talk to the hand

When it comes to toys, Gigi is pretty much like most kids - she has way too many and it's usually the most annoying toy that is the favourite. You know, the one that creates the biggest headache and teeth-grinding is also the one that warrants a hell hath no fury kind of tantrum if it's misplaced or - gawd forbid - lost forever.

Not that I ever hide or "lose" her toys on purpose *ahem*. Because that would make me a bad parent, right? Or just normal?

Anyhow, SB and I have recently hit a lucky streak. We really hit the jackpot because if we lose her current favourite toy well we are f**ked too.

Gigi likes our hands.

Yup: hands.

I'm not sure who started it (bets are on my cheap-ass husband) but for some reason Gigi likes to use our hands are her dolls. As in, playing with baby.

She will grab one of our arms and start rocking and talking to baby and doing all the stuff most kids do with dolls. She also usually ignores the rest of the body attached to her "baby".

Our hands have names. My left hand is "cupcake" and my right is "strawberry". SB is "toohoo" and the always original "baby" though I'm not sure which name goes with which hand. I don't think it's important.

Best thing about this latest craze: we always have one of her toys around and I cannot tell you how many times this has saved my butt on the subway.

Though the handdolls hasn't really helped on road trips because driving down the 401 with one arm extended into the backseat so it can have it's 'diaper changed' is nearly impossible. It also would be super hard to explain to the police officer when pulled over. "Sorry officer, it was an emergency diaper change for my - uh - hand?". My standard line with the cops is "I'm being chased by the devil" while making devil horns with both hands and looking as insane as possible. Which isn't really that hard. ANYHOW.

Sure, folks look at us like we have three heads when they see us letting our daughter contort us into sometimes painful positions but I know they are just jealous that they spent so much on name-brand, licensed toys and creepy looking dolls when in reality, baby dolls were so easily on hand (hee).

High five for free toys!

Only problem, she tries to detach them from the packaging with so much force, I'm afraid I may dislocate my shoulder before she grows out of this phase.

Based on the scary/slutty looking dolls that hang on the shelves these days, a shoulder dislocation is a risk I'm will to take. Anyhow, Gigi has demonstrated she has very little tolerance for anything so trampy looking - gawd knows I hear it every time I go to slap on some war paint.