'This was a night full of surprises!'

It sure was!  Most of the surprises were really great.  Like instead of just spending an afternoon in the park, we had friends over for pizza and then set up the bounce house to waste a little time until the sun started to go down.

 And riding to fireworks together to make parking easier. Ellie's friend rode backwards in Madeline's car seat {adjusted, of course, and within all safety guidelines} and the girls thought it was the most fun.

Another surprise of the night was realizing people were parking in a cemetery/funeral home and watching the fireworks right on the lawn.  At the funeral home.  We decided to take a chance and try to make it all the way to the park but guess what?  We watched the fireworks at the funeral home.  Surprise!

Ellie was thrilled, and yes, surprised, to realized that she was staying up way past her bedtime to see the fireworks.  Here are the cuties waiting patiently for the show to begin. 

 The girls also know how to choose friends.  They were running around and found a girl who just turned three {and was super excited about it!} with a wagon.  The girls were surprised that someone would have a wagon watching fireworks.  Then they had her pull them all around the lawn of the funeral home. 

Unfortunately there was a heart stopping 'surprise' when a man decided to drive his SUV through the grass and almost took out half of the kids playing in the lawn, Ellie included.

I don't think I have ever been so freaked out and furious at the same time.  And you can bet I wasn't the only one, especially since there was a parking lot he could have pulled into a few feet away.  The feeling of seeing your child in some one's headlights and the driver not stopping is indescribable and I never want that feeling again.  Ever.

OK, back to the fun surprises...

The fireworks started and we were surprised that we had a perfect view from the lawn of the funeral home.

Ellie was surprised at how loud fireworks are in real life so I taught her a trick.

And to my surprise, I actually got a couple good pics of fireworks.

So when we were walking to our car during the 'Grand Finale' and Ellie proclaimed, "This was a night full of surprises!" we all agreed.  It sure was!

genius?

I admit I'm a sucker for products with the word genius in the title.  If I used cloth diapers I'm sure we would be using Bum Genius.  So when I was perusing the pacifier aisle at Target today and spotted the new Nuk Genius I knew we had to switch.

The entire way home I kept thinking 'wow, this pacifier is genius!  I wonder what it could do that would make it a genius?'

Really?  It does a whole lotta nothing. 

I can tell you that the handle on the pacifier is smaller and slimmer making it more difficult for an almost 10 month old {faint!} to handle.  They also took the ridges off the handle but now conveniently sell a teether that looks exactly like the old handle.  Well, I guess that's genius.  Now I have a pacifier twice as expensive as the last pack and need to go purchase another teether.

But the real genius emerged tonight at bedtime when I put the new Nuk in Madeline's mouth.  My genius pulled it out and gave it a look like 'what the?!'  She turned it ever direction.  Flipped the handle up and down.  Chewed on the front, looked at it again and stuck it back in her mouth.  Took it back out, chewed the handle, took it out and looked at it in disgust. 

After a little coaxing  i.e. sitting in Daddy's lap and rocking to Goodnight Moon, Madeline accepted the pacifier as one of her own.

Thank you, Nuk, for uncovering my genius.  I mean, the baby could do 'so big!' at like 8 months old so we knew those smarts were in there.  But either way, tomorrow Madeline is back to being a Jungle Cat.

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Also, a big thanks to A Cuppy Cake Life for the Versatile Blogger Award!   

A Cuppy Cake Life is exactly that, all about cupcakes.  From Tiramisu Cupcakes to Patriotic Cupcakes, they're all there just daring you to make them yourself.  Be sure to check it out, you're mouth will thank you!

What was that, Madeline?

{spoken in an angry voice}

Madeline:  Abbah, yaya, duh duh, dabba, yaya, Mama!


Hold up.  Did I just get cussed out in baby talk? 

Cause it really sounded like it. 

Madeline was sitting on the floor not quite within reach of her Laugh and Learn House, but surrounded by a *plethora* of other toys.  I understand that it must be frustrating to be a person who refuses to lay on their stomach and crawl.  So instead of doing things the efficient way, you scoot on your bottom all over the house.  And when you scoot you go backwards instead of forwards because really, how in the world could you scoot forwards? 

So I do understand, Madeline Claire, that life must be a tiny bit frustrating to you these days due to your own stubbornness.  But do I need to get blamed for your problems?  The way you said all of those baby words totally pissed at the world and then throw in a "Mama!" at the end. 

I think your anger is misguided.

Am I not the person who gets down on their hands and knees to demonstrate crawling to you?  Sometimes even enlisting your big sister to get on all fours, too?  Do I not kill my back by bending over to hold your hands so you can try to chase after your sister?

That's what I thought. 

I will accept your nonverbal apology in the form of a big, goofy, still toothless smile.  I am aware that, as your mother, I will be blamed for all of your misfortunes at some point or another but I thought maybe I could get a pass for the first year.  Or until you could speak a complete sentence. 

No such luck.  ;)

This post is part of:

and is linked up at a belle, a bean & a chicago dog, Taming Insanity and Mommy of a Monster.