I worked for what seemed like hours on this treehouse for the girls. I was excited at how well made it was, all wood and no plastic. All the pieces were there and all the screws were accounted for. The pieces were not numbered, though, and there was a subtle difference in each piece that was impossible to figure out from the diagram. I probably did each step at least twice, and I'm still not sure that door handle is supposed to hit the banister rail.
There's a slide and a swing and a swinging ladder that leads to the trapdoor.
The girls spent a few hours here yesterday afternoon, and I hid it well in the sewing room. They'll open the rest of it tomorrow night - 3 little dolls, like this Muddy Puddle one.
They're about the size of Barbies, but they are dressed like little girls and do little girl things - like playing and exploring and drawing - instead of grownup things like Barbies do.
They're getting a camping set and canoe and life vests as well as a dog and cat and all their equipment as well as some extra outfits.
The only thing Graysen asked Santa for this year is a Barbie Camper, so maybe Barbie will let these girls use it.
We went to a Crafternoon Thursday hosted by a Rooster Valley friend, Isabella, and her mom Tanya. It was a welcome activity for a rainy afternoon. Emily was in pain with some muscle problems in her back, so I took them.
Katherine and Graysen were both shy at first because there were some girls they didn't know, but another old best friend was there, Brooklyn with her mom Carrie.
Isabella, Brooklyn, and Graysen were together for a couple of years at Rooster Valley and became friends, but this year they go to 3 different kindergartens and haven't seen each other since last spring.
Isabella is the cutest, giggliest little girl, but she has a thing for scissors. I think she had recently cut up the living room curtains - twice - and that morning had given herself this haircut.
Once when they all trooped upstairs, one mother asked Tanya, "Do you know where all your scissors are?" It did get pretty quiet at times, and we were all glad to see them come back with their hair intact.
Tanya is very brave and very optimistic. She had a long table set up with paints and brushes, ornaments, glue, stickers - everything these girls get excited about. Look at Katherine sitting there like one of the big girls!
As I mentioned on Facebook, Katherine refused to use any color except black. When you ask what her favorite color is - and even when you don't ask - her answer is, "My favorite color is purple and pink and sparkly and all the colors of the rainbow." I'm not sure what prompted this gloomy stocking.
I pointed out the holly and the cuff and showed her more paints, but she was having none of it. It remained black! I did show her now to do white dots, and she was fascinated with that and decorated it a little.
Graysen used a very un-Christmas-y baby blue with dots and stripes on the back, but did a great job, and they were very pleased with them.
The highlight of the party for Katherine was the appearance of this beautiful black cat. They immediately bonded and kissed and hugged several times.
The whole thing exhausted me, just seeing all that energy and listening to the mothers discuss potty-training and sleeping and skiing lessons and time-outs. I could sit back and relax and know that my duties ended right after the party, and I could take a long nap.
This is about all I could take of the eating and drinking part, and this was before the hot chocolate got spilled and cookies were crumbled all over the floor.
Wrapping gifts is now an adventure instead of just a chore.
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