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My Bon Bon Summer

It's rained for the past two days. My Internet connection is spotty. I have no sink, oven or stove. Welcome to my stay-at-home summer. Andy was worried about the summer vacation and told me that my staying at home would consist of eating bon bons and laying on the hammock. While I vehemently argued the idea up until my time off, in the back of my mind I'd hoped it would be just this way. Does eating cheerios off the ground and laying on alphabet blocks and Lego's strewn on the living room floor count as a luxurious vacation?

Once you have a kid there is no such thing as a vacation whether it's for a long weekend, holiday or for the entire gosh-darn summer. Yes, for two whole months I don't have to worry about what to wear and deal with office politics and water cooler gossip but I also don't get to sleep in, close my eyes and soak up the sun before drifting off for an afternoon nap on the hammock or even feel a sense of accomplishment after completing that much needed household project.

Today, how dare to even try, I attempted to take a shower. I had to do this while Caroline was awake because she did not take a nap today. Usually the shower is five minutes of solitude and relaxation but today's experience was chaos. Caroline knows how to open the glass/magnetic door so I held it closed with one hand and attempted to shave with the other. Finally I gave in and she opened the door, stepped in, then fell backwards out of the shower, slamming her head on the floor. Screaming ensued. End of shower.

For the four minutes that it didn't rain we went down the road to the Cider Mill where they have a little play yard. We climbed the tiny stairs and slid down the slide 457 times before I had to carry her writhing body out to the car: Sheepish Smile says to the Horrified Onlookers, "Oh, um, no nap today! Sorry!"

The denouement of this wonderful tale is as follows. Pull bags and baby out of car in pouring rain, grab frozen carrots to place on forehead of screaming toddler who wiped out for the third time in two days RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES and finally, mop up the yogurt/cottage cheese mix that sailed across the kitchen floor. UH OH!

Maybe tomorrow we'll grab the beach toys and body surf 'til Noon and then have big salads before going for a bike ride and finish up the day drinking margaritas in the hot tub. Now wait a second, WHO hit her head three times in two days?

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