Afternoons at the Pool

We've recently discovered the joys of late afternoons at the pool, when the sun is mild, the water is just right, and everyone seems a little more mellow. I especially love the golden sunlight at this time of day, which gradually fades to the blues of dusk ... It just makes me happy.

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Another Poop Post

Today Sawyer stood at the top of the stairs and said, "Big poop, mommy."

I was doing something downstairs and said "OK - I'll be right there."

I thought he might sit on the potty. He's been doing that pretty well. So I climbed the stairs and saw ... big poop streaks ON THE WALL.

When Sawyer saw my shocked face, he started crying and held out his ... very dirty hands. "Big poop!" he wailed.

Yes, I see. Sigh.

Parker was behind me, gagging.

Fortunately, nothing really fazes me these days. I just picked him up (trying to keep those hands from making contact), saying "It's OK - we'll clean it up," because he was so upset. Downstairs to the bathtub we went. Then I headed back up to wash the walls.

Parker summed it up well, especially for a 6-year-old.

"I'm not used to seeing poop on the walls," he said solemnly, watching me scrub. "That is really disturbing."

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Arkansas Vacation, Part I

While J was at a work conference back in June, the kids and I took a little trip to Arkansas to visit my parents and my oldest sister and her husband. It was a laid-back, no-rushing kind of trip, which was so nice.

At mom and dad's house we did some swimming, some reading - and the kids always love the impromptu dance-fests when my dad breaks out the guitar.

Then we headed to Mark and Patti's house. Here they are ...

And here is the amazing, peace-inducing view from their lake-front home ...

We did some boating, tubing and swimming in the lake. Seriously, it's hard to beat riding a boat to dinner on a summer afternoon.

Can I please have a body like this when I'm in my 50s??

Sawyer and Abby, a sweet golden lab ...

Me and Sawyer (and my fresh-squeezed grapefuit and vodka drink. Ahhhh... )

Patti and Parker on the Sea Doo ...

That's me and Parker tubing - bumpy fun! ...

We had a fabulous time and, like always, just wish we lived closer to our family. We're looking forward to the next visit.

Next up - Arkansas Vacation, Part II: Pics from our last Arkansas trip, when Parker got a brand-new skateboard and learned from a real-live skateboarding teenager.

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Work Hazards

Working from home with children is an exercise in efficiency. It's easier in the fall, when school and daycare offer some free time to focus. But summertime is tricky. I can usually cobble together child care for brief daytime phone interviews, thanks to other work-from-home moms and a 13-year-old babysitter who lives next door.

When I must make phone calls for work with the kids at home, I turn to On Demand cable. I've learned to keep water and milk within reach, just in case someone decides they must have milk immediately and it cannot wait even for two minutes when I'm in the middle of an interview. I give them snacks - stuff they don't usually get, like gummy fruit, goldfish crackers, M&Ms - in exchange for a few minutes of uninterrupted time.

Today, despite all my preemptive efforts, Sawyer found me in the middle of a phone interview. I heard him coming.

"Mommy!" he said. "POOP!!"

I waved him away, pointing at the door with wide eyes and exaggerated hand motions, willing him to just stop and play for a minute. Silently. Without saying poop again.

He ignored me and put his earnest little face close to mine.

"POOP, MOMMY!!" he said. "POOP! POOOOOOOOOP!"

Sigh. I guess you can't prepare for everything.

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Inspired by Rebecca (the Other One)

I was inspired today by this beautiful blog to post my pictures from some recent water play in our backyard. Becky is taking an e-class in photography called "Picture Summer," which features a new prompt each day. This was the most recent one:

Whether it is the deep blue sea, a refreshing pool (any size will do), or the spray of sprinklers: water is one way to keep your cool during the summer months. Today, stage something splashy and capture your ultimate cool-down routine.

Many of our summer days include some kind of splashing, whether it's in the pool, lake, creek or sprinkler. J was watering plants yesterday, and the kids wanted to be sprayed. The golden, late-afternoon sunlight shining through the water was so striking, I couldn't resist grabbing my camera.

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