Neighborhood Cookout

We walked to the neighborhood cookout today and, of course, halfway there I realized that I had forgotten my camera. (At least I remembered the food I was supposed to bring!) A few people took some nice pictures of us, so if I get them via e-mail I'll post them here. : ) Anyway, it was so nice to see everyone, . . . most specifically the Andersons, the Richards, and the Gaillards (who have a 2 year old and a 9 month old and said they're just now able to handle it! Ha!). It was also the very first time that Annie didn't recoil from a huge group of party people. I suspect it's because there was quite a few that she probably recognized. HOWEVER, the cookout did bring out quite a few of Annie's quirks. First, Annie has been having a REAL issue about the transition from outside to inside. I don't think it's that she doesn't want to go in, either. It's more like she doesn't like going from an open space to a confined space. (This happened when we tried to go into the screened porch to get some dessert.) Second, more about Annie-The-Tantrum-Kid. Here is a perfect example of how these little Annie episodes happen: At the party, the little plastic kids picnic table (with the bubble stuff on it) was situated right near the swing set. There were big kids on the swings, so I wanted Annie to go around the table on the right side. WELL, Annie had already decided she was going to go around the table on the LEFT side. Period. Yep, she screamed. When this happens, the best thing to do is to simply lay Annie on the ground (making sure her head doesn't hit hard). Once you're not paying attention to her, the screaming stops. So, no, these are probably not full-blown tantrums, . . . but a ten-second screaming session can sure feel like one to a scrutinized Mamma! : )