Recipe for Fun

2 restless smallish children 1 hot summer Sunday afternoon 1 Mom, who is not feeling like a. wearing a bathing suit b. spending money c. leaving the house 1 sprinkler 1 Playhouse with slide 2 plastic cups 3 ice cream sandwiches Simple things are often the most fun. We set up the sprinkler so that is sprayed right onto the slide of the playhouse – woo – instant “water park”!

Bella has been into accessories lately. She picks something (a purse, string of beads or in this case a bib with a cat on it) and wears it all day. On this day she was inclined to wear her bib over her bathing suit and I was not inclined to disuade her.

They played happily for over 30 minutes while I sat and did nothing other than snap some photos and watch the blue sky. Then we sat on the porch and ate ice cream. Bella ate hers and then came around to mooch off Jacob. “I have some? I have some?” she says. The use of the word “I” is new for her, replacing the babyish third person she has used heretofore when referring to herself. It instantly makes her sound more mature, the third person “Bella want some, Bella eat, Bella poop” etc. is quintessential baby talk. This grammatical development has me feeling sentimental, in the space of a week she’s surpassed Elmo!