I've had various blog entries rolling around in my head for the past month, but haven't had space to put words to my thoughts. And now that I have space, I don't seem to have any thoughts! So, here is a series of mini-posts.
1. Of Reconnecting with Good Friends
We spent some time in a cabin in Glacier with our dear friends from Regent for our second annual covenant group gathering. Three of us are women in ministry in the Presbyterian Church. In the mornings, the women would gather on the porch for opening prayer (guided by the Book of Common Prayer), sharing stories from the past year, and praying for each other. The afternoons would find us on adventures with the husbands and kids. In the evenings we would gather around the table for good food and lots of laughter. And then, with the kids in bed, we'd move to the porch for ice cream and banter. It's good to be with people who understand your story, who have been shaped by many of the same ideas and experiences. We arrived before our friends and left after they did. I realized that an empty house filled with expectation feels very different from an empty house filled with goodbyes. It was sad to say goodbye to our friends, knowing it will likely be another year before we see them again. But we are glad for the tradition that will keep us returning to the little cabin in the mountains each summer.
2. Of Camping
We spent three nights camping in Banff with Jon's sister Pam and her family. Many of you think we're crazy for camping with a two year old and a two month old. Maybe we were, but we had a great time. We had lots of help with the wee ones, and I think they slept better in the tent than they do at home! A highlight for Jon was an afternoon spent mountain biking with Pam and Owen. A highlight for me was the opportunity to kayak on Two Jack Lake. A highlight for Laurel was probably when she swallowed a quarter.
3. Of Laurel's Crazy Antics
We are in the midst of potty training Laurel. Just when I think she's starting to get it, the next day will be filled with accidents. (I know, I can hear your advice, "Wait until she's ready.") We've been putting her in pull-ups at night. Last night, we had one pull-up left, so we put her to bed in said pull-up. Jon went out to go swimming and was going to pick some up when he got home. Well, Laurel wasn't too keen on falling asleep, so she was trying all of the usual stall tactics. She had been quiet for a while and then I heard, "Mommy, POOP!" As I was climbing the stairs, I asked her if she needed to go or if she had already gone. She answered that she had already gone. Sure enough. I look in her room to see her holding her pull-up in her hands, and yes, it had the poop in it. I'm still not sure how she managed to get it off without making a mess, but that's neither here nor there. I was then in a bit of a conundrum as to what to do next, since that was, as you'll remember, our last pull-up. I then remembered that we had one diaper left in the diaper bag. I got the diaper on Laurel and she refused to have pajamas on, so I tucked her into bed in just a diaper. When Jon got home, he went upstairs to check on her and came back laughing and shaking his head. "You should go look at your daughter." I peek in her room to find her in bed with pajama bottoms on, and her diaper lying right next to her.
4. Of The Dark Haired Child
Brynna is loud. I think she might end up being our outgoing child. She squawks and squeaks and likes to be where the action is. It doesn't take much to make this little one smile. And, for better or worse, has recently decided that she'd like to suck on that soother after all.
