Besides just about anywhere with my girl-is on this lake. And rowing Sullivan off to the shore so he can do his business, getting this view on the way back: And especially when he wears the lifejacket he hates so much, yet looks so cute in (you can carry him like a purse!  It’s a riot!): Doesn’t he look mad at me? But do I ever miss this little girl…she’s on vacation with her Daddy.  She just called me at work…and all I do is cry the whole time she’s gone.  I seriously need to deal with this better.  How will I ever handle college? She’s my favorite person to be with and the most enjoyable person I know.  Yikes…maybe I should have married HER!  

Yes, I’m currently reading this but that phrase fits amply with the photo of the little muffin above.

My little B (not so little anymore, she’s 95 lbs and steadily creeping upwards towards her mother in height (not a huge feat, since I’m slightly exaggerating when I claim to be a whopping 5′4″) and she’s only 8 1/2, is the epitome of a happy person who has really got her inner self in a great spot.  Sure, she has her days sometimes and I get frustrated too, but this kid has figured out something at an early age it’s taken me until age 34 to learn- HAVE FUN!  While reading “Eat, Pray, Love”, I realized that although I strive daily to appreciate all that I have in my life and how blessed I am, my girl tends to do that without even being aware of it.  I’m not sure how to help her hang onto this and God help the person who bitters up that old soul in a spirited youthful body!  She asked me about this book this morning, after having seen it lying around.  When I told her about it, her eyes lit up.  I think she’ll be the one to travel all over when she gets a bit older.  Hopefully she lets me tag along!  

In my late teens and twenties, I, like Elizabeth Gilbert, was always entwined in one or another relationship with a male.  Always some drama, always an attachment.  Does anyone have any ideas how to encourage my daughter to develop her sense of self and to be strong enough to not “need” a man in her life?  I was pretty independent, but I can barely think of a time when I wasn’t somewhat involved with someone on some level, however superficial.  For right now, she’s pretty in love with this one male:

Then again, so am I.  

Another thing, for those of you who don’t know B (this just came to me, because I’m so curious, I’d be just dying to know!  ;)  ), do you wonder what her name really is?  Did you figure out it starts with a B?  Did you wager a guess?

And it was so nice!  Except we aren’t in our normal dock space so we were really close to the restaurant/bar at the marina and it was Ladies Night.  Loud thumping music, but we fell asleep anyway.  ;)

I snuggled up with my little princess and slept with her until she slugged me in the head with her sleep flailing.  Then I moved into the aft cabin with the hubby and slept until our alarm went off.  It was so sunny and gorgeous on the lake I SO did not want to come to work but…typical girl moment here, I have a hair appointment up here near work today and no way was I missing THAT!  ;)

Sleeping on the boat all weekend with books and some work that I need to get done and hopefully getting a little sun on this pale Irish skin.  And I really, really need some time with New Husband.  :)  We’ve been so busy and seeing each other at bedtime and breakfast just doesn’t really cut it!

And my little Sullivan dog is a good boater!  He slept all night!

So it’s definitely a huge love.  :) For a very small dog.  

Quick unrelated question.  What do you do, when you deleted blogs to become more anonymous and select and then you get “found”?  But the stalkers don’t tell you that’s how they found you?  You just know from your blogstats and search requests.  It’s frustrating to have that happen after starting a new blog and I don’t want to do that again.

This is what you’ll be seeing around my house in the future!   This isn’t our exact puppy, but what they look like at this age in general.   I finally succumbed, despite my selfish reservation of giving up some sleep for awhile-I’m very excited about my new baby.  His name is either Fenway or Murphy, we still haven’t decided.   B doesn’t know we are going to get him tomorrow-the night before she gets her spacers put in for her braces.  Maybe I’ll let her stay home all day Wednesday and bond with the puppy.  :)  And with Mommy.  This weekend the kids did their own thing mostly, after church and brunch and I had all this alone time.  Hubby was working the office upstairs.  So I cooked, and cooked and cleaned…and realized, since I can’t have more human children, a little tiny puppy will be just the new buddy I need!  I always had three jobs and so much going on as a single mommy, that I’ve really started to feel “bored” as a new wife, even with a daughter, a stepson full time and all the house work.  I know it’s a shock.  We all hope for this, but then it’s so weird when it happens.  This is a change for me, I’ve always had big dogs, but that’s probably why I have a horrible back problem.  This puppy will remain pretty small-he’s a toy breed.  Also hypoallergenic, which will be good since Stepson is allergic to so much and has such respiratory issues.  Hubby is not a dog person like B and I are, but he is excited too!  More to come!  

B is still not falling asleep early like her old self, but I’m convinced it’s not anything bothering her, which some of you also thought it must be (as did I in the beginning, it made perfect sense).  I’m counting it as a phase and if it doesn’t settle back in soon, I’m going to take her to get it checked out.  Other than that, she’s great. And wonderful…and soooo cute.  I miss all that alone time with her, and I’m trying to find ways to get more of it.  Stepson is a more demanding child, and I think I’m getting resentful to hubby for not seeing how amazing B is.  Sometimes, I think he actually resents how good she is.