You are really getting good at this whole “2-year-old” thing. All the good and all the not-so-good is out in its full glory.

Daddy and some very good friends put your fancy swing set/playground together this month and YOU LOVE IT! You spent the first few days talking about nothing else. It is also serving as a new thing to get you nice and tired before bed time – Mommy and Daddy love that particular feature. Just as an FYI, Daddy has a minor obsession with the new toy. He is often found researching various add-ons that are available for this thing. Most of which are pretty cool, but I expect that if you can vocalize any desires regarding the “pway ground” (as you call it), your wish will be met with open arms. The last I heard, you are getting a picnic table and a sand box – and maybe a bigger slide.

Last month the Easter Bunny came to see you. He left a few new books, a new “baby” to go with your ever-growing collection of babies (that you must take to bed with you and bring down with you… Mommy’s arms are VERY full for the journey each direction). You are a very good doll Mommy though – you remind me to be careful with them and when we get to the destination, you immediately put them to bed. If it’s been a rough day for you, I’ve noticed that it tends to be a bad day for the babies too. They end up in time out doing shockingly similar things that landed you in time out. You do remember to give them a hug and tell them you love them when finished with time out though – at least you are remembering that part (although I have doubts about the “sorry” part… but I’ll take what I can get).

Your Godfather has moved in with us this month. He is in the process of moving to town while your Godmother is staying with our other friend during her work transition. You have loved having him with you more often, but you are often confused by his schedule (he works graveyards). When you see him in the morning, he tells you ‘night night’ – then goes to bed.

The house is going under more work – this time to retrofit ducted air conditioning into a house that was not originally built with electricity. This has involved a lot of loud work. Normally this doesn’t affect you because you go to daycare, but one day you were home this month. The vacuüm makes too much scary noise (according to you), do all the drills, saws and huge vacuums were FAR too much for you to deal with. Thankfully that was a short day and we were able to keep most of the noise away from the kitchen if we closed all the doors.

“Why?” is beginning to pop up ever more often. You not only want to know what things are, but why things are the way they are. A favorite response I got from your Uncle Jay – because I’m older and I have more teeth. When I gave you this answer, you were confused enough not to ask again – I may have to try it again. Additionally, you are beginning to not accept no for an answer. There was one trip home from daycare when I forgot your snack. I will admit this was my bad, I forgot and I know you will be hungry – but I forgot. You decided that was a good time to throw a crying hissy fit. Since I couldn’t solve your problem (having no snack to share) – I did the only thing a parent could do…. I turned up the radio. This didn’t help with your crying, but it did make it harder for me to hear so I could get home. FYI, you can’t judge until you have a child of your own in the same circumstance.

You have decided that you like to eat cheese pizza. Finally – something new! OK, that and a thin mint (which you loved). I can’t call that a new food because I am not feeding it to you for dinner. Now the dinner repertoire has 4 “main dishes” to choose from – hot dog, chicken nugget, fish stick, cheese pizza. Thankfully you still like the sides and breakfast foods so you are not yet starving. You are going to drive me nuts, but I have not obsessed nearly as much… I think I am getting better about that.

Grandpa came to see you this month and was overjoyed at how big you are getting and how smart you are. You are not only doing the ABC’s song, but you are actually learning the words at the end. Still not perfect, but so much closer. It no longer includes a pick up at LMNOP again. Also, you can count to 20 (as long as you don’t need 16 and 19… those are usually forgotten – but again… close). You are also getting much better about all the family names. Daddy’s name you almost always get without thinking about it, you know our last name (but are a little confused about other people’s last name… you think that all our friends also share the same last name). You also have gotten MY name right – I am no longer “Princess”. However, the princess toys you have, you now call Francis. Again – SO close.

We love you so much and can’t wait for the next installment. The two’s are a lot of work, but they are also so much fun.

Love,

Mommy

Now that I live in Virginia, thunderstorms are still wonderful to watch and listen to (even though I cross my fingers to not lose power). The cool air and cold little drops are like little memories coming back to me.

