Summer is (almost) here

Hi Boo,

Back in March, when I posted that picture of you in my ski boots, I guess it was still cold enough that either I had been skiing sometime recently or was thinking I MIGHT still get out again to ski sometime again this year. Last weekend, when it hit about 95, I gave up on any additional skiing or late spring snows we might get. It's not stayed that warm, of course, but it gave me a chance to get out your baby pool and let you run around naked on the porch for a while, which you love.

Speaking of getting out the baby pool, funny kind of story that I like to think illustrates just how much I love you. Saturday, while your daddy was working and you were taking a nap, I thought, I need to get out Kaia's baby pool since it's quite hot out and I know she'd love to splash around in the pool. So, remembering that I put it away carefully in the basement in the old kitchen cupboards that we moved down there for storage, I headed down, confident that I could find them quickly. I met with several obstacles. First, I had forgotten that when the new tenants moved into the barn, we moved all the furniture into the basement. And that all three mattresses (well, two plus a futon) were now leaning on the cupboard where the pool was stored. Second, I could not figure out how to get the lights on that side of the basement on. I checked every switch and cord, everything seemed to be plugged in, but no light. So, I go up, get the flashlight, and head down. I have to kind of scoot into the space between the cupboard and the mattresses, which is kind of claustrophobia-inducing, and then I have to heave open the door of the cupboard. Right as I am doing this, two things happen simultaneously: the flashlight goes out, and I hear something scurrying (slithering) up ABOVE MY HEAD. My first thought is that it's a mouse, which doesn't make sense, and then I remember the snakeskins we found in the wall spaces when we redid the kitchen. All I can think about is that the snake is going to drop on my head, I will faint or have a heart attack (not that I am that scared of snakes, but c'mon, a snake falling on your head in a pitch dark basement?), the mattresses will fall on top of me and smother me, and it will be weeks or months before anyone finds me. Luckily for all of us, the flashlight came back on, no snake fell on my head, I yanked out the goddamn baby pool and literally sprinted out of the basement.

Meanwhile, Boo, you are still in a terrific stage. Although it's clear to everyone that you are going to be a willful kid, you have such a nice temperament that even when you are bossing me around I don't mind. You continue to make connections that surprise me, and add new words and understanding every day. I love that you say I love Mama before bedtime every night and give me a big wet milky kiss before bedtime. You've finally got your colors down and are starting to say the names of animals along with the sounds they make (my favorite - Frog and Rib-bit). You've started pre-school two mornings a week and seem to really love it, although they keep sending home "incident reports" which indicate that you 1) bonk your head a lot and 2) don't really care. I joked with your dad that we're going to keep all 12 dozen reports for you to read through when you are older. They say things like "told Kaia to be more careful." I'm like "HA" - I tell her that all the time! Perhaps you'll listen to someone else, though.

Anyway, Boo, thanks for being such a great kid. I love you!