Some notes and random thoughts from the weekend.
-Ellie’s two top teeth are cutting big time. The top left is out and the top right is just about out. Maybe that explains the miserable night we had Saturday (awake every hour it seemed and it took two hours just to get her down). Her favorite phrase right now is “Ah Duh!” She says it constantly. I don’t think it means anything, just her playing with language, but it’s very cute. She is waving like a professional now, on command. If you wave at her she smiles like it is the most hilarious thing and then waves back.
-Trader Joe’s makes an amazing instant miso soup. I spotted it on my bi-monthly shopping trip there. I know this sounds kind of ridiculous, considering miso is pretty much instant, but in my defense, this one comes with dehydrated tofu and scallions and I think seaweed. It is delicious. If only I wasn’t the only one in the house who liked miso (and feta and olives and kim chee and pretty much anything else that is stinky) I would design a whole meal around it!
-Leo is starting to be helpful around the house. When he feels like it. He spilled water (his new favorite thing is to drink out of a water bottle, probably the evil poisonous plastic sort). This weekend he spilled about a quarter of a bottle on the kitchen floor (I think it was an accident. I handed him some paper towels and he cleaned it up! Of course, he also went on to wring the paper towel out and watch the water drip all over the floor but hey, I am trying to be positive here. He gets really excited when you praise him and when he does something he thinks deserves praise (like bringing his sister a toy when she cries) he will clap for himself until you join in.
-We put our deposit down on the fence for the backyard. Construction will begin as soon as we get a permit from our township. Here’s hoping there are no glitches. I am expecting this will completely transform our summer. It will allow me to be outside with both kids and the dog, alone. I can’t tell you how not relaxing it is to have Ellie in the saucer, the dog on a leash and Leo, running down the driveway towards oncoming traffic. I have images of me gardening, the little ones playing and the dog frolicking. The other image is of kids playing, dog frolicking and me, relaxing on one of our lovely Adirondack chairs with a chilled glass of white wine or cold beer. That to me is summer at its finest. No surprise that I am dreaming of this today since in New York City it is gray and rainy and doing its best imitation of Portland, Oregon!
Pictured above, Ellie demonstrating her standing skills, Leo pitching in and a scene from out backyard (squint and you can see the sad, falling down fence in the background). I love the expression on Leo’s face. And does he ever love that dog. Good thing because she drives me insane.
To come: some better “Before” pics of the backyard, and of course, the “Afters!”
