The Keys To Her Heart

Cate has a penchant for things that are "real." She has about four toy cell phones, one that even says her name and one that looks like a pretty genuine flip phone, yet she still prefers to play with mine or Eric's (sometimes calling people in our address books). Mommy and Daddy's books on the shelves are much more interesting than the dozens of kid-friendly board books Cate has collected in the last 18 months. Keys are no exception to this rule of "real" things.

Cate loves our keys. They keep her quiet at the grocery store if she starts to get fussy. She happily plays with them in her stroller on long evening walks or jogs. She will most definitely push the panic button when you are in line at the post office and so busy getting a package ready to mail that you don't notice it until someone comes in and says loudly, "Whoever has the silver car your alarm is going off!"

Being the wonderful and smart man that he is, Eric had a brilliant idea Saturday morning. While out running errands with Miss Cate (so mommy could sleep in because she got no sleep the night before due to Diet Coke overdose while out to dinner with our small group), they stopped at Lowe's and got Cate some real keys.
They are uncut, of course. But what I love, love, love, most about what my hubby did, is he bought a pack of skeleton keys. We live in a nearly 100 year old house-- and I love it! All of doors are still the originals (but have had dead bolts, etc. installed on the outside doors). So all of doors still have a keyhole for a skeleton key. We actually inherited a couple of smaller ones with the house. Knowing this about our house, Eric bought the 2-pack of keys so that at least one of the keys on Cate's ring would be functional. And since there were two in the pack, Eric put one on his key ring. So now they each have one-- their own private little daddy-daughter connection.

Cate loves her "real" keys and while you can't see them in the picture below (they're in her pocket), they're quickly becoming a new favorite.
I have to say that I think she looks like an awfully big girl in this last picture too. Where has my baby gone?

~Melody :-)