The Stuffed Animal Basket

So life around here seems quite monotonous. I've been told that is very normal, even if you try to switch a couple days around, have different activities throughout the day, the big picture can many times feel like you do the same. exact. thing. every. single. day. It can make for some long days.

Because I knew life could seem quite dull, I resolved within myself to try and laugh every day with Zoë. I wanted to be able to see the funny, good, happy, sad all together and realize it was beautiful within itself.

So the other day, I'm in the kitchen cooking and had already talked with Zoë about playing with her toys in her room. This generally doesn't take much prompting, and thankfully, she'd felt like I'd spent plenty of time with her that day so she wasn't trying to "watch" me cook or feeling as though she needed me in her room. (If you missed her 18 month post, she asks to "watch" anything that goes on in the kitchen. Sometimes, if it is simple and easy to keep her out of harms way, I actually allow her to be in the kitchen with me while I cook. This day was not one of those days.) She headed to her room and I buckled down to hopefully have dinner on the table in time.

Somewhere in the mayhem of cooking dinner (as organized as I am with almost everything, dinner always seems to feel like I didn't plan or organize enough as I find myself moving from one part of it to the next. It always makes it to the table and I've yet to have a complaint yet, so I'm going to still count it a win.), I hear Zoë whining/crying in her bedroom. At first I think she's frustrated with a toy. Then it continues and grows a little in volume. I begin to wonder what exactly is going on because she will usually come find me when she needs help with something. Somewhere in the whining, I'm starting to hear an occasional "mommy" strung into the complete whiny/crying babble.

After about another minute of the whining/crying, which has intensified, I decide I'm better off hoping dinner doesn't burn while I go to check on her. As I walk into her room I'm a little alarmed she's not in my immediate vision. (Her room is set up where I have visibility of everything except the far right corner, which is completely parallel to the door way and slightly blocked by curtains hung on that same wall.) I turn my head to check that corner, only to find, well, why don't you see for yourself:

She had pulled all her stuffed animals out of their basket so she could climb in. Maybe because she enjoys doing this with empty boxes, which have much larger openings, she thought this would be a good idea. However, she didn't realize that she'd likely take out the lining in the basket nor that the basket is much smaller than boxes she's climbed in.

She was stuck. Completely.

I had to take a photo op before I helped her out, but honestly, she didn't seem to mind:

Saying "cheese"

As soon as I snapped the first pic, she started smiling and saying "cheese" for me. I'm guessing I didn't scar her by taking a couple photos of her basket-fun-gone-wrong since she immediately was all smiles. Plus, she gave me a couple of laughs and some really cute pictures.

I think this one would have been better had I not needed to use my AUTO mode and flash.

Oh this little stinker cracks me up! I'm so thankful for her huge sense of humor and ability to laugh in situations like this. Once she realized mommy was going to help her out of her little mess, she could have cared less she was stuck in that basket.

I am so unbelievably blessed!!