So here's the thing. Penny woke up screaming at 11:15. And 12:30. And 5. And when she woke up at 5, neither Matt nor I could get her to go back to bed, so we finally just gave up and closed both her door and ours and let her scream. So though I got back to bed after the 5 wake-up, I didn't really get to do more than doze fitfully between there and 6.

I swear to god, the child is getting drugs tonight.

So I've definitely been more tired than this, but I'm still pretty zoned, so you're going to get a low-text, high-picture content entry, here.

Our new porch furniture arrived Friday afternoon. Whoo! It's not all put together yet, but Matt and I are both very pleased with how it looks. When we're done with the last table and chair, I'll take a picture or two.

In the meantime, the box that the chairs came in is enormous, and Penny's been having great fun with it.

It wasn't the best of weekends, really. Penny spent most of Saturday working on her application for B.R.A.T. (Babies of Rage and Antagonistic Toddlers). We tried to take her to the park to run off some excess energy, but when, after about 10 minutes in the swings, we took her out so another kid could take a turn, she pitched a major wobbly fit, so we took her straight home.

She wasn't much better after her nap, except then we took her over to my parents' for her early birthday party, and being at their place sort of mitigates the bratly behavior.

My dad gave her three - count them, three - bowls of ice cream. And I don't mean little teeny servings, either.

When the sugar buzz had worn off enough that she could walk, my mom brought out the giant Elmo they'd got for her birthday. Both of my parents had expressed some concern that she might be frightened of it, because it's nearly as big as she is.

I had no such fears.

Nor did I need them. The Elmo was a huge hit. Its only failing was that it was pretty heavy, so she couldn't drag it around with her everywhere like she obviously wanted to do.

Just before we left, my Mom brought out the smaller Elmo doll for her to take home. (Giant Elmo will "live" at my parents' house, at least for the time being. Thank goodness.) The smaller Elmo came with a voicebox in his stomach that spoke in both English and Spanish. My mom performed surgery on the doll, removing his voicebox and replacing it with stuffing.

Whoo! Go, Mom! So now Penny has a smallish Elmo doll (it has been dubbed Baby Elmo) for home, and she adores that, too.

Sunday, Penny was much better-behaved, except that she was VERY BORED.

In the afternoon, we took her to the library. Their kids' section has a whole wall full of toys that are fairly well-suited to Penny's age. Almost as soon as she showed up, a couple of other little girls who were there (sisters, I think) "adopted" Penny, and tried to show her how to play with certain toys, and were impressively patient with her toddlerness.

I'd meant to say something to their mother when she showed up to pick them up, but she beckoned them from several rows of books away. Ah, well, at least the girls themselves were rewarded - when I broke out the cookies for Penny to have a snack, each of the girls got a couple, too.

Anyway, we were at the library for a good forty-five minutes, and Penny was pretty good, if a bit loud. (Luckily, the kids' section is removed from the rest of the library.)

But I think it's back to B.R.A.T. today. Alas.

--Liz