46.

Dear Clairegirl,
Remember when I used to write you thoughtful little letters detailing your development each month? And then the letters abruptly stopped around the time the Mister entered our lives? Sorry about that. It is never that I don't notice you. But we are in a different world now, girlie girl. It is not easy. And while it is easier now than it was at the beginning, I will forever feel like I am trying to catch up.

This week, I had a little cold, nothing serious but enough to keep the 'midifier close at night and keep us home most days. At this stage, that's pretty rare for us. You don't seem to mind. It's not like we sat around watching The Price is Right. We have baked. We have planted seeds. We made cheese. We have danced. A lot. I am reminded that somehow, in the fall we we move from leisurely mornings to driving you across town 3 days a week for preschool. I'm still not sure how that is going to work, only that it will.

A big selling point of your school is that it starts at 9:30. We NEED a 9:30 start time. We haven't really had to be out of the house for anything on a regular basis in about 4 years. It is all changing, as it always does. I will remind myself to keep on noticing you as we spend this summer together and I prepare to be away from you 9 hours a week.

You're going to love it. And I will be there at 12:30 each day to collect your artwork and hear your stories.
I love you, Pooper.
Love,
Mama

30. make mozzarella

I used a kit from this local company. This was considerably more enjoyable than #21.

three dreams from the day after enrolling claire into preschool

1. We're playing with a pilates ball. The teacher circles around and tells me, "This is really embarrassing, but I need to ask you to stop showing your crack to the students."

2. An extremely tough looking 4 year old punches Claire in the face. Claire has a seizure. I tell the teacher, "My son has seizures."

3. The teacher is driving my car. The kids are in the backseat. I tell her to turn left, she turns directly off a cliff. We are submerged. I manage to get out of the car and attempt to pull it out of the water with my huge biceps.

Other than that, I'm fine.

lovefest.

Mister Baby is in deep deep Dada love at the moment. If Nate tries to work at home, it is not pretty. Unless of course he wants to pack around his own personal mini-me. Then, it is just fine. It is magic to watch your husband become a Dada. I read once that you shouldn't marry someone unless you'd be ok with your son ending up just like the man you're considering. I would be proud if Evie ended up just like this goon.

wouldn't it be lovely?

Everything she sees lately is lovely. This is lovely oatmeal, Mommy. I love you, lovely Mommy.

I do not feel so lovely. I am tired and irritable and my skin is itchy. I am tired of being stuck indoors. Tired of our torn apart house. I am tired. I think I have been tired for about five years now.

It's hard to be an angerball when someone so lovable spends her days calling you lovely.