Dogs, Dirt, Whatever

The weather was beautiful on Saturday, so we seized the day. We went hiking.

On our hike, Matt and I had this crystallizing moment in which we realized we are, in fact, raising a city slicker:

Whenever Riley got mud on her shoes, she cried out, "Yuck! Dog poop!"

Self Medication

Bad news: Yesterday Riley slammed her poor little fingers in a heavy drawer. Much wailing ensued.

Good news: No lasting injuries.

Better news: Riley knew exactly how to cheer herself up:
1. She gathered the following items:

• Zelf
• Bandaids
• Her favorite blanket
• A gnawed-off nino (Riley-speak for pacifier)
  

2. She let me smother her with hugs.

3. Through her tears, she said, "Want to read book to make me happy."

Best news: She hasn't yet acquired her mommy's coping tactics: "Want ice cream/cookie/cupcake to make me happy."

Please note: this photo was not taken at the scene of the finger smashing. (Mommy hopes not to reinforce those coping mechanisms.)

Riley's Valentine

Every so often, Riley likes to list off her friends–including playmates, family members, stuffed animals, neighbors, and their pets.

"Anna my friend."
"Baby Tate my friend."
"Zelf my friend."
"Baby Vivian my friend."
"Elmo my friend."
"Cody Dog my friend."
And my personal favorite, "Mommy my friend."

But last night, she came up with a new one. She plopped on the couch, after a Sesame-Street filled week (thanks to a few too many sick days), and declared:

"TV my friend."

Oh yikes. (Time to cut the cord.)

How many days 'til spring?

It may be cold and gray out, but that hasn't stopped us from playing at the park.







***************************************************************
On an unrelated note, for those of you wondering how I tracked down a replacement Zelf in February: The Elf On the Shelf web site lists local toy stores who carry them. Fortunately, the first store I called had one left in their Christmas stash. A (belated) Christmas miracle!

Reunited, At Last

Zelf is back!

Although he's suspiciously clean, so he *could* be a different elf altogether... Or, as Riley's choosing to believe, he could've just gotten new clothes from Santa.

Needless to say, ever since their happy reunion yesterday morning, poor Zelf hasn't left Riley's clutches.

---------------------LOST ELF---------------------

Missing Toy Alert:
Zelf the Elf

Last seen:
Wednesday evening in NW Portland. He went MIA at some point on our outing to Subway and Goodwill. We retraced our steps, to no avail.

Wearing:
Red suit and red hat

Size:
Approx. 1 foot tall, very skinny

Notable features:
Elfish smirk, no feet

Riley was upset, but she's coping better. (She thinks he's visiting Santa.) Matt, however, is still quite distraught.

To quote him verbatim: "I mean, he's an important part of our lives, and he's out there on the street somewhere!"

This Week's Frequently-Asked Question

Q: Oh no! What happened to her face?
A: Nothing. Except that this bandaid obsession has come to a head. (Quite literally.)
* She's worn this thing since Sunday and freaks out when I even mention removing it. I'm begrudgingly not picking this battle.