So I put Brooke down. I couldn't take anymore. I read Tori Spelling's book and I loved it. She was so funny and the way she wrote it was like I was chatting with a friend. Very informal, very funny. Brooke's style is similar, but not funny at all. Even when she's clearly trying to be, she's just not. She's a nerd. A big, fat dork.
So, I'm done. I didn't make it halfway through.

We are heading to the beach tomorrow. I made 3 sandwiches, 2 pb&j, 1 just J. As I was putting things into the beach bag (my ADD got the better of me when I was done cutting the sandwiches, I moved on) Pete moved in. That fat bastard ate all 3 in record time. And when I yelled at him, he wagged his big, furry tail and asked me for a glass of milk.
Fucker.

I went to bed last night, before 10pm. And I slept till 7. I woke up feeling like a Million Bucks! It was a great feeling. And with that, I decided to avoid Facebook and Pirates today. I know how pathetic that sounds, but let's be honest - we've all had our moments when the obsession of something new overrules our normal good sense. For me, my most recent nonsensical addiction is Pirates.
And I miss it, don't misunderstand me. Right now, I could do the math and tell you that since I logged out this morning, I have earned approximately $300k per hour which is just piling up in my bank, unprotected by me, likely being looted and plundered and pillaged while I "unplug".
Or, I can remind myself that I hung out by the pool with my kids today - giving them my full attention. I finished moving that pile of gravel that has been a part of our driveway for too many months to count. I was outside all day, after we shopped at both BJ's and Ted's.
And let me tell you - I shopped like a mama on the path to a fun-filled summer vacation.
I had a full, refreshing, satisfying day.
Another huge part of my fabulous day?
It was SUNNY!!!! There was no rain!!!! It was HOT OUT!

Man, I love summer!
I love summer with my kids!
I love the beach, the pool & bike riding!
Wyatt spent the better part of this afternoon in just a swimmie-diaper & bike helmet. How stinkin' cute is that?! And by the time those kids went into the tubbie tonight they were both covered with suntan lotion, ketchup (from their hotdog dinner) and bomb-pop drippings.
If that doesn't spell summer, I don't know what does.

Wow - that poll is really rockin! I am so excited!
And, my shameless attempts at grabbing your attention away from Facebook and onto my Blog are working! I love it.
Welcome to my new readers!!! I love that you are also old friends!!
I have re-activated the ability to comment anonymously - please feel free to do so if you have something to say, I do love to hear from you. Please sign your name if you use the anonymous option, though. It's nice to know who's saying what.

So - my mind is racing with activities.
Gymnastics, swimming lessons, school, ballet, karate, playgroup, Sunday School... you name it. The kid turns 3 and all of a sudden she's busier than me! And more expensive!
How much is too much? What is the right mix? When should what begin and when should it end and what should overlap?
It's crazy!

I won't buy into the "competitive" aspect of it. I have no desire to prepare my preschooler for Grad school. She is completely perfect just the way she is and I will continue to gauge how and what she needs by her telling me and me watching her. It worked with on-demand nursing, it works with on-demand learning - it's all the same thing, it's called "being mommy".

I do buy, however, the need to stimulate her and keep her interested in learning, achieving, growing etc. I want her to have every opportunity that she is capable of and interested in.

So, that brings me back to my original point - how much is too much, how much is not enough?

She will begin Preschool in the Fall. 2 days a week, 2 hours a day. I will drop her off and leave here there. I won't be watching like we do in gymnastics. That is a big deal. I think she will be great and very happy and amazing and thrive in her school environment, but it's still a really big deal.

It's a milestone.

And I won't rush into it.

Therefore, we won't be putting her into any preschool camps this summer - which is basically summer school.
She can get dropped off in September - with the cool breezes & the warm sun, a brand new backpack and new shoes and her teary-eyed mama waving from the classroom window. And waving. And crying. And waving... until the teacher has to tell me that I am disrupting her class and I have to leave.

Anyway - Jay and I do agree that swimming lessons this summer are a must. We have a pool, we could teach her. But, for $50, we'll pay a CPR-Certified Lifeguard to teach her, we'll just reinforce it at home.
That, too, is called "being mommy (and daddy)".

Should we sign up for Ballet Class, too? I have never known a little princess who loved to dance like a ballerina as much as I see my sweet girl primed and ready for plies and positions.
So, which one?
The 1 week, 5 day one through the town or the 8 week, 1 day version through the private dance school?

We know that she loves gymnastics, we know that she looks forward to the one day a week that she goes. We know that one day a week is enough.
So - do we sign up for the Fall semester? I am supposed to know if we'll be back in the Fall by early May.
Isn't 2 days at preschool enough "schedule" for my baby?
That is pretty much done in my mind. We can re-visit the gymnastics decision for the Winter or Spring semester - let's leave Fall alone, shall we? I think preschool will be bough for all of us. At least at first.

And the boy! What about the boy!?
With Abby out of the picture 4 hours a week - should I sign us up for some sort of "Mommy & Me" shit!?
Or should I just enjoy being with him and being alone together?
We can go to the park, we can go to playgroup, we can even just grocery shop, just the 2 of us... We've never been alone, Wyatt and I... it will be quite lovely.
I think he can wait for a pay-by-the-hour activity.
At least until the Winter semester...

I thought it would be fun to post some pics of the house & gardens from this past month. It is so much work to clean up winter. You plant and plant and weed, weed, weed then mulch, mulch, mulch and then you start over again when the blooms die and the weeds grow back. We love our yard work, though. Especially now that all of our dirt and sweat can be washed off in our pool!!

I will post pics towards the end of the summer, too. It is fun to compare and share the joys of our labor.

Who knew that such a cute little bugger could cause so much trouble?

As I mentioned earlier, Boogs has cut his first tooth. He is now working on his second one. If he is displeased, he demands my attention. He was displeased all day. All Day.
So, I gave him Tylenol and put him to bed. What else can you do, right?

Anyway...
I napped today. Almost 3 hours. That's what happens when you spend the day at Grammy & Granbo's house. Squeaks was so worn out she napped for 4 hours and was still asleep by 7pm. So, when the boy went down for his nap, I took the Big Girl into my bed for some "quiet time" and she was asleep in less than 4 minutes. So, I put her in her bed and contemplated cleaning the house, emptying the dishwasher, playing on my Book... and decided to go to sleep, instead. It was magnificent.
And I don't feel guilty at all. I still got done what I would normally get done. Because my 2 year old does not usually nap, so my time is normally consumed with entertaining her. You really need to take advantage of these rare opportunities for rest, ya know?

This morning, we were in the Big Pool around 9am.
We rounded out the morning in the Baby Pool. We had a busy day before 11am. The nap was perfect.