Fun in the Snow

Celia's birthday presents

I assembled Celia's birthday toy from Grandma & Grandpa Breheny last night, a big truck that can be reconfigured as a push toy, a pull toy, or something to ride on. Celia got a little impatient during assembly that she couldn't eat the screws, but loved it once assembled, walking back and forth around the basement with a big smile on her face for the rest of the night.

In a related story, Nyla wanted to take another one of Celia's birthday presents, a set of musical instruments, up to her bedroom at bedtime. My conversation with her went like this:

Nyla: I want to take the drum up to my bedroom.
Me: No, the drum is a downstairs toy. It's too loud for upstairs. Everyone needs to sleep.
Nyla: I never sleep!
Me: Okay, but the rest of us need to sleep.
Nyla: I'll bring this horn instead.
Me: No, the horn is loud too. All the musical instruments need to stay downstairs.
Nyla: (Furious) NO!

(Minutes later, after she simmered down)

Nyla: I'm going to put the drum right here, and play with it in the morning!
Me: Okay.
Nyla: But I'm going to take these dress-up shoes to bed.
Nyla: (As we are walking upstairs) See, I make some decisions.

Ah, the diplomatic relations and power struggles of the four-year old mind.