These are a few of my favorite STRINGS

There is a cat we "know" (not in real life, but in literary life, but if you talk to us about these characters we'll talk as if we know them for real since we have spent many, many hours with them, thank you Lilian Jackson Braun) named Yum Yum who is famous for her love of strings and shiny things. There is a baby we know who is very much like Yum Yum who also very much loves strings and shiny things. The other day I came into the living room to find this:
Did you notice the little red tie on the floor? Obviously the lady who made this quilt for us did not anticipate a baby deconstructing her lovingly placed and oh-so-stringy-delightful ties (and apparently they're fun to eat since we've found them in her diaper).

Another of her favorite strings are on the body - if you've ever gotten your face too close to her little hands you probably know that she'll go for your eyelashes first and if she can't get them because you blink, she'll try to immobilize the whole eyelid with her razor fingernails then commence plucking out for eyelashes (I, for one, am grateful her fine motor control has a long way to go to mature or you could call me Eyelashless Amanda). After she's given up on the eyelashes she'll go for the hair. There must be something that feels so good about wrapping one's little fingers around strands of hair and yanking?

Electrical cords are another favorite of Grace's for general teething. Obviously we haven't done a great job of babyproofing yet since these two poor little cords are battle scarred with many toothless gum gnaw marks.

I think Weezer knew my baby when they (or whoever?) wrote the song with the lyrics "if you want to destroy my sweater, pull this string as I walk away." [Note to self: after mending the clothing that has had strings pulled out of it, be sure to trim every single thread so as not to mend again next week.] Just when you think you've found all threads available for picking...

One thing Yum Yum is famous for is un-tying shoelaces while the unknowing victim is being distracted. Let's just say that if Grace is sweetly playing at your feet and you're wearing tie shoes besure to look down so you don't trip on your way out.

Un-tying Grandpa Ivan's shoelaces

I'll bet that you can guess (you thought I was going to say can't guess...I have more faith in you than that!) why this is a favorite string, I mean thing:

What a funny babyrooski! Watch your strings next time you see her!