Cruising…For Bananas

It is our first Father/Daughter tradition.  Every Saturday morning, we wake up around 7am and eat breakfast together (coffee and chewable vitamin’s for me, whole wheat pancakes for LB).   Lux never misses our meal; she is stationed directly below the feeding table eagerly waiting for the next morsel to be dropped or intentionally tossed.  On Saturday’s we let Ashley sleep that extra hour to recharge her Mommy batteries.  After breakfast, we tiptoe out of the house and load up the SUV and head for McDonalds for Brunch (Please hold the criticism, I get it).  Why McDonalds though?  Because they have the most amazing Cinnamon Rolls and LB and I love to share one.  We never grub in the dining room; too much distraction.  Rather, I hop in the back seat and we go to town.  One bite for LB, two bites for Dad.  Wash it down w/ some 1% milk and you have a delicious and non-nutritious meal.  Yum.

 

20 minutes later, we arrive.  Central Market, San Antonio.  The place is Whole Foods on steroids.  The difference is more variety, better service and cheaper.  Every visit starts with a green balloon.  Kids love balloons and LB is no different.  I tie the balloon to the cart so she can always find her happy place.  We start in produce, taking our time to point out every known and pronounceable fruit.  LB will attempt just about anything and she has all the majors down.  I used to put all the food in her hands to help accelerate the learning, but Central Market management did not appreciate this all too much (I always thought you had to lick the object to make the purchase official?).  Anyways, this game makes our shopping cart one of the more popular carts in the market.  The 70-90 year old women eat this up.  They try and join in only to find themselves victims of an occasional grape to the eye.  I keep telling LB that if she continues to assault older people that I will post a sign on her cart that says “beware of baby!” 

By the time we finish our shopping adventure, LB will have consumed several free samples (sometimes we get seconds depending upon temperament), and at least two packets of Ella’s Kitchen (see prior post).  Me, when I am really lucky I clean out my pockets at home and find invites to the local retirement community Bingo night.  Score. 

Planking

Planking (or the Lying Down Game) is an activity consisting of lying down in an unusual or incongruous location. Having a photograph taken of the participant and posted on the Internet is an integral part of the game.

Players compete to find the most unusual and original location in which to play.  The term planking refers to mimicking a wooden plank.  Since early 2011, many participants in planking have photographed the activity in unusual locations. Planking can include lying flat on a flat surface, or holding the body flat while it's supported in only some regions, with other parts of the body suspended.

Toddler?

Me- Hey, When does LB will become a toddler?
Ash- She has been a toddler for some time.
Me- Hmmm. Doesn't she have to poop in a toilet to be a toddler?
Ash- What? A toddler is an age range. Starting at one. What did you think?
Me- I thought it was achievement based. A tiered model of some sort.
Ash- What accomplishments did you have in mind?
Me- Heck there should be categories. Motor skills, vocabulary, hygiene, and feeding habits. I am amazed that there isn't an app for this already. Think of a reward system for kids to build their skill and fuel their ambition.
Me- I mean a little motivation never hurt. I always loved treasure hunts. Well maybe that was because of Goonies. The Truffle shuffle and Baby Ruth-Gets me every time. But really. The reward at the end makes you try harder.
Ash- I think lb is already overachieving. And she spirited. You should be happy.
Me- Happy yes. But imagine the possibilities if lb knew there was a water sprinkler or teddy bear at the end of every complete sentence.
Ash- Or successful tooth brushing.
Me- (Thinking...)
Me- (Running into the playroom and bringing back the mini piano). Playing -Dee dee doo doo de. . Bomp. De doo de doo de Deedley de do.
Ash- What is that?
Me- Doogie howser theme song. Doogie howser. That six year old aced his SATs. We've got work to do.

Hours later…
Ash- LB is eating a crayon.
Me- Do you know how the Egyptians built the pyramids. Brick by Brick babe. Brick by brick.