while Mama is away...

This month, for the first time since she was adopted, I had to leave AB overnight. I had to go to another province to check out a location for a high level visit we were going to have. I hated to leave her, but it was just for one night, and I thought she would have more fun playing at home with her friends and all her toys than trying to entertain herself in the hotel with one bag full of stuff from home. (It was a good thing - the hotel was out of The Shining, and there was NOTHING fun for a kid to do there!).

When I was packing my carry-on, I saw the fuzzy Cookie Monster photo album that I had put together for AB for Christmas. There are pics of her with my parents, my brother, with me, and with other special friends. I told her she could look at the album while Mama was away. She put it in my bag and said, "Mama take it!" I asked her several times if she wanted to keep it while I was gone, and she insisted that I take it! Then, she went to the kitchen and got some of her favorite snacks, and put them in my bag too! What a sweetheart!

The following week, I had to go away for longer - four nights (which ultimately turned into five nights because of inclement weather). I really wanted to take her with me, but it really would not have been fun for her, even though of course Ayi would have come too. While I was away, these are some of the pics that were taken. (I'm actually posting this on 1/25, but changed the date to reflect when the pics were actually taken).