Most mornings, mini-pear sees her dad off on his ride to work. I wave them off like not-a-care-in-the-world-mommy and then crane my neck anxiously until I hear her scooting back around the corner. 

Letting go and giving her more freedom is so hard!

She is growing up though...

Last night we went to a local taco place for dinner.  She had brought along her sketchbook and a couple of little tiny horses.  After dinner, we were just chatting and she started drawing a little landscape for the horses - stables, pathways through little gardens, a skatepark(?).  We each got a horse and trotted them from the stables to the skatepark.  At some point, she lost interest a bit and Mr. Pear (with his dirty mind) mounted my horse with his horse. 

Of course, now she noticed, "Hey, what are you doing?  We're supposed to be skating!"
I attempted a recovery, "I think ours wanted to wrestle..." and realised we were talking at the same time...
"No mating!  They're all mares!" she scolded her dad.
I still thought I could keep it G-rated, "Nah, I think dad's horse just wanted to wrestle..."
She gave me this woman-do-you-really-think-I'm-that-stupid look and Mr. Pear shrugged, "I didn't know they were all mares..."

I think I attempted a kick under the table at that point.  He looked defeated, "She caught me red-handed..."
"I think it's the end of that game..."

***

I had to post that photo to make everyone outside coastal SoCal jealous.  Mild mornings, my friends!  The skies are grey due to the marine layer, my girl is wearing jeans and a little merino cardigan.  In an hour the sun will burn off the cloud cover and we'll have bathing suit weather;)  I remember waking up in DC drenched in sweat.  I'd take a cool shower and within minutes of getting dressed, I'd be all sweaty again.  Don't miss August on the east coast.  Not a bit.

As of September 1, we will have two less people to make jealous.  Mr. Pear's brother and his wife are moving here!  We both left DC at around the same time - us to vacationland, them to chillier (but decidedly less vehemently anti-intellectual) Boston.  Half-way through their first winter they realized that when people had told them just how cold it could get up there, they weren't kidding!  So they both scored jobs down here and will be joining us just in time for flip-flop and fleece weather;)   Free babysitters!  I'm so glad mini-pear will get to spend more quality time with her aunt and uncle.

Our freezer has a decidedly "bachelor pad" feel to it, doesn't it?  Now that the refridgerator is actually functioning again, I suppose I can't get out of hitting the grocery store this morning. 

Not sure how I feel about that one...

These days I wake up energetic and ready to attack my to-do list , but by the time I've puttered around the house a bit, I feel like I've run a marathon and am ready for a power nap.

Answering ones email, making smoothies and doing a load of laundry should not put one over the edge.

This morning I made a point of actually telling baby pear that he had my permission to come on out now, just in case he was waiting for an invitation.