In an effort to be out and about most of the day, I decided it would be super fun to have lunch at a local outdoor mall that offers all kinds of amusements besides just shopping. First, we hit Wahoos for a yummy lunch and then the carousel. After that we had to have ice cream, of course. I had promised Rapunzel that we were going to go on the big ferris wheel but when they told me Baby Bug would have to ride in her own seat and not in my lap, I chickened out.

It’s a really really big ferris wheel that gives me the heebie jeebies. I’m just a teeny tiny bit afraid of heights. Add a baby to that and I’m really afraid of heights. I want to be able to cling to Baby Bug for dear life. Unfortunately, Rapunzel couldn’t ride by herself because she isn’t twelve yet or 60 inches tall. She was very disappointed and let me hear about it all the way to the car. Then when we got in the car, she shredded the ribbon belt I had jimmied for her to keep her pants up just to let me know how disappointed she was. The unraveling of the ribbon belt didn’t make me happy but I understood her frustration. I remember being eight. Adults just aren’t fair sometimes. They always break their “promises”. I should have gotten over my fear and taken Baby Bug with us anyway, but by then Baby Bug was really really cranky and in need of a nap. So we all went home in a bad mood.

Thankfully, eight-year-olds get over their bad moods pretty quick. She even helped me go grocery shopping without any lip at all. We’re starting to have an understanding, her and I. When she starts arguing with me over something, I give her “my evil eye” which means: “I don’t care what you say, I’ve given my final answer and I’m sticking to it”. I have to do this or else we will spend hours and hours debating. My niece is the master debater. She will find forty-seven different ways to tell me that her way is the best way and my adult decision is not. It can be very nerve wracking. But I know she does this because she is just too smart for her own good. My “evil eye” seems to work. All I have to do now is point to my twitching eyeball and she shuts up.

When we got home from grocery shopping there was a surprise package delivered for Baby Bug. I hope you don’t mind but we opened it while she was asleep. Baby Bug was so tuckered out from the mall outing and grocery shopping that she even stayed asleep from when I took her out of her car seat all the way until I laid her down in her crib. She never does that. I think we just wore her out. Maybe it was all the debating.

So Rapunzel and I opened her present and had a little tea party. I just want to say a huge fat THANK YOU to somebody out there in blogland because this tea set is sooooo cute and fun. As you can see, we enjoyed it immensely. We had a proper tea party with real water and cookies and stale Trader Joes Pirate Booty. It was great. And then when Baby Bug woke up we did it all over again. Baby Bug loved it. Even if she was half asleep.

As a nice close to our day, we hit the park and Starbucks. The park for Rapunzel and Baby Bug and Starbucks for me. As you can see it was a triple shot kind of day. And even after all that caffeine, I’m still feeling bleary eyed. I thought I would stay up and get some work done but I think I’ll have to save it for tomorrow. Three shots of caffeine and I’m still tired at ten thirty. I think I might have to force myself to go off coffee again, at least for a week or so because it’s pretty pathetic when three shots barely keeps me up past Baby Bug’s bedtime. But, I think I’ll save the self-induced caffeine detox until after Rapunzel’s Spring Break. It takes a lot of energy to keep up with an eight-year-old and I need all the help I can get.

My niece, Rapunzel, is visiting us for her Spring Break. It’s part of an experiment to see if she can be a help around the house (and not bother Uncle Toby too much while he works in his at-home office) and have fun at the same time. The deal is, she can stay as long as we can stand her. But we love her so I’m hoping and crossing my fingers that she can stay all the way until Friday. We’ve got a whole week’s worth of fun adventures planned.

So far we’ve successfully gotten through an evening walk to the beach, an egg hunt and dinner without any trouble. This morning we made pancakes and after breakfast she painted outside on the porch. I think we are off to an excellent start.