sprinklers and observations

Please scroll down to skim the previous post, or the first part of this won't make sense.

1. Picking out a sprinkler with Asher.

We went to Target today and made a quasi-impulse buy. Those of you who know me well know how frugal I am, so to decide at 1:00 to buy a toy and drive home with it by 3:00 is impulsive by my standards. But our air is out (we'll get to that in a minute) and we're on day 2 of 85* weather which means, friends, I hope you enjoyed the spring because it's over. Now we'll just get gradually hotter like frogs in a pot until we all jump out or boil alive, whichever comes first. With that in mind, today seemed like a good day for a sprinkler. And it really was. We picked out a twirling penguin on a surfboard; Asher enjoyed it until he tried to catch the spray and got repeatedly squirted in the face, at which point the water hose became a better toy. The boy has no fear whatsoever of water (his mother would be a little more comfortable if he was slightly more intimidated by it, because since bringing him home from the hospital bathtubs and baby pools look more like death traps than fun to me). But sprinklers feel safer (whether they are or not), and he loved playing in the water. And I loved watching him play.

On a different note, I've been writing observations in my head all day. Want to hear them?

Observation #1: Until a few years ago, I had always worked with babies and toddlers, not preschoolers. This doesn't sound like a big difference, and I guess it's not in most ways, but there is one aspect of teaching 3-5 year-olds for which I was not prepared: a large part of every day is spent discussing poo. I teach J on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and no matter what plans or objectives I have for our day, at least an hour will be devoted to if, when, how, or why we go poo-poo on the potty. After our 23rd unsuccessful trip to the public bathroom in the park with J announcing, "No poo-poo on the potty!", I was beginning to question my life. I felt better when I saw two little boys standing side-by-side, pants at their knees, peeing into the sand box while their mothers watched and laughed. And in the moment, I understood exactly why the moms were laughing - at least they didn't have to change wet clothes. Nobody has a handle on this potty-training thing.

Observation #2: Our air is out. I'm not sure I can pray for my air conditioner with a clear conscience, so I am seriously hoping the whole thing needs to be replaced. It is under warranty until September, and this is the second time (since September - and how often do you use the AC in the winter, even in Alabama?) that it has broken down. Please oh please just die, so we can get a new unit for practically nothing. Please please PLEASE don't wait until next October to die. Amen. Also, I have been thinking about pregnant women in desert climates who must be completely covered to leave their homes. I'm dying in 85* in a t-shirt and ponytail. Do you know how HOT those women must be?

Observation #3: I have picked out a bed for Silas. Do you know that, aside from a travel swing purchased a few weeks after Asher's birth, this will be my first purchase of new baby equipment ever? I have found most things on consignment or yard sales, I borrowed an infant carrier, Asher's bed is a hand-me-down, and our kids have three sets of grandparents. Aside from the occasional outfit (or impulsive sprinkler), we haven't bought much from a store for either of our kids. I guess that should be #2 on my Thousand Gifts list.

Observation #4: I was talking to J's mom today about how anxious I have been about this birth, and she brought some much-needed clarity to my thoughts. She said, "It's because you know how much he means to you now. With your first child, you have no idea how much you are going to love them. Now you know." Yes. Yes I do, and that's why I am so much more afraid. Thank you.

Observation #5: Jon & Kate Plus Eight comes on back-to-back episodes in the middle of the night on TLC. I watch it but I am not impressed. Kate is not a happy woman, or, at least, she does not present herself as such during the taping of the show. I know mothers of large families, and I know how busy they are. But she just doesn't seem to enjoy her life very much. That's my opinion, for what it's worth.

Observation #6: I was shopping today for a baby gift, looking through all of the tiny pink sun dresses, and I had a moment where I actually felt a little sorry for mothers of girls, who have to contend with so much PINK in the world. I kept looking over at the adjacent rack and thinking about how boy clothes are cuter because there are so many colors to choose from. This, from the woman who was so convinced she was having a girl that we didn't even consider boy names until the morning we were driving to the ultrasound. Not once, not at all. We've come a long way, baby.

Happy Tuesday, everyone.