Sadly, the Bean doesn’t have these same memories. Instead, she hears the thunder and doesn’t understand it. She just knows it is loud and very scary. Last week she woke up screaming because of a thunderstorm. Thankfully Daddy and I have magical powers to make everything OK – but I wish there was a way to make her understand and not fear the storms to begin with. She is a little young to “chase the storms” – a little young to try to understand it. I can’t show it to her.  I did get some good ideas for future storms from Facebook friends (see, Social Networking is good!)

Maybe in the not so distant future, she can sit on the porch with Daddy and me watching the storm and building little memories to fall on her head in a few decades.

Theory Two: Best friends are the best thing in the world.

On which side do you fall?

BFF or Anti-BFF? And why?

- Friday, left work and drove to DC area for hubby’s birthday party.

- Saw a friend I hadn’t seen in well over 10 years, had a good time catching up.

- Had a couple yummy margaritas, but forgot that even if I go to bed way later than normal, my Bean will wake up at 6 am anyway.

- Woke up to go to a winery. Drinking before noon is OK if you do it at a winery, right?

- Went wedding dress shopping with my friend.

- Afternoon tea! (You really should do this sometime… it was very nice and a lot of fun) When I asked about what had nuts because of my allergy, the pastry chef made me a new plate with the best little desserts on it – all without nuts. I was also a big fan of the scones with lemon curd and crème.

- Birthday party for my friend.

- Drive home with a minor detour with an exploding baby. We stopped on the side of the road to clean the vomit. It was not fun.

- When we did get home, decided to go to the beach with visiting friend. (I love the fact that a random desire to go to the beach doesn’t require a 12 hour drive. OK… it is a 3 hour drive. But I would do it either way and 3 is way better.) Ate dinner on the beach and drove home (again, way too late at night – forgetting again that my Bean will wake up at 6 with our without my late night schedule.

It was a little random, but was a brief reminder of “the old days” and had a GREAT time. The only problem – I am not as young as I used to be and I am TIRED!

Helga.

Helga is a mouse that is described as MAYBE two inches long. The reason she is named Helga is because it was decided she was female (just because). Helga was discovered by startling Private-i, causing her to choke (making her a death mouse). A death mouse has to have a good death mouse name… Helga was named.

I am going to the office on Thursday, but am hoping that Helga would have relocated by then. Private-i would like her to be part of a relocation program, vs. a relocate to the grave plan that facilities will likely perform.

How do you relocate neighbors such as Helga? Do you relocate, or do you search and destroy?

• Packing for trip back home (and fretting about crying baby on plane)
• Finalizing work projects before vacation
• Not forgetting something really important for the trip (like a car seat)
• Getting the house ready for 6 bedrooms full of over night guests when we get back from vacation

I am really looking forward to all the things coming, but I am having a hard time listing everything that needs to be done so I can just do it. Thankfully, C is on the case. He has been very helpful over the last few days.

Here we go… I am making a plan, checking it twice. All people who could be naughty or nice better be nice, or I will be naughty. Don’t make me do that. This means you store clerk. Oh, you too person who cuts me off in traffic. You didn’t think I’d let you off the hook, airline industry, did you? Finally – weather man – be nice will ya? Thanks!

Private-i (who introduced me to awkwardfamilyphotos.com), sent me this tidbit.

The Thanksgiving letter…

The author swears it is real and I believe her. I believe her because I have a family member who was known to send back wedding invitations with not only a decline, but a bitter letter crucifying the invitation and giving further explanation about how a proper wedding invitation should be done (in her mind). I don’t know you, family in the letter in question, but i feel for you.

In the comments, tell me about your family member who needs a lesson in civility.

This weekend, should you find yourself in the vicinity of Sterling Virginia on Saturday afternoon, you should go to Sterling Fest.

The festival is as you would expect a small town festival to be, but the music is going to ROCK as the headliner (Augur) rocks the festival.

All that, and I get to celebrate 12 years of marriage to this guy.

How can I NOT beam with pride?

TWO IN ONE

One of them is a gig we can take the Bean to – so she gets to see her Rock Star daddy for the first time.

I am so very proud of him.