Our Future Olympic Swimmer

Seriously, this girl has always been drawn to the water. She simply has no fear of it. Before the pool fence was installed, she would walk directly to the stairs and try to get in (clothes and all). This is why she is now in swimming lessons. Daddy took her for her first lesson on Thursday at the same school where he learned to swim many moons ago. There were two other toddlers in her class. One was about a year and a half old and was really comfortable in the water. The other was Tierney's age and scared to death. He clinged to his mommy's neck the entire class. Tierney was the star of the show. She kicked and floated and splashed her heart out. She was performing the assigned tasks not only for herself, but for her classmates as well. She kept climbing out of the pool to retrieve the little guy's toy for him and throwing it back in. With the heat this week, we have been loving having the pool in working order again. I usually swim by myself in the mornings for exercise and then take the girls in during the evening when the pool is shaded from the sun. I think that T will be one brown bean by summer's end with either white or green hair! In the photo, T gives Daddy a "high five" for performing some good kicks.

Tierney's First Pedicure

It had been well over a year since I gave myself a pedicure complete with nail polish, so I decided to treat myself today. Tierney was out and about with Nana and Papa and Juliana had dozed off for a nap. It was a rare moment to take advantage for a little self-indulgence. When Tierney returned, she immediately noticed that my toes were red and seemed pretty distressed. I asked her if she would like her toes polished and she said "Yes. Like Mommy's." So, I went and got a very modest but fun clear polish with a little shimmer/glitter to it and painted her toes. She seemed to think this was grand. So, I was talking with Lance and Janet about our weekend plans when I noticed that the background noise that accompanies my life was suddenly absent.

"Tierney, what are you doing?"


She had found my red polish and had attempted to copy my pedicure on her toes. She did say that she wanted them to look like Mommy's. She was really frustrated, however, that the brush wasn't doing what she wanted it to and the polish was all over her toes and the floor. We definitely have a future perfectionist on our hands. What a shock.

Potty Progress

It is pretty exciting that Tierney is truly starting to potty train. After months of occasional interest in the potty with a few m&m-induced successes, she is finally on a roll. This morning she woke me up by yelling down the hallway "Mommy, I have to toot!" Sure, most of the pee is already soaking her diaper, but she actually knows its happening and wants to get on the potty. Yippee! I'll be down to one in diapers in no time.

Today being father's day, I am letting Mike blissfully sleep in. It's only 9:45 a.m. and Tierney is requesting some M&Ms. Unfortunately, the major ant infestation has devoured all of her special treats. Maybe we'll make it out to breakfast if Mike ever wakes up.

Why am I awake?

In a strange re visitation of Tierney's infancy, I am back on my night-owl schedule. By no means is it Juliana's doing -- she is soundly sleeping on my bed next to Mike where I should be. I just seem to get kind of overwhelmed with the girls always either tugging at my skirt (ha! like I ever get out of my sweats at home) or needing to nurse. I look forward to the absolute quiet and reliable peace of the late night/early morning hours. No one is going to ask me for their fifth peanut butter and jelly sandwich of the day and I can actually wear a nightgown that isn't perpetually wet with spit-up. I am not complaining about my daily life as a mom of little ones. I actually really love the days of spit-up and sandwiches. It's just so nice to have a little quiet time just for me to read, knit or browse the internet while sipping on coffee. I know. Coffee? At 1:26 a.m.? I was raised in a home who's kitchen was literally called "Joe's Diner" on occasion in which a pot of coffee could be found warming at any time of day or night. Coffee -- it's not just a morning beverage. I find that it actually calms my nerves and allows me to get to sleep. Green tea, now, that stuff has me jittery and restless all night long. If I go out for Chinese food and a pot of green tea, I am really in trouble. But when it's just me, my cup o' Joe and the late-night crickets that are up and about, I am having a swell time.

Morning, on the other hand, sucks. Now that Tierney is sleeping in her "big girl bed," she wanders out and climbs up into my bed to wake up everyone else. I have been paying for my late nights with some early mornings and 4 hours of sleep a night. I need to figure out how to balance this all a little better. Maybe after my morning coffee. . .