Changes

Everyday after nap time I spend some quality time with both Sadie and Simon. Sadie loves to have Simon in her crib so she can hug him and kiss him and sometimes she likes to "help" him roll over, which means she grabs him and flips him over against his considerable will. It's all the in the name of good fun at my house. I try to walk the line of letting them play with each other without the spectre of mom hovering over their every move, but I also need to protect Simon because Sadie does not always know her strength. She also likes to copy the stuff she sees us doing with Simon, so she pinches his cheeks like mama does, but occasionally her pinches are a little distressing for Simon. I love that time of day, especially if I have gotten to catch a little snooze myself. Everyday I am conscious that that few hours is time I would never have if I was working outside my home.

We are also about to hit the end of an era here. Sadie is starting to be able to pronounce the letter "s" when it starts a word. Our days of hearing her call herself "Ladie" and her brother "Limon" are numbered. When I was driving her to the park the other day, she was in the back seat saying "SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSadie" over and over again. I asked her who taught her to say her name like that. She said, "Sabrina," our beloved nanny. I felt happy. I have never once tried to correct her pronunciation of her name because I think it's cute and the pediatrician said she's got 2 years before she's "supposed" to pronounce her S's. I refuse to spend my time correcting Sadie for acting her age. I am ok with Sabrina working with Sadie because I have seen her lovely, gentle and attentive manner. I will miss her "Ladie" though. I also have a feeling she'll be pronouncing shoes as "loos" for a long time still.

As summer winds down I have a few things on my summer 2011 bucket list. I want to buy ice cream from the little dude who pushes an ice cream cart around our neighborhood ringing a bell. It seems like a quaint way to commemorate summer and support our enterprising neighbors. I also want to take Sadie to the zoo now that she knows more about animals and their sounds. I have dreams of the aquarium, but since we will need all the cold weather activities we can get I will save that for winter. I also included running a 5K on my list, but Jeff and I did that tonight with some friends and it was a perfect evening: 75 degrees, nice breeze off the lake, full moon and delicious al fresco dining. What could be better? It's the kind of night I thought I would never have once I had children and I am happy to be proven wrong.

Other bucket list items: order a marriage license to be sure this whole thing is legal; send out thank you cards for all the generosity we've experienced this summer; make something delicious with summer vegetables from the farmer's market; and clean out our freezer.

Is this the most exciting life you have ever seen chronicled on the internet? Maybe not, but it's the best life I have.