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Road Trip Warrior
We made it! I can’t even believe it myself. It wasn’t the easiest road trip I have ever taken. Not because of the long hours stuck in cramped quarters but purely because of the close proximity of my ear to my toddler’s full volume constant squealing. It was BAD. I think I lost my mind. You all can leave your heart in San Francisco but I’ll be singing about leaving my mind in the San Fernando Valley.
I guess two-and-a-half is the official age that children stop sleeping the whole way during long drives. (And NO we did not give them caffeine in their starbucks drinks you see there.) Either that or Baby Bug was so wound up because she got to sit right next to her favorite cousin that she decided with her super-strength willpower that she didn’t need to sleep. But she really really really did need a nap. By the time 3 o’clock came around, we were at the point where she was crying because the sky was blue.
Part of me has been wondering if bringing her on this trip was the wisest thing to do. She loves her cousins and she loves her Grandma so I know she will have a good time while I am off in San Francisco having my own good time BUT could she be any more difficult right now? Who is this devil spawn that I have created? Is it normal for the child to be the one in charge? I seriously have doubted my sanity in the last 24 hours.
My mom assures me that Baby Bug is nothing like this when I am not around. Apparently all the rebellion is for my benefit only and when I am gone she is back to her old angel self. I will just have believe them and rest on the fact that I know my mom and my friend Susan (who we are staying with during the conference) are very capable loving guardians for my little Tasmanian devil.
I know this apprehension to leave Baby Bug in the care of another is mostly my own personal fear. I know I am the one who is struggling and not Baby Bug. She’ll wave goodbye and maybe cry for me for about two minutes at nap time and bed time but other than that she probably won’t miss me a bit. I’ll be the one checking my watch and calling every hour on the hour.
But I’ll also be the one with a little spring in her step because, Wheeeee! I have eight hours to spend on my own for the first time in TWO AND A HALF YEARS!!!!
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when life gives you lemons…
The other day Baby Bug and a friend and I walked to the Farmer’s Market and out the corner of our eyes we spotted some LEMONS! Right away, we all thought about making lemonade. Sure, you can buy the powdered kind or even frozen concentrate and maybe it tastes just as good BUT there is something special about making your own lemonade from real lemons. I think the only thing I might like better would be if I could pick lemons from my own tree… maybe someday. Until then I’ll get them at the farmer’s market or from Bethany’s new house.
I’m always looking for fun little easy projects that will help us burn up the daylight hours productively. Lemonade is very easy to make. Even Baby Bug could do it!
Well mostly. The lemons were a little tough for her to squeeze but that didn’t stop her from enjoying the hands-on process thoroughly.
The best part, of course, was the mixing. I didn’t follow a recipe. I think half the fun is figuring out the proper water/sugar/lemon ratio by tasting. It’s like a scientific experiment for very unscientific people like me.
We tasted and we tasted and we tasted and we also added a LOT of sugar. The only problem is that we had so much fun, now Baby Bug wants to repeat the whole experiment every time I pull out the pitcher for another glass.
She’s so OCD* like that. If you repeat anything fun more than once then that is the way it must be done from now on until the end of time! I might just have to make up a pitcher of straight lemon juice and make “lemonade” one glass at a time.
Or just distract her with something else fun and repeatable, like a impromptu lemonade and chocolate cookie snack on the patio. We can definitely do that again and again. I just love the patio during summer. It’s really the best room in our house.
Cheers to lemons and enjoying summer afternoons! May we repeat this for many moons to come!
*BB is not OCD she’s just very TWO.
