light at the end

there's a reason this blog has been dry lately.

this girl?

she's two.

oh. my. word is she two.

and you know what? there's a reason i didn't blog when big h was two. because i was a peach to be around. and so was he.

or not.

and lately? i'm surprised i still have friends, really. because whew. the grey hairs are popping up all over the place. because of her.

and in case you didn't know. it's still summer. and will be for a long time. which just might have something to do with my sour, pitiful mood.

but college football starts soon. there's some hope.

but here is what has been going on around here.

everyone i know has a kid going to kindergarten. seriously. everyone i know. or so it seems. (don't you agree?)

big h is starts his last year of preschool next thursday. five days a week. big kid. it won't hit me until the second day in a row.

(for the record, this is a picture of big h's FIRST popsicle. ever. i know. he's a different one, that big h.)

but the day he starts? is the same day goo starts.

heaven help those teachers.

she's only going once a week. and those other four days? i'm thinking she may not like leaving the building without big h. just a hunch.

yesterday was interesting. we're noticing new things about goo left and right. first of all, her vocabulary is CRAZY. we NEVER had this with big h -- the "normal" development in the area of speech. i know. you can't believe it. but she is repeating things all the time. and it has been so fun to watch her do so. and most of the things she repeats are things that big h says. so we've been talking to him so much lately about setting a good example for her. and he takes this job VERY seriously.

oh, the things he says to her. hilarious. like, when he said the other day, "sweetheart. i'm sorry, but that is not ok for you because it is dangerous. i'm so sorry but i want you to make a good choice, goo. ok? show me how you can make a good choice."

i was dying.

anyway...yesterday. we walked to the local mcdonalds. it's close enough. i thought it would be nice to walk. hot outside, but we could get there, eat lunch, and play at the play area. all was well. didn't have the double stroller. just the single and the backpack. goo would have NO PART of the backpack. but big h would. so i walked for a while with him on it until i could go NO MORE. on the way home, goo fell asleep in the stroller.

(i'd like to add that it wasn't just hot. it was blistering hot with one kid telling me how hot it was. and i felt like i hadn't showered in two weeks. it was hot. don't let my one mention steer you from the hard facts. it was really hot. not sure why i decided to walk to freaking mcdonalds.)

so i did the lift and lay. she cried for a minute but then was quiet. i thought i had succeeded. so big h and i snuggled on my bed and fell asleep together. bliss.

apparently, goo was NOT asleep. when i walked in, i noticed there was a shadow on the wall by her crib.

and so.

i said to myself. "please, Lord, let it NOT be poop. let it not be poop."

i turned the light on. and oh my word. both walls (her crib's in the corner) were/still are COVERED in red crayon. nice. no amount of magic eraser will get that stuff off. (pictures to come later. camera is in her room.)

and so... i think we will repaint.

new year. new room.

my birthday? was ok. i played with a friend and her children instead of going to the play care. great friend. still should've gone to the play care for an hour or two. did go on a date with buz. who continues to be as dreamy as ever. had dinner and then just walked around a couple of stores. perfect.

and you know what buz got me for my birthday? this. freaking awesome.

and the best part of my day today? watching buz do the hula and kick some tail at it.

hope all of you with sweet little ones in kindergarten are surviving emotionally. know that i'm thinking about you.