Tattoos by noon

If you heard of someone who ran away in the morning, got two tattoos by noon, bragged about her underwear-less status shortly thereafter, and finished by taking notice of a scantily clad man in the store... would you feel exhausted? If so, welcome to my Monday. While Margo didn't actually attempt to run away, she did let herself out of the house without permission, in hopes of "peeing in the yard." While her tattoos were of butterflies, and I did help apply them, they are still proudly displayed on her biceps. While she has been going commando ever since the warm weather hit, she decided to announce it to the cashier this afternoon as we checked out at Home Depot. And while the man shopping in the aisle nearby wasn't truly "nakey" (he was wearing cutoff jeans and a white tank top), she did remark about his exposed skin so loudly that he turned around to grin and laugh. Whew. That girl does keep me on my toes.

My big girl, on the other hand, has re-entered a testing phase. She's been trying out words that she knows aren't permitted (fortunately for the time being, her choice words are "stupid" and "Jesus Christ," so I know it could be worse) and suggesting we "die," before taking it back and apologizing. I'm not sure where this phase came from, but I'm hoping it doesn't stick around long. She's just about done with kindergarten, and I can't believe how far she has come- as I watch her write stories, draw complex pictures, and read books, I'm in awe of how many skills she has furthered in such a short period of time. I do cringe at the time when her homework will be beyond my own knowledge, but for now I'll pretend that those days are far away. She changes so fast that I often don't recognize her, but quality time with her (we recently had our first mother-daughter mani-pedi, as well as a trip to see a Broadway play on tour) recharges our bond.

Summer is approaching, and I couldn't be more excited. One of the main perks of having a husband who puts in long hours teaching all year is the summers off. Woo hoo!! For the time being we're planning a number of day trips (stay-vacations, if you will) as well as a trip westward to PA to score some time with some furry creatures (aka Elmo and crew) and to see a land of wonder (aka Dutch Wonderland). The "honey-do" list has grown a lot lately, as we tackle one room at a time. Silly as it may be, my goal is for each room in the house to look as well put-together as a Pottery Barn catalog. This weekend we tackled the playroom-- sorting, purging, organizing, and making it a more pleasant place to be. I've been on an organization kick ever since Spring, and hope this summer will bring even cleaner closets and neater drawers. Oh, such exciting dreams.

More to the point, I'm hoping this summer brings some sweet memories... the kind that you don't know you're making until after they're done. Our annual evening at the drive-in movie is a must, as well as some lazy afternoons sitting alongside the beach, looking out at the sky. The girls love to swim and I'm sure we'll be in the pool plenty, but I'm also hoping for quiet moments cuddling on blankets under a shady tree, hiking through the cool woods, picnicking around town, and hopefully even a family bike ride. Throw in some BBQ gatherings with friends and family, and I'm even more excited for the months ahead. Long, warm days with blue skies are always my favorite kinds of days, and thoughts of such days got me through the dreary months of winter. Ah, summer. I hope to see you there!