L'aventure américaine

I believe that it's normal to be nervous about parenting skills.  It's a fair amount of pressure to create a kind, compassionate, fun human being.   I was never nervous about Randal being a good dad though.  And 9 months in, he's continuing to do a bang-up job.  He will make any noise or sound to get Milo to laugh.  He changes diapers without prompting.   He keeps track of developmental milestones.  He will drop what he's doing to pick him up from the nanny or drop him off.  He drops what he's doing if Milo needs him.  He supports me as a working mom.  He unfailingly kisses him goodnight. He unfailingly kisses him good morning. I often make this joke (and Randal is sweet to laugh every time), but I love being in the middle of a Pope Boy sandwich.*   A helpful apprentice. This is just the sweetest.   Eating apples together. *Like Po Boy sandwich.  Get it?  Get it?  When I'm lying in between them I'm a Pope Boy sandwich??  Hahahahaha

A dog and her boy.  Maize often stands sentinel to Milo whether he be crying or not. It is just beautiful here in the spring - as it is everywhere, I believe - and it's hard to stay inside.  Thus, Randal and I have left town about half of the past few weekends, which might mean that weekend chores have suffered, but we have had a wonderful time exploring some new places within a 5 hour radius of Klamath. We started out with a surprise trip for my first Mother's Day.  I, rather petulantly, requested a "big deal" for my first Mother's Day and Randal certainly did not disappoint.  He planned a weekend at the Coast, packed all of my favorite snacks, and mapped out a beautiful hike in the Redwoods.  It was perfect.  I made him put Milo in the ocean, despite how freezing it was.  And we realized that beautiful beach commercials with babies are a myth.  There is sand everywhere.  EVERYWHERE.  It is not as charming as it seems.   Playing on the beach.