"Aurelia?"
    "No, it's me."
"Hmmm."

The front door has been open all day. These are the benefits of suburbs--no one wants to come inside.

Aurelia, Breanne, Sidney and I were all up by seven thirty. We lounged around Sid's house until just before eight, then planned our attack on my lovely. We played outside, played with the hose and just generally fooled around. We came inside and Adam taught Sidney to play Katamari. We ate ice cream. Then we walked all the way to McDonald's (a good 4 KM) with the kids in the wagon. You can sing a lot of Dylan in eight kilometers.

She takes just like a woman
She makes love just like a woman, yes she does
And she aches just like a woman
But she breaks just like a little girl

When we came back home, we played with the hose some more and watched the goldfish swimming in the pond.
On Friday I kinda want to go to the beach with the kids and Adam. We're going to take them on a boat ride if we go.

I can't wait for Friday. I love my kids. I love my charges. I love this life.

She's so tiny, swathed in a simple sage-green cotton dress that I wore at the same age. I've seen pictures. She wears it better, of course, being tinier than I ever was, more delicate and feminine somehow, even at two years old, all flat-chested and indignant. There are food bits dotting the front of the dress, raw carrot and basmati with margarine and something new which she didn't like and immediately spit into my hand--chicken. It's dinnertime. My mother presents her the peice of corn as if it is delicate jewelry. "Ta-da!" Aurelia is amazed--she's never seen corn like this before. Adam, being paranoid as he is since that fateful May day when he became a father, always cuts it off of the cob. After much confusion, a demonstration, and a few frustrated tears, Aurelia seemingly figured it out. She attempted to bite the whole end off of the cob.

"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX MY COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRN!"

Now, I like to think I can sing, and holding notes goes along with that. But I don't think I've ever met anyone who could hold a note as long as my 2-year-old daughter held that "corn". We still joke about Aurelia becoming an opera diva, lamenting about corn someday at the Metropolitan Opera House.

She hasn't had Corn on the Cob since.

We're home. I'm too tired and icky-feeling to really say anymore.

Okay, I lied. *maniac laughter* We met up with my friend Nicky, who is a total riot. We had SO much fun. We went swimming every day--we've got Sweet Aurelia (the boat) up and running, and we pretended we were on a fancy cruise line. Then when we docked we pretended to be shipwrecked and rode waves until Aurelia was frozen. We played the BEST game of Go Fish ever on Friday night...I've never laughed so hard in my life.

Aurelia agreed to buy a hamster--she's named him Nicky though we haven't picked him out yet. Hopefully Nicky will live longer than any of the Dorothies.

Right now Adam is cooking dinner. Aurelia is watching something on VH1 and Breanne is dancing to Sam Roberts near my feet. I love my life.

I didn't sleep. *giggles a little, because she is psychotic* But my iPod is working again, so does that mean it's no longer my "now-defunct" iPod and has become my "yay it's working!" iPod?

My feet are cold, and that popcorn was crappy. And I'm still tired. I need socks and a blanket.

Sarcastic husband quote of the moment:

"Ye-aaaaaaaaaaaah, and a good way to deal with your issues is to smash stuff "

I'm so fricking tired it's not even remotely funny. We're going camping tomorrow (?) for the first time this season. Usually Rey gets all excited when we tell her we're going camping. Today she was pouty, cried, and announced that she wouldn't! go. Adam gave both girls a bath and then he and Aurelia went to go check on Aurelia's fish, Dorothy. (third Dorothy in as many months, might I add.) Poor Dorothy was ill, swimming upside down, and barely breathing. Aurelia immediately began to hyperventilate, and Adam had a nice little ceremony for poor Dorothy. Now Aurelia says "NO MORE DORFEES!" and she has just been SO-O-O upset ever since. She finally fell asleep on Adam's lap while they watched CSI.

Poor kid.