Okay, I don't like to advocate the purchase of more plastic toys, but Arianna received a special present for her birthday last month for Papa. You can see the picture at: http://www.thrivingbabies.com/Images/playhouse.jpg
Arianna loves it. She runs outside after breakfast and fusses around inside her house. The other day she made pancakes in her house and doled out a healthy portion to all present. In the winter, we have room to bring it inside. I was thinking about stealing Aunt Sharifa's idea of making it into a book nook. I just need to find a small chair to put inside for her and goodness knows we have plenty of books (probably enough to fill the entire playhouse itself)!
Arianna has another special toy, from our wonderful neighbor, Marnie. You can see it at: http://www.thrivingbabies.com/Images/horse.jpg Marnie got it for a song at a yardsale (what a great way to recycle plastic toys, freecyle is another great toy recycler). I think every kid at her birthday party had to ride that horse at least once. It's amazingly popular.
Here's our favorite rhyme to sing when Arianna rides her horse, Spirit (you sing and ride a little faster with each verse):
"This is the way the ladies ride,
Nimble-nim, nimble-nim-nim.
This is the way the gentlemen ride,
Gallop-a-trot, Gallop-a-trot.
This is the way the farmer rides,
Jiggety-jog, jiggety-jog.
This is the way the butcher boy/girl rides,
Trippetty-trot, trippetty-trot, trippetty-trot
'Til he fell in the ditch with a
Flipperty, flipperty, flop-flop-flop!"
Thanks Walker, Andrea, and Marnie, for all the fun toys!
Rebecca and Arianna