Keeping it cool

Without a doubt, summer is here. Even though the temperatures cooled off a bit this week, the abundant sunshine, trips to the kiddie pool and daily doses of ice cream were all welcome treats. Some days I find that I'm more excited to get out of the house than Elisa is, but still we persevere. And usually by the time we get there, Elisa's fully on board and then doesn't want to leave. The pool at Sunnyside Gardens Park has been particularly tricky to navigate since it's not something I want to commit to every visit, but it is a nice alternative on a blistering day. And when I'm not warning other kids to stop shooting water pistols in each other's faces (or mine), I'm pretty relaxed there. One boy yesterday made me want to bring my own Super Soaker gun next time so I'd have some leverage when I ask him to stop. Yeah, unfortunately not all parents at the pool are as keen on helping keep it a fun place for smaller kids. But luckily, Elisa seems to do alright avoiding the rowdy boys for the most part. Have I mentioned lately that I'm thrilled to be having another girl??

And speaking of...I only have 7 more weeks left before I should be welcoming this newest addition. I'm really starting to feel like this pregnancy is finally coming to an end and that life is in that weird pre-upheaval stage again. It's a nervously exciting time, but also one you wish would pass quickly and just get on with it already! And as soon as I say that, I know I'm in trouble because I'll be wishing I could sleep in til 7:30a.m. and take hour-long afternoon naps in the next few months. But the other part of me wants this new life with our family of four to start as soon as possible just to finally have that completeness that I've been dreaming about since this baby was imagined. It's hard to describe, but I remember a post on Dooce.com where she talked about having her second child and feeling like, this is it. Our family is whole. And that's what I'm really excited about as we approach the big day. Having this new baby, seeing Elisa as a big sister and knowing that it's all come together. And in the meantime, summer is bound to keep me busy and full of activities, if I can just hang in there...