New Fun

So, Shae has been spending a LOT of time trying to lick her own nostril.  See below:

Not quite there yet.

Such a STRANGE hobby right? 

Well, yes.

But it's not her fault.  She's picked it up from Mike, the aforementioned man I've been busy falling in love with.  You can see what has drawn me to him in this photo:

In other news - the garden is coming along.  Now, note, I'm SHRINKING the garden to the one corner, and merely tilled the rest of the garden to level and seed it.   This will NOT be all garden.  And that's our "new to us" swingset in the foreground!  Just need to figure out how to make it NOT tippy when Shae swings on it... suggestions?

Oh Yeah! I blog!

Ah frig, I'm the commitment phobe-iest commitment phobe ever there EVER was... even for blogging I guess!

Is it because Shae and I stopped doing things and talking to each other?  No. 

For one, I can't find my freaking camera.  For two, I was terribly busy falling in love.  For three, it's ridiculously annoying to email individual pics off my Blackberry to myself, so that I can post them.  But I have done it.  Just not any from April.. I even gave up on phone pics. 

Here's a few photos of our March... note the SUMMER clothes!  Crazy!  It hasn't been shorts weather since, but BBQ season is in full swing.  And my baby got her first bike.

March Break

Our beloved daycare is closed this week... so Shae is repeating the week she spent at Gramma's house again.  This time, she assured me she did NOT want to go to Gramma's house without me.... because she LOVES me.  My mom guilt almost crippled me - visualise how the Wicked Witch of the East's legs curl and shrivel after Dorothy removes her ruby slippers... those were my legs as I walked away from my perfectly content 3 year old on Sunday.  I barely made it to the car.  But a single momma's gotta do what she's gotta do... and sometimes, we need back up plans.

Despite her protestations leading up to her week, by all accounts she is well.  In addition to spending quality time with Uncle Shane, Gramma, Gigi and three whole days with her Poppah, her favorite people in the whole world, she's being showered with Barbie movies and Smarties.  In fact, when I call and talk to her, she asks to hang up after about 3 minutes.  I'm not sure what I'll end up having to buy her love back with...

I'm very proud of her.  And only a little weepy.

Dress Up

Watching Shae make believe is probably my favorite part of observing Shae's development.  Often, she's regurgitating conversations she's had in a day, and projecting it onto Barbie.  Sometimes, she's just making it up as she goes along.  I've seen her use play as an opportunity to "be the boss" of someone, in a  way she's not in her everyday life dealing with so many adults.

No matter what she's doing, she does it with earnest.  Make believe is very serious work.

Today, Shae and her friend Jacob spent some time make believing and playing dress up in her room.  When they came out for the big reveal, they moved slowly, held hands, and had shy smiles on their faces.  You could tell, they felt good about their choices.

And because make believe is so serious, when I asked them to say cheese, so that I could take a picture of the "bride and groom", all laughter left their faces and their faces reflected just how serious they were.

I fell MADLY in love with this photo.  And deeper in love with my kid and her childhood.

Yes!

Life is clearly awesome at our house today:
 

Hot Neck

Shae's obsessed with my "hot neck" as she calls it... she likes to press her face to my neck and tuck her cold hands under my chin to warm up. 

Today:

Shae:  I love your hot neck. *presses her hands to my neck*

Me:  I love your cold hands.

Shae:  *presses face into my neck and breathes in* You smell good.  You smell like mommy.

Me:  That's really sweet, Shae!

Shae: *pulls away, cocks a hip and flips up her hand in a "whaddaya gonna do?" pose*  I got some boogies on your neck... but that's okay.  Right?  Right.

Who Needs Cake?

Shae and I were splitting the last V Day cupcake in the house... she licks all the icing off and says, "Can I have piiiiiiiickles?  Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots.  Okay?"

Not my kid.  IT'S CUPCAKE!  What is WRONG WITH YOU? 

I did help her out and eat the rest of hers though... (yup, even licked clean.  Hee.)