This and that

In keeping with my friend, Sara’s, recent blog entry I have decided to update things in no particular order or lucidity.

1.      A week or more ago, I was giving Frances and George a bath.  Our typical routine involves getting the “work” done first (shampoo, wash the body) and then they can play together while I scamper around upstairs getting their pajamas ready, putting away things and just generally wrapping up the day.  It is not uncommon that I hear various sounds coming from the bathroom during my scurrying (usually laughing; sometimes fussing) and if the volume escalates too much I make my way into the bathroom to investigate the situation.  The other night I walked in on Frances and George in an all-out giggle fest, George “crawling” away from Frances (all of 3 inches in our tiny tub) and Frances chasing after him with a washcloth or a cup or some other random bath toy.  Once the twosome knew I was present, they both looked at me with adorable but mischievous eyes.  “What are you guys doing?”  To which, Frances replied, “we are playing ‘going shopping’ mommy.”  Whatever that meant.  And then the ultimate, “can you leave now?”  Can I leave?  I felt a combination of happiness that the kids are playing so well together and disbelief that I am suddenly not cool enough to enjoy their game.  I imagine this is only the beginning.

2.     I recently had my first sick day as a full-time mother, which as everyone knows (or should know) means you don’t actually get a sick day just a very tired mother at the end of an average (read: exhausting) day.  Thankfully, my only solo sick day landed on a Friday, which meant that both Saturday and Sunday Will could relieve me for a couple of hours to slowly recover.  Before I got sick, George had been grumpier than normal with a bonus runny nose, which I had hoped was just allergies or teething but I have determined meant he just gave me his gunk.

3.     Now that it is officially hot, I have been having those environmentally-induced memories (usually as I am walking the kids to our neighborhood pool).  There is something about the scorching sun, the 96+ heat, the faint bird calls (because surely they must be as hot as we are) and the smell of chlorine that sends me straight back to my middle school Peakland Pool swim team days.  I remember walking or riding my bike home after finishing up (what I thought was) a grueling swim practice and being completely and happily worn out.  I knew if I could just make it up the hill to my house a burst of air-conditioned air awaited me when I opened the front door and a Gatorade (red preferably) awaited me in the fridge.  Every season holds these same environmental memories - springtime usually reminds me of studying for the Bar (am I the only one who actually enjoyed this?); fall reminds me of strolling in Colonial Williamsburg with Will and Thanksgiving at my grandparents’ house; winter is always associated with Christmas.  The only problem with my youthful summertime memory is that once I reached home I could plop down on the couch or in my bed and fall asleep without a care in the world.  That part of the daydream is only occurring for 2 out of 3 of the participants these days.

4.     I wonder how many times I have picked up the throw pillows in our house since March 16^th.  I would venture to say hundreds of times, but with two dogs and two children who use throw pillows as though they were intended to actually throw I’m afraid my estimate must run into the thousands.

5.     I am not sure where the month of June has gone, but I am very excited to welcome in July.  And it’s not that June was a hard month—in fact, our little family really had a great time this first month of summer.  But my June days have been filled with vocalizing one person’s name more than anyone else’s—GEORGE!  I am hoping that we are merely experiencing an early onset of the “terrible twos” (and as a digression, I hate that term) and perhaps as a hint of good things to come, George could not have behaved better for me this morning (on the last day of the month, no less!).  And as if a kinder more gentler George wouldn’t be enough of a reason to celebrate July, we have quite an exciting month in store for us with July 4^th in Lynchburg, Will’s birthday, and our first “couple only” trip in three years!  Needless to say, I am very excited about that…



Puerto Rico!





Welcome, July!