pool hair

I love summer, when we fill a bag with towels and a cooler with homemade popsicles, slather peachy-pink skin with sunscreen and pile into a hot car.  We drive to the pool, little sandaled feet kicking the back of my seat while we listen to classical music and the blast of the AC and Lucy's yelps and shouts.  We park in the shade (hooray!) and begin the process of unfolding bodies and floaties and the giant bag of towels and the cooler from our little car, then flip-flop through the gate, depositing our load on the nearest lounge chair.  We ease into the cool water, cringing a little at first, then relaxing into the relief of it all.  We paddle, we splash, we laugh, Lucy yelps, until I am pushing, rushing, out of the pool NOW so we can get home and have some dinner before we all fall apart.

And I love my girls' hair after they've been in the pool.

 (I also love it when their faces are covered with ketchup.)

happy birthday Lucy

My little Lu,
You turned 1 a week ago.  It was a fast year - I remember so clearly the morning you were born and it doesn't feel like 366 (well, 373) days have passed.  We are so grateful for the gift of You, little Lucy Rose.

You are an emotional little bit, riding high and crazy and then crashing hard and loud.  Your scrunched-up-nose faces and silly closed-eyed smiles make us laugh.  You squeal and you shriek and then, when something goes differently than you had hoped it would, you throw a giant tantrum that would put any 2-year-old to shame.  You keep life interesting, and joyful, and loud.

You love love love your big sisters and they adore you back, although they have started rushing to close the door of their bedroom more often since you became mobile.  You crawl around all day and say, "Hi!" to the people you love - and if you're feeling generous (which you usually are) to people you don't know, too.

Your current obsessions are doggies ("ruh-ruh" all day long) and hummus (you could eat a tubful at each meal) and working on pulling up (you clap for yourself once you sit back down).  You put your fingers together to "cut the pickle" when someone tells you to give them a high-5, and you wave and you love to be carried around by Mommy and you bob up and down when you want me to turn on music.  Your favorite birthday gift was a toothbrush.  You barely touched your cupcake.  You melt my heart when that little blond head lies on my shoulder.

I love you, little girl.  Happy birthday - may our God grant you many more!