Dear Internet, please excuse my absence this week. I was trying to cram a lot of Mommytime into my one remaining week of freedom. Yrs, Rocketmom.

This week Blake is even more firmly entrenched as the emperor of my life. Every time I think about doing something other than Living Our Lives to the Fullest!, I get a huge stab of guilt. You’ll be gone next week, says the stab, and that Internet will still be around to listen to your silly stories. So in lieu of writing about life & taking life’s picture, I’ve been living it. With my emperor.

On Tuesday we started the day with a long bike ride to the local Big Park (as opposed to the two closer Small Parks). While I finished my breakfast, he started climbing in and out of his extra car seat, conveniently located in the front hall. “Do you want to go on a car ride?” I asked. “Car ride?” he echoed. “Or do you want to go on a bike ride?” I countered. “Bike ride?” Hearing what I wanted (can you tease a definite choice from that exchange? I can’t), I plopped him on the bike and we took off for a ride.

Let it not be said that I hate my bike, as lo! I love it. I love tooling around with Blake in the front, and the conversations we have en route (especially when he tries to force my hands off the handles. “Handles!” he shouts imperiously, and shoves my steering mitts aside). I love the freedom it affords me, unlocking me from a dreary choice between expensive gas and time-consuming pedestrianism. I love my ladybug bell. But I do not love the fact that it pedals like a mastodon, so that I can’t get any speed unless the route is downhill. If the route is uphill? Well, I suppose you’d better get off and push, missy!

Anyhoo, we made it to the Big Park intact, and were early enough to have the place pretty much to ourselves. We headed straight to the barn, where a few early rising animals were oot n’ aboot for our voyeuristic pleasure. Blake watched everything with a solemn, considering gaze, then took off for the plentiful sticks under the willow-festooned shore of the duck pond. I managed to lure him back when one of the cocks began to crow (“cockadoodledoo!” he repeated happily) but he was much more interested in sticks and leaves. Still, we were both happy.

In the afternoon we met Scherezade in Kensington Market for Jumbo! Empanadas! (holy shit, why didn’t anyone tell me about these before!) and a long smelly wander through the boutiques. I had forgotten how much KM reeks in the summer, and was glad that Blake was too young to complain.

We also managed to make to Romni so that I could exchange some expensive yarn. Scherezade, being “all Romni’d out” after my last marathon session, took Blake into a costume store and a toy store in the meantime. I found them at Kol Kid, possibly the coolest toy store ever. I think the saleslady got a little tired of our continual high-pitched omigod!s: bucking bronco piggybank! Dancing ladybug music box! Sheriff stars! Knit rabbits! Blake ended up knocking a tray of maracas to the floor in a fit of over-stimulation, so we cleaned up and left. But not before buying a poster of Goodnight Moon! (Coolest toy store ever.)

We dropped S at her mom’s business and tried to pick up daddy, but the Boy was deeply buried in deadline, and so showed us on our way. He did, however, appreciate the rejuvenating effect of a short Blake-visit on the spirits of the office. Even his visionary boss took time out of writing to draw some cats and encourage Blake to colour them in.

Yesterday was considerably quieter. I went into Hogsboro High for awhile to set up my room, then came home to play with Blake before taking off to do my bit for the Pixie-Rat Move 2005. The Rat. Has too much. STUFF. I shouldn’t complain because I didn’t even have to lift most of it: Spherewalker saved the lightest bits for me. (Here’s a box of books for Paul…and a thin metal rod for Rocketbride.) Still, I lifted enough. By the time the Boy arrived, that load was through and Pixie was off to Ham’ton for another load from their father. He decided to stay the night and I took off for a night of solo parenting. Super mom!

Today has been pretty quiet so far. In the morning Blake made a glorious mess with some fingerpaints, leading to the creation of an open-air gallery in our lilac bush. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so dirty: he was grimed with paint, dirt & sand, his hair was blue & his diaper was unmentionable. Thank God I stripped him to his diaper before we began, as it was an easy matter to wrap him in a towel and carry him inside for a fun bath in the laundry sink. I didn’t get off so easily. I really don’t know what I was thinking when I put on my white Preacher’s Privateers shirt this morning. I didn’t count on a paint-smeared Blake using my shoulder for balance, nor on his desire to lift my shirt and nurse (although I refused – or perhaps because of it - he painted my belly a nice sandy green).

He’s sleeping now. I have to admit: I love him.

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- Rocketbride's adventure of 9/01/2005 01:57:00 p.m.