Summer just got more fun

Like most everyone else, summer as a kid was the best three months of the year. Recently, summer had become just a hotter version of every other day with fall/early winter taking my top spot.

Enter Little S. I’m sure years from now, I’ll go back to dreading summer because the kids will be home and bored and fighting and in my way, but for now, she’s made summer much more fun!

Little S wants reading to be important. She’s trying to get the cat in on the action.

 

It wouldn’t be summer without some pool time. The local pool has parent-preschool swim every day for an hour. I’m hoping to get over there on Fridays to really make it a worthwhile summer. Little S was dressed and ready for our first visit

 

We had lots of fun splashing and going down the slide. I look forward to a fun summer of splashing with Little S.

Sunday we got to visit again with Little E, my friend Deb’s daughter. She’s a year older than Little S, which means she’s wise to the ways of the world. And, she’s got GREAT, fun toys to play with! They gave us the great outfit Little S is wearing in these pictures.

Going down the slide at E’s house

Little S wanted to help make dinner

and, she went for a Sunday drive

She took Little E for a ride too

A GREAT summer weekend, made better with the addition of Little S.

the summer plague besets us

Dear Little S-
In case the whole wrestling with you for an HOUR to get you to sleep tonight after a day of almost no naps wasn't enough, I wanted to tell you how much I really appreciate that your cute little runny nose is quickly turning into a Class 7 cold for your mommy. She LOVES having her eyeballs sear, her throat coated in wool, and every muscle and limb ache too.
You're right, compared to childbirth, I shouldn't complain.
And hey, if you could wake up EXTRA early tomorrow too, that would be extra special.
Love-
Mommy

p.s. Daddy would be really sad if you didn’t share your cold with him too.

Before I go…

Squeezing in a quick post before I leave for Reno for work for a week. I know Big and Little S will just have a blast without me-as usual!

I got some unexpected extra time with Little S this week as the poor babysitter had strep. Or possibly worse, but we aren’t thinking about that yet. It was a very long week tying up loose ends at the office so that everything could function without me physically being there. Even my Thursday at home ended up being a 10 hour work day, thanks to big S coming home early so I could go in to the office. He saved me from having a 15 hour day!

However, working like a dog all week allowed me to get caught up enough to actually take a few hours off on Friday and have some fun with Little S, all weekend long. Gotta pack it in before I leave her sweet face for a week!

The babysitter’s son must have left one of his trucks here, which Little S discovered

 

No negative gender stereotypes being reinforced in this house. Playing with the truck was cheered on. She pushed it all around. Which means the photos are all blurry because a truck drivin’ gal on the move is hard to get a good photo of

 

In addition to pursuing a career as a truck driver, Little S has been working on her backup career as a musician. Some of her playing styles are unique shall we say. But hey-maybe it’s her ticket to stardom!

I’ll have that memory with me all week long.

Melancholy. Baby.

As summer sets in, and Little S’ home for her first nine months is still there in all it’s glory, I’ve gotten more bummed about missing workouts.

Thanks to Big S, I’ve been able to bike to work about once a week for the last month-today included. On the way home, I pass the track that I used to run at every Tuesday night with my running club. Being as how it was a Tuesday, I glanced over and saw several of the regulars there and started reflecting back onto my pre-baby life. All the workouts, two a day. Years of never missing a track practice-even trying to schedule work around that and other workouts. (Not that it made me any faster, but at least I could pretend). Thinking wistfully about that nice, repetitive schedule.

But then I realized, ten or fifteen years from now-what if that were still my life? Every Monday, running at Niketown. Tuesdays and Thursday mornings at the pool and so on. If I looked back on that in many years, it would seem downright boring. Sure, a schedule is nice, but, it can become repetitive-a grind even*. I thought about it and while I probably still won’t be fast or skinny in ten or fifteen years,  at least I can say that life since May 7, 2008 was NEVER boring.

Thanks Little S! I look forward to many, MANY interesting and fun days ahead.

*not to say that only people with kids lead interesting lives.