1. I have some sad news to report. Yesterday we discovered that all three baby robins have died. We're not exactly sure what happened. (Does anyone ever know when it comes to nature?) William, especially, is pretty upset about this. In fact, he's more upset about this than he was about his grandparent's dog that died earlier this month. He has lots of questions that I don't know how to answer. I keep telling myself that this, too, is all a part of a good lesson.
2. I, too, find myself deeply saddened by this news. Why? It's just a bunch of robins. They're a dime a dozen around these parts. I am reminding myself of my good friend, Kali, who we tease relentlessly for her tree-hugging heart. She once called the Humane Society (or was it a vet clinic?) about a bunch of baby bunnies in her yard who were suddenly orphaned when a neighborhood cat got the mother. We all laughed at her sensitivity to bunnies because, after all, bunnies are not about to make it onto the endangered species list any time soon. But I'm starting to understand how she felt. When a mother chooses to make a nest on your property, you feel a sense of responsibility. What did I do wrong? Could I have done more? I know the answer to these questions. It's just one of those things. But still, I'm sad.
3. In other happy news, I got to have a lunch date with my husband today like a real, live grown-up. Katherine's bedtime routine seems to be a padlock with a combination that changes daily so we haven't been able to go out in the evenings. I was starting to feel a little trapped. And then it dawned on me: why not lunch?! Lunch and nap routines are much easier to work with. So I grabbed the neighborhood girl that we've been using all summer to babysit and I met Brian at one of the better lunch spots in St. Paul. (Eric, it was the Gnome!) I made sure it was a nice enough spot that I actually had to put on makeup, do my hair and pay attention to what I was wearing. We pretended like we were rich and that I was pregnant with our first baby. But when the topic quickly turned to the kids' swimming lesson report cards, we realized we weren't kidding anyone but ourselves.
4. I took this picture yesterday of a big brother trying to entice a little sister to crawl. I love the trail she's supposed to follow. I also love her diaper butt. Babies are awesome.
5. Katherine doesn't have a lot of interest in getting up on all fours and crawling. She can still get around within a two-foot radius by scooting or rolling. After taking that picture I realized that had Katherine been my first child (maybe even my second) I might be a little worried that she's turning nine months on Monday and has no interest in crawling. But this third time around I know she's perfectly perfect. She's exactly where she's supposed to be for being Katherine. And besides, with another on the way I'm not exactly sure I want to encourage any kind of mobility anyway.
6. I'm so sad that summer is already more than half done. And also, I'm so relieved that summer is already more than half done. I love the freedom and flexibility of summer while at the same time craving the routine that the school year brings. I love the sunshine and extra daylight while also yearning for darkness come evening so my kids would go to sleep just one hour earlier. I love the heat for its carefree tank tops and skirts but miss the chill for wearing my long-sleeved tees and tall boots. And college football! We are counting the days. (New readers should know that I am not at all being sarcastic about this. I heart college football.) School supplies are already out on all the shelves at Target. Sharpened pencils. New crayons. Fresh, clean notebooks. I kind of love it.
7. Lastly, I want to thank all of you for your kind words of encouragement, prayers and thoughtfulness when I announced my pregnancy. I have no doubt that this journey is going to have a lot of ups and downs and it's so wonderful to know that I can still be honest in this place without feeling judged for our decisions. You are the reason I keep on writing even when I think I want to quit again and again.
6. I'm so sad that summer is already more than half done. And also, I'm so relieved that summer is already more than half done. I love the freedom and flexibility of summer while at the same time craving the routine that the school year brings. I love the sunshine and extra daylight while also yearning for darkness come evening so my kids would go to sleep just one hour earlier. I love the heat for its carefree tank tops and skirts but miss the chill for wearing my long-sleeved tees and tall boots. And college football! We are counting the days. (New readers should know that I am not at all being sarcastic about this. I heart college football.) School supplies are already out on all the shelves at Target. Sharpened pencils. New crayons. Fresh, clean notebooks. I kind of love it.
7. Lastly, I want to thank all of you for your kind words of encouragement, prayers and thoughtfulness when I announced my pregnancy. I have no doubt that this journey is going to have a lot of ups and downs and it's so wonderful to know that I can still be honest in this place without feeling judged for our decisions. You are the reason I keep on writing even when I think I want to quit again and again.
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