Man, today was a rough one. It started out ok…Vann took Charlie to church solo so I could grab a little extra shut-eye…but lunchtime through bedtime pretty much ranked up there with the worst days in terrible two history. I think someone once told me that parenting is 2 steps forward, 4 steps back, meaning, you think you’ve gotten somewhere and then you wake up and have to start all over again.

Charlie is refusing to sit in her booster again. She was doing so much better at mealtimes, but all of a sudden today it was like we were torturing her. Not only that, but after a horrible meltdown post-nap (or post-non-nap, as it were), she got her first official spanking. Yep, folks, we are one of THOSE families. Did it make me feel good to give her a couple pops on her bare bottom? No, and I can assure you, she didn’t like it either. She finally calmed down enough later to eat a little something for dinner and go through her normal bedtime ritual, but it was shaky there for a few hours.

Blech. This part is SO not fun, and while I am thrilled that she is becoming more and more verbal everyday, I am not so fond of the “teaching a toddler how to manage her emotions” part of things. Luckily, tomorrow is a new day and we get another crack at it. Maybe someday we can look forward to family meals being peaceful…until then, we’ll try to have some “sticktoitiveness”.

New ‘Do = $0 (A Favor from Ms. Jen)
Baby Gap Ankle Socks = $0 (Hand-me-down from Cousin Dali)
Stride Rite Black Patent Leather Shoes = $40
Zuccini Smocked Kitty Swing Top and Bloomers = Pleading the 5th

Charlie Looking Cuter Than Normal = Priceless

We have one more afternoon/evening planned with the Jernigan’s next week before they officially move to Michigan on August 1st. I have really been trying not to think about saying goodbye, after all, Holland is only 2 1/2 hours away and totally driveable. In fact, we were just talking this morning about planning a trip there in early September to visit them and stay a couple nights. It also looks like they may try to make it back to the city for Charlie’s birthday.

I know that we will most likely be moving soon enough ourselves, but this season really marks the beginning of close friends moving out of the city and into the next phase of life. I always knew we wouldn’t stay here forever, and next summer will mark my tenth year since I arrived in Chicago…but I know that saying goodbye will be so incredibly bittersweet and I am prepared for many, many tears. Although I know it is the right thing for our family, I will always cherish the friends we have made here and love the fact that Charlie spent her first 2+ years living and “doing life” in the big city.

So I will try not to cry next week when I hug my sweet friend Jen and her boys for the last time in the apartment they currently live in. Having them around the corner from us has filled my heart with immense joy and I will miss the impromptu playdates and time spent huddled together in the living room watching the snow fall with our peppermint coffee. My saving grace is that Daddy will be done with school on the 31st and we will have him back on Saturday mornings for good. We will love having Daddy home, don’t get me wrong, but even his presence can’t replace our “Pajama Saturdays”.

Our other plan for this morning was to give Charlie a much-needed haircut. Not only is it super curly and frizzy when it gets long, but it is too much upkeep to have to chase her around and attempt to detangle the knots every morning. It’s no secret I *love* mod haircuts on little ones, so after consulting with Ms. Jen, we decided to chop it off.

I had no distractions for her (a.k.a. dum-dum suckers) and was a little nervous that she’d cooperate, but it turns out that bribing her with about 10,000 fruit snacks does the trick. I think the finished product is so stinkin’ cute, I just can’t stand it. Now everything she does just looks ten times cuter than before…let’s see if it works for her when she’s throwing a tantrum or refusing to take a nap…

This morning marked our last “Pajama Saturday” with Charlie’s dear friends Ethan and Henry. We love these mornings because we pretty much roll out of bed and walk around the corner and cook breakfast together. Charlie of course loves it because she can never get enough of her boys. I should note that today is also the final Saturday that Vann has class. Can you believe that a year has flown by already??

I finally bought her a pair of Crocs and she refuses to take them off. We were needing a waterproof pair of shoes (she ruined her See Kai Run’s playing in too many puddles) so they are a much needed addition to her wardrobe. Right now, this awesome website, Endless.com, has them for $19.95 with free overnight shipping and no tax!

Yesterday morning Charlie and I needed a desperate change of scenery so we headed downtown and met up with my dear friend Susan and her little girl, Elizabeth. It was so fun to see Charlie interacting with a baby–she wanted to give Elizabeth a bottle and share her graham crackers with her! Even though parking is expensive downtown ($4.00 for a 2 hour meter!) sometimes it’s just nice to be out in the middle of the city and showing Charlie all of the amazing things that happen there. When Vann and I were first married we lived between Michigan Avenue and the lake, so everyday was spent downtown. And, it didn’t hurt that Nordstrom was right around the corner at the time!

After our friends left, we hit up Galt Baby, a new store in the Bloomie’s building that Charlie LOVED. It’s kinda like a mini-FAO Schwartz, life-size giraffe in the window and all. Our main reason for going there was to “test-drive” the double stroller I am strongly leaning towards, the BOB Revolution Duallie. Charlie sat in it for me and we played with it, folded it up, etc…and I was shocked at how easy it is to steer, you can do it with one hand and it fits through a standard door!

My dear friend Emily from my Mom’s Group and I were discussing double strollers the other day and she had a Duallie and adored it…she’s also a runner and has inspired me to explore running as a way to lose the baby weight after our little girl is born. I’ve never particularly liked running, but I wonder if that’s because I’ve never started slowly and built up my endurance…at any rate, Ms. Kim swears by it too and I’ve been told that the weight just MELTS off…which is a lovely thought. And, not too mention after we move we may not have a gym close by…it could be a cheap and easy way for me to accomplish my goals.

At any rate, I’d like to have a stroller that will be compatable for jogging…and the Duallie is fantastic! It’s pricey, but as our one big purchase for the new baby, it will hopefully be doable, especially with a little help from our families.

Today all the Mom’s from my church went to the beach. I really can’t believe I haven’t done this sooner! My friends know that I am not a big “lay out in the sun” person and am not too fond of sweating…BUT, lucky me, it has been a moderate summer around here (read: cooler) and this prego is VERY happy about that. It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky, and Charlie had her very first experience feeling sand between her toes, if you can believe that.

We were both appropriately sunblocked, although she refused to wear her hat or sunglasses, and seemed a bit lost at first, maybe due to all the people around us…but after some time, I think she enjoyed it! It was so much fun to see a lot of my friends there and nice to get some sun, although you wouldn’t be able to tell from my pasty white skin. Ha!!

Here are some pics of Charlie wearing her “Boca” caftan from Baby Gap. That’s what Daddy calls it, although I will be sure to tell him she got TONS of compliments. And yes, Auntie Em and I would both have one of these if they made them in adult sizes.

Lindsay catching some rays…