Good bye to summer......

I know I'd never be ready for the end of summer, even if I just had "one more week." Every year, I think, "Maybe I should quit." Then Al reminds me of the realities like mortgage and bills so then I don't.

Every spring, I think about all the things I'll do in the summer. This year, I figured potty training and learning to ride a trike would be good things for Lilly to do.

With potty training, I was thinking she'd be ready when I was ready, even though I knew better. I tried various potties, being naked, peeing outside, potty stickers, all the big kids go potty, Dora underwear, switching to no frills pull ups, the potty bell (timer), etc. Turns out, it wasn't in HER plans for the summer.

However, after practicing since this spring, she has just learned to ride her trike. She's been asking to ride a bike like the big kids for a while. Finally, I said, "You have to learn to pedal, first"after the 20th or so time she asked for one. The first time she got the pedals to go around a few times on the trike, I told her, "Lilly, you're doing it. You're pedaling!" She didn't skip a beat and came back with, "I want a bike!"

One thing I didn't have to teach her was how to ask other kids to play. We go to the park, and before the kids even reach the edge of the playground she says, "Just wan pay wit me. Just want pay wit me." Lilly prefers little girls but will ask any kids--8 year old boys, teenage girls, whoever! She will approach almost any adult, too. Makes me wonder if I will need to find one of the "stranger danger" after school specials from the 80's.

Good bye summer. We had fun & we will miss you.