The little girlies have a xylophone and piano keyboard. I wanted to get them drums, tambourines and a harmonica, but Mom exercised a hard veto on that idea.
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One instrument little kids like that is not terrible for parents is a rainstick.
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A nanny change is one of the most stressful events that a family has to navigate. I lived through it way too many times.
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GD has some little handbells, which she loves to ring. Today, she was blowing into a plastic recorder & even moving her fingers over the air holes. She only has a few words down pat, but she “sings.” She is very musical, like her mom. It’s fun to watch!
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Funny you mention Alexa. When GD was not quit 2, she stood on the stairs and yelled, in a not easy to understand toddler voice, “Alexa, play Wheels on the Bus!” My daughter told her they didn’t have Alexa, once she realized what GD was saying; yet GD kept repeating the phrase. Turns out her daycare class had an Alexa, so she had heard the teachers talking to it.
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My GD is about 14 months old now. She cried yesterday when I was leaving. 
She followed me to the door when I was putting on my coat. She asked to be picked up. When I gave her back to D1 she started to cry and put her body toward me. As soon as I held her she stopped crying.
It definitely made it harder for me to leave.
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She knows grandma loves her!
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@oldfort cant believe she is already a toddler. It seems like yesterday that your daughter was getting married.
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PlanToys makes a wooden drum and drumstick that is not obnoxiously loud. Our GD loves it, but has also used the drumstick to experiment on several garden stools and small tables. She’s fascinated by the different sounds and continues to check out new ones.
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Niece and nephew just had a girl after 3 boys. Any thoughts on a gift? The 2 grandmothers have lost their minds shopping for girl clothes.
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Childrens’ books focusing on being a strong, independent female. My GD loves her books focusing on what girls can accomplish.
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My GD also loves books now. A friend got her a monthly book subscription.
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Great idea about the books! Any suggestions?
https://www.amazon.com/Awesome-Iconic-Women-Changed-World/dp/1250215994/ref=asc_df_1250215994/
https://www.amazon.com/Think-Big-Little-Vashti-Harrison/dp/0316475130/ref=asc_df_0316475130/
For a little later - 6 and up
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Night-Stories-Rebel-Girls/dp/0997895810/ref=asc_df_0997895810/
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https://www.amazon.com/This-Little-Trailblazer-Power-Primer/dp/1534401067/ref=asc_df_1534401067/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312041961788&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15477555409500539031&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017008&hvtargid=pla-561868300467&psc=1 is a big hit with GD, who likes to kiss the girls.
She also loves this book: https://www.amazon.com/Kindness-Makes-Strong-Sophie-Beer/dp/198481639X/ref=asc_df_198481639X/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=416883074292&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6859891283107178647&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017008&hvtargid=pla-854529338769&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=94182732856&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=416883074292&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6859891283107178647&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017008&hvtargid=pla-854529338769. There are others in the series that she likes, but she really likes this one.
My kids liked actually being read to, but GD prefers looking at pictures and being told a little bit about them, rather than reading. We look for bright pictures with different pictures on every page. She likes Goodnight Moon and Brown Bear as far as the classics go.
Board books and cloth books are best for her, because she’ll rip paper books. She used to put everything in her mouth, so I got her this book: https://www.amazon.com/Farm-Babies-Babys-Unrippable-Wing/dp/1680529587/ref=asc_df_1680529587/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=508963787488&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1508742953155164278&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017008&hvtargid=pla-1266833701624&psc=1. It was a favorite for months.
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Excited that I get to babysit GD (now 15 months old). My son-in-law tore a tendon in his arm doing martial arts stuff and will have surgery and need to keep his right hand in a sling. Not sure for how long. My D has to travel for work a few days after SIL’s surgery, so H and I are driving to their house (950 miles) in two weeks. We’re taking a chair that used to be H’s when he was a child–I have a friend who rejuvenates old furniture she finds on the side of the road or at the transfer station (She calls her business–Side of the Road.) She refinished the seat of the chair it was oak and painted the rest of it white and added stencil of a rabbit/flowers.
Thanks for all the book recommendations above. I’m going to order a few of those and bring them to GD. She really likes the books she has including one that her paternal grandfather gave her called–Physics for Babies (he’s a physicist, of course).
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Just another suggestion about books - board books by Sandra Boynton. I think we have them all. 
Also, there are some great videos of several of her books on YouTube including Perfect Piggies and T-Rex. If you’re not familiar with Boynton’s musicals and videos, you may be surprised by the artists who’ve collaborated on them.
If your GD is allowed to use an iPad, there’s a collection of four Boynton books that have sound and animations which the child can (somewhat) control. That silly turkey in Red Hat, Blue Hat has been a favorite for months here. I like that a child can either listen to the story being read aloud or can choose to read it herself.
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Have Mo Willems’s books been mentioned here yet? My GD has adored the Pidgeon and the Elephant and Piggy books since she was a baby. They are really fun to read, too.
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Sorry about your SIL’s injury but babysitting sounds fun.
Seriously could have used this 64 years ago…
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Overly scary day today! GD (3) fell off the top of a tall climbing structure at the park. Ambulance ride to the local trauma center. I met D and GD there (brought their car so they’d have the car seat for ride home.) Lots of exams and xrays, but it looks like she’s fine, just will be very achy. Getting there and seeing this tiny brave person in a neck brace lying as still as she could was heartbreaking, but she is a trooper.
(last week her almost-1yr brother was MRI’d to check for neuro issues. Got news finally today that all looked normal, hours before the park accident.)
Hoping for a boring day tomorrow.