*

Stella is back! It's amazing to see how much both girls have grown and developed just over the summer. It is seriously 100 times easier now that they are both toddlers - not one toddler and one baby. It's hardly any work for me - they play together and I can even get things done in the kitchen or fold clothes or whatever. With the gorgeous fall-ish weather we spend most of the morning in the park where both are big enough to go down the slide on their own or play in the sandbox where Vera slides off the side/falls on her butt and Stella cracks up. I know this won't last but they are even overlapping naps slightly! I get some really important facebook-checking done during that time :) I'm really grateful for this bit of work that allows me to be home with Vera! Stella and her mom are so great too - I really consider them friends.

[often these hugs end in both toppling over and 1 or 2 crying]

[I can't lie: Vera was actually being a real pill here. Mines! No, mines! she only wanted whatever spoon S had]


[showing Stella how to jump rope (wave the shoestring and jump up and down). I should upload the video...]