Brooklyn, day 2

Mmmm, I had a good night's sleep! Mia quietly hovered over me in the a.m. until my eyes blinked open. She never used to have that kind of decorum. She crawled under my blanket and we stayed warm together until the needs of the day were no longer avoidable. I.e., brush teeth, finish her nanny Mala's birthday card, eat breakfast and get dressed. We really should have gotten started earlier as she has the energy of a hummingbird flitting at full tilt. Focus, Mia, focus!

Jenna took Claudine to school while Mala, Mia and I talked about allergy season, aging and the death of parents. We noticed Mia being extra quiet and both assumed that those were downer subjects so I asked her if that kind of talk made her sad. She said yes, but then thought better of her answer and came out with the truth: "Really, I'm just bored."

Then I took some Whimsy packages to the post office for Mark as he was at Boathouse for the day. On the way back to the apartment I stopped at the playground to play with Mia who was there with Mala. I got to push her and her friend, Rosie, about 350 times on the swings. At least 350 times. I actually had fun doing it. Kid energy is so clean and energizing. When Jenna showed up with Claudine, Mala took the 2 girlz wherever it is she takes them and Jenna and I came back home. Her to her computer and me to my book, Rhapsody in Red, and a nap.

For lunch I fixed us a salad of romaine, grilled chicken, and snow pea sprouts with avocado, apple and french fries rimming the plates. Most of those were leftovers of Mark's great dinner last night. Then I found a bag of brownie butts and had a small one. I was soooo restrained.

Now Mark is in the kitchen making maple marshmallows and hazelnut cookie dough, Jenna's still working on whatever amazing project is up for her now, and I'm here on the couch doing this. Tonight I'll add to this as the girlz and I are going to have an adventure.....we're going to order a Grandma's Pizza and stay up late while Mark and Jenna go out and get to have a grown-up evening without any of us.

OK...adventure over. I bought a pizza down the street. Big one. They chose the toppings. I had to order a couple slices of another kind of pizza just for me. And guess how much they ate? They each had half a piece. Can't win. Mark says it's because they ate cake a couple hours before dinner.

Then we played on the computer a while, watched TV and read. They were excellent. Since Mark told them they could stay up til they got home, the girlz opted to do just that. Sagging with exhaustion most of the time, but they did it! When Grey's Anatomy came on I had to figure out a way to keep them from seeing scary parts (some little girl shot the hell out of her father and wondered why he didn't die.) Mia agreed to face the other way on the couch and even pulled the blanket over her head. Sounds kinda sad....but it was fine. It was just a little while. Parents came home 9:20, surprised to see the girlz awake. And thus ends the adventure. Wonder what tomorrow will be like with the sleep deprived kidlets.