Momnesia

Summer Lovin'

It was such an easy weekend. We picnicked and spent hours on both Saturday and Sunday climbing rocks and swimming at Aquaduct Park. Emmie gained almost measurable confidence and surefootedness as we explored Saturday and Sunday.

"Look for good steps," I told her. "Try to find dry, flat rocks." She nodded enthusiastically: "I be cawefull."

Yeah, she slipped and fell a couple of times, once sliding on her butt down the slick rocks of the waterfall into a shallow pool. She picked herself up and laughed - a little nervously. And later, she did take a hard fall onto her hip, but she cried it out and went on about her business.

Twice, she actually jumped off the rocks into the deep water with me. Of course, I was holding her... and the second time, she was none too happy about the experience. But it was a reminder that while my 3-year-old is not fearless, she possesses a spirit of adventure that I adore. I, however, managed to twist my right ankle and had to sit out a couple of hours of fun with a book while Scott and Emmie tromped around in the trees, battled pirates at the waterfall and tossed a beach ball back and forth. Oh, well. It feels better today.

And when she got whiny and tired, we came home and dried off, snuggled on the couch and popped in "Toy Story 2," a movie that I got at Goodwill... along with five paperbacks, two children's books and a new dress for Emmie, all for $11. That was the most money we spent all weekend, except for the weekly trip to the grocery store.

It was such a refreshing change from the neverending mental involvement of my previous position. Granted, I was on solid ground and I loved every minute of the job - including the constant composition that went on in my head at all hours of the day and night. But this new position in sales, well, there are benefits I hadn't realized until Sunday night, when we tucked Emerson into her bed and she actually went to sleep, happily exhausted by the weekend's activities. I didn't step foot in the office all weekend.