We survived the 10+ hour drive home from western Pennsylvania, and oh my goodness, are our critters happy to see us! We had a wonderful vacation with lots of creek time, and I'll post some photos and stories here this week, so stay tuned!
Travelingjenny
Navigating the hilly terrain of motherhood
about
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It's really fun to snuggle up on the couch with your sister and your dog. Summer is hard work!
[Note: We're heading off on our summer road trip to Pennsylvania tomorrow, so you may not be hearing from me for a while… unless I snap some good photos on my iPhone that I feel I MUST share with you immediately. Otherwise, I'll be back on the 4th of July!]
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Poor Tess, being the younger sister of an outgoing older sister means that she has to hang around — a lot — with her sister's friends. And being the younger daughter of a rather introverted mother means that she never gets any playdates of her own because her mother already deals with enough playdates, thank you very much. Being the sweet, easygoing soul that she is, Tess is often included in the games and shows of the older kids. But lately I've noticed — because she has outright said so — that Tess would like to have her very own playdates. The poor sweet child, who hardly every asks for anything, just wants some friends of her own. So when we were notified that she could bring a friend to her last gymnastics class, we managed some tricky logistics, and were able to bring along a friend of Tess's from preschool. And they were both ecstatic. And our little guest was so sweet, and there was so much giggling all morning, that I wonder why I didn't do this sooner. Tess, I'm sorry, and I'm going to make it up to you.
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To the guy who makes us laugh — and makes us feel loved — every day. Thanks for being you! We love you!
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Do you know what this is called, people? It's called SUMMER.
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Yes, we definitely need one of these in our backyard. Forget solar power, we could have Gracie power!
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I'm enjoying a lot of things about our just-turned-five-year-old. I love the questions she asks ("Are robots real?"). I love her crazy, out-of-the-blue proclamations ("Mom! Great-grandpa is a zombie!"), and her adorable matter-of-factness ("Mom, I love you, but that is the last time I'm going to say it."). I also love the names she gives her stuffed animals and dolls. This afternoon at the park, she brought along a variety of little critters. The bear wearing the scarf? His name is "Cold." The purple bear with the bow around her neck? "Bow" of course. The bunny holding the carrot? Her name is "Carrot" — obviously! All the names were good, but I think my favorite was the pink unicorn with the sparkly pink hooves. Her name is "Colorful."
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On Saturday, the four of us — plus Marshmallow and Penny — participated in the Pet & People fundraising walk to benefit the Center for Grieving Children. Tess really wanted to bring her own pet, and Marshmallow's cage fit perfectly in the family wagon. Believe it or not, Marshmallow was the only guinea pig in attendance, although there were two geckos and a bunny (and countless dogs, of course). She attracted a lot of attention, due to her uniqueness as well as her adorableness, and Tess was very proud. Not to worry, though, Penny wasn't jealous — she attracted a lot of attention, too. And we're pretty sure she was the only Baton Rouge Stray there that day.
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So, this last-day-of-school photo is becoming a tradition. And apparently, it is also becoming a tradition for me to feel sad as another school year ends and my sweeties keep growing older. It's just not possible that my little Tess will be in kindergarten next year. And don't even get me started on Grace and the "Book of Inner Light" her classmates gave her today, stating the things they like about her ("You are almost always smiling." "You are very good at math."). So, just to warn you: I will be a complete wreck when these two go off to college.
Travelingjenny 