Ellie concerns me to the point that I believe the base of my root shafts (hair) are gray. Is it possible for my nose hairs to be turning gray? I think it is.

We picked up her new shoes on Monday and she has been wearing them for periods of 3-4 hours. I put them on after breakfast and take them off just before nap time. They get put back on after nap and come off around 6:00. When the shoes are on her feet, she is in sheer misery. She is cranky, whiny and even more clumsy than usual. She is just not a pleasant child to be around and I feel terribly that she has to wear them. I know it must be difficult for her to understand. They're solid little clunkers, too. They look just like the shoes that I had to wear when I was her age (she has the pair, below, in white).


Anyway, we headed to bed early this evening (9:50!!!). I just started to fall asleep when I heard wailing from their bedroom. Ethan has been waking up and hollering for a few minutes, then going back to sleep. This time, however, I knew it wasn't him and I knew Ellie was in trouble. She had that wail that all mother's know means business. She was sobbing and genuinely hysterical. I jumped out of bed, stumbling in the dark, and headed for their room. I stood in the doorway and she immediately stopped, grabbed her panda and sighed, drifting back to sleep. Ah...that sweet, abused, lovable panda. He is bigger than she is and she loves him so. She empties her crib of her blanket and books so that they can snuggle together in peace and quiet. He is her "na."

So why am I up, you say? I think my body has flipped the switch and I am officially confused about time. I spend my days working through the motions in a sleepy fog. When the sun goes down, I go into overdrive and have this sudden burst of energy. Tonight, I went to Whole Foods and shopped in record time. On the drive home, I had the backyard design planned and built, I had the kitchen floor scrubbed, the bushes out front trimmed, the dog walked, the baby clothes hung and put away, my list complete for the doctor tomorrow (18-month appointment) and the new tile floors for the basement picked out. Of course, once I got home and put the groceries away, I sat down on the couch for a moment and was ready for bed. But, in my mind, I was a busy woman!

Wait until you see this outfit that I've got picked out for Ellie tomorrow! It's a shout-out to the 70's, ya'll. In fact, I wore it when I was her age. Who knew my wardrobe from 1975 would be so hugely popular again for my kids?!?! That's a hoot. Jason was perusing the photo albums tonight and had a good, hearty laugh at the clothing back then. In one picture, my dad was wearing navy blue and light blue checkered pants with a tight navy blue turtleneck.

Okay...my list of things to do in the next two months:

1. Clean up the backyard and figure out how to get rid of crabgrass.
2. Build planter boxes to flank the back gate.
3. Get moss off the concrete patio. (Bleach, perhaps?)
4. Build fence to surround a/c unit.
5. Trim azalea bushes out front so that they're not so overpowering and uniform.
   
6. Plant new flowers out front.
7. Have carpets cleaned.
8. Move china cabinet to opposite wall in dining room.
9. Paint the kids bedroom.
10. Yard sale
11. Complete orders for Fall Festival.
12. Re-upholster dining room chairs.
13. Build niece's headboard.

It's not so overwhelming, right? Right?!?! (Let's not forget that I *abhor* gardening. And, it took me three months to finish painting our bathroom.)

As I sit here tonight, listening to the hum of the fan and the dog snoring, I feel magical. I love my little life.