Home Improvement

Yesterday Arabella went straight from school to her friend A-'s house to play, and A-'s grandma didn't bring her home until 6 pm. Apparently the girls had a great time.

I took advantage of Arabella's absence by first going to Wally-World (aka WalMart) with the Bean. I forgot how mellow a trip to WalMart without a prschooler can be. I know spring is somewhere on the horizon: despite the snow falling outside, the flowerpots and garden hoses are on the shelves. I got peat pots for starting seeds (sunflowers, beans, maybe tomatoes), shady garden seed mix. I bought jewelry findings with which to make my own stitch markers. I got a laundry hamper for Sabine's room, and a pitcher for water at the table, so I'm not getiing up 4 times during dinner to refill Arabella's water glass. I got steak.

The Bean and I returned home, and I set about drilling in Sabine's room. I put a slide bolt on the door from Arabella's room into the closet connecting to Sabine's room, partly to keep the door shut, partly to keep Arabella out. I hung 2 baby quilts, one by 'Uncle Lily', and the star wall light. I attached the changing pad to the desk. I would have hung the baby changing shelf, but the screws I had have heads too large to use with the hangers on the shelf. Sabine played in her crib, swatting at the mirror while I drilled. This is probably the biggest difference between Sabine and Arabella -- Sabine was content to play with her baby toys for 20 minutes, where Arabella at the same age would have howled once she realized something was going on without her.

Then Sabine and I had a quiet afternoon, like the afternoons I used to have when Arabella was an infant. It seems so long ago.