"We're a happy family..."

These pictures are old - from Aug. 23, in fact - but I was so impressed that RKZ bought Buck a cake without any prompting. This was also a gift for mommy as it was ice cream cake (my favorite)!


It was so great to have the Joads down for the last week. So amazing how easily we get used to having live-in babysitting and playmates for Buck. He couldn't get enough of Grandma Joad or Grandpa and his "bus" (motorhome/RV).

Now, my big plan is to get "back to normal." It's ironic that it is the first day of school here as well as I hope to start living on a schedule again. I am always a little nostalgic as my closest friends (or their children) head back to another year of work. Work which I loved (most of the time). My work this year will be "getting back to normal," I guess. I am fairly certain that I will always live my life in the pattern of summer break and autumn (fall) returning to structure. It's just a different type of structure with a two year old.

Buck is trying to get my attention by handing me books and yelling, "Read, Mommy!" Some day he will definitely spend as much time on this thing as I do - just not today.