"Bye-bye" Summer!!

Oh man, it's just killing me...at the risk of being dramatic, I feel like something awesome is coming to a painful, dramatic end. Well, I mean, it IS...Summer..it's over for me in one week!!! Can you believe that?! Remember when "summer" meant June, July & August?? Not anymore. Teachers now have to go back in mid-August, thus negating the three [aforementioned] reasons we go IN to teaching in the first place. Changing lives? Bologna!! Making a difference? Children, Schmildren. It's all a rouse -- we do it for the SUMMERS!! And mine is slipping irrevocably into the past -- and I hate it! I have just LOVED being a full-time mamma for two and a half months. I loved waking her up in the mornings (did I say that? cause I meant being woken up BY her...), I loved watching her learn things, I loved finding her new teeth, I loved "cooking" new things for her to try out, and I loved swimming lessons, I loved inventing silly toys out of out formula cans, I loved hearing her first "word".... I could go on, but it's essentially all the same stuff. I loved doing what stay-at-home moms get to do every day. If anyone out there is a stay-at-home mom...relish it. For all of us who just can't have it both ways - eat it up, you have an incredibly awesome opportunity. Luckily, one of us parental units will be home with her at all times. I love not putting her in day care. I know eventually we'll probably dabble in some "pre-school" type stuff but I love not having to take her somewhere in the morning and then wondering if she's being loved on enough all day. It's really a good feeling. Although, I'm certain we're developing a little monster. How could we not - her world is SO about her? We went to my aunt and cousin's joint birthday party Sunday night and Miss P became the evening entertainment. She laps it up - it's truly comedic. Such a scene stealer. She plays a mad game of peek-a-boo, claps her sticky little hands, and is even eating Cheerios. It's crazy. Where did that little no-motor skill-havin baby go?? Our coconut with a sock pinned to it? Our softball with a bow taped to it? Our saggy little tights with a potato thrown inside?? Oh man. Darn kids.

Oh speaking of motor skills - and this is a sore subject -- we're still being a bit, um, challenged in the whole crawling department. I'm even more convinced that if she does crawl, it will be extremely short lived. She's definitely showing more interest in standing and even walking. Her "crawl" has really turned into an exercise in the "downward dog" pose. My guess is, and this is metaphorically speaking, her "downward dog pose" simply one of the photos in the Evolution of Man graphic, (knuckles dragging, etc.) and she'll soon be in a more upright position and, in fact, walking. Amazing.

Okay, so I have a bunch of pictures but I haven't uploaded them to photobucket. We've been on a ton of field trips - museums, the zoo, outdoor parks, etc. I think we can safely say we have truly enjoyed our first summer with Miss P. I know I'll be counting the days even more diligently this school year!! Would it be inappropriate to have a count down, much like we do in the month of May, on the board the entire year? "Only 186 days, kids!!!!" "But teacher, it's September..." "I know kids. Now, shut up and say it with me...ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY SIX!!"

Anyway, I'll post some pictures soon. Send me "separation-anxiety-calming vibes"

It's night night time. :)