I interact a lot with Rachel, partly because she seems to like me being in the area, and partly because I have mommy guilt if I don't read every book she brings me, or do everything I can with her while she's still little enough to want my attention.
Mostly here's how our days usually end up: Wake up, bottle, diaper change, get dressed (wash face, comb hair, brush teeth, etc.) and then she's off running around the family room. Usually I go into the kitchen which is right next to the big family room and try and make myself some coffee and breakfast. She's very interested in coloring and crayons and will usually head straight for her coloring desk. Sometimes she'll end up just bringing stuff into the kitchen and sitting on the floor near me, or taking the magnets off the fridge till I'm finished doing whatever it is I need to do. I'll usually eat and drink my coffee on the go following her from room to room downstairs. I just keep an eye on her, and participate in some of the things she likes to do. We have a basket of fake food that she loves to dump out and put back. So I'll tell her what each food is, and also we pretend to eat it. Rachel is a very busy little girl, and moves around from activity to activity quickly. She doesn't tend to get over frustrated with stuff because she just moves on. My goal is to catch her at an activity, such as a puzzle, and try to help her with it before she gives up or moves on to something else. We read books a lot, sometimes she likes to read little books to herself, and other times she will bring me her song book and we sing songs. She pretends a lot, diapering her stuffed animals, and feeding them and dancing with them. We go upstairs at some point and I get dressed and cleaned. She takes every shoe out of my closet and brings it to me to put on my feet. We pretend spritz our hair with hairspray, and then we spray every animal or doll we find. Back downstairs for breakfast and then we will either go play outside with balls or in the swing or color with sidewalk chalk. (I have decided I hate sidewalk chalk because it stains clothes and makes a big mess) Or, we go to the library. Rachel loves the children's section and will take books out and we look at them or read them and sit in the little kid chairs. Then at home, she has a snack and watches a Baby Einstein video and goes down for a nap. When she wakes up from her nap she has lunch, and then we will usually go to the park or to a friend's house to play outside. Then it's a snack and a video while I make dinner. Then dinner, walk with daddy, bath, and bed. Somehow, even though it seems like we don't do a whole lot, I have a whole lot of fun just watching her play and doing what I can to interact with her. She isn't clingy at all, though she does like me to be in the room with her, and if I'm not she'll bring toys and stuff to the area that I am in. This was a problem when I was trying to cook dinner, which is how I ended up putting a video on for her. It seems to keep her interested enough not to come into the kitchen. I also set aside a cabinet in the kitchen and put all sorts of cups and spoons, etc. in there so if she does come in there she has some entertainment.
