Pediophobia

Pediophobia: (n) The fear of dolls.

Not pedophobia: the fear of children. Related, but different.

Tonight we took the girls to Target to pick out new baby dolls, their "reward" of choice for doing so well with "schoolwork" this year and doing so well at potty training. There were soooo many to choose from: babies that cooed and crawled, babies that drank and wet, babies that cried and giggled, twin babies that carried on conversations with each other. The girls had to push all the buttons and try them all out in order to make their choice. Suddenly I was in the aisle, surrounded by baby dolls, cooing and crawling and giggling and talking and crying. I started to sweat a little and I would have taken off running if it weren't for the responsibility to stay there and guard my own real children (whom I'm not scared of). I'm fine with a baby doll or two, but now I know that a room full of dolls is just flat SCARY. I might have nightmares tonight.

To save the day, both girls picked (without my encouraging them...much) itty bitty baby dolls which cost $3 each and make no noise. Aaaahhh...sleep in heavenly peace.

Fun Week - Days 7 and 8

Fun week is coming to a close. I'm going to miss Hubby being around when he goes back to work! Days 7 and 8 have been a little yucky for me. Only at night I have been sick for the past 2 nights, and last night was accompanied by hives which started on my neck, then moved to the creases behind my elbows and knees, then were everywhere by the time I woke up. Even my eyes were swollen. I have no idea what's going on, but I guess a visit to the doctor is in order. I had this "night virus" a couple of weeks ago too. I thought it was food poisoning last time, but it would be weird for it to keep happening...

Here's a happier thought to leave you with. Our first night at my brother- and sister-in-law's house, our whole family stayed in one room. They have a king-size bed, so Big Sissy slept with us. (OK, everyone did at some point during the night.) As she was lying there, I could tell she was having a hard time shutting her mind off.

Finally she said, "There's something that just doesn't make sense to me."

"What doesn't make sense?"

"Well, you and Daddy always tell me that I'm worth all the money in the whole world. But if that's true, then *Little Buddy* and *Little Sissy* aren't worth anything!"

She always cracks me up.

Fun Week - Day 6

On Day 6 we went from Indiana to Kentucky for my cousin's wedding. It was very beautiful and peaceful. I didn't know it was going to be an outdoor wedding, or I probably wouldn't have worn a SUIT--but it was lovely.

The 2nd bridesmaid is my cousin Sunshine, who will have her own wedding next month.

Little Miss Cutie in her favorite fancy dress.

My little princess dancing with Aunt DarDar.

Little Buddy flirting with Aunt DarDar. They kept doing this affectionate little head butt, and then she taught him to do "the sprinkler" dance. Hilarious!

Little Buddy with my grandpa. This is priceless to me.

Me, Big Sissy, and my sister "Aunt YaYa"

Fun Week - Day 5

Day 5 wasn't so fun, actually. We spent the morning packing and the afternoon/early evening travelling to Indiana. The evening was fun, though. We got to see my brother- and sister-in-law for a little while and enjoy a yummy steak dinner with them before they headed to STL. They were gracious to let us stay there as a half-way point on the way to my cousin's wedding in Kentucky. Then my sisters, niece, and nephew stopped by and were invited to also spend the night. I love slumber parties!

Fun Week - Day 4

Day 4 of Fun Week was like Day 4 of most weeks, except that Big Sissy's swimming lesson was conveniently rescheduled for the same day as Little Sissy's tumbling class. Since Daddy doesn't normally get to be there, it was still fun to do as a family event.

Fun Week - Day 3

Wednesday was my favorite day so far. The weather was perfect, and we spent the day at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. I think this is what heaven looks like. I feel so peaceful there. I've already decided that when I'm old I'm going there every day in my slacks and white sneakers, maybe even with my fanny pack. What a life! We also got to eat at my favorite restaurant--Amighetti's on the hill. Perfect.

Fun Week - Day 2

We've been hearing about this fun place called the Museum of Transportation lately. I have probably seen the sign 50 times, and it finally occurred to us that we should go check it out--especially after Beth blogged about their great day. So this was Day 2 of our week of fun.

Try to ignore the fact that I'm wearing my "special pajamas." That's code for the same clothes I wore the previous day AND slept in. It was one of those days where we had a hard enough time getting out the door, so guess which one of us didn't get a shower. The girls loved exploring the inside of the trains, although they were quite disappointed that we didn't actually get to use the toilets in there.

The most fun for them (and the most challenging for me) was the play area called Creation Station. They had toys, crafts, a puppet theatre, and flowers you could "plant" in a cup with dirt.

The reason it was challenging for me was the worker, who was so right-brained it is amazing she could function in the world. She came up with all the crafts herself, and they were adorable.

I wouldn't be surprised if she painted all the murals herself, and she quoted poetry to me that she had written. The. Whole. Time. She would always end with an enthusiastic, "Do you like that?" Somehow between my grunts and short responses, she took me to be a goddess, full of wisdom. Then she started sharing her struggles as a single mom and a person who is very creative but has no logic (her words, not mine). By the time I was stealthily backing toward the door, she was telling Hubby that I should be a counselor and thanking me over and over for my enlightenment. That was really painful because the whole time I was scheming my escape. Funny how God uses even the times that we are not wholeheartedly into the moment. The more I thought about her later, the more I thought that the world needs more people like her. She was simple, honest, and beautiful. Check me out in the picture. Wonder. Amazement. And wondering how fast I could get to that door.