A Baby Bee

An eponymous post! It was a moment too perfect not to document: The Baby Bee in a bee suit. After being cooped up in the house all weekend due to the endless — but welcome — rain, Emma's Mom got out to indulge in a little retail therapy. I set my course for Old Navy, as I knew they had just put out Halloween costumes and was eager to get a leg up on one of my favorite holidays. Faced with the infinite cuteness of puffy lion, duck and monkey costumes, I was at a loss. What should Emma be for Halloween, this year? An adorable alligator suit caught my eye, but it didn't quite feel right, and, frankly, it made me think of a scene from Flashdance — but, I digress. I love pirates, but the pirate costume seemed too complex and likely to be cast off in a million pieces halfway through Halloween night. I was strongly considering the pretty, pink fairy dress with yards of tulle and a maze of ribbons, when I saw the tell-tale black and yellow stripes and glossy yellow wings of the bumble bee. Eureka! Something clicked in my rain-sogged brain, and fighting off images of the bee girl from Blind Melon's "No Rain" video, I decided this was the year to be a bee, or, dare I say, the year to bee. I triumphantly brought the the little bundle of joy home and presented it to Emma, who was smitten. I helped her into her bee suit, and Emma's Dad helped her buzz around the house until she folded her wings in contented exhaustion. Halloween can't come fast enough!

The Mad Hatter: A "Just Because" Post

Hats are an endless source of amusement for the Baby Bee. She loves pointing them out — whether they be hanging on her wall, sitting on her head or sitting on her head in a photograph — and saying, "Hath!" We were both feeling silly one afternoon last week and I got the notion to see how many hats Emma could wear on her head at one time. I managed to plop four on her head, and, surprisingly, she kept all of them on for about 20 minutes before losing interest. Swept up in the silliness, she started cavorting around the house like a little dervish, crowing, "Hath, hath!"

Library Days

A couple of mornings each week, I take Emma to the library playgroup on post. It's a charming room dedicated to babies and small children and contains a veritable treasure trove of toys that possess the special quality of appearing brand new to our tots. At maximum capacity, it can get a little chaotic, with 30 moms and their children participating in a frenzied autobahn of playing, soothing, rescuing snatched toys, and saving a confused toddler from the massing traffic jam on the room's only slide.
However, I have to say it is one my favorite activities during the week. The Baby Bee gets so much out of being around other children her age, as well as the young babies. I do have to keep a close eye on her, because she can get a little too interested in the wee ones. Most days, we go with Greyson and his mom, Lindsey, and Emily and her mom, Sara. On this particular occasion, I remembered to bring my camera and catch a few snaps of the action.

A Bee in the Cupboard

To encourage Emma's budding culinary interests, as well as give her a toehold in the real kitchen, we gave her a cupboard of her own. Stocked with a miniature kitchen set from when she was a baby, pots and pans, measuring spoons and a stack of colorful mixing bowls, the cupboard gives the Baby Bee a chance to "cook" alongside us while we're making breakfast, dinner, etc. She'll often spread out all of her wares on the floor, take inventory, then promptly put it all away before starting the whole process over. One day, Emma's Dad astutely observed that it probably wouldn't be long before she climbed into the cupboard, and, sure enough! So busted...

What's for Dinner?

In our move toward more toddler-appropriate toys, we purchased a toy kitchen for Emma, since she seemed so enamored of ours. Unfortunately, it was nearly the death of Emma's Mom and Dad, as it took three hours from start to finish to assemble it. When we pulled the parts from the box, we were stunned by the sheer volume of plastic pieces attached to grid upon grid, all waiting to be separated and trimmed. It was like being handed the blue prints for the Death Star.
Nevertheless, the kitchen has been a hit, offering the Baby Bee a host of (non-functional) features, including a stove top, oven, sink with detachable sprayer, microwave and fridge. Emma can often be found ooing and aahing over the culinary opportunities presented to her and will "cook" us a little dinner when we're in the playroom with her. My favorite is when she stirs the pots and pans and emits a satisfied "Mmm!" after tasting one of her concoctions. Gotta love it!

The Shape of Things to Come

The Baby Bee has been learning about shapes for a few months, now. Currently, her favorite shape is the circle, and she will excitedly call out, "Kirkle!" whenever she sees one around the house, in a store or from her car seat. Interestingly enough, most baby/toddler toy manufacturers have canonized the circle, triangle, square, heart and star as the must-learn shapes. Emma's Mom and Dad find themselves wondering where the love has gone for ovals, rectangles and the occasional hexagon. :)
Among Emma's favorite shape-learning toys are her tool bench and her shape cookie jar. Even though the cookie jar is aimed at 12-month-olds, Emma absolutely adores it, as it cheerfully sings to her about hearts and stars and giggles encouragingly whenever Emma pushes a shape through the corresponding hole. It's just a jar full of happiness.