Back to reality

We're back home again and it's not often that I am not ready to come home at the end of a vacation but this was one of those vacations that could have gone on for another week, easily. I miss waking up to the smell of bacon in the morning, the ocean a block away, a pool in our backyard and babysitters galore! I think Maggie was starting to think we all moved in together and was really getting used to it.

In fact we have all gotten used to waking up whenever we want and having no agenda. Maggie has become quite attached to me over the past 10 days and I can't say I'm complaining. She now calls me "MA"...I never really got the cute mama that most toddlers call their moms. I'm just MA! and it's not a sweet sound like most of her words, it sounds more like Gloria from All in the Family. I have to admit it really makes me laugh...for now. It has the potential to get old, but for now I'm just happy she calls me something other than da da.

On the flip side, she now says her first 2 syllable word - Hello - and it couldn't be any sweeter. It's more like LELLO with very pronounced L's as she sticks her tongue way out. She is even polite enough to remove the binky each time she says it.

But if there is one thing that was solidly confirmed on this vacation, it was that Maggie is deathly afraid of water. Not only does she not want to get near it, but she doesn't want anyone else to either. Whenever she heard someone splash in the water she would stop whatever she was doing to make sure no one was in distress. And if there was any kind of screaming that went along with the splashing she would cry, real tears. So we did our best to inch her closer and closer to the water just to get her used to it. We lured her with soccer balls, volley balls, ping pong balls and it was working...so well that she was letting Erik pick her up while in the pool and put her toes in. Until IT happened. We'll just call it "the dunk". Yes, he dunked her. He fell in the pool while holding her above her head and I swear that 3 seconds lasted an eternity. She was face down in the pool, I grabbed her out while she screamed and choked hysterically all the while yelling at Erik. "YA YA YA YA" in her meanest voice. I have never seen her SO mad at him! Let's just hope we can get her back to being ok with baths. That's sort of a necessity - the pool can wait.

So we all go back to work and school tomorrow...sigh...and have to get back to reality again. It's been a great summer, bring on fall!