party hats

Christmas Day we plunged--via an unexpected gift from Granny--into the world of Nintendo DS and quickly realized that we would have to set up some tight boundaries on "screen time." We thought through a few different approaches and finally decided that Nintendo for Jonathan and Leapster for Keona would be earned by chores. Jona feeds and waters our 3 cats and 3 dogs and Keona sets the table for breakfast, lunch, and dinner both for 30 minutes of screen time.

The pets have never had it so good.

But we humans are also treated each meal to something special. Dear Keona takes table-setting very seriously. Of course there's the usual plates, forks, and cups. Add to that napkins fashioned from whatever paper she happens to fancy as pretty.

But then, for every meal, Keona gives us all party hats! The first meal it was an assortment from the birthday cupboard. Then some paper Princess ones she printed from her computer. And since then it's been anything that can sit on your head.

Smiling at my daughter with her polka dotted hat on the other day I thought, "Life, for my baby girl, is truly a party." I have so much to learn.