When I was a kid and the word "lightning" was on my spelling list for the week, my mom told me the way to remember the way lightning is spelled is to remember it happens so fast there's no time for an extra "e," and thus it's not frightening.

The extra "e" in "frightening," get it? Okay, it made sense at the time...

Yesterday we had a 20% chance of rain, and I'll be darned if it didn't start pouring around 1:00 a.m. or so. We even had thunder and lightning. It'd been hot during the day, so I had the window open, and the thunder was amazing. Grant was pretty beat from playing with a coupla kids on the next block. We'd been taking a walk (well, I was walking and he was riding his tricycle) around the neighborhood, and a mom acquaintance of mine was standing outside with her one-and-a-half-year-old son. The two-year-old girl next door joined us and the kids played easily in the one mom's front yard. I'm always worrying that Grant doesn't get enough playtime with other kids, so this was an unexpected bonus.

Anyway, it was raining like crazy last night and I knew the morning would likely be muggy. Yup. Ah well. We had a scheduled play date with a girlfriend of mine and her four-year-old son today, so away we went. Grant had been totally looking forward to playing with this kid's toys. I had to remind him we were going to play with the kid, too! :-) In fact, on the way over to their house, I had him practice saying, "Hello, _____, it's nice to see you." He pulled it off sweetly, and although the other kid couldn't have cared less, I think my friend appreciated it, and I was glad to think perhaps Grant had some kind of concept of sociability. And yes, perhaps I'm just dreaming. ;-) The play date was great, and despite Grant's lack of a nap today, he remained in high spirits all day. He'd fallen asleep in the car on the way home from the play date, but awoke when I brought him into the house. I lay down with him, thinking he would fall asleep, but instead he grinned at me and said, "You want to talk?" He kills me. I said sure, so he asked, "So how was your day today?" This is our ritual. Honestly, I don't know how I lived before he came along...

Yesterday I got into an argument of sorts with R. over the title for the condo, and I must admit the rest of my day sort of sucked afterward. Why must we both get so emotional about things??

Grant heard me yelling at R. on the phone, and later asked me, "What did Daddy say to Mommy?" Geeeeeeez. *sigh* He'd been chasing me around as I argued with R. — I think he was a little scared and just wanted to be with me, but I'd wanted to get away from him so I could say some things to R., and my kid and I'd chased around the house crazily for a while. Anyway, I told Grant Daddy just said some silly things, but it was okay because we both love him very much and he's very safe, and Mommy loves Daddy and Daddy loves Mommy (I'm sure all this is true, in some way) and it was just all...okay. My eyes were red and puffy, though, and I felt crummy and I was still crying in frustration off and on, so when I lay down with Grant yesterday for his nap, he studied me and said, "Mommy think about happy things?" I'm telling you...

So here's my wish for you: a clear day, clarity of vision, and a clearing in the brush where you find a tiny table and mismatched chairs bearing friends holding teacups and waiting for you to join them...

That, and love.

- Beth