put clothes away in Simon's room, in her room and in my room. Her interest in domestic stuff makes those sorts of chores just a bit more fun. She picks out her jammies. I help her put the top on and she does the bottoms.

She crawls up into my bed for some snuggle time and falls asleep playing a matching game on my phone.

I finish up this post, read a bit more of the paper, and then say a really big thank you prayer.