Back to life, so to speak

Oh, the days I would pass in junior high dreaming of hosing down naked girls.

I spent 5 plus hours driving today. All other moments of the day were spent in a dizzying frenzy of girl chasing hootenanny. Is this the first time I've used the word "hootenanny" in the blog? Tarnation, that's cause to celebrate.

Recently I've found myself on an olde tyme English speaking streak. I hope it lasts.

We are back in Minneapolis, but not before I was flabbergasted during the drive on 35 when my brother and sister-in-law and kids showed up alongside us. They were coming back from Port Wing, WI. Crazy odds on seeing relatives on an interstate.

Now that we're back, and now that Labor Day has only an hour of life left, it's back to reality. All Jen's highlighters are sharpened. All her books are covered in brown paper. Her Trapper Keepers are trapped and kept. Her Partridge Family lunchbox has been cleaned and the hinges oiled. Tomorrow, it's back to school with her. Off she goes for her last semester.

Of course, this return to school for Jen means that the girls are headed back to day care. They've now graduated to the toddler room, complete with other toddlers. I'm trying to picture Abby in this place, trying to anticipate the situations and how it will go for her, and I'm working myself into a state of terror. I'm scared for her, our little blondie. She's so fragile, do they know that? What if the kids are too rough? What if she gets pushed around, has toys stolen, or bites someone (she's still kinda in that phase). I know the place has a high ratio of wranglers to wranglees, and this does assuage my fears a bit.

Mostly I'm anxious, at once eager for and dreading the end of day tomorrow to find out how she did. Until then, just crossing my fingers.

Day two hundred and four.

Cold water days mean shallow water play.

Lily with one of her favorite toys: my little bottle of contact rewetting drops. Seriously, I'm not making that up; she sees that bottle and goes nuts, then carries it around for hours.

They had a good time up at the lake...thanks again Marj and Neil for your awesome hosting of us!