Unusual Objects of Our Affection

I realized today that Annie, Jemma and I have all recently been "into" some unusual items. So, in no particular order, the objects of our affections:

1. Anytime Annie gets a balloon (choking hazard, I know - we keep them far from Jemma), she must have someone tie a string around it and drag it around as though it's a dog on a leash. Last week, she was busy playing with the two sad, sorry remaining balloons from her party. She had named them Baxter and Bao (?) and was very busy getting bowls for them to eat from, tucking them into bed, reprimanding them for yelling in the house, etc. Then, Saturday, she must have looked extra-cute and deserving at the grocery store with me, because an employee spontaneously gave her a blue balloon. Now, she has three balloons, and they're all named Baxter. As I type, they're on the upstairs couch, carefully covered with a big blanket. Asleep for the night, I guess.

2. Jemma, in her newfound mobility and speed (she stood up by herself today a few times in the yard!), mostly enjoys licking and touching things that she really should be leaving alone. To be specific, the toilet and the kitchen garbage can. I know, disgusting. But she really, really loves both of these items and no amount of redirection on my part can distract her! So now, we've taken to keeping the toilet lid down at all times and the bathroom door closed as much as possible. As for the kitchen garbage can, it's so shiny and sparkly, she can't resist. I've resigned myself to the fact that she's going to lick the outside of it and giggle at her reflection in it. I guess I'll just have to keep it as clean as possible, which I'll be able to do because of . . .

3. My new Dyson handheld vacuum! In yet another scary sign that I'm slowly turning into my mother, I can't stop vacuuming with it. Jemma had been making such a huge mess at every meal, and I was so tired of hauling the big vacuum out every day, so we bit the bullet and bought the Root 6. It's spectacular. My cleaning has gone beyond the dining room floor and right out into the front entry, the fireplace tile, and the baseboards in the hallway. Who knew you could feel so much cleaning satisfaction in just 6 minutes with a cordless vacuum? This weekend, I might even vacuum the carpet on the stairs, which I will admit here that I have not done once since we've lived in this house. (Don't anybody tell my mom!)