Chapter 395

Happy VCR Day!

The VCR was the greatest invention for busy mothers trying to get dinner fixed or a sibling bathed. It was our first look at having entertainment "on demand" and the resulting freedom of few moments of free time!

Today is Reagan's birthday and we got her a little BBQ so she could BBQ outside like her daddy. I clicked and Amazon did their magic. Unfortunately, Little Tikes did not and the BBQ had two stoves and no sink. I found this ironic since I have NO stove at the moment but couldn't use one of Reagan's. A call to Little Tikes netted the errant part, but unfortunately not in time for Reagan's birthday.

Reagan arrived Friday and while I changed sheets on our bed, she was in the spa "taking the elevator up the coconut tree" like in the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. No sense climbing up the coconut tree on letters when you can take the elevator.

Luckily Grampa arrived home in time to rescue me so I could finish my task. This time they took the pool noodles Reagan stole out of my boots in there with them.

After an eventful afternoon in the "elevator", we went to "Rebbin Robin" for dinner. It turned out that Reagan was afraid we wouldn't have dinner without a kitchen so suggested we go there. Thoughtful kid, that one! 

Grampa Reagan and Bear cruise the backyard as Reagan runs out to the "big tree" and back just like her Mom did...numerous times.

The Grampa had to swing while Reagan slid down the slide

in numerous contortions.

We examined the pack of green stinkbugs that is slowly consuming our baby pear and quince fruit. She loves her "buggies". 

A trip to the compost yielded a giant potato and a bunch of really new potatoes as they could have used a couple of more months of growing time but it's all good, now Reagan knows where potatoes come from.

More backyard strolling. That kid sure enjoys the yard like her mother did. Her Aunt Kyanne would have been just as happy if the yard did not even exist.

As Reagan caroms around the yard, she ends up on the old tractor for a quick drive. Too bad they don't need a little tractor at her house.

She was one super-tired camper as when she went to bed. She likes to fall asleep in our bed, and Nitro has stationed himself as the official guard cat for the evening. Heaven knows where the guard dog is!

Saturday Carissa, Reagan, and I went to Remlinger Farms for the day. Reagan loves this place and I certainly gets my money's worth of rides and activities. First it was the mini-train,

then the real train,

the pony ride on Bean,

the canoe ride,

the old car ride,

the petting zoo,

the canoe, again....

the old cars...again. 

This was all followed by some serious jumping on the straw trampoline,

and more canoeing. She is getting more comfortable with each ride. The attendant finally just let Reagan lap until someone needed her canoe. I wonder if we can get a season's pass for just the canoes?

Reagan wanted to take photos at all the photo ops.

Another pony ride. This one was on Coconut. She rode Coconut last year when she was there.

And yet another (very comfortable) canoe ride and then it was time to head home.

When we got home, Carissa climbed into a feed bucket we bought for a planter, and Reagan tried to lift her up. Apparently Carissa is heavier than she looks since Reagan couldn't lift her up.

Old adding machine tape that I've found while cleaning at workhas become a favorite of hers. It appears that adding machine tape is very entertaining to a 3 year old (and her mother). Bear is not very impressed with Carissa's creative use of adding machine tape.

Then we had dinner and pie from Remlinger Farms. I found this cool spinning, musical flower candle that I've had for 7 months waiting for Reagan's birthday.

Watch the candle open up and Reagan blow it out here: https://youtu.be/Lb9WQzmPAZE

Reagan picked out bumbleberry pie for dessert and loved it! We discovered that bumbleberry was not an actual berry but a combination of three kinds of berries.

Afterwards she grilled up some hot dogs and hamburgers for all of us on her new BBQ grill. You can see the adding machine tape trailing through the gate. The rest ended up in a bucket to be pretend suds to wash things in.

Grampa got Reagan a digger for her turtle sandbox. She can landscape her own backyard with this.

It looks like either the apocalypse or rapture, or both occurred on our patio sometime in the afternoon. Nitro can't believe the mess as he looks on from his catio.

Reagan got a new playhouse for her own backyard and looks very happy with it. Fortunately her BBQ fits nicely inside. Reagan says it "gets hot when the BBQ is inside because of the fire but the steam vents outside". That's a pretty advanced concept for a three year old.

Have a good week, everyone!