Today.

Sad thing: the babysitter didn't come this morning and didn't call, so the exciting, long-awaited start to my new letterpress art prints couldn't happen.

Happy things:
...the kids playing in the driveway, wearing their mouse ears
...a surprisingly speedy tortoise showing up in the front courtyard, pausing for a portrait then tortoise-sprinting off into the garden
...my little man – 16 months now! – appearing at my office door, sandy and sweaty, saying "More? More? Wa-wa! Wa-wa!" and when I get the cup of water, racing back to the wet sandbox shouting "Yaaaay! Yaaaaaay! Wa-waaaaaa!"

On balance, I'd say I win.

Interrupting the silence

We've been busy visiting family in California, and going to Disneyland. I'd like you to think that's why I haven't written in forever, but the real-honest-truth is that I've been partly overwhelmed and partly procrastinating.

I'll fill in some gaps soon; in the meantime here's a picture of the kidlets capering about in the California sunshine. No humidity! So novel!!!

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Bubble

You shield your child from all the things you think might frighten her – Spider Man (that mask) and Batman (scary villains) and Incredible Hulk (anger problem) and Bambi (the mother dies) and Blinky Bill (the father dies) and Scooby Doo (monsters galore).

You're attentive, you're vigilant, and you're ready to pat yourself on the back for carefully creating this lovely, fear-free little world.

And then she refuses to go into her toy room in broad daylight, "because there's an orange fox in Peter Rabbit, and he's looking at me."


Just. Can't. Win.


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Finalist

Berry just bounced in and said, "Mommy, you're so cute!" and instantly earned herself my Kid Of The Day Award.

Very prestigious. Very temporary.

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