So, good weekend.

Karen sent me flowers and balloons and a teddy bear for the Feast of Liz on Friday (the Feast was actually Saturday, but we had Plans for Saturday and wouldn't be home). They almost made up for being out of commission all Friday afternoon while my computer's software was remotely upgraded via the world's slowest connection.

Saturday, as I said, we had Plans. The Hickses came over late in the morning, so Penny got to play with Jess a bit.

Then Penny went down for her nap, the Hickses left to go to a Discovery Toy party, and when Penny got up, we packed up and went to Savannah's birthday party. Savannah is a friend of Penny's from daycare, and perhaps because they're so close in age, they're very good friends. (Well, for two-year-olds, anyway.)

Savannah, in fact, is susceptible to threats/bribery, and Savannah's mom apparently uses Penny often. She said that when they're in the grocery store and Savannah's acting up, she'll say, "Look! Did you see Penny? I thought I saw Penny!" and Savannah will stop fussing to look around for Penny. And before the birthday party, when Savannah was being a stinker, her mom said, "Savannah, if you don't behave, I'm going to call Penny's mom and tell her not to come!" and Savannah immediately said, "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" and was good.

So they had fun at the birthday party. Savannah's already learned how to climb out of her crib, and her parents were getting a new bed for themselves anyway, so they just put a toddler rail on their old bed and gave it to Savannah. It's a queen-size bed. The kids swarmed all over it, shrieking with excitement and sugar.

But Penny was good (if loud); I only had to threaten her with a time-out once, when she was hitting Savannah's dad with a toy moccasin. (She was obviously just playing, not hitting him in anger, or she would have gotten the time-out. As it was, I thought a warning was sufficient, and she stopped doing it, so all's well.)

We really must arrange a playdate for just Penny and Savannah sometime. They obviously adore each other.

Anyway, after we left Savannah's, we went to Jeremy and Elizabeth's, for their joint birthday party.

That was fun, too, and the food was excellent. It was a little more harrowing from a childcare perspective, because their place isn't even remotely childproofed. Matt and Kevin spent most of the party sitting on the stairs to prevent various toddlers from falling, so I don't know how much fun they actually had.

All three of the older girls (that is, Emma, Penny, and Jess) spent some time climbing and jumping on the sofa. I tried to stop them, but Elizabeth was a good sport and assured me that they were going to replace the sofa soon anyway. Penny repaid her by picking up her cup of water and very deliberately pouring it out all over Elizabeth's nice table. That earned her a time-out, but at least it was a) only water; and b) only about a quarter-cup of it, at that, because I am not fool enough to give a toddler a full cup of anything.

But mostly the kids were pretty good, even hyped up on sugar, and really funny at times. Braz told Penny her arm smelled like a hot dog, and started to "eat" it. Penny yelled, "No!" and pulled away, then ran over to the food table and pointed at the hot dogs, as if to say, Here, if you really want a hot dog! They're right here!

All in all, I was amazed at how well Penny behaved, given that she'd had a short nap and was riding the sugar roller coaster.

Of course, in all the rush-rush-rush for the parties, I forgot my camera, so I have no pictures at all. Alas. I'm hoping Savannah's mom will send me some from the birthday party, and I think K.T. took a couple of Jeremy and Elizabeth's. I know she got a movie of the girls jumping on the couch.

Sunday morning was fairly sedate (well, except for Matt, who had to mow our lawn that has suddenly decided it wants to be a jungle), but in the afternoon we went over to my parents' house to welcome them back from Cancun.

They had a wonderful trip, and were very happy to see Penny again, and Penny was very well-behaved at their place, too. She ran around pretending to tickle everyone, and everyone obliged, and when it was time for dinner, she sat nicely in her seat and ate most of her food and didn't demand to get down until Matt and I were both done.

There were a couple of low-bumps, especially Sunday morning, when Penny broke Matt's headphones; and then later, when both Matt and I were unavoidably occupied for a couple of minutes, she ate about half a plum, including the pit. (Well, she'd eaten the first half of the plum under supervision, but I didn't think she'd get to the pit before I got back.)

But all in all... it was a really good weekend, with very little whining and almost no fussing.

Yay, Penny!

--Liz