Hanging out with the girls

Initial disclaimer- this post has a lot of pictures & no real point. You've been warned.

So today I decided to break out the pack'n'play for Lydia. When Hannah was little, we only used it for sleeping- first as a bassinet, then for traveling. When Hannah was little, we didn't have Sophie. Poor Lydia has a limited amount of time to play on the floor, because I am afraid our goofy dog will step all over her. Sophie is not technically a puppy anymore, but her motor skills and...er... cognitive skills are still developing. Basically she is a giant goofball who wouldn't hurt anything intentionally but always manages to knock something (or someone) over. So the play yard could give Lydia a little more freedom than sitting in the swing or the high chair, but also keep her safe. Here she is in the play pen:



Hannah wasn't sure about the whole thing. At first she complained she couldn't play with her anymore & asked me just to put her back on the floor with a blanket. Then she tried to make up for it by putting toy after toy in with Lydia until the poor baby got so overwhelmed I had to remove a few. Then, I'm pretty sure she tried to plan an escape:



Finally she just gave up and decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em:



It didn't take long for both girls to grow tired of their surroundings, so I proposed a new activity- bubbles! I blew some for Lydia to watch and try to touch with her cute & chubby little hands, and some for Hannah to run around like a madwoman trying to catch.



Eventually, though, I had to blow some for my other little girl, the afore-mentioned clumsy dog. I tried as hard as I could to get a photo of how into the bubbles she was, but it was rather difficult. I couldn't blow the bubbles & then snap the picture fast enough, especially when you throw in the fact that I was trying to keep Hannah out of the line of fire. This was the best I could do:



Fortunately for me, John came home for lunch and was able to video while I bubbled. Notice how clueless Sophie is that she is within inches of Hannah (and vice versa- not the only similarity between dogs & three-year-olds!):




I feel as if we've made big progress today. First of all, I can give Lydia a little more freedom, even if it is from the confines of what some of my friends call a "baby jail." I learned that Hannah really does enjoy playing with her sister. And finally, I figured out another way to get some energy out of our hyper dog. As I type this, she is napping in her crate, making crazy sounds as she dreams about chasing something- possibly bubbles.

A final disclaimer- You read it correctly. John came home for lunch to film this, so yes, my children are still in pajamas at lunchtime. Who has time to get dressed with all the pack & play setting up, bubble blowing, and tea party craziness at our house? Besides, if you pass judgement, you're probably just jealous. :)