IKEA

We went to IKEA to get baby Henry a dresser.  Libs selected a "best friend for Amberly" (the gray rat that is buckled in with her) - which is a gray version of her favorite stuffed animal these days - a mouse/rat named Amberly.  The new rat she named Asha.

From 2012_9_23 Ikea trip

Another highlight - a blue tongue from a lollypop:)

From 2012_9_23 Ikea trip

From 2012_9_23 Ikea trip

Play Hard

Meet "Amberly" - a rat from IKEA that get's a lot of special treatment from Liberty - including lunch everytime we have lunch:)  And a few of Amberly's friends...

From 2012_9_9 - Random Liberty Playing

From 2012_9_9 - Random Liberty Playing

Meet Liberty - who really cut loose at preschool making homemade ice cream and looked so disheveled when I picked her up I had to snap a picture when we got home (and this is with somewhat fixed up hair!) Shaking that ice cream bag around was hard work and then eating it was a drippy mess too I guess:) - but someone has got to do it.

From 2012_9_9 - Random Liberty Playing

From 2012_9_9 - Random Liberty Playing

From 2012_9_9 - Random Liberty Playing

Meet Rain - and our flooded back patio.  An excuse to get out all the rain gear we own - which is very little.

From 2012_9_9 - Random Liberty Playing

Imagination

Liberty's favorite toy had really got her imagination going. I drop in on her playing in the playroom to ask her about what she's been working hard at: moving the human family out of the doll house and turning it into a dog/cat house. 4 min video... Liberty playing with her "new dogs and cats"

From 2012_4_17 - Imagination wdogscats & ABCs

5 min video... Liberty was busy in the playroom with her dogs/cats. She shows me around.

From 2012_4_17 - Imagination wdogscats & ABCs

Train Playdate and Random Pictures

We met up with my friend Chelsea and her kids Ella and Jack for a play-date at Desert Breeze Park and got unlimited passes for the Train Ride and Carousel. Oh happy day.

Also, there are some random pictures of Liberty after a nap and bonding with her "new dog toys" (she has earned 10 dogs for pooping on the potty and she insists we take them everywhere).

Fun in the Kitchen

I thought I should capture this "cruising" stage where Liberty moves throughout the house via the walls/furniture and gets into the kitchen cabinets. She is particularly enamored with the egg beaters and could care less for strainers and pots. She gravitates towards all things breakable, loud and with pointy ends - and the martini shaker - gotta love a martini shaker. I'll try to find that video which I think is on my phone. I realize some of the videos are boring but as mom I cannot push delete. Liberty is also into feeding herself with a spoon, she puts a kernel of food on it and often gets it to her mouth. Oh, and THIS bib is the best $5 we ever spent.

Playing with Cheetah's Toys

If it's a cat toy - it's one of Liberty's top 5 toys of all time. The rattly ball (with feathers removed of course), the fish on a string (under supervision), the fabric mouse, the scratch post and now this. I used to feel ashamed I was letting her play with these toys, but now it's commonplace at our house. Cheetah never played with them anyway! Cheetah only plays with hair-clips - go figure. I took these pictures right after Christmas - I was unpacking and Liberty was fascinated with Cheetah's toy (a trapped moving ball in a plastic circle tube) - it kept her attention for a loooong time.

CLICK THE PICTURE TO VIEW IT BIGGER.

From Playing with Cheetah's Toy

Visit with Ann McCarthy and Liberty's First Purse

I use to babysit Ann's 4 kids - going on vacation with them and also flying out to visit a couple times once they moved to Connecticut. Ann is one of those special life-long friends and I'd do anything for her children. So it was really nice to see her face again and have her meet MY baby. We met up while she happened to be in Phoenix and Stacey (another babysitter and friend of mine) and her newest addition Tobee (3 weeks older than Liberty) came too! It was great to catch up and Liberty was a social butterfly despite it being way past nap time - she fell asleep 30 seconds after we hugged Ann goodbye - before we made it to the car:) Ann got Liberty a gift - her 1st Purse, which she loves!

These are a few of my favorite things....