New shovel

Ryanne got her first shovel today. It's got a wood handle and a solid metal scoop end - whatever that's called. It's not quite as tall as she is. It's a good fit.

When we were looking at them at the store, I asked her if she knew what it was. She declared that she needed it for the litter. She would 'scoop and scoop the cat's poops and pees'. I explained that it was for dirt outside and not for the kitty litter. She got very excited.

We got home and she wanted to play outside. We put a sleeping Corin in his crib and went out in the backyard where I showed her how to dig up weeds with her shovel - heck, I'm not buying it and having it go to waste.

Corin woke up so we came in. Once I had him, Ryanne said she wanted to go back outside. There's not really a good place for him out there right now (with half our bushes in the middle of the yard until we get the chainsaw fixed). I asked if she was ok out there alone. She said she would be fine.

There she is - outside playing in the dirt while I keep Corin from climbing up the stairs. Shovels breed independence, I guess. I'm just hoping that Chrys is wrong and the shovel isn't the new best thing for making ants 'happy'.