The Running . . .

So, with all the traveling around the state and the whirlwind packing and moving, I realized today that I hadn't run since last week Tuesday, up north. Yikes! In spite of just having eaten a late dinner that included large quantities of goat cheese (some wrapped in prosciutto and FRIED, no less) and a glass of red wine, I forced myself out the door a little before 9:00 and went around the lake. Just got back and drank 2 glasses of "lemamade."

And now . . . all is right with the world again. The weather was perfect, the sun was setting, and it was quiet around me for the first time today. I really do need that time for myself, alone, outside to think, plan, de-stress, and organize my thoughts. If only I could start doing it in the morning, I think it would give me much more energy and focus for the day. (If only Jemma could stop waking up random times to cry during the night, ruining my sleep and making me unable to get up early and go running.)

Annie and I spent a large portion of this afternoon discussing and investigating whether Breton Road (near our house) was open or closed for construction. We actually had to push our strollers all the way down Argentina (Jemma in mine, Cabbage Patch Gracie in hers) to the corner of Breton and study the "Road Closed" sign for about 10 minutes. Then, Annie had to tell everyone else she saw. She makes this scrunched-up face, shrugs her shoulders, and says, "Breton isn't open! Nope." She is already talking about checking again tomorrow.

Other things Annie is into: playing school, talking about what kind of cake she wants for her birthday party (chocolate with chocolate frosting), asking how things are spelled ("fig" from her Fig Newton today), admiring her purple toenail polish, helping me make "lemamade," and climbing up this big, scary, steep rock-climbing wall thing at the park ALL BY HERSELF.

I pushed Jemma in a swing at the park today. She giggled every single time she came back toward me. She also crawled across the rug in the playroom to get Annie's purple dress-up shoes with the sequins. I think she and Annie are both going to be into shoes (and probably fight over them someday, too).

I'm going to shower and get in bed with my newest book. I'm starting Peace Like a River, an old Oprah bookclub selection. We'll see . . .