Teessentials

Up until several years ago, I rarely drank tea. But sometime after having Abby, not exactly sure when but I think it was during the sleep deprived years, I picked up the habit.  I love my Samova teapot.  Samova is a German tea company and my sister gave me their clever teapot several years ago. The pot would be bereft without Harney and Sons tea inside.  Their hot cinnamon spice tea is delicious and dangerously addictive. There is just something so civilized about starting the day with a warm cup of tea--summer or winter.

Fearless

Although it's hard to tell from this picture, I swear that this climbing feature was at least 20 feet high.  At least it seemed that high to me when Miss Cheeks zoomed up to the top and took off running toward the slide. She leaps and laughs in the face of playground injuries.  I can only gather that her acrobatics stem, in part, from a desire to keep up with her big sister.

Whenever I go to the playground with the girls, I try to make a point of stepping back and letting them play.  It's too easy to hover. 

Obviously, when there is a real potential for danger we have the responsibility to be there for our children, but I do believe that an important part of good parenting means allowing your kids to explore and test their limits.  Scraped knees and bumped heads are the inevitable collateral damage. 

And,  if I'm being honest, that climbing feature was maybe only five feet high.  And I was right there.. But you know what Cheeks did after she flung herself down the nearest slide? She climbed it again.  And again.

Putter

I'm currently in training for five weeks and the best part about this time is the extra 30 minutes in the morning. The girls are very much creatures of habit and it's better for all concerned to keep them in their regular daycare drop off routine.  Since I don't have to be in class until 9 am, I can take them to school and come back to the house and putter around--all by myself. 

I brew a pot of tea, schlep the laundry in whatever direction it's headed that particular day (up to fold, down to wash), spend a few minutes tidying up the girls' room, read the news.  The daily stress of rushing out the door has been paused. Time to oneself is glorious.

Countdown to kindergarten

I really can't get over the fact that Miss Bee will be heading off to Kindergarten in just a few weeks.  I mean, really, it was just about five days ago that I brought her home from the hospital, all wrinkled and swaddled.  She fit into the crook of my arm.  (If there is one word I want to steal from British English, using "fitted" instead of "fit"  is the one, but since it sounds a bit pretentious on this side of the Atlantic I'll restrain myself.) 

Now, that little baby is an amazing big sister who loves ballet, art projects and reading.  As in reading books.  I suppose that reading might be an indication that she is ready for school...but, like I said, I'm in denial.

Last night, we my adorable three year old niece spent the night.  Bee herded her cousin and sister around the house like a mother hen with two slightly unruly chicks. Several times I had to remind her "you're not the Mommy" as she reprimanded them for some small toddler infraction.  

We were out driving in the car today and Bee spent the ride asking her father about what makes the car go, about pressing the brake and the accelerator and all that.  So I suppose next month she'll have to learn how to drive. 

My little sister is having a baby, and not just any baby, a beautiful (I'm sure of this) little girl.  She is ironing tiny baby clothes and folding blankets and preparing the nursery and I'm jealous.  Time seems to go by so slowly when you're pregnant, especially in the final waddling slightly miserable months.  But once you bring that baby home time just flies by.