Progressively . . .

Better:

-Our neighbors. Not that they're getting better, per se, but that our times together are more and more fun the longer we live here. I can only imagine the stories we'll have to tell when we've all lived here for 10 or 20 years. (We're all living here that long, right?) Promised pictures attached. (Actually, promised pictures NOT attached. Blogger won't let me! Grrr. Check back later, or else I'll post the link.)

Worse:

-Annie's behavior. The last week or so, she's either been "adorable, hilarious, precocious, interesting, happy" Annie or "100% brat, whiny, defiant, shit" Annie. And today, Annie #2 was in full effect. We were on day 2 of being inside due to weather and day #3 of abrupt no-napping. So from 3:30 on this afternoon, Annie was a trainwreck, unable to stop herself from making every possible worst choice in every situation - at the pool, at dinner, in the tub . . . . this culminated with me in tears and Annie in her bed for the night at 6:45. All her favorite things have been taken away, including her toenail polish and dress-up clothes and dolls, to be earned back on a daily basis when she starts listening again. It was the worst day we've had in a long, long time and makes me realize why parenting is so much harder in the winter than in the summer.

Of course, 20 minutes after she went to bed, I felt terrible about ending the day on such a bad note and I went in to peek at her. She's already asleep, angelic-looking in her bed, with her doop clutched in her hand. I hope hope hope that tomorrow will be a much better day